a liquid almost, but not quite, entirely unlike hot chocolate
September 24, 2022 2:14 PM
I am very lactose-intolerant and - even worse - entirely unable to have caffeine. When I say entirely I mean 1 mg is enough to trigger a migraine cycle (even when I don't know it's present!)
This means I can't have coffee, tea, or chocolate.
I want a Hot Winter Beverage that is delicious like coffee, tea, or especially chocolate, and most importantly, that can be made as deliciously creamy as hot chocolate.
Go!
White hot chocolate has no chocolate so it shouldn’t have any caffeine I don’t think?
Steamed milk with vanilla or caramel or hazelnut syrup and some cream is delish
posted by nouvelle-personne at 2:31 PM on September 24, 2022
Steamed milk with vanilla or caramel or hazelnut syrup and some cream is delish
posted by nouvelle-personne at 2:31 PM on September 24, 2022
Is there a non-dairy creamy milk you like? I love rooibos tea (it’s herbal so no caffeine) and often make some with a large amount of milk (like maybe 1/4 milk?). The rooibos plus milk combo is delicious.
posted by bluedaisy at 2:31 PM on September 24, 2022
posted by bluedaisy at 2:31 PM on September 24, 2022
I like Celestial Seasonings Bengal Spice, a caffeine free chai style herbal tea blend, simmered in oatmilk. I assume other milks would work as well. Not quite hot chocolate, but very satisfying.
I am lazy and use the tea bags, but you could also make up your own mix.
posted by the primroses were over at 2:32 PM on September 24, 2022
I am lazy and use the tea bags, but you could also make up your own mix.
posted by the primroses were over at 2:32 PM on September 24, 2022
I love strong rooibos tea with lots of cream and honey. It’s the closest tea-like thing to coffee or hot chocolate that I know of, and naturally caffeine-free.
posted by showbiz_liz at 2:47 PM on September 24, 2022
posted by showbiz_liz at 2:47 PM on September 24, 2022
I find a ton of homey, cuddly goodness by mixing chamomile tea (with or without mint blended in) + stevia + oat milk. It's got this weirdly rich taste to it that is such a treat. YMMV but there you go.
posted by BlahLaLa at 2:59 PM on September 24, 2022
posted by BlahLaLa at 2:59 PM on September 24, 2022
Warm cider with chai spices and it might be good with creamer. The powdered stuff is not that bad if you can't have milk and you stir it enough in a warm drink. Chicory and Postum are both used as coffee substitutes because they are caffeine free. I am not sure how they taste, but I'll bet they'd be good and rich with coconut milk. Ovaltine Classic Malt is caffeine free but it does have milk in it. I second both rooibos and Bengal Spice with non-dairy milks. Other flavors of tea: caramel apple tea, orange spice, ginger.
posted by soelo at 3:08 PM on September 24, 2022
posted by soelo at 3:08 PM on September 24, 2022
Sweetened condensed coconut milk makes hot, non-caffeinated drinks very creamy.
posted by Iris Gambol at 3:11 PM on September 24, 2022
posted by Iris Gambol at 3:11 PM on September 24, 2022
Nice thick chicory root drink with sugar and white chocolate or nut milk or oat milk. It has the same little bit of bitterness that a good hot chocolate has.
posted by Bottlecap at 3:26 PM on September 24, 2022
posted by Bottlecap at 3:26 PM on September 24, 2022
Barley tea , which is made from roasted Barley and has no caffeine. You could add frothy warm milk or my favorite heavy coconut cream.
posted by ljesse at 3:27 PM on September 24, 2022
posted by ljesse at 3:27 PM on September 24, 2022
whatever your favorite non-dairy milk is, sweetened to your taste, with pumpkin pie spice and vanilla. You can thicken with corn starch if you want it thick (in that case, cook it in from the beginning like you would for pudding) and/or handheld-blenderize with coconut oil or coconut cream if you want it creamy-fatty. Make sure it has a bit of salt in it to deepen and balance the flavor.
posted by fingersandtoes at 3:44 PM on September 24, 2022
posted by fingersandtoes at 3:44 PM on September 24, 2022
For a creamy non-dairy drink, I really like cashew cream. I make mine in a vitamix, not sure if you can reach the desired creaminess level with a traditional blender. It's creamy, but not fatty, if that makes sense. I keep meaning to try combining it with coconut milk to add fattiness similar to what fingersandtoes just said above.
