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It's the secret ingredient in many chocolate desserts.

What's one way to make chocolate desserts taste even more decadent? The answer: espresso powder! Yes, this ingredient is the secret to making chocolate taste rich and decadent. It's even one of our tricks for making boxed brownies taste better. And before you say, "but I don't like coffee desserts," you should know that espresso powder doesn't actually make your treats taste like coffee. It simply enhances the flavors of your homemade cakes, cookies, and other baked goods. In fact, espresso powder is also used as a flavor enhancer in savory recipes, too. You may find it as part of a dry spice rub for your favorite steak dinners or as an ingredient in a hearty beef stew. So, what if your recipe calls for espresso powder and you don't have any on hand? Don't worry! These espresso powder substitutes will work in a pinch.

What is espresso powder, anyway? Surprisingly, espresso powder isn't your best bet for a good cup of joe (for that, you'll want to check out this list of instant coffees). Instead, espresso powder is ground espresso beans that have been brewed, dried, and crushed into a fine powder form. It's highly concentrated so you only need a small amount when baking or cooking. That makes it pretty easy to swap with one of these espresso powder substitutes. If you haven't stocked your pantry with espresso powder yet, consider adding it to your shopping list. In the meantime, these simple substitutes will work the next time you have a craving for sweets.

Instant coffee is one of the best bets for replacing espresso powder in chocolate desserts or spice rubs. The two have a lot of similarities, but unlike espresso powder, instant coffee is less concentrated and therefore will add less richness to your recipe. You can swap it in 1:1 (especially if using dark roast instant coffee) or add up to double the amount for even more flavor. Note: adding more instant coffee could make baked goods taste slightly bitter.

Using brewed coffee will take a bit of adjusting to your recipe. Simply brew and chill a very dark roast coffee (preferably made with less water than you normally would), then use some of the brewed coffee to replace the liquid in your recipe.

If you want to bring out the flavor in chocolate desserts, natural cocoa powder will do the trick. It has a similar bitterness to espresso powder and it also brings the fruity flavor of cocoa beans to your dish.

Just like with brewed coffee, you'll have to make sure to swap some of the overall liquid in your recipe for the brewed espresso to make it work. If you're in a pinch, it's a good choice for replacing espresso powder.

Unlike the fine texture of espresso powder, espresso grounds are much coarser. They also happen to be much stronger than espresso powder. To use them as a substitute, try crushing them in a spice grinder and only use a small amount. You won't need as much as your recipe calls for.

If you can't find natural cocoa powder, Dutch-processed cocoa powder can add depth to your recipes in the same way that espresso powder does. However, it won't have the same bitter notes.