9 Coffee Alternatives That Actually Feel Good
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Our editors have personally tried dozens of coffee alternatives and adaptogen drinks — these are our top picks for high-quality ingredients, taste, and functionality.
When it comes to our morning ritual, there’s nothing quite like sitting down with a piping hot cup of coffee and taking time to meditate or journal. That is…until the afternoon caffeine crash when we’re slumped over our desks.
But what if we could upgrade our morning drinks for something that left us focused and energized throughout the day? For when coffee is too strong and tea isn’t quite strong enough, check out these coffee alternatives instead. Using superfoods, adaptogens, and spices, these brews focus on the short- and long-term benefits, so you can enjoy not just a boost in productivity but also in your immune system, gut health, and quality of sleep.
What are the benefits of adaptogenic drinks?
Adaptogens harness the power of herbs — think ashwagandha, reishi, lion’s mane, to name a few. They offer benefits like mental clarity, reduced fatigue, immunity support, and sustained energy throughout the day (without that dreaded afternoon crash we get with coffee). Better yet, adaptogen drinks can help with sleep and mood/hormone regulation, so they truly help us day and night; it’s not just a beverage to help you get going for the day. While the below drinks are not a replacement for coffee—the flavors and recipes are much different—they are tasty and satisfying in their own way. Trust us, you’ll be breaking up with Joe after just a few sips.
Our criteria:
- TASTE | Our team finds each one of these drinks pleasant in taste while still being reminiscent of your favorite morning beverages (without the caffeine of course).
- FUNCTIONAL INGREDIENTS | These coffee alternatives and adaptogenic drinks use natural plants, herbs, fruits, flowers, matcha, and the highest quality, sustainably sourced ingredients to provide added health benefits to you.
Top off your new morning ritual with our favorite handmade mugs and the best electric kettles.
Best Overall | Best Herbal | Best Matcha
1. MUDWTR
Best For | Mushroom & cacao coffee
Main Ingredients | Masala chai, lion’s mane, chaga, reishi, turmeric, cinnamon, cacao, cordyceps
Price | $60 for 30 servings; discounted subscriptions available
Owned and operated out of Santa Monica, CA, MUDWTR harnesses the power of mushrooms (the legal kind!). Grown in the US and supplemented with other sustainable ingredients like cacao, turmeric, and cinnamon, MUDWTR offers two kinds of coffee alternatives: :rise Cacao and :rise Matcha—and at just a fraction of the caffeine of coffee, it’s enough to give us energy and focus without impacting our sleep (as noted by our editor when she switched over to MUDWTR for a week). With 25,000+ glowing reviews and counting, MUDWTR is worth a try if you’re looking for an organic, vegan, and non-GMO drink.
Our Editor’s Review | “This is a pretty easy beverage to make, and I appreciate that it doesn’t have long brew times or require milk to be tasty.” – Emily McGowan [Read our full review.]
2. Clevr Blends
Best For | Coffee-shop taste & pre-made lattes
Main Ingredients | Organic oatmilk powder, coconut cream powder, monk fruit, carob, chicory root, resihi, ashwagandha, vanilla bean powder
Price | $28 for 14 lattes (12 oz); discounted subscriptions available
Love the flavor of your local brew, but want to avoid too much caffeine? Consider Clevr Blends’ oat milk lattes, made with adaptogens, mushrooms, and probiotics—all you have to do is add the water (cold or hot!). Ingredients are responsibly sourced, third-party tested, and concocted without refined sugar or dairy. Instead, you can enjoy the benefits of regenerative cacao, ashwagandha, reishi, and valerian root, just to name a few. We love how luxurious the drink gets after a little frothing, and it’s all the comfort of a cup of coffee without the digestive discomfort. Our Editorial Director highly recommends the chai blend, but says you can’t go wrong with any of them. Try it for 30 days or your money back!
