Coffee Alternatives: 12 Swaps for Energy Without the Jitters (UK)

12 coffee alternatives compared

Caffeine figures are approximate and per typical cup or serving. Brand, strength and brewing time all change the number, so check the label where there is one.

Coffee and tea figures are from the NHS. Matcha, yerba mate, decaf and cocoa figures come from laboratory analyses listed in the sources. Herbal drinks made from plants that don’t contain caffeine, like chicory, dandelion, rooibos and turmeric, have none, but blends sometimes add tea or coffee.

Swaps with a gentler caffeine lift

If you still want some caffeine, the easiest win is simply a smaller dose. These drinks keep a lift but usually with less caffeine than a coffee.

Matcha

Matcha is powdered green tea, and you drink the whole leaf. Lab analyses put it at about 19 to 44mg of caffeine per gram, so a 2g serving has roughly 38 to 89mg. It also contains L-theanine, an amino acid found in tea. In a small trial of 27 people, run by a food company’s researchers, caffeine plus L-theanine improved performance on demanding attention tasks more than caffeine alone. Many people describe matcha as a smoother lift, though that’s personal. See our full guide to matcha benefits and caffeine and L-theanine.

Green and black tea

The NHS uses about 75mg for a cup of tea, black or green. In UK lab tests, green tea leaves contained less caffeine than black tea leaves, and a short brew gives you less again. Tea is a good stepping stone if you’re cutting down: same mug, same ritual, smaller dose.

Yerba mate and chai

Yerba mate is a South American leaf drink with a strong, earthy taste. Bottled mate drinks tested in one study had about 31 to 70mg per serving, so it’s not a big cut from instant coffee. Chai is black tea brewed with spices, so its caffeine is similar to tea, but café chai lattes can be sweet, so check the sugar.

Mushroom coffee

Most mushroom coffees are part coffee, part mushroom powder, so they usually have less caffeine than regular coffee. Any focus boost you feel is most likely the caffeine. See does mushroom coffee work?

Swaps that taste most like coffee

If what you love is the roasted, bitter taste rather than the buzz, these come closest.

• Chicory “coffee”: roasted chicory root, brewed or sold as an instant powder. It’s the classic caffeine-free coffee substitute. Some blends mix it with real coffee, which is a handy halfway step.
• Dandelion “coffee”: roasted dandelion root, often blended with chicory. Slightly lighter and more bitter.
• Decaf: the closest match of all, but not caffeine-free. Decaf coffees tested in one US study had about 0 to 14mg in a large 16oz cup, and decaf espresso had about 3 to 16mg per shot. Fine for most people, but worth knowing if you’ve been told to avoid caffeine completely.

If coffee upsets your stomach first thing, try having it with food; see coffee on an empty stomach.

Caffeine-free and evening swaps

The NHS notes that caffeine’s effects can last up to 7 hours, so an afternoon coffee can still be with you at bedtime. See how long caffeine lasts. For the second half of the day, these are better choices.

• Rooibos: a South African bush, not a true tea, so it has no caffeine. It’s mild and slightly sweet, and works with or without milk.
• Herbal teas: in one lab study of brewed teas, no caffeine was detected in the herbal varieties. Peppermint, ginger and chamomile are easy places to start. See chamomile tea and the best tea for sleep.
• Golden milk: warm milk with turmeric, ginger and black pepper. No caffeine, and a nice swap for a milky latte.
• Cacao or hot chocolate: a warm, rich ritual with only a little caffeine. A hot cocoa made from an instant mix has about 4mg, and cocoa powder has about 2mg of caffeine per gram in lab analyses, so even a strong mug is far below a 100mg instant coffee. See healthy hot chocolate.

Our Reishi Mushroom Adaptogenic Complex is a reishi hot chocolate made with cocoa, reishi mushroom, maca, cinnamon and coconut sugar. It contains a little natural caffeine from the cacao, so it isn’t caffeine-free, but a mug made with a teaspoon or so is much lower in caffeine than a cup of coffee. It’s made as an evening drink, a warm swap for a late coffee. Read more in reishi cacao benefits.

Which swap for which situation?

We don’t recommend our products during pregnancy or breastfeeding.

