I love coffee: the aroma, the smell, the first sip in the morning. It’s what I look forward to most when I sit down at the breakfast table. But even the most devoted coffee lover sometimes craves a little variety, especially during the day. Whether it’s to cut back on caffeine, explore new flavors, or offer your body different nutrients, coffee alternatives can be surprisingly satisfying. These hot drinks are nourishing, flavorful, and indulgent. A hug in a mug, as my boyfriend’s mum would say. Here are my favorite recipes:
Coffee alternative 1: London Fog AKA Earl Grey Vanilla Latte
If you’re looking for coffee alternatives, the London Fog is a perfect place to start. This creamy, aromatic drink is made with citrusy bergamot Earl Grey tea, foamed milk, and a touch of vanilla and sweetness that makes it feel like a dessert. It’s smooth, lightly sweet, and gently caffeinated, ideal for slow mornings or afternoon breaks when coffee feels like too much. It seems to be extremely popular in Montreal, where I first tried it and I saw it on the menu in every café. I have also heard of a Vancouver Fog, where just maple syrup is used with the earl grey, no vanilla.
It’s so easy to make: just heat some oat milk or foam some hot barista milk, add a teabag of earl grey for a few minutes, add a pinch of vanilla powder and coconut sugar and maple syrup to taste. If you’re using loose tea leaves, just heat them up with the milk for a few minutes, until the tea develops a nice caramel colour and smells aromatic. Then pour it through a sieve and add vanilla and sweetener. I have a video on instagram on my earl grey vanilla latte.
If you love the taste of Earl Grey, you might also enjoy my Earl Grey Loaf Cake.
Coffee alternative 2: Hojicha Latte
Hojicha is a low-caffeine Japanese green tea roasted over charcoal, giving it a warm, toasty flavor with hints of caramel and smoke. Foamed plant milk transforms hojicha into a creamy, comforting latte, perfect for afternoons or evenings. Its gentle, low-caffeine profile makes it easy on the stomach. I also like hojicha latte with rice milk, however, rice milk can’t be foamed like barista oat milk or soy milk. You will find the full recipe for my hojicha latte here.
Love the flavour of hojicha? Then you might also enjoy my hojicha ice cream mini cheesecakes.
Coffee alternative 3: Chagaccino
For a not completely coffee-free mushroom latte with deep, earthy flavors, try the chagaccino, made from chaga mushroom powder, coffee or decaf, foamed milk, and optional cacao.
Chaga has been used for centuries in traditional medicine, particularly in Russia and Northern Europe, and it offers a unique, slightly bitter flavor. A chagaccino is warm, soothing, and energizing. While it doesn’t taste exactly like coffee, its deep, slightly bitter flavor makes it a popular coffee alternative everyone who loves the ritual of a hot, comforting mug in the morning or evening.
The chagaccino recipe is here.
Coffee alternative 4: Lion’s Mane Matcha Latte
For gentle energy and mental clarity, a lion’s mane matcha latte is a modern favorite. Matcha provides a calm, steady lift thanks to its combination of caffeine and L-theanine, while lion’s mane is often used to support focus, memory, and overall brain health. Together, they create a drink that feels both grounding and energizing, which makes it perfect for creative work, slow mornings, or afternoon slumps.
For this mushroom latte, I whisk matcha powder and lion’s mane powder with a little hot rice milk and then pour it into more hot rice milk. The recipe for the lion’s mane matcha latte is here.
If you love the taste of matcha like I do, you can also use the powder to make crispy matcha pralines or matcha popsicles.
Coffee alternative 5: Spicy Hot Chocolate
Sometimes, a little heat is exactly what the soul and the body need. The grown up version of hot chocolate, made with rich cocoa, a pinch of cayenne, and optionally a drop of CBD oil, delivers comfort with a gentle kick.
The chocolate itself contains compounds that stimulate the release of endorphins, giving a natural mood boost, while the cayenne adds warmth and excitement in more ways than one. Cayenne contains capsaicin, the compound that gives chili peppers their heat. When we consume it, our bodies respond by releasing endorphins and increasing blood flow, which can create a mild sense of alertness and even enhance focus. The result is a cozy, slightly spicy drink that perks you up in a way that’s completely different from coffee. It’s one of our favourite after dinner coffee alternatives.
And if that’s not enough, you can add some CBD oil. You’ll find the complete recipe for the spicy cacao here.
Coffee alternative 6: Golden Milk or Turmeric Latte
Golden milk, or turmeric latte, is as nourishing as it is comforting. Warm plant milk mixed with turmeric and other spices from Ayurvedic tradition create this beautiful golden drink. It is known for its soothing, anti-inflammatory properties and is often consumed to support the immune system or promote relaxation.
Turmeric contains curcumin, celebrated for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, while black pepper enhances absorption. Creamy, warm, and lightly spiced, golden milk is perfect for calming mornings or cozy evenings. It has no caffeine and has also become one of the most famous coffee alternatives under the name turmeric latte in hipster cafés.
My vegan version of this drink: for 240 ml / 1 cup of golden milk, just heat the plant milk and add 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric, 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon, 1/4 vanilla, 5 cardamom cloves, a little saffron, a little nutmeg and black pepper.
Heat, but don’t boil and let sit on medium to low temperature for 5 minutes. Then sweeten with maple syrup or coconut sugar to taste.
You can amplify the relaxing effect and turn it into a moon milk by adding CBD-Oil.
Coffee alternative 7: Chai Latte
Ever since the first time I had a Masala Chai in an Indian restaurant, I’ve been a big fan of this drink. As it’s mostly not vegan, I make my own at home.
A piece of fresh ginger, a cinnamon stick, a few black pepper corns, 2 cloves and one green cardamom, a teaspoon of black tea, that’s my favourite combination.
How to make it: simmer the spices for 10-20 minutes in a 50:50 mix of water and plant milk, pour through a sieve, add some foamed plant milk on top and a little maple syrup or coconut sugar to taste and enjoy. Chai’s warming spices can support digestion and gently awaken the senses.
You can also add a little vanilla to the foamed milk, I hear that’s called a Bangalore Fog, but unfortunately I haven’t found that in Bangalore yet. Maybe next time 🙂
If you love the taste of chai latte like I do, you might also like my chai Madeleines.
