Date Seed Coffee (Caffeine-Free Coffee Alternative)

Step 1

Gather all of your date seeds (I fully recommend making a big batch of date syrup or date paste, and that will leave you with plenty of seeds!). If they are very sticky, you may want to first soak them for 45-60 minutes and then clean them.

Step 2

Make sure they are dry before roasting them - I like to allow them to air-dry for a few days first. Alternatively, you could use a dehydrator if you have one.

Step 3

Roast the dried seeds in the oven at 350ºF/175ºC - 30-45 minutes on a parchment-lined tray. Then allow them to cool.The roasting step is critical, as it is with coffee beans, too, to develop flavor.

Step 4

Once cooled, transfer the dates to an electric coffee/spice grinder (you may need to do this in batches) and grind into a powder.

Step 5

Sieve the powder and re-grind any larger pieces. Then the date seed powder is ready to use immediately or store for later.

Step 6

Heat the water to 195ºF/90ºC (just before it begins to boil).

Step 7

Combine the date seed powder and spices and mix well. Transfer this mixture to a coffee filter over a jug (read the FAQs for more methods to prepare the ground date pit powder into coffee).

Step 8

Pour the water over the powder and allow it to drip until you have enough for your date seed coffee.

Step 9

You can then drink the date seed drink as-is or enjoy it with a little of your favorite sweetener (I used date syrup) and a dash of milk (I used oat milk).

Step 10

Make ahead: Okay, technically, this isn’t ‘making it ahead.’ However, a top tip I’ve found is to collect all of my date seeds over time. I like to wash them, allow them to naturally dry for several days, and then keep them in an airtight container in the freezer until I’m ready to make a batch of date seed powder for coffee.Store: Store the powder in an airtight container in a cool, dark location (like a pantry or kitchen cupboard) for several months. The sooner you enjoy it, the better the flavor will be. However, you can enjoy date seed coffee for months and months to come, and the taste doesn’t drop off too much over time.Freeze:  You may be able to store the ground powder in the freezer, too. Though, this isn’t something I’ve tried.