Basically: Soak 2 cups of "raw" cashews for ~4 hours, preferably starting with boiling water. drain and put the cashews in the blender. blend, adding enough fresh water that you end up with something the consistency of slightly thin sour cream. At this point, you can freeze a portion of it if you like, and refrigerate the rest.
When I make a beverage, I like to combine 1 to 2 tablespoons of the cashew cream with a similar amount of hot water and whisk it to thin it out, then add it to my tea.
Speaking of teas, I really like Blue Lotus chai powder (also on amazon, which is where I order it). It's instant which is super convenient. I usually get the regular black tea, but the Rooibus variety is good too and I think it fits your other requirements. I like to tweak it a bit by adding additional ground spices—turmeric (which is not in their base recipe) or more cardamom are both good.
And speaking of cashew cream, it's also great for making a saag creamy. Just stir in when your saag is ready to serve, or at the table. But don't cook it! It somehow burns instantly. People (including me) also use it as a basis for dairy-free mac & cheese, sour cream, etc. It's the favorite dairy replacement item I can make at home, and finding a couple of different things to do with it helps when you just made ~2.5 cups of the stuff at once.
posted by the antecedent of that pronoun at 3:46 PM on September 24, 2022
Basically: Soak 2 cups of "raw" cashews for ~4 hours, preferably starting with boiling water. drain and put the cashews in the blender. blend, adding enough fresh water that you end up with something the consistency of slightly thin sour cream. At this point, you can freeze a portion of it if you like, and refrigerate the rest.
When I make a beverage, I like to combine 1 to 2 tablespoons of the cashew cream with a similar amount of hot water and whisk it to thin it out, then add it to my tea.
Speaking of teas, I really like Blue Lotus chai powder (also on amazon, which is where I order it). It's instant which is super convenient. I usually get the regular black tea, but the Rooibus variety is good too and I think it fits your other requirements. I like to tweak it a bit by adding additional ground spices—turmeric (which is not in their base recipe) or more cardamom are both good.
And speaking of cashew cream, it's also great for making a saag creamy. Just stir in when your saag is ready to serve, or at the table. But don't cook it! It somehow burns instantly. People (including me) also use it as a basis for dairy-free mac & cheese, sour cream, etc. It's the favorite dairy replacement item I can make at home, and finding a couple of different things to do with it helps when you just made ~2.5 cups of the stuff at once.
posted by the antecedent of that pronoun at 3:46 PM on September 24, 2022
Grain coffees are a thing. As I can drink normal coffee I have no recommendations but every health food shop should have some.
Use that as base and make it decadent with the various non dairy milks people have recommended.
posted by koahiatamadl at 3:48 PM on September 24, 2022
Use that as base and make it decadent with the various non dairy milks people have recommended.
posted by koahiatamadl at 3:48 PM on September 24, 2022
I don't like Teecino and I do like Dandy Blend. Dandy Blend and Teecino are so similar to coffee that they also give me a lot of the negative effects of coffee. But maybe they'll work for you?!
posted by aniola at 4:07 PM on September 24, 2022
posted by aniola at 4:07 PM on September 24, 2022
Can report that barley tea does not give me headaches.
posted by aniola at 4:07 PM on September 24, 2022
posted by aniola at 4:07 PM on September 24, 2022
Warm eggnog recipe - not vetted by me; if you like the idea, find a recipe that looks good to you.
posted by amtho at 4:19 PM on September 24, 2022
posted by amtho at 4:19 PM on September 24, 2022
Turmeric milk from Banyan Botanicals scratches the itch.
I'm not sure whether it would be too close to the things you don't want, but I like Crio Bru cacao. You make it in a French Press and they package it to look like coffee.
Chai tea made with a caffeine-free black tea could taste good.
The "biohacking" community also has coffee alternatives made with things like mushrooms. May be something to research.
Date are a nice sweetener and I've found monk fruit good too. I use non-dairy milk and put my drink in a thermos cup to complete the coffee vibe.
posted by rockyraccoon at 4:56 PM on September 24, 2022
I'm not sure whether it would be too close to the things you don't want, but I like Crio Bru cacao. You make it in a French Press and they package it to look like coffee.
Chai tea made with a caffeine-free black tea could taste good.
The "biohacking" community also has coffee alternatives made with things like mushrooms. May be something to research.
