Kick the java with these mouth-watering coffee alternatives.
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Whether you're just feeling the earliest signs of pregnancy or fully working on your newborn checklist, looking for the best coffee alternatives should be high on your priority list. And while pregnant women can drink coffee, keeping caffeine to a minimum is best practice. That's why we made this helpful list of totally tasty coffee alternatives during pregnancy and beyond.
And you don't have to worry—there's no need to give up your beloved coffee drinks entirely. We founder lower caffeine alternatives and non-coffee drinks that taste just like the real deal. Plus, they make thoughtful first Mother's Day gift ideas.
If you like the rich, velvety flavor of chocolate, this Crio Bru Double Chocolate Light Roast has your name written all over it. It has a slightly bitter flavor profile and dark nearly-black shade of brown color that makes it look like the real deal. But don't worry, this coffee alternative is actually made of cacao. You know, the mouth-watering stuff that eventually gets made into chocolate.
It's gluten-free, non-GMO, kosher, paleo and 99% caffeine-free. There's just a hint of caffeine from the natural cacao beans, but far less than the amounts of caffeine you might get from a cup of coffee or tea. Plus, we think this is one of the best-tasting and best-smelling coffee alternatives on the market. Add a dash of milk or creamer and you've got yourself a fancy latte.
Pro tip: you can add this ground wonder directly to a French press or regular coffee machine. That means you can also cut your regular coffee by half to cut down on caffeine and add earthy chocolate flavor. We love this as an add-on to a chocolate advent calendar, too.
You don't need to give up your K-cup habit when you're pregnant or nursing. These Four Sigmatic Mushroom Coffee K-Cups are proof that coffee alternatives can fit into your regular lifestyle with ease. They're made with ground chaga and Lion's Mane mushrooms that deliver an earthy, aromatic and deep coffee-like flavor you'll love sipping.
Organic Lion's Mane is also known as a natural nootropic with abilities to support focus and concentration (what pregnancy brain?!). This brew is lower in caffeine at 76 mg per brew, dark in color and delish with a splash of flavored creamer or natural sweetener. Chaga goes to work protecting the immune system. And healthy = wealth, right?
"My favorite thing about it is how smooth it is," writes verified Amazon reviewer, Tesia. "Such a smooth dark coffee flavor, and doesn’t taste like mushrooms at all. I use vanilla flavoring in it and I look forward to it every morning."
Did we mention there's less caffeine than regular coffee? It's true. You won't even notice you're cutting caffeine intake with these mouth-watering pods.
If you don't want to fully cut caffeine out but want to reduce your intake, switching to green tea is a good plan. A single eight-ounce cup of matcha has about a third less caffeine than a typical cup of coffee, plus matcha has loads of health benefits. This ground tea leaf powder includes L-theanine, which actually slow's the body's caffeine absorption rate. In many countries, matcha is even a major part of a healthy pregnancy plan.
That means even though you're getting 70 milligrams of caffeine per serving, the delivery is low and slow for hours of smooth, jolt-free energy. Coffee beans, on the other hand, are more wham-bam-thank-you-ma'am. Plus, you don't need any special equipment to make this green goodness. Just add hot water, stir or froth—and voila!
Pro tip: Make it extra rich with a few spoonfuls of full-fat coconut milk. We love this as a morning tea, switching to herbal tea later in the day.
Cacao and turmeric all in one latte blend? You betcha! That's exactly what this ready-to-use powder offers, and it's a cinch to whip up with a frother and hot water or even add to a blender with ice, a banana and the milk of your choice. While this is definitely one of the most antioxidant-fueled coffee alternatives for pregnancy, it's not the most like the real deal.
We love the nutty flavor, caffeine-free profile and overall versatility. There are also no added sweeteners, which makes it appealing for those who don't want sweetened drinks or have to be careful with intake.
"I tried Golde a few years ago and immediately fell in love with this product," writes verified Amazon reviewer, Julie Stefanich. "All of the superfood latte blends are delicious, but the cacao is truly the star. I have a sweet tooth and love to have dessert after dinner or before bed but am always looking for healthy alternatives that are actually satisfying. This drink is just that! It is my favorite nighttime ritual, like a healthy hot chocolate. I usually froth it with warm oat milk. It mixes very easily."
Velty is already known for its lineup of ground-breaking instant decaf coffee options, but this Classic Uncaf Coffee should really be on everyone's radar—pregnant or not. It keeps your caffeine-per-day levels low, tastes great and is gut-friendly. And in the world of coffee alternatives, we think it beats caffeine-free tea by a mile.
This prebiotics-filled coffee alternative helps foster probiotic growth in your gut that's good for pregnancy, postpartum and beyond. We absolutely loved our Wooden Spoon Herbs Magic Magnesium review and just knew this coffee-free sip would be a hit. It's made with maca root (said to increase libido, as if pregnancy wasn't enough!), mesquite pod, burdock and real cinnamon bark.
It has a bit of a lightly caramelized undercurrent with a dash of bitterness that makes it similar to real coffee. Drink it on its own, slightly sweetened, or my fave—with a dash of oat milk creamer. Wholesome seeds, mushrooms and chicory root make this coffee substitute a delicious winner. We hope they come out with an alternative coffee advent calendar for the holidays!
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Bryce Gruber is a Jewish mom to five growing kids. She loves writing shopping and trend content and catching up on pop culture. When she's not raising her children, she can be found hiking local mountains, traveling to sunny beaches and trying to get a handle on the endless laundry life provides.