Customer Review | “I love matcha. I love rose. Putting them together is a nice spin on both. I’ve been drinking it in lieu of three Americanos in the morning 🤪 and I actually feel great. (It doesn’t have a lot of caffeine, but seems to work!) I’ve made it iced, hot and blended with Greek yogurt. It’s good!” – Gina (Read all reviews.)
3. Wooden Spoon Herbs
Best For | Herbal coffee & tea
Main Ingredients | Organic chicory, dandelion, maca, burdock roots, mesquite pod, cinnamon bark
Price | $24 for 7 oz; discounted subscriptions available
Wooden Spoon Herbs is focused on “everyday herbalism for every day’s vibes.” Founder Lauren Haynes focuses on herbal alternatives that are all found in nature; the brand’s Herbal Coffee is a caffeine-free alternative that blends together some of the best prebiotic roots around. The formula is vegan, comprises USDA organic ingredients, and gives back to 1% for the Planet. Enjoy the rich, earthy taste of this herbal coffee and the energy boost you’ll get with it.
Customer Review | “My husband loves it. He’s not able to drink coffee as it worsens his anxiety but this coffee is a great alternative for that warm drink in the am.” – Viera D. (Read all reviews.)
4. Four Sigmatic
Best For | Cold brew & decaf mushroom coffee
Main Ingredients | Organic coffee, chaga, reishi, ashwagandha
Price | $20 for 16 servings (12 oz); discounted subscriptions available
Four Sigmatic helps make every morning more magical—and productive. Rather than relying on coffee alone, the FS team blends coffee and mushrooms to keep you energized throughout the day. Choose from a number of different benefits (Think, Focus, Boost, Calm, Protect, Happy Gut or Balance) or by product type (including cold brew and decaf options!), and reap the benefits of the best in vegan protein. Four Sigmatic also prioritizes recyclable containers, is nontoxic and USDA organic.
Customer Review | “Love this coffee. Been telling everyone I know about it. Placebo or not, I feel less anxious, less irritable, more willing to focus on work and complex tasks, tastes good.” – Adam M. (Read all reviews.)
5. Golde
Best For | Organic matcha & turmeric lattes
Main Ingredients | Certified organic coconut milk powder, turmeric, matcha, cacao, spices
Price | $32 for 30 servings (4.2 oz); discounted subscriptions available
Supercharge your mornings with Golde’s superfood alternatives. Instead of a cup o’ joe, try Golde’s line of matcha, turmeric, and mushroom mocha products that offer a powerful dose of energy without the jitters or crash. (As a bonus, these thoughtful formulas also support gut health and clear skin.) Try out discounted bundles to find your favorite, and if you love it, sign up for a subscription for an added 10 percent off! Certified organic ingredients, vegan-friendly, BIPOC woman-owned, and absolutely delish.
Customer Review | “Was looking to switch off coffee for health reasons and to introduce more turmeric into my diet, and this matcha turmeric blend has been incredible. Mix it with half oat milk/water, froths super well, not too sweet, really nice mix of warming from the turmeric and energy from the matcha.” – Courtney S. (Read all reviews.)
6. Sip Herbals
Best For | Unique flavors
Main Ingredients | Organic roasted chicory root, organic roasted carob, organic roasted dandelion root
Price | $25 for 30 servings; discounted subscriptions available
Founded in 2020 by Kelly Raulerson and Orleatha Smith, Sip Herbals was born out of a need to enjoy the coffee ritual without the health issues related to caffeine and acidity. This bevvie offers a nutty, earthy blend of herbs that mimics the comfort of coffee without the downsides. The mix includes chicory root for a rich body, dandelion root for stress relief and antioxidants, and carob for a chocolatey aftertaste. This caffeine-free, non-acidic, unsweetened drink is also gluten-free, keto-certified, AIP-friendly, and eco-friendly, serving as a source of prebiotics. If you like a little spice to your morning coffee, try the cinnamon roll, dirty chai, or salted maple blondie flavors!