Date are a nice sweetener and I've found monk fruit good too. I use non-dairy milk and put my drink in a thermos cup to complete the coffee vibe.
posted by rockyraccoon at 4:56 PM on September 24, 2022
I like a particular oat milk and (while I delight in the ritual of making fussy coffee at home) have been known to to spice it up something partway between eggnog & pumpkin spice. Sweetened a little with molasses because I like it.
posted by mce at 5:03 PM on September 24, 2022
posted by mce at 5:03 PM on September 24, 2022
Up here we have chocolatey chai herbal tea which is one of the few acceptable forms in which carob should be consumed. If you can tolerate a tiny amount of chocolate, Stash’s Christmas in Paris tea is good (the herbal one, not the black one) but I don’t know what the precise amount of caffeine is.
But really my best shot is - I was pregnant and completely off caffeine I had steamers - steamed milk with the Torani syrups in them. I think that would be awesome with oat milk (or lactose-free milk if you can tolerate it). At that time Starbucks would even make them.
posted by warriorqueen at 5:08 PM on September 24, 2022
But really my best shot is - I was pregnant and completely off caffeine I had steamers - steamed milk with the Torani syrups in them. I think that would be awesome with oat milk (or lactose-free milk if you can tolerate it). At that time Starbucks would even make them.
posted by warriorqueen at 5:08 PM on September 24, 2022
Postum should still be available in grocery stores. It’s been many years since I had it but I remember it wasn’t at all bad … just not coffee!
posted by lhauser at 5:16 PM on September 24, 2022
posted by lhauser at 5:16 PM on September 24, 2022
Sachlev, sometimes called salep depending on region. It's warming and caffeine free.
posted by atomicstone at 5:18 PM on September 24, 2022
posted by atomicstone at 5:18 PM on September 24, 2022
Ovaltine?
posted by Lawn Beaver at 5:19 PM on September 24, 2022
posted by Lawn Beaver at 5:19 PM on September 24, 2022
I see brookeb beat me to it, but I was going to suggest hot horchata.
Atole, so long as it isn't chocolate (or any other flavor that would add caffeine).
One upon a time a co-worker and I created a creamy hot apple cider, but I have no memory now what we put in it. And we'd likely have done it different at home, since at work, we were making due with what was in the restaurant.
posted by stormyteal at 5:32 PM on September 24, 2022
Atole, so long as it isn't chocolate (or any other flavor that would add caffeine).
One upon a time a co-worker and I created a creamy hot apple cider, but I have no memory now what we put in it. And we'd likely have done it different at home, since at work, we were making due with what was in the restaurant.
posted by stormyteal at 5:32 PM on September 24, 2022
Some wonderful ideas in here, thank you all!
Just a note on the hot chocolate mix that is "99.9% caffeine free" - if taken at face value that would mean it has about as much caffeine as a very strong cup of coffee.
posted by dmd at 5:36 PM on September 24, 2022
Just a note on the hot chocolate mix that is "99.9% caffeine free" - if taken at face value that would mean it has about as much caffeine as a very strong cup of coffee.
posted by dmd at 5:36 PM on September 24, 2022
Coconut cream warmed and mixed with flavoured syrups like the ones used for coffee. I like salted caramel, personally, but there are tons. Thin with water if you find it too rich.
posted by jacquilynne at 5:44 PM on September 24, 2022
posted by jacquilynne at 5:44 PM on September 24, 2022
A tip for adding some satisfaction to any of the herbal/creamy recommendations above: a little malted milk. Use a rechargeable milk frother to get it to fully disperse, OR maybe you're like me and like some little malt bubbles to chew on.
posted by Lyn Never at 5:52 PM on September 24, 2022
posted by Lyn Never at 5:52 PM on September 24, 2022
This herbal golden chai with oat milk (or your non-dairy/lactose-free milk of choice) and some honey (or your sugar source of choice) is lovely. They also do another herbal chai but I don't think that one's as special.
And I think you get a real luxury-add from a milk frother - I have the battery-operated whisk kind and it's great.
posted by mskyle at 6:32 PM on September 24, 2022
And I think you get a real luxury-add from a milk frother - I have the battery-operated whisk kind and it's great.
posted by mskyle at 6:32 PM on September 24, 2022
I used to drink one cup of coffee in the morning, but then suddenly had to go cold turkey, same as you, no caffeine at all. Decaf was not an option because (as you probably know) it has caffeine.
I have tried a LOT of coffee substitutes and my favourites so far are Bambu and Celestial Seasonings’ Roastaroma.
Either one would taste good with a really creamy nondairy milk.
