Decaf coffee substitutes

The same beans with the caffeine left in. In any recipe, decaf and regular are interchangeable measure for measure, since the caffeine contributes nothing to flavour, colour or texture.

Best for

cakes, brownies, tiramisu and frostings, rubs, chilli and barbecue sauce, ice cream and custards, when the recipe simply says coffee

Tastes marginally brighter and more acidic than decaf, since decaffeination knocks a little of the fruit and aroma off the bean, so a coffee cake made with regular coffee actually has slightly more depth. Halving the grounds roughly halves the caffeine and gives a thinner, more tea-like cup. Be clear with yourself, though: a weak regular coffee still has several times the caffeine of a decaf, so this is not the answer if you are avoiding caffeine for medical reasons.

Roasted ground chicory root, the New Orleans coffee tradition and the base of most caffeine-free coffee alternatives. Naturally caffeine-free.

Best for

a genuinely caffeine-free morning cup, milky coffee drinks and lattes, chocolate cakes, glazes and ice cream, cold brew

The closest caffeine-free stand-in for the experience of coffee: dark brown, properly bitter, with a caramel-woody depth. It is less acidic and less aromatic than coffee and slightly sweeter, so a black cup tastes rounder and flatter, more like a very dark roast that has gone cold. It shines with milk. Brew it like coffee in a filter or a press, or simmer it for five minutes for a stronger cup.

Instant powders of roasted barley, rye, chicory and sometimes beet, made specifically to replace coffee without caffeine.

Best for

the fastest caffeine-free cup, baking, where it dissolves evenly, keeping caffeine out of a household entirely, coffee-flavoured icings and creams

Malty, cereal-sweet and mild rather than sharp and bitter, so it reads as a comforting mock coffee, not as espresso. It is genuinely excellent in baking because it dissolves instantly and deepens chocolate without any of coffee's acidity. Most contain barley or rye, so it is not gluten-free.

Two caffeine-free roasted brews. Dandelion root is the more bitter and coffee-like; roasted barley tea, sold as mugicha or boricha, is the mildest option on this page.

Best for

evening drinking, avoiding caffeine completely, iced and cold brew drinks, hot drinks for the whole household

Dandelion root has an earthy, mineral bitterness that stands in for coffee's edge, while barley tea is purely toasty and sweet with no bitterness at all, so barley makes a pleasant drink that nobody would mistake for coffee. Both need simmering rather than a quick steep to taste of anything much. Both take milk well.

Not a drink, but the right answer when a recipe adds decaf coffee to a chocolate batter to make the chocolate taste more chocolatey.

Best for

brownies, chocolate cake and cookies, chocolate frosting and ganache, chilli, mole and barbecue sauce

Cocoa supplies the same bitter roasted depth without any caffeine worth worrying about, and salt sharpens it. The bake will taste more chocolate-forward and less roasty, and it loses the faint coffee bitterness at the finish. Add a teaspoon of extra liquid, since cocoa is dry and will otherwise stiffen a batter slightly.

Concentrated coffee flavour in dry or liquid form, both widely available in decaf versions, for when you need coffee flavour without adding much liquid.

Best for

frostings, mousses and no-bake fillings, tiramisu, dry rubs and spice mixes, boosting chocolate without thinning the batter

Far stronger than brewed coffee, so measure carefully or it turns harsh and slightly ashy. Instant decaf granules work identically if you crush them fine. Because they add almost no liquid, they are the better choice than brewed coffee in any recipe where you cannot afford to loosen the mix.