9 Coffee Alternatives to Help You Kick the Habit

A cup of joe is a key part of many people's morning routine. Coffee isn't just aromatic and delicious — it promotes alertness and focus, suppresses appetite, and even aids with digestion.^[1]

Coffee acts as a stimulant, which means that it can increase your blood pressure and heart rate; it also gives some people headaches. And while it helps digestion in some people, it can cause stomach pain and indigestion in others, especially people who drink several cups a day.

Maybe your healthcare provider recommended that you reduce your coffee intake or remove it from your diet entirely. Or perhaps you just want to live coffee-free for personal reasons. No matter the reason, we have good news.

Several delicious drinks can ease your transition away from coffee while still providing some or all of the same effects. Many of these coffee substitutes have more natural sugar and no bitter taste, unlike coffee. Here are some ideas and recipes to get you started.

Best Healthy Alternatives to Coffee

Going without your daily cup of coffee — or two or three — might seem hard, both emotionally and physically, especially if you have developed caffeine dependence. We have some great options for you, with recipes and health benefits of each.

Chicory Coffee

Chicory root is the alternative that tastes the most like traditional coffee!

Of all the potential healthy coffee alternatives, chicory tastes the most like traditional coffee — so much that some companies sell chicory-coffee mixes. You can brew chicory root the same way you brew traditional coffee.

Historically, people used roasted chicory root as a coffee alternative during times of coffee shortages; it remains particularly popular in New Orleans. Some chicory mixes come with other herbs, such as dandelion root.

Chicory is rich in a prebiotic fiber called inulin which not only feeds your healthy gut bacteria but also might reduce occasional constipation.^[2] Chicory is naturally caffeine-free, and a great option for people wanting specifically to eliminate that stimulant from their diet. Avoid this choice if pregnant, however.

Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1–2 tablespoons ground chicory
• 2 cups hot water
• Raw honey or other natural sweetener (optional)

Directions:

1. Brew just like coffee (using a french press, drip coffee maker, etc.).
2. Enjoy!

Black Tea

Black tea is helpful for mental alertness because it contains caffeine, but has a lower amount than coffee.^[3] Drinking black tea and other caffeinated beverages throughout the day helps to improve attention, even after extended periods without sleep. The stimulating effect increases when there is more caffeine in the beverage.^[4]

Black tea can improve your attention — even when you don't sleep enough!

Tea also contains other beneficial compounds, such as polyphenols and antioxidants.^[4] Black tea can even help ease low blood pressure after eating, which can be an issue for older adults.^[3]

Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 cups boiling water
• 1 black tea bag or 1 tablespoon loose leaf tea
• Raw honey or other natural sweetener (optional)

Directions:

1. Place loose tea into a metal ball infuser and place in a cup of boiling water, or add tea bag to boiling water.
2. Steep for 2 minutes. Remove tea bag or infuser.
3. Add sweetener, if desired.

Chai Tea

The spices and herbs in chai tea can improve your gut health.

Chai tea is a blend of spices, herbs, and black tea. Chai offers a rich alternative to your morning coffee, especially if you love the fall "pumpkin spice" coffee season. It contains less caffeine than coffee, and the spices it contains, such as cardamom, give you a natural health boost. Cardamom promotes normal blood pressure and has a calming effect, physiologically.^[6]

You can order a chai latte at most coffee shops in place of a traditional latte or make this drink at home.

Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 chai tea bag
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup organic nut milk
• 1 tablespoon raw honey

Directions:

1. Heat the water and nut milk.
2. Add the tea bag and sweetener.
3. Steep for 5 minutes.

Natural Hot Chocolate

It is easy to replace the taste of your morning mocha with a non-coffee alternative — natural hot chocolate! Simply mix organic cocoa powder with nut or oat milk, and enjoy! You can also add in chicory if you want a bit more coffee flavor in the hot chocolate.

Cocoa powder is truly an antioxidant superfood; it aids weight loss, decreases redness and swelling, and improves brain health and mood.^[7] While cocoa contains a small amount of caffeine, it contains much less than coffee.

Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons organic, unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 tablespoons organic maple syrup
• 1 ½–2 cups nut or oat milk, heated
• ½ cup brewed chicory (optional)

Directions:

1. Add cocoa powder and maple syrup to a mug.
2. After heating the nut or oat milk, pour it into your mug and mix well.
3. For a special treat, top with vegan marshmallows.

Yerba Mate

Yerba mate is a rich, plant-based drink that originates from South America, from the same scientific genus as holly trees (Ilex). Yerba mate contains less caffeine than coffee, while still offering some attention-boosting effects.

Yerba mate may promote normal cholesterol, protect the liver, and support the cardiovascular system.^[8] If that weren't enough, it also acts as a mild stimulant; some experts have even suggested using it for obesity management. Yerba mate slows the development of obesity in several ways, including protecting against insulin resistance and modulating levels of blood lipids (fats).^[8]

Try this refreshing and easy cold-brewed yerba mate for an afternoon pick-me-up.

Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 cups cold water
• 2 tablespoons loose–leaf yerba mate, or 2 tea bags
• Sweetener (optional)

Directions:

1. Add cold water and yerba mate into a glass. Store in the refrigerator overnight.
2. In the morning, add sweetener if desired.

Water

You've heard it a million times: drink more water! But it's true. You should drink half your body weight in ounces every day for best health — so if you crave a cup of joe, reach for your water bottle. Water not only decreases your appetite, it helps you lose weight without resorting to a stimulant.

Drinking 1.5 liters (around 50 fluid ounces) of water helps with weight reduction, body fat reduction, and appetite suppression.^[9] Drinking more water also helps to reduce constipation.^[10] Some people love water, but if it's not usually your favorite, pep it up. Try making lemon water for a fresh, caffeine-free drink, or make flavorful detox water. See our article on Detox Water Recipes for more ideas.

Recipe

Ingredients:

• 4 cups cold distilled water
• 1 cup ice
• Juice of ½ lemon

Directions:

1. Add all ingredients to a pitcher.
2. Store in the refrigerator.

Golden Milk Latte

This drink may be your new go-to for better digestion and relaxation!

Golden milk lattes are warm, comforting drinks full of turmeric, which can even aid in weight loss. Including turmeric in your diet may help reduce the risk of obesity.^[11]

A traditional Ayurvedic comfort drink, golden milk helps with relaxation and digestion. Because of its relaxing effects, many people prefer to drink it in the evening, rather than as a morning pick-me-up — but see what works for you.

Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 cups nut or oat milk
• 1 tablespoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger or 1 tablespoon sliced fresh ginger root
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper or fresh peppercorns
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Add nut or oat milk to a saucepan. Oat milk will have a frothy texture similar to traditional lattes.
2. Add spices and vanilla and simmer ingredients for a couple of minutes.
3. Pour the drink through a fine-mesh strainer into a mug.

Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple cider vinegar can help boost metabolism, decrease fatigue, and lower triglycerides, which are fats that circulate in your blood.^{[12, 13]} A couple additions make the drink extra healthful: a dash of cayenne pepper will help you feel full for longer, and orange juice brings in a potent source of vitamin C.^{[14, 15]}

Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• ½ cup orange juice
• 1 tablespoon honey
• Dash of cayenne pepper

Directions:

1. Add juice, honey, and apple cider vinegar to a glass and stir to combine.
2. Add a dash of cayenne pepper to the top.

Prune, Apple, or Pear Juices

One of the useful benefits of coffee is its laxative effect, but you can try a fruit-based alternative that might prove even more effective — and with more nutrients. Try apple, prune, and pear juices, which contain sorbitol and water, both of which help with constipation.^[10]

Fruit juices offer rich sources of vitamins and minerals in an easy-to-digest form. However, they can quickly increase blood sugar, so they are not the best coffee substitute if you are trying to lose weight or have diabetes.

You can buy these fruit juices already made but only buy organic, 100-percent juice. You can also make fresh juices at home.

Other Alternatives

Other coffee alternatives exist, as well. If you like the taste of tea but want to avoid caffeine entirely, choose an herbal tea instead, such as licorice tea, rooibos tea, or mint tea. Brew them in the same way that you do with black or any other tea.

You can also try kombucha, a fermented tea beverage that is abundant in probiotics, beneficial organisms that help restore the balance of bacteria in your stomach and digestive tract. Yet another alternative is coconut water, which is a more flavorful way to hydrate.

Points to Remember

You can find several alternatives to coffee, many of which have the same benefits as your typical morning java, but without the bitterness and jitters. These benefits range from decreasing constipation to increasing energy, depending on which coffee alternative you choose.

Teas, including herbal tea, provide antioxidants and other beneficial chemicals. Water, juices, and chicory root can all help ease occasional constipation naturally. If you want a warm, comforting drink, chicory or golden milk lattes offer more great options.

Just remember, many delicious options exist, whether hot or cold, to replace coffee in your day. Find the one that you love, and that provides the comfort, aroma, or stimulation that you need.

†Results may vary. Information and statements made are for education purposes and are not intended to replace the advice of your doctor. If you have a severe medical condition or health concern, see your physician.

Dr. Edward Group, DC

FOUNDER | HEALER | ADVOCATE

Dr. Group, DC is a healer and alternative health advocate, and an industry leader and innovator in the field of natural health who is dedicated to helping others. He is a registered doctor of chiropractic (DC), a naturopathic practitioner (NP), and proud alum of Harvard Business School and MIT Sloan School of Management. Dr. Group, DC is the founder of Global Healing – a mission and vision he has shared through best-selling books and frequent media appearances. He aims to spread his message of positivity, hope, and wellness throughout the world.

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