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 6:43 PM on September 24, 2022
I have tried a LOT of coffee substitutes and my favourites so far are Bambu and Celestial Seasonings’ Roastaroma.
Either one would taste good with a really creamy nondairy milk.
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 6:43 PM on September 24, 2022
Under circumstances where some alcohol is okay, I find hot milk with Amaretto makes a very nicely satisfying hot drink. I haven’t tried it with non-dairy milk, but it should be just as good.
posted by LizardBreath at 7:03 PM on September 24, 2022
posted by LizardBreath at 7:03 PM on September 24, 2022
If you can find wattleseed online where you live at a reasonable cost, I recommend trying a wattleseed latte. It has a coffee/chocolate/ hazelnut flavour and your can use the very nutritious grounds in baking after steeping your drink.
posted by Trivia Newton John at 7:07 PM on September 24, 2022
posted by Trivia Newton John at 7:07 PM on September 24, 2022
You can thicken with corn starch if you want it thick (in that case, cook it in from the beginning like you would for pudding) and/or handheld-blenderize with coconut oil or coconut cream if you want it creamy-fatty.
Very similar to some things I have made, which are basically drinking custards of one form or another. A creamy base + vanilla + spices + corn starch can make all sorts of satisfyingly luxurious drinks. I’ve even had blended roast sweet potato in some!
posted by Jon Mitchell at 7:20 PM on September 24, 2022
Very similar to some things I have made, which are basically drinking custards of one form or another. A creamy base + vanilla + spices + corn starch can make all sorts of satisfyingly luxurious drinks. I’ve even had blended roast sweet potato in some!
posted by Jon Mitchell at 7:20 PM on September 24, 2022
Hot oat milk (I like Chobani extra creamy vanilla flavor when I’m feeling decadence) with Ghirardelli caramel sauce stirred in, with coconut whipped cream and maybe a little salt.
Numi brand rooibos chai (not actual tea, so no caffeine), with extra cinnamon and some nondairy milk.
David Rio brand golden milk mix is excellent with a bit of honey and steamed oat milk, though I wouldn’t probably choose the vanilla for this drink.
The suggestion of malted milk powder is an excellent one (and I also love little pockets of undissolved powder to chew)!
posted by Night_owl at 7:59 PM on September 24, 2022
Numi brand rooibos chai (not actual tea, so no caffeine), with extra cinnamon and some nondairy milk.
David Rio brand golden milk mix is excellent with a bit of honey and steamed oat milk, though I wouldn’t probably choose the vanilla for this drink.
The suggestion of malted milk powder is an excellent one (and I also love little pockets of undissolved powder to chew)!
posted by Night_owl at 7:59 PM on September 24, 2022
+1 for Roastaroma with creamy non dairy milk, and it would make a great base for any of the more seasonal spice blends/flavor profiles mentioned. Easily done by adding flavored coffee syrups and some non-dairy whipped topping.
posted by PaulaSchultz at 8:54 PM on September 24, 2022
posted by PaulaSchultz at 8:54 PM on September 24, 2022
I have loved Westsoy’s unsweetened/unflavored soy milk for ages, and its creaminess and nuttiness is great with chai. Rooibos chai (zero caffeine), hot soy milk, and honey?
posted by rrrrrrrrrt at 12:44 AM on September 25, 2022
posted by rrrrrrrrrt at 12:44 AM on September 25, 2022
From January 2019 to late 2020 I was medically unable to tolerate caffeine. It was the damnedest thing because I used to love coffee and tea but, overnight, even a few sips of a cup of Earl Grey and my heart would race for hours and I'd be uncomfortably awake for a very long time. I fell in love with Barley Cup and still drink it almost every day. I tasted all sorts of barley, chicory, dandelion, rice roasted beverages. Some are good, some are meh, some are awful. Barley Cup is the cream of the crop. It's so smooth, it's very much in the coffee-caramel-roasty toasty flavor profile. Add some coconut milk and I think you might have what you're looking for.
posted by late afternoon dreaming hotel at 2:44 AM on September 25, 2022
posted by late afternoon dreaming hotel at 2:44 AM on September 25, 2022
Steamed orange juice with honey and cloves (and slices of other citrus, like lemon or lime, if you have them on hand) is very good.
posted by eviemath at 4:26 AM on September 25, 2022
posted by eviemath at 4:26 AM on September 25, 2022
+1 for Celestial Seasonings Bengal Spice. I don't generally like sweet-tasting teas (note, there's no sugar but it tastes sweet from the cinnamon I think) but this one is really nice and can be drunk pleasantly with or without a milk. My whole household is into it. Including the toddler.
posted by stray at 5:28 AM on September 25, 2022
posted by stray at 5:28 AM on September 25, 2022
Just a note on the hot chocolate mix that is "99.9% caffeine free" - if taken at face value that would mean it has about as much caffeine as a very strong cup of coffee.
