If you're a coffee-lover, you're sure to have tried various kinds of coffee. While the healthiest way to take your coffee is black, many individuals are not in love with the taste of coffee on its own. Luckily, there are several healthy ways to sweeten your coffee without adding spoonfuls of sugar. To help make your mornings as delicious as possible, our coffee experts at Bob's Red Mill got together to share their favorite, wholesome coffee sweeteners. Keep reading to discover seven ways to sweeten up your morning cup of Joe!
Stevia
A popular coffee sweetener, Stevia, is a natural sweetener derived from the stevia plant. Being that Stevia is 200-300 times sweeter than table sugar, you only need a pinch or two to sweeten even the most bitter roast. When purchasing Stevia, we recommend searching for a minimally processed variety made with 100% pure stevia extract. Doing so will ensure that your sweetener is free from artificial ingredients and preservatives.
Another benefit of using Stevia as a sweetener is that it has zero calories. This makes it an excellent choice for individuals who are limiting their calorie intake. Though Stevia is incredibly sweet, it can have a slightly bitter aftertaste that may require some getting used to. If you find the after taste off-putting, we recommend using Stevia in small amounts.
For a healthy on-the-go breakfast to pair with your morning coffee, make this Stevia-sweetened, Lemon Poppyseed Protein Muffins recipe.
Organic Coconut Sugar
Ready for a tropical vacation? If you're dreaming of a getaway but haven't planned it yet, then opt for the next best thing, Organic Coconut Sugar. Adding coconut sugar to your coffee is a delicious and natural way to sweeten your beverage without the use of table sugar. Not only will coconut sugar sweeten your coffee, but it will also add a slightly tropical flavor that your taste buds will adore.
Or, for an even more coco-nutty taste, sweetener your coffee with coconut cream. Though there are many coconut cream-infused creamers, when sweetening our cup of Joe, we prefer adding the cream from a can of full-fat coconut milk to guarantee we're using the most natural ingredients possible. Using coconut cream will help ensure that your coffee remains a low-calorie treat, as just one tablespoon of coconut cream has about 50 calories.
Dates
Dates are a favorite treat here at Bob's Red Mill. One of the best natural sweeteners, date paste is a great way to boost your coffee’s flavor while simultaneously satisfying your sweet tooth. Aside from being an excellent alternative to sugar, dates are also jam-packed with nutritional benefits. High in antioxidants, fiber and trace vitamins and minerals dates are a unique way to add a boost of nutrition to your daily cup of coffee.
Want to make a homemade date paste but don't know where to start? Follow the steps below for a no-fail coffee sweetener.
Date paste
- Cover 2 cups of pitted dates with water and allow to soak for an hour.
- Once thoroughly soaked, drain the dates and reserve the soaking liquid.
- Using a blender, blend the dates and slowly add some of the soaking liquid until you have a smooth paste.
Stir this homemade paste into your daily coffee, use as a jam or incorporate it into your favorite baked good recipe like this Pistachio Date Pudding Cake. No matter how this paste is used, it's sure to provide a sweet treat.
Dark Chocolate
No list of sweets would be complete without mentioning chocolate. If you're a fan of mochas, then this quality sweetener will surely take your coffee game up a notch. To sweeten your morning coffee, take a square of dark chocolate and add it to your steaming coffee cup. Doing so will allow the chocolate to melt into your beverage and blend a rich taste through your drink. Plus, the texture of dark chocolate will add a creaminess to your coffee that's out of this world.
Honey
If you're a fan of a hot cup of tea, you've likely used honey as a sweetener once or twice. While honey tastes great in tea, tea is not the only beverage that can be sweetened with this superfood. By adding honey to your morning coffee cup, you can sweeten your drink naturally without the use of artificial ingredients. Not to mention, honey has several health benefits that will give your morning the boost needed to start your day off right. A more nutritious option than table sugar, different varieties of honey can be used depending on the brew to create a cup of joe that's truly bittersweet.
