Coffee… For most of us, it is our lifeblood more than water. When you are a busy person working hard, coffee is oftentimes your go-to beverage to get your brain working in the morning.
It is the stuff of God.
However, some vegans are not sure if they can drink coffee or not. That’s why you’re here right? Well, the truth is, it depends. Technically, yes, coffee is vegan. But, if you are buying it ready-made from a store, you want to be cautious.
While coffee is inherently vegan, it also depends how your tasty cuppa was made and what it was mixed with.
Curious? Let me explain.
Can You Drink Coffee While Vegan?
It might seem a bit silly to ask, but it’s actually complicated. Coffee is just coffee beans all ground up, this is vegan. So, a standard black coffee is just coffee beans and hot water. But, coffee is often made with milk, and unless that milk is a plant-based milk, it is not vegan.
What Kind Of Coffee Do Vegans Drink?
If you are skeptical, know that black coffee is always vegan. Remember it’s just coffee beans and water. That’s it. Pretty awesome that those two ingredients alone can be so awesome right?
However, vegans who don’t fancy their coffee black and mix it with a plant-based milk like soya milk, almond milk, oat milk, and so on.
Can Vegans Drink Black Coffee?
Black coffee is 100% vegan. Black coffee is just made from beans. If you have ever made coffee from scratch you will know. You get the beans in a bag, this is literally just coffee beans plucked from a tree, cleaned and bagged up.
Then you grind them into granules/ powder, pop a bit in your cup or into a cafetiere or such, pour on some hot water, and stir.
Totally vegan!
Is Decaf Coffee Vegan?
Decaf coffee is the same as normal black coffee, it just had the caffeine removed. It is possible for coffee to be decaffeinated in a wide array of ways, all of which have no inclusion whatsoever with any animal or animal-derived products at all!
So, plain decaf coffee is vegan too.
Can Raw Vegans Drink Coffee?
If you are on a raw vegan diet, coffee is still ok to drink, as long as it is black or you include plant-based milk. Caffeine is not bad for health in some way, coffee can be good for you. However, do not go over the recommended dose of caffeine.
Most coffee will contain 100 – 200 mg caffeine per cup, so 1-2 or even 3 cups a day is okay. But, maybe limit it here.
But, yes, coffee is fine for raw vegans.
Does Ground Coffee Have Dairy?
Ground coffee does not have any dairy in it. Ground coffee is just the roasted seeds of a plant, ground down into granules or a powder.
No dairy is included anywhere in the production process. Afterward when physically making the beverage milk can be added, but as ground coffee, there is no dairy in it.
What To Put In Your Coffee As A Vegan
As a vegan, you actually have a few options of what to put in your coffee. The most obvious option is plant-based milks, such as:
- Oat milk.
- Coconut milk.
- Almond milk.
- Soya milk.
However, some syrups will be vegan, such as pumpkin syrup, date syrup, maple syrup, etc. You could also add some spices such as cinnamon or cardamom to give your coffee a different flavor.
Can Vegans Drink Coffee Creamer?
You can get some coffee creamers that are dairy-free, such as soy, coconut, flax, and almond milk coffee creamers.
However, these are not as commonplace as dairy creamers so you need to properly look through the ingredients before you drink a coffee creamer.
So, always check the ingredients of the coffee creamers to ensure they are vegan-friendly before consuming.
Are Coffee Syrups Vegan?
Not all coffee syrups will be vegan. However, you can get Monin syrups that are vegan. Such as Monin Almond syrup, blackcurrant syrup, caramel syrup, coconut syrup, hazelnut syrup, and so on.
However, as a general rule, thin syrups like vanilla, caramel, chai, and hazelnut are vegan. Whereas thicker ones like creme brulee, white mocha, and pumpkin spice are not. However, some brands keep nearly all syrups vegan.
Is Tea And Coffee Vegan?
In their basic forms yes, both tea and coffee are vegan. They are only not vegan once milk is added. However, if you have tea or coffee black then they are vegan.
What Coffee Is Not Vegan?
Let’s look at some popular coffees and whether or not they are vegan.
Is Starbucks Coffee Vegan?
Not all Starbucks coffees will be vegan. However, with most Starbucks coffees you can ask for plant-based milk in place of dairy milk which will make the coffee drinkable for a vegan.
You should watch out for drinks with syrups though, as these can compromise how vegan the beverage is. Ask the barista and they should be able to help.
Is Irish Coffee Vegan?
Irish coffee is basically a caffeinated beverage with added booze to it.
However, Irish coffee is classically made and contains dairy, particularly in the form of cream. Which makes it not suitable for vegans.
However, there are vegan versions of Irish coffee.
Is Cappuccino Vegan?
Cappuccino classically made contains foamed dairy milk. However, these days, baristas can make epic oat milk cappuccinos.
So, next time you go out, make sure you ask for an oat milk cappuccino!
Is Iced Coffee Vegan?
It can be! But make sure you use/or ask for dairy-free milk with it. Iced coffee contains coffee, ice, and milk.
So, it can easily be made vegan friendly.
Is Americano Vegan?
Technically, Americano is long black coffee. So, yes, americano is absolutely vegan-friendly!
Is Espresso Vegan?
Espresso is made using 2 ingredients:
- Ground Coffee Beans
- Water
So you guessed it, Espresso coffee is totally vegan! You can find out how to make the perfect espresso at home thanks to Arne Preuß’s guide.
FAQs:
Want to know more? Awesome! We have some more questions everyone is asking, answering, and filling in the blanks for you!
Can Vegan Drink Coffee?
As long as the coffee has not had dairy milk added to it, coffee should be vegan. In its purest form, as black coffee, coffee will always be vegan. It is only dairy milk that could make it not vegan.
Is Coffee Mate Vegan?
Coffee-mate was a harbinger of non-dairy creamers. Their liquid and powder products are all non-dairy lactose-free products, making them suitable for vegans.
Is Coffee Liqueur Vegan?
Most coffee liqueurs will not contain any milk products. However, most do say they are not vegan. It is best to look at their ingredients and check for vegan-approved markings on products like these.
Summary: Coffee is Vegan!
It can be very confusing and difficult once you go vegan – you will have many, many questions.
So, in a nutshell, coffee is vegan, but it’s important to know what coffees often contain ingredients that are not vegan during the making process, this is typically dairy milk.
So, make sure you make your coffees/ask for your coffees to be made using dairy-free milk and syrups if any!
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