Ingredients
Ingredients:
- 1 Tablespoon chicory root, granulated and roasted (I purchase Frontier brand, by the pound)
- 1 Tablespoon dandelion root, granulated and roasted (I use Frontier brand. See notes below).
- 32 – 35 ounces (About 4 cups, plus a little) water – preferably filtered.
Directions for making with a French Press:
- Bring water to a boil.
- Put chicory and dandelion root in the press.
- Add water to french press.
- Let stand for at least 4 minutes.
- Depress plunger slowly.
- Add some sweetener of choice – I use stevia plus a dash of salt and my Easiest Coconut Milk, plus a little coconut oil.
Directions (without a french press):
- Place water, chicory root and dandelion root in a pot.
- Boil and simmer for 2-3 minutes.
- Strain through a fine mesh strainer and serve.
Notes:
- Initially I was using plain (not roasted) dandelion root, and my coffee alternative tasted just fine, but it is so much richer with the roasted roots.
- If you like flavoring your “coffee”, here are some great options for you:
- • Add 1/2 tsp cinnamon to your press along with the chicory and dandelion roots. If you don’t have a press then add it to the pot and simmer with the grounds.
- • I love sweetening my coffee substitute with a scoop (1/32 of a tsp – that’s all it takes!) of stevia extract and then topping it off with a little flavored liquid stevia. Right now my favorite is Sweetleaf’s hazelnut. Sweetleaf’s English Toffee and French Vanilla are also really nice! Puzzled about stevia? I recommend NuNaturals, but I have heard great things about Sweetleaf’s as well. (Tip: don’t be daunted by the price – a little goes a LONG way.)
- • Of course, a bit of carob or cocoa powder is nice too. I used to put a 1/2 Tbsp or 1 Tbsp roasted carob powder into the french press. What a rich tasting treat!
- • I plan to share some additional wonderful flavoring options for coffee soon – so stay tuned by subscribing to my blog!
- I love topping my coffee substitute with freshly made Homemade Coconut Milk. Of course, I’ll use the milk that’s already been made as well, but when it’s freshly made, it has a wonderful frothy topping that reminds me of frothed milk. See my post on Easiest Homemade Coconut Milk.
- When I pour my first cup, it is super hot. Just drop 1-2 ice cubes in your mug before pouring in your coffee substitute and you can enjoy right away!
- For best taste and health, please use filtered water. See my post, Is Your Water Safe?
- You can purchase roasted dandelion root or just roast in the oven on a cookie sheet until nicely browned. Often I just toast it in a pan over a medium-low heat. Just watch it. It starts to burn easily…not that I’ve ever done that :-
Coffee Alternatives - Home & Family
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