Making natural coffee using herbs has gained popularity in recent years. Many coffee shops choose this option due to its visual appeal and aroma. Some herbs to use as a brewing source for natural coffee include peppermint, ginger, and lavender.
What Is A Coffee Herb?
A coffee herb is a plant or shrub that can be used as an alternative to regular coffee beans in making a cup of coffee. While some people want a coffee herb for purely decorative purposes, some people use herbs to make tinctures that can be used as a brewed beverage or for other purposes such as medical or culinary options.
How Do You Use A Coffee Herb?
The fruit or leaves of a coffee herb are harvested and turned into a cold-brewed or hot brew. However, for a cold-brewed beverage, you will need to first dry the herbs using freezing or dehydrating methods. You can then blend the dried plant parts with sugar or sweeteners, which is then mixed with hot water and brewed for several hours or overnight to create a delicious herbal tea or coffee drink.
What Are Some Common Herbs To Make Coffee?
Some common herbs that can be used to make a coffee-like drink include peppermint (Mentha x piperita), spearmint (Mentha spicata), thyme (Thymus vulgaris), rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis), lemon verbena (Aloysia triphylla), and sage (Salvia officinalis).
According to Medical News Today, when peppermint is used as a coffee herb, the flavor can be quite strong due to the menthol compound found in this plant. Peppermint is most commonly used in lattes considering that this plant has a sweet flavor. To make a caffeine-free latte, you can add these leaves to hot or cold water with just a touch of honey or maple syrup. You can also combine peppermint with sage or thyme to make a caffeine-free herbal tea blend.
Similarly, lavender is also commonly used as a tea or latte ingredient due to its sweet aroma and strong flavor. This plant has medicinal properties as well and can be used as a natural remedy to relieve fatigue or anxiety. You can make lavender tea using dried lavender flowers by steeping the leaves in a teapot with hot water. You can also make a lavender infusion by boiling hot water and using an infuser to strain out the spent leaves after 5 to 10 minutes.
Ginger also has medicinal properties and can be used to treat morning sickness and nausea. In addition, the plant root or fresh ginger root can be used to make a cinnamon latte or as a substitute for cinnamon in cookies or baked goods. Typically, ginger is brewed like tea with boiling water for a few minutes and then strained using cheesecloth or a fine-mesh strainer.
Other herbs that can be brewed into a coffee or tea-like drink include dandelion leaves, rosehips, hibiscus, and chamomile flowers.
5 Easy Coffee Recipes Using Herbs
Here’s an easy natural coffee recipe you can make right at home using herbs
1) Rosemary & Sage Latte
Combine sage leaves with rosemary leaves and brew in hot water for a few minutes. Strain the leaves using a cheesecloth and add it to warm milk or soy milk to make a latte and sweeten with maple syrup. Alternatively, you can also combine sage with peppermint for a refreshing latte that is caffeine-free.To make the coffee, brew the herbs in boiling water. Then strain the herbs out to make the coffee base. Add the coffee base to lukewarm milk or cream and sweeten with honey or maple syrup if desired. This herb mix can substitute well for coffee powder and syrups.
2) Lavender Latte
Combine dried lavender flowers with hot water to make a tea or infuse the lavender in warm milk with maple syrup for a few minutes to make a latte. You can also blend the dried lavender flowers with honey and stash them in an airtight jar for later use. First, add the dried lavender flowers to the filter basket of the coffeemaker, and then pour hot water over the herbs. Then, brew the coffee as usual and wait for the coffee to brew. After a few seconds, remove the basket from the coffeemaker and pour coffee into a mug or cup. Finally, stir the coffee and add a pinch of sea salt for flavor and enjoy!
3) Lemon Thyme Latte
Combine fresh thyme and lemon zest with hot water to make a lemon thyme tea or infuse the thyme in warm milk with honey and maple syrup for a few minutes to make a latte. For a stronger flavor, add more lemon zest to the mix. You can also add a bit of black pepper to the latte mix. Add the coffee base to lukewarm milk or cream and sweeten with honey or maple syrup if desired. This herb mix can substitute well for coffee powder and syrups.
Alternatively, you can also replace tea leaves with freshly picked lemon thyme leaves for a stronger brew and enjoy the same flavors in a latte.
4) Peppermint Latte
Steep fresh peppermint leaves in hot water for a few minutes to make a peppermint tea or infuse peppermint in warm milk with honey and maple syrup for a few minutes to make a latte. For a stronger flavor, add a touch of citrus to these leaves for a citrusy flavor and add additional honey for sweetness. Add the coffee base to lukewarm milk or cream and sweeten with honey or maple syrup if desired. This herb mix can substitute well for coffee powder and syrups.
5) Dandelion Latte
Combine dandelion leaves with hot water to make a tea and sweeten with a sweetener of your choice to make a refreshing latte or infuse in warm milk with honey and maple syrup for a few minutes to make a latte. For a stronger flavor, add more dandelion leaves to the mix.
The Bottom Line: Herbs that can be used to brew a coffee-like beverage are widely available and can be grown at home as well. However, it’s important to keep in mind that some herbs such as mint have a strong flavor that will likely dominate a beverage such as tea or latte. For a stronger herbal taste in your regular cup of coffee, try to add these leaves or flowers to ground coffee beans before brewing.
Related: How To Properly Brew A Coffee (Best Tips For First-Timers)
