If you want to enjoy a glass of cold brew but without all the caffeine then this recipe is for you. This decaf cold brew coffee is just as easy to prepare as regular cold brew coffee but without spiking your caffeine levels.
Check out our French Press Cold Brew recipe, Peanut Butter Coffee or Skinny Iced Caramel Macchiato for more delicious coffee recipes.
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What is decaf cold brew?
Cold brewing refers to a brewing process that doesn't include any heat. Unlike regular coffee, cold brew is made by mixing together ground coffee with cold (or room-temperature) water. Steep time is also considerably longer with 12-24 hours.
The recipe below features the decaf version of a traditional cold brew and is a great alternative if you can't have caffeine but don't want to miss out on a good cup of coffee.
Why you'll love this recipe
- It's a great option if you're an avid coffee drinker (like me) but want to decrease your caffeine intake.
- There's no special equipment needed (although you could use a french press if you wanted).
- Prep time is only 5 minutes.
Ingredients
- Decaf Coffee Beans: To create a decaffeinated cold brew, you'll need decaf beans. There are a lot of different brands out there and it might take some time to find your favorite but once you do, it's so worth it! For best results, we'll need coarsely ground coffee. You can either grind the whole beans at home using a small coffee grinder or ask at your local coffee shop.
- Water: The quality of the water is almost as important as the coffee itself. I recommend using filtered water.
See recipe card for quantities.
Equipment you'll need
- Coffee mill: If you want to grind your coffee at home, you'll need a coffee grinder.
- Large jar or pitcher (wide-mouthed) with a lid
- Fine mesh sieve
- Coffee filters, cheesecloth or nut milk bag (my favorite)
Cold brew coffee ratios
The ratio for cold brew coffee is flexible. There are 2 different ratios to consider: the coffee to water ratio when preparing your cold brew and the coffee to water ratio when serving your coffee.
Cold brew coffee to water ratio when preparing
The ratio is flexible but we went for a 1:8 ratio (by volume) meaning that for 1 part coffee you'll need 8 parts water.
So if we use 4oz (118g) of coarsely ground coffee, we'll need 32oz (944g) of water (118 x 8 = 944).
You could also go with a ratio of 1:6 or even 1:4 if you want to make a stronger cold brew concentrate.
Coffee to water ratio when serving
You could enjoy the finished cold brew straight as is or dilute it with water and/ or milk. This strongly depends on personal preferences and on how strong you like your coffee.
We prefer a 1:1 ratio (1 part cold brew and 1 part milk) but feel free to play around with a ratio that works for you.
How to make decaf cold brew
Making your own decaf cold brew at home is not only much cheaper but also super easy.
STEP 1: Grind beans. Add your decaf coffee beans of choice to a coffee grinder.
Grind to a medium coarse grind. Alternatively, you could have them grind at your local coffee shop or supermarket.
STEP 2: Brewing device. Add the ground coffee to a wide-mouthed glass jar with a lid.
STEP 3: Water. Pour in your filtered water.
Give the mix a good stir.
STEP 4: Extraction process. Cold the lid of the jar and let the coffee steep at room temperature for 12-24 hours (we prefer 16).
STEP 5: Strain. There are different methods to strain cold brew. You could place (very thin) paper coffee filters, a cheesecloth or a nut milk bag (our choice) over a fine sieve.
Pour the cold brew through the nut milk bag into another wide-mouthed mason jar. The grinds will be left behind in the nut milk bag. You could repeat the process if you like.
STEP 6: Serve straight as is over some ice
or dilute with water or milk (see serving suggestions).
Top Tips
- Coarse ground coffee: For best results, grind your favorite decaf coffee to a medium coarse grind. This will facilitate the straining and won't result in a bitter taste.
- Grind in batches: If you have a small coffee grinder, grind the whole beans in batches to ensure an equal size.
- Wide-mouthed jar: I highly recommend using a wide-mouthed mason jar because the straining is much easier.
- French Press: If you have a french press, you could also make cold brew in a french press.
- High-quality water: Using high-quality water is essential to making good coffee. I recommend using filtered water.
Serving Suggestions
There are many ways to enjoy a glass of (homemade) cold brew coffee. Please find some suggestions below.
- As is: If you're into strong coffee, you could enjoy your cold brew as is but most people will find it too bitter/ strong.
- Dilute: to avoid an (IMO) bitter aftertaste you can dilute this decaf cold brew with either water or milk or both. Start with a ratio of 2:1 (2 parts cold brew and 1 part water or milk, e.g. ⅔ cup of cold brew and ⅓ cup water or milk) and work your way up from there.
- Cold Brew Flat White: We LOVE a 1:1 cold brew to milk ratio. Our favorite milk to use in this decaf cold brew is oat milk. However, you can use your favorite milk.
- Cold Brew Latte: If you prefer a rather milky coffee, go for a 1:3 or 1:4 ratio of cold brew and milk.
- Iced Cold Brew: We highly recommend serving this cold brew over some ice cubes (especially during the summer!).
- Flavors: Feel free to play around with different flavors. Try this decaf cold brew in our Skinny Caramel Macchiato or add 2 teaspoon of vanilla extract.
Storage
- To store: store in a mason jar or other airtight container with a lid for up to 1 week. Some sources say 2 weeks but I usually try to limit it to 1 week.
- To freeze: Pour any leftover cold brew into an ice cube tray and freeze for up to 1 month. Let defrost on the counter or in the fridge.
FAQ
There are different options when it comes to straining cold brew coffee. You could use a cotton cloth, paper towels, a very fine coffee filter or a nut milk bag that's placed over a fine mesh sieve (see step-by-step photos).
Darker roasts are most commonly used for cold brew coffee to create rich, bold flavors. However, it's entirely up to you which coffee you choose. It might be worth it to try a few different ones to find your favorite brand.
Recipes to use this in
📖 Recipe
Decaf Cold Brew
Ingredients
- ~4oz = 1 ⅓ cups (118 g) coarsely ground coffee
- 32oz = 4 cups (945 g) filtered water (at room temperature)
Instructions
- Grind your decaf coffee beans to a coarse grind (see step-by-step photos), or ask your local coffee shop to grind it.
- Add the ground coffee to a wide-mouth mason jar or pitcher with a lid.
- Add the filtered water and give it a good stir.
- Close the lid and transfer let the cold brew steep at room temperature between 12-24 hours (we rpefer 16h).
- To strain the cold brew, place a thin coffee filter, cheesecloth or nut milk bag (our favorite) over a fine mesh sieve. Pour the cold brew through the sieve into a large mason jar or pitcher.
- Serve as is or diluted with water or milk (we prefer a 1:1 cold brew-milk ratio) over some ice cubes. Please see serving suggestions.
Video
Notes
- How to serve this decaf cold brew: There are many ways to enjoy a glass of cold brew. Usually, the cold brew is diluted with water or milk or both, please see our serving suggestions above.
- Coarse ground coffee: For best results, grind your favorite decaf coffee to a medium coarse grind. This will facilitate the straining and won't result in a bitter taste.
- Grind in batches: If you have a small coffee grinder, grind the whole beans in batches to ensure an equally sized grind.
- To store: store in a mason jar or other airtight container with a lid for up to 1 week. Some sources say 2 weeks but I usually try to limit it to 1 week.
- To freeze: Pour any leftover cold brew into an ice cube tray and freeze for up to 1 month. Let defrost on the counter or in the fridge.
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