There are many things non-vegans take for granted that make eating and drinking out difficult for vegans. A surprising number of seemingly vegan meals and beverages actually turn out to contain non-vegan ingredients. Luckily, coffee is one arena where vegans are on a level playing field. There are tons of creative – and delicious – vegan coffee recipes that taste every bit as good, or sometimes even better than the non-vegan versions.
In this article, we’re going to run down our six favorite vegan coffee recipes and hopefully give you some general ideas you can use to craft your own vegan coffee drinks.
Is Coffee Vegan?
Yes! Coffee itself is vegan, but some coffee recipes include non-vegan ingredients. Of course, any coffee recipe that calls for dairy products like regular milk and cream is not vegan. There are many milk alternatives at most coffee shops these days, but you’ll generally have to pay a premium for them. If you’re looking for non-dairy milk to use at home, almond milk, coconut milk, and oat milk are three of our favorites to use in coffee.
Top 6 Tasty Vegan Coffee Recipes:
1. New Orleans Coffee
New Orleans coffee is popular in – you guessed it – New Orleans! It’s unique among coffee drinks because it uses chicory to give coffee an unusual, spicy kick. We weren’t sure the first time we heard about New Orleans coffee, but it is delicious. Chicory is a bitter herb that is vegan, so people who follow vegan diets can enjoy New Orleans coffee without any alterations to the recipe.
- Grind 340 g of whole bean coffee coarse setting like you would use for a French press.
- Measure out 28 g of roasted chicory and combine it with the ground coffee in a large pot.
- Pour 2 liters of water over the coffee and chicory.
- Stir until all the grounds are evenly wet.
- Cover the pot and let it sit at room temperature for 12 hours.
- Strain and serve straight for a strong flavor or cut with equal parts water for a milder experience.
2. Cold Brew Coffee
Cold brew is one of our favorite methods of making coffee, and it’s entirely vegan. One of the major benefits of cold brew is the natural sweetness cold brewing coffee can coax out of coffee beans. Unlike ordinary coffee, cold brew is sweet and smooth even without milk and sugar.
- Grind 100 g coffee on an extremely coarse setting, even coarser than you’d normally use in a French press.
- Measure 700 g of water and add it to the coffee. We like to use a French press to make straining easier, but you can use any container.
- Stir until all of the coffee is evenly wet.
- Let the coffee sit covered at room temperature for 16 hours.
- Strain the coffee and serve over ice or cut with equal parts water and coffee.
3. Vegan Turkish Coffee
Turkish coffee is known for being extremely strong and bold and also for its spiciness in some cases. If you tried the New Orleans coffee recipe and liked it, this is another one for you. Our favorite version includes cardamom and cloves, which give it a tasty, warming quality perfect for cold winter nights.
- Brew one cup of coffee, about 20% stronger than you normally would. We usually brew with a 1:15 or 1:16 coffee to water ratio, and we use 1:14 for this recipe.
- Crush one cardamom pod or measure out an ⅛ of an ounce of ground cardamom.
- Crush one whole clove (optional but we like including it).
- Bring your water to a boil in a small saucepan. How much water you need depends on how many cups you want to make. Use the 1:14 ratio as a guide.
- Remove the boiling water from heat and add the coffee, cardamom, and cloves.
- Return the pot to heat until the coffee starts to foam. Remove it from the heat.
- Let the coffee settle and then return it to heat once more, removing it again once it foams.
- Serve and enjoy!
4. Vegan Coffee Liqueur
Coffee liqueur is surprisingly easy to make and doesn’t require any non-vegan ingredients. This is our favorite recipe, inspired by the popular flavor of Kahlua. To make this delicious vegan coffee treat, you’ll need instant coffee, vanilla bean, vodka, and white and brown sugar. It’s not complicated, but it takes some time to prepare. Trust us, it’s worth it!
- Start by measuring out 3.5 cups of white sugar and 0.5 cups of brown sugar (light or dark is fine).
- Combine the sugars in a small pot with 4 cups of water and bring to a boil over medium heat. Allow the mixture to boil for 5 minutes.
- Add the instant coffee to the pot immediately after removing it from heat. Stir until the coffee is well-mixed.
- Pour the coffee and sugar mixture into a large jar.
- Add 750 mL vodka and 2 vanilla beans to the jar.
- Let the cocktail sit in a cool, dark place for 2 weeks before using it.
5. Vegan Irish coffee
Irish coffee is one of those cocktails where everyone seems to have a slightly different recipe. Classic Irish coffee is simply Irish whiskey in coffee, but the modern version is almost always served topped with whipped cream. You can make this recipe with or without vegan whipped cream, and either way, it’s delicious.
- Make one cup of slightly stronger coffee than you normally would, just like the Turkish recipe. You don’t have to make strong coffee, but it helps balance the powerful whiskey taste.
- Add one – or two if it’s been a long week – shots of Irish whiskey.
- Top with a generous helping of vegan whipped cream if you want a creamy, sweet treat.
6. Vegan Latte
Lattes are milky drinks, there are no two ways about it. You might think that making a vegan latte is as simple as substituting almond milk or coconut milk for dairy milk and calling it a day, but, unfortunately, it’s not that easy. Frothing milk is a huge part of making a creamy, delicious latte, and not all non-dairy milk froths easily. This recipe uses oat milk, which we’ve found to be the best frothing non-dairy milk.
- Make your favorite espresso. A latte is ⅓ espresso and ⅔ milk and is adjustable to suit your needs. We like to make 12-ounce lattes with 4 ounces of espresso.
- Froth 8 ounces of oat milk. You can use the same technique you would for frothing dairy milk, folding back and forth as you go, mixing the liquid milk and foam.
- Pour the milk over the espresso. This is where you get to show off your creative skills and make some killer latte art!
Vegan Coffee Drinks: Final Thoughts
Vegan alternatives to many foods can be difficult to make or are not similar enough to reproduce the traditional dish’s flavors. Thankfully, coffee is one of the easiest sectors of the culinary world to create vegan alternatives that are nearly identical to the original versions. Many recipes are vegan already, and those that require milk can often be made vegan-friendly by substituting non-dairy milk.
We hope you’ve found this selection of vegan coffee recipes helpful! Try them out for yourself, or feel free to steal some of the ideas and use them in your own vegan coffee recipes. We only ask that you let us know if you stumble on something great so we can try it ourselves.
SEE ALSO:
- Delicious Iced Mocha Recipe (With Pictures)
- How to Make Protein Coffee: Recipes & Pictures
- Delicious & Easy Coffee Smoothie Recipes
Featured Image: danymena88, Pixabay
