•Sample preparation comprised of ultrasonic extraction, saponification and purification.•Validation of the analytical conditions allowed reproducibility of the analytical method.•Low polarity solvents favored the ultrasound extraction of PAHs.•Recoveries of carcinogenic PAHs was independent from concentration.•Saponification and purification minimized interferences for PAHs identification. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are of significant interest due to their genotoxicity in humans. PAHs quantification in coffee is complex since some of its compounds interfere in the chromatographic analysis, which hinders the reliable determination of the PAHs. Analytical conditions for the ultrasound extraction, purification and quantification of 16 PAHs in roasted coffee were studied. The better extraction efficiency of benzoapyrene (68%) from ground-roasted coffee was achieved with a solvent ratio of Hex:MC (9:1 v/v) and three extraction periods of 20min, followed by alkaline saponification and purification of the extracts. The detection limits were 0.85–39.32ngmL−1, and the quantification limits from 2.84 to 131.05ngmL−1, obtained for fluoranthene and chrysene, respectively. The extraction was effective for most of the analytes, with recoveries of 39.8% dibenzoahanthracene and 69.0% benzobfluoranthene. For coffee roasted in a spouted bed reactor, the summation of the 16 PAHs ranged from 3.5 to 16.4μgkg−1.