The Best Caffeine-Free Coffee Alternative that Actually Gives You Energy

The best caffeine-free coffee alternative that actually gives you energy, helps you adapt to stress, and tastes delicious. Perfect for busy moms and anyone with autoimmune disease looking for a break from caffeine to help the body heal.

I’ve always loved the *idea* of coffee. I love the smell… and even the taste once I add a little bit of creamer and vanilla syrup to it.

For many years, I tried to make my coffee dream work. Everyone seemed to rave about how it made them feel “super human”, and I wanted that so badly after struggling with chronic fatigue every single day for years due to my Hashimoto’s.

So I drank it every day… waiting for the moment for it to kick in. Even as I started making changes to my diet to help my Hashimoto’s, I stuck with the coffee habit by using dairy-free milks and creamers and real sugar sources like honey and maple syrup.

But, as much as I enjoyed my morning cup of jo, there was no denying how horrible it made me feel. It never actually gave me energy… just the jitters.

I always felt off-balance and foggy. My joints hurt. My muscles ached. I had to make constant trips to the bathroom and was always dehydrated. Overall, I felt AWFUL.

Of course, I didn’t realize this at the time. It wasn’t until I totally stopped drinking coffee that I realized how much it was affecting me.

My Search for a Caffeine-Free Coffee Alternative

One day, probably around the first time I tried the Autoimmune Protocol (AIP) diet, I stopped drinking coffee for good (because it is eliminated on the AIP diet).

I kept looking for a bunch of coffee alternatives to fill the void. There had to be something I could still look forward to drinking in the morning that tasted good and helped me prepare for the day, mentally and physically… and also didn’t make me feel ill.

My search fell flat.

What I Tried That Didn’t Work

I tried bone broth… which sounds good and does taste good when you’re in the mood, but just doesn’t have that coffee allure.

I tried black tea, Matcha tea (which I LOVED but it gave me many of the same symptoms as coffee), kombucha (which I also loved, but still had the same experience, plus the tiny amount of alcohol also bothered me), herbal teas, mushroom teas, etc.

Eventually, I just gave up. I realized caffeine, whether it was from coffee or not, was a huge issue for me, so that pretty much removed all caffeinated options from the table. The other options didn’t provide noticeable benefit or taste.

UNTIL, one day, a Facebook ad caught my attention. It was all about a caffeine-free coffee alternative called Rasa tea that was made with adaptogenic herbs and mushrooms.

To put it simply, adaptogenic herbs and mushrooms, also commonly referred to as “adaptogens”, help your body cope with stress by giving your body what it needs in the moment.

So, if you are tired, they can help supply energy. If you are anxious, they can help calm you down. Isn’t that cool? The depth and intelligence of God’s creation amazes me more and more each day.

(If you want to learn more about adaptogens, check out this guide from Rasa.)

I read a lot about adaptogens in the past through my autoimmune research, and did try them somewhat in the form of supplements/capsules with little to no results, but there was just something about Rasa tea that seemed different.

It was also formulated by a mother who took care in working with experienced herbalists to develop a blend that didn’t have contradictions during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy or breastfeeding.

While Rasa can’t officially state that it is safe to use during pregnancy and breastfeeding (as it goes for many products on the market due to regulations and safety testing), I felt very comfortable with consuming the tea during my pregnancies and while nursing after reading this.

Rasa Tea seemed to check many boxes:

• Caffeine-free
• Gluten-free
• Can provide stable energy without the jitters (due to the adaptogens)
• Formulated without any major pregnancy or breastfeeding contradictions
• Even an Autoimmune Protocol (AIP) version is available that removes the nightshade herb Ashwagandha
• Might actually taste a little bit like coffee due to the bitterness of the herbs

Hmmm… could this be THE caffeine-free coffee alternative I was looking for??

My Experience Trying Rasa Adaptogenic Tea

I decided to give it a try, and after drinking it consistently for a few days, I immediately noticed the difference – calm, smooth energy that lasted for the entire day with no crash whatsoever. No jitters. Clear thinking. My daily “mom” anxiety decreased dramatically.

These benefits only improved the longer I drank it, and now I am about 2 years into drinking it daily and I can say, without any hesitation, that Rasa has done for me what I always wanted coffee to do.

