Date Seed Coffee (Caffeine-Free)
With date seeds we revive an old Gulf habit: instead of throwing the seeds away we roast them and get a warm drink resembling coffee without caffeine, and we scent it with cardamom just as we scent our coffee.
Wash the date seeds well and remove any remaining fruit, then dry them completely, because damp seeds burn before they roast evenly.
Spread the seeds on a tray and roast them in the oven at 200 degrees Celsius for twenty-five to thirty minutes until they blacken and become fragrant, because the deep roast is what gives them the taste of coffee.
Let the seeds cool a little, then grind them in a coffee grinder until they become a fine powder, and add the cardamom and cinnamon to it.
Pour the boiling water over the powder slowly, steep for three to five minutes, then strain it and serve it hot.
The glycemic index (GI) measures how quickly a food raises blood sugar, while the glycemic load (GL) measures how much a full serving raises it. Together they give the complete picture.
A low value (≤55) means a gradual rise in blood sugar — the most suitable range for diabetes and insulin resistance.
Glycemic load reflects the impact of the full serving. To lower it: take half a serving, or pair the recipe with a source of protein and fiber.
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000-calorie diet per FDA food-label reference values — your daily needs may be higher or lower. Values are derived from the recipe's ingredients via the USDA database.
The most common problems when preparing Date Seed Coffee (Caffeine-Free), and how to fix them:
We did not roast the seeds until they blackened, as deep roasting is essential for the flavor.
The roasting went too far or the oven temperature was too high, so we lower it and watch the color.
We keep it in an airtight container for two weeks, or in the freezer for a month.
We drink it fresh, and do not leave it for hours or it loses its aroma.
| Original Ingredient | Tested Substitute | Ratio | Flavor Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| cardamom | cardamom seeds ground fresh | grind them with the seeds | Stronger aroma |
| cinnamon | a small amount of nutmeg | add it to the powder | A different warmth |
| the oven method | roasting over low heat in a pan | stir constantly | Smokier flavor |
| boiling water | hot plant-based milk | pour it over the powder | Softer body |
| Ingredient | One cup | Two cups (base) | Four cups |
|---|---|---|---|
| clean dry date seeds | 20 g | 40 g | 80 g |
| boiling water | 240 ml | 480 ml | 960 ml |
| ground cardamom | 0.5 g | 1 g | 2 g |
| cinnamon (optional) | 0.5 g | 1 g | 2 g |
We grind a large batch of the roasted seeds and store it, since roasting is the longest step and one round is enough for several cups.
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