For the perfect pick-me-up, pair your honey-sweetened coffee, with these tasty Honey Tahini No-Bake Cookies.
Blackstrap Molasses
If you're a fan of baked beans, you may have a jar of molasses in your kitchen cupboard already. While molasses is the secret ingredient that gives baked beans their rich signature flavor, it's also an incredible natural sweetener. Intense in flavor and loaded with an abundance of health benefits, if it isn't already blackstrap molasses will quickly become a staple in your kitchen.
To fully understand the health benefits of blackstrap molasses and how you can use it as a natural sweetener in your coffee, it's important to know how it's made. Blackstrap molasses results form the sugar cane refining process. First, sugar cane is crushed to extract the sweet juices of the cane. The juices are then boiled, which results in a molasses that varies in degrees of flavor, thickness, color and sweetness.
Types of Molasses
There are three different types of molasses, each depending on how many times the syrup was boiled and the sugar was extracted. The three types are:
- Light molasses - molasses extracted during the first stage of boiling.
- Dark molasses - molasses extracted during the second stage of boiling.
- Blackstrap molasses - molasses extracted during the third stage of boiling.
Blackstrap molasses is the thickest of the three and the most concentrated. It's high concentration of essential vitamins and minerals, also makes it the healthiest of the three. Featuring a bittersweet and strong flavor, blackstrap molasses works great in both sweet and savory recipes like these Protein Packed No-Bake Granola Bars.
Turn Your Coffee Into a Smoothie
Mornings can be hectic. While some mornings, you have time to make a delicious, healthy breakfast and a big cup of coffee, other mornings, you might be struggling to get out the door on time. Sometimes even despite your best effort, mornings don't go as planned.
Thankfully, we recently learned a trick that has helped us save a little extra time in the morning and sweeten up our coffee at the same time. On mornings when you are rushed for time, turn your everyday cup of Joe into a smoothie. By creating a coffee-based smoothie, you can combine the health benefits of a nutrient-rich breakfast and the energy-boosting powers of coffee. Plus, it's one less thing to check off of the to-do list!
For a healthy, naturally sweetened coffee smoothie recipe, make this Vanilla Coffee Smoothie. Made with our Vanilla Protein Powder Nutritional Booster, it's packed with health-boosting ingredients and energizing coffee that is sure to start your day off on the right track.
Plus, combining your coffee with a naturally sweet smoothie recipe is a great way to indulge in a drink that tastes like a milkshake without all of the added sugar. Your morning cup of Joe can power your entire day with this sweet pick-me-up of a meal.
Cinnamon
Cinnamon has a naturally sweet flavor. Use it in powdered form, or as a dried stick, and it's a spice that can be used to sweeten just about anything, including coffee. From lighter to dark roasts, you'd be surprised by how just a dash of cinnamon can turn a tart recipe into a sweet one. Use it as a natural replacement to table sugar or brown sugar. This delicious spice is loaded with health benefits. One of cinnamon's greatest qualities is its beneficial impact on blood sugar levels, whereas most sweeteners cause blood sugar levels to rise, cinnamon may actually help lower these levels. Additionally, cinnamon's anti-inflammatory properties may ward off headaches and other health issues caused by inflammation.
When it comes to adding cinnamon to your coffee, It's important to remember that a little cinnamon goes a long way. Often used to decorate fancy lattes and flavor cups of golden milk, cinnamon is a spice that tastes great in several different beverages. For the most benefit, be sure to buy fresh cinnamon that is full of flavor.
And there you have it, eight different ways that you can naturally sweeten your coffee. From local honey to fresh cinnamon, finding creative ways to flavor your daily coffee without using processed sugar is simple. We hope that you are motivated to try some of these natural sweeteners on your own by reading this list. And remember, we're always looking to try new recipes! If you have a natural sweetener that you enjoy in your daily cup of Joe, we'd love to hear about it. Let us know what you use to sweeten your coffee in the comment below.