It dramatically changed my day-to-day life and helps me cope with stress, which is especially helpful since those of us with autoimmune disease tend to me more sensitive to stress.

And although I wouldn’t prefer a poor night’s rest, they are inevitable during motherhood, and Rasa helps me to not fear them anymore. I know I have a healthy pick-me-up waiting for me when I start the day… I find these moments are when I really feel the power of adaptogens.

Plus, it’s easy to make, I can re-use the herbs to make another brew to make sure I squeeze out every last bit of goodness, and it costs less than a daily cup of coffee or tea from a local coffee shop.

What’s even better is that there are now a ton of flavors and blends to choose from, which makes this whole journey feel even more coffee-like than ever.

But does it actually taste good? Does it taste like coffee?

Since my first cup 2-3 years ago, Rasa has expanded their line of teas into a wide variety of different flavors/blends over the years that taste awesome. Their original blend, my daily drinker, was just reformulated to be smoother, nuttier, and just a tad bit sweet. It’s delicious.

While I’m not going to tell you that Rasa tastes JUST like coffee, I can provide you with an experience that happened a couple weeks ago when Frank made a fresh coffee but didn’t finish it all and put it in the refrigerator to have the next day.

I like my Rasa cold, so the first thing I do when I wake up is grab it from the fridge and this time, I accidentally grabbed Frank’s coffee (because Rasa looks like coffee when it is brewed), and took a big sip.

I immediately knew it wasn’t Rasa, but I was VERY surprised at how similar it did taste to Rasa. The familiar bitterness of a good cup of coffee was definitely there. Out of all the coffee alternatives I’ve tried… this one is definitely the closest to a coffee taste.

The Many Blends and Flavors of Rasa:

• a 50:50 coffee blend if you are looking to slowly wean off coffee
• a “Calm” blend to have at night to get an awesome night’s rest (one of my absolute favorites and it really does taste amazing)
• Golden chai
• Cacao blend
• A lemon-y blend called “Super Happy Sunshine” (Frank’s favorite)
• Autoimmune Protocol (AIP) version that removes the nightshade herb, Ashwagandha, so you can still drink it even if you’re following a restricted diet
• And more.

How to Make Rasa Tea

There are many, many ways to brew Rasa. No special equipment required… even just a mason jar with boiling water and a strainer will do. Rasa’s website has a whole FAQ section dedicated to just the brewing process so any questions you have will likely be answered here.

My Favorite Way to Make Rasa

I’m a big fan of the French press method for my Rasa Original Blend (admittedly though, I haven’t tried any other way), and I love to drink it cold.

It is recommended to use 1 tbsp of tea per 1 cup (8oz) of hot water, but I use 3 tbsp by re-using the first batch of tea to make 4 cups to save money (you’ll see what I mean below).

My brewing process goes like this:

1. Add two tablespoons of Rasa Original Blend to the French press.
2. Add 2 cups of boiling water to the French press and brew for 12 minutes.
3. Pour the tea into a big mason jar.
4. Add another 1 tablespoon of fresh Rasa to the French press (so you’ll have 3 tablespoons total between the first two tablespoons and this one).
5. Add two cups of boiling water to the French press and brew for 12 minutes.
6. Pour the tea into the mason jar with the other tea.
7. Place in the fridge overnight so its ready for the next morning!

Want to give Rasa a try? Get $10 off your purchase.

If you are looking for a caffeine-free coffee alternative, your search may be over… Rasa might just be what you are looking for, like it was for me.

There are many different flavors and blends to choose from, and they have a handy Find Your Blend quiz to help you out.

However, if you are pregnant or a nursing mother, you are more limited as there are some blends not recommended during pregnancy, which you can learn more about here.

In addition, if you are avoiding nightshades due to a sensitivity or autoimmune diet, you can try the AIP-friendly blend.

Whatever you choose, you can use this link to get $10 off your purchase!

I should mention that consistency seems to be a big part of the power of the adaptogens of Rasa… so drinking it daily, rather than sporadically, will really help you determine if it should become a more permanent part of your life.

If you give it a try, be sure to come back and share how it worked for you!

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