Customer Review | “I have tried every non-coffee alternative and none of them have been quite right until now. I’m someone who loves the taste and comfort of coffee but cannot handle any caffeine at all. After trying this, I realized it tastes even better than actual coffee!!! This stuff is AMAZING” – Helen D. (Read all reviews.)
7. Chagaccino
Best For | Adaptogen beginners
Main Ingredients | Wild foraged chaga, organic cacao, cinnamon, monk fruit
Price | $30 for 10 packets; discounted subscriptions available
If you’ve stepped foot into a coffee shop or wellness store lately, chances are you’ve seen an ad for Chagaccino. Now touted by baristas and keto-fans alike, Chagaccino combines freeze-dried chaga sourced from birch trees in Canada with organic Peruvian cacao, organic cinnamon from Sri Lanka, and monk fruit sweetener from Japan. The result? A creamy, delicious powder blend that’ll give you a boost just when you need it. No sugar, no junk, and no GMOs here; just a clean, vegan formula you can use for iced or hot drinks. (Okay, so technically this one gets added into your coffee but it’s worth a mention for those of us who are swapping to decaf or wanting to just try out some mushrooms in their morning cuppa!)
Customer Review | “This stuff is amazing, I highly recommend using regular milk because it tastes so much better for some reason but WOW. It really boosts the effectiveness of you coffee, like energy with motivation and almost like a happiness high! I found this at a local coffee shop in Houston and had to buy it for my house because I liked it so much! BUY IT!” – c_lonestar (Read all reviews.)
8. Joe’y
Best For | Delicious blends that taste more like cocoa than coffee
Main Ingredients | Single-origin cacao, gluten-free barley, chicory & dandelion roots, ashwagandha, lion’s mane, reishi
Price | $20 for 18 servings (4 oz); discounted subscriptions available
After developing this recipe for an entire year (and across two cities, Brooklyn and LA), Joe’y is a coffee alternative all its own. Now made in California, this coffee alternative combines cacao, ashwagandha, lion’s mane, chicory and dandelion roots and more to help you feel your best inside and out. But don’t expect a coffee flavor; this delicious blend borders between espresso and cocoa. (Our editor promptly recommended this drink to friends and family as soon as she took her first sip.) We recommend drinking this iced, or adding just a touch more hot water for the perfect cup! A fifth of the caffeine, but allll the flavors and benefits.
Customer Review | “I got the small bag of Joey first to try out. I really enjoy this in the afternoon when I need a little energy and don’t want the caffeine of coffee messing with my sleep. The taste is great if made like a cappuccino with a little cinnamon on top!” – Daniel H. (Read all reviews.)
9. Magic Mind
Best For | Boosting energy & mental clarity
Main Ingredients | Organic matcha, organic adaptogenic mushrooms, organic olive oil, rhodiola rosea, bacopa monnieri, turmeric
Price | $125 for 15 servings; discounted subscriptions available
After the founder of Magic Mind James Beshara was diagnosed with a heart condition a decade ago, he learned from his doctor that stress and excessive caffeine were major contributors. This revelation led him on a decade-long journey exploring nootropics, adaptogens, and functional mushrooms, resulting in the creation of Magic Mind. Designed to enhance focus, mood, and sustained energy, Magic Mind offers a balanced alternative to high-caffeine drinks. Committed to clean, sustainable ingredients, its unique blend promotes a calm focus, with benefits taking full effect over several days. If you’re looking to implement a healthier morning routine into your life, Magic Mind will help you do just that!
Customer Review | “Usually, with any medication or supplement aimed at enhancing focus, there tends to be some negative side effects or a “crash” phase. However, after trying Magic Mind, I experienced heightened focus and productivity. What amazed me the most was how I felt in the early evening — calm, energized, and almost euphoric. I enthusiastically recommend this product; it exceeded my expectations. I’ll definitely be ordering more to keep up this positive experience.” – Whitney M. (Read all reviews.)
Featured image is from Golde