Coffee alternatives for acid reflux

The NHS lists coffee, along with chocolate, alcohol, tomatoes and fatty or spicy food, as possible heartburn triggers, and advises avoiding the foods and drinks that set yours off. Everyone’s triggers differ, so keep a simple diary. Note that chocolate is on the list too, so hot chocolate isn’t automatically a safe swap. See a GP if you have heartburn most days, if pharmacy medicines and lifestyle changes aren’t helping, or if you’re losing weight for no reason.

A note on sugar and diabetes

Swapping a black coffee for a syrupy chai latte or a sweet hot chocolate can add a lot of sugar. The NHS says adults should have no more than 30g of free sugars a day, and that includes honey, syrups and coconut sugar. If you have diabetes, unsweetened tea, rooibos, chicory and herbal teas are simple choices; check labels on powders, and ask your diabetes team if you’re unsure.

How much caffeine is too much?

• Healthy adults: the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) considers up to 400mg a day, spread through the day, and single doses up to 200mg, safe for most people. That’s about four cups of instant coffee.
• Pregnancy: the NHS advises no more than 200mg a day.
• Sleep: if you struggle to sleep, cut caffeine in the evening; its effects can last up to 7 hours.

Count every source: tea, coffee, cola, energy drinks and chocolate all add up. See energy drinks for how cans compare.

How to cut down on coffee without headaches

A major review of caffeine withdrawal found symptoms usually start 12 to 24 hours after your last dose, peak at about 20 to 51 hours and last 2 to 9 days. Headache affected about half of people in experiments, and tiredness, low mood, irritability and poor concentration were common too. Stopping as little as 100mg a day caused symptoms in some people. An NHS page on tiredness also notes that stopping suddenly can lead to insomnia and headaches, so go gradually.

iDrink water, eat regular meals and expect a few flat days. If headaches are severe or don’t settle, speak to a pharmacist or GP.

Energy without caffeine

No drink fixes tiredness on its own. The NHS tips that make the biggest difference are simple:

1. Eat regularly: meals and healthy snacks every 3 to 4 hours, rather than one big meal.
2. Move: even a single 15-minute walk can give you an energy boost. Get outside in daylight when you can.
3. Drink water: mild dehydration can make you feel tired.
4. Protect your sleep: keep regular bed and wake times.
5. Go easy on alcohol: you sleep less deeply after drinking.

iMagnesium contributes to a reduction of tiredness and fatigue, so it’s worth making sure your diet covers it; see magnesium for energy. For more ideas, read how to boost energy naturally. If you’re tired all the time despite good habits, see a GP.

Related guides

• How much caffeine is really in decaf coffee.
• Thinking about golden milk? See turmeric in food vs supplements.
• How to cut down on caffeine without withdrawal headaches.
• If coffee gives you the shakes, see shaky hands: causes and when to see a GP.
• Green tea benefits, caffeine and how to brew it.
• Beetroot juice: how much and when to drink it.
• Kombucha: benefits, caffeine and how much a day.
• For more cocoa-based mugs, see our hot chocolate recipe guide, including the caffeine in each.
• Cutting down and getting headaches? See what helps a tension headache, and why not to rely on painkillers every day.
• What reishi is and the best time to take it.
• If you are keeping your coffee but adding CBD, see CBD coffee in the UK for doses, caffeine limits and a simple recipe.
• Wondering about the maca in it? See maca powder benefits and how much to take.
• Spacegoods Rainbow Dust, with caffeine per flavour from 80 to 120mg.
• DIRTEA mushroom coffee and chai, with the caffeine per serving explained.
• Thinking of adding mushrooms to your morning cup? See whether you can take lion’s mane and cordyceps with coffee.
• Half-strength mushroom coffees are another option; see how much caffeine is in Four Sigmatic.
• For caffeine-free options with an evidence ranking, see our guide to the best supplements for energy and tiredness.
• For a caffeine-free mushroom option, try reishi tea, though it is very bitter on its own.
• If you’d rather take mushrooms as capsules than in coffee, our mushroom supplements UK guide compares what the labels state.
• Swapping coffee for cocoa and avoiding dairy? See our dairy-free hot chocolate guide, including whether Costa hot chocolate is vegan.
• If you want a warm, caffeine-free cup, a plain mushroom tea made from reishi or lion’s mane is another option.
• Hot chocolate isn’t caffeine-free, but it has far less than coffee: see how much caffeine is in hot chocolate.