Well, no, the article says that a 20 oz Starbucks, with 415 mg of caffeine, could be considered 99.9% caffeine free by weight. And the 8 oz cocoa, at 20mg of caffeine, is 99.9% caffeine free as well. This means that 20 oz of cocoa has 50mg of caffeine, not that it has as much caffeine as a strong cup of coffee.
But anyway, that's besides the point because you should definitely try roasted chicory, carob, and barley with coconut milk and honey.
posted by ananci at 9:05 AM on September 25, 2022
Well, no, the article says that a 20 oz Starbucks, with 415 mg of caffeine, could be considered 99.9% caffeine free by weight. And the 8 oz cocoa, at 20mg of caffeine, is 99.9% caffeine free as well. This means that 20 oz of cocoa has 50mg of caffeine, not that it has as much caffeine as a strong cup of coffee.
But anyway, that's besides the point because you should definitely try roasted chicory, carob, and barley with coconut milk and honey.
posted by ananci at 9:05 AM on September 25, 2022
I had a kick going where I was drinking a LOT of ovaltine, milo, horlicks - dissolved in (sugar added) soy milk. Unsweetened is available.
(I *really* like Sunrise brand - it's local to me, but I think they have national/ international distribution)
Hot or cold.
But it ends up being a lot of calories.
posted by porpoise at 9:42 AM on September 25, 2022
(I *really* like Sunrise brand - it's local to me, but I think they have national/ international distribution)
Hot or cold.
But it ends up being a lot of calories.
posted by porpoise at 9:42 AM on September 25, 2022
I'd also try carob with some kind of non-dairy milk, possibly with added cinnamon. Carob has a bad rap as an inferior health fad substitute for chocolate, but I like it -- it's not exactly chocolate, but it's chocolate-esque. And apparently contains no caffeine.
posted by confluency at 10:55 AM on September 25, 2022
posted by confluency at 10:55 AM on September 25, 2022
Hot vanilla is a thing! I've linked a random recipe, you can use your dairy substitute of choice and adjust the proportions as you'd like. I also like it with freshly-scraped vanilla bean instead of the extract.
posted by rhiannonstone at 8:53 PM on September 25, 2022
posted by rhiannonstone at 8:53 PM on September 25, 2022
Ah Horlicks! It’s a malty sweet drink powder like hot chocolate but white. You can usually find it in Chinatown or Little India, or Caribbean shops- it’s popular in places Britain invaded.
Carnation Instant Breakfast was a childhood fave- like hot chocolate with extra vitamins and protein, but there are strawberry and vanilla flavours. It’s marketed as a meal replacement powder so it’s nice and creamy.
Strawberry Quik?
Vanilla whey protein workout drink powder mixed with warm milk?
posted by nouvelle-personne at 6:48 AM on September 26, 2022
Carnation Instant Breakfast was a childhood fave- like hot chocolate with extra vitamins and protein, but there are strawberry and vanilla flavours. It’s marketed as a meal replacement powder so it’s nice and creamy.
Strawberry Quik?
Vanilla whey protein workout drink powder mixed with warm milk?
posted by nouvelle-personne at 6:48 AM on September 26, 2022
I really enjoy the coffee substitute Cafix. I make it VERY strong, like 2-3 tablespoons per mug as opposed to what they recommend (maybe 2 teaspoons?). Add milk and sugar to taste.
It doesn't really taste like coffee, but it gives the feeling of coffee, with a bit thicker texture like hot chocolate.
posted by exceptinsects at 12:57 PM on September 26, 2022
It doesn't really taste like coffee, but it gives the feeling of coffee, with a bit thicker texture like hot chocolate.
posted by exceptinsects at 12:57 PM on September 26, 2022
(or milk substitute, whatever you like!)
posted by exceptinsects at 1:34 PM on September 26, 2022
posted by exceptinsects at 1:34 PM on September 26, 2022
« Older course on the inside workings of social media... | most comfortable bed setup for sitting up Newer »
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Kitteh at 2:19 PM on September 24, 2022