How to Make Chicory Root Coffee: A Caffeine-Free Coffee Substitute

If you’ve never tried chicory root coffee, you’re missing one of the best-kept secrets in the beverage world. Roasted and brewed, it tastes remarkably like coffee with a rich, slightly earthy flavor and a mocha edge that catches most people off guard the first time. It’s completely caffeine-free, grows wild across most of the U.S., and stores for years without going stale. This isn’t a consolation prize for when the real stuff runs out. It’s genuinely good.

Chicory has been used for centuries as a natural remedy for a variety of ailments, including digestive issues, liver problems, and inflammation. With its versatility and health benefits, chicory is a smart choice for anyone looking to add more natural ingredients to their diets.

What is chicory?

Chicory (Cichorium intybus) is a perennial in the aster family. You may know it by other names: blue sailors, coffeeweed, Italian dandelion, or succory. If you’ve ever driven past a roadside thick with small blue flowers in midsummer, you’ve probably already seen it.

It’s native to Europe and western Asia but has naturalized across North America, where it survives in zones 3–9. It thrives in harsh conditions: roadsides, gravel, cracked pavement, the edges of parking lots. This is one reason to love it.

The plant grows 12–24 inches tall with dark green leaves near the ground that look exactly like dandelion leaves. The flowers are flat-petaled, slightly fringed, and a distinctive cornflower blue. They close on overcast days and in the afternoon, so if you’re hunting for them, go out on a sunny morning.

Like dandelions, chicory regrows from the taproot and is nearly impossible to kill once established, which is excellent news if you’re trying to cultivate it on your own property.

Perhaps you know it as New Orleans coffee, a coffee and chicory blend, as found at Cafe’ du Monde. Why is chicory added to coffee? Great question! The coffee and chicory blend has an interesting history going back to the American Civil War Days and the Great Depression.

A Short History of Chicory

Back in the days of Napoleon, the French were mixing chicory into coffee since the early 1800s, when Napoleon and the British got into a blockading conflict. This cut off coffee imports into France, but French people got used to the flavor and kept doing it even after coffee became available again. That habit traveled with French and Acadian settlers to Louisiana.

Then during the Civil War, Union naval blockades cut off the port of New Orleans, which at that point was the second largest port in the country. Desperate to find a coffee alternative, the locals followed in French footsteps and turned to chicory again because of its similar coffee characteristics. After the war ended, many Louisianans kept the practice of drinking chicory root with their coffee, and it became part of the city’s identity.

All that for a hardy plant that grows just about anywhere!

Health Benefits of Chicory Root Coffee

Chicory root has been valued for centuries as a hot beverage that we now know is a caffeine-free coffee alternative, but modern research has given us a clearer picture of why it works so well as more than just a beverage.

The most important component is inulin, a prebiotic fiber that feeds beneficial gut bacteria, supports a healthy microbiome, and for many people improves digestion and regularity. Chicory root is one of the richest natural sources of inulin available.

Beyond that, chicory root contains polyphenols with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, and some studies suggest inulin may help support healthy blood sugar levels by improving insulin sensitivity. It also provides a nice nutrient boost with small amounts of manganese, potassium, vitamin B6, and other minerals.

According to the Peterson Field Guide to Medicinal Plants & Herbs, the root can be prepared as a mild diuretic or laxative and is used in traditional medicine for liver and gallbladder support. Chicory root extracts have also shown antibacterial properties in a lab.

Chicory tinctures may have an anti-inflammatory effect. You can learn how to make your own tinctures fairly easily.

And because it’s completely caffeine-free, it’s a legitimate option for anyone reducing caffeine intake or anyone who wants a warm mug late at night without paying for it at 2 a.m.

Where to Get Chicory: Foraging, Growing, or Buying

Foraging is the most self-sufficient option, and chicory is one of the easier wild plants to identify and use. A few ground rules:

Never harvest from roadsides, near agricultural runoff, or anywhere that may have been treated with pesticides or herbicides. Pull the entire plant because the roots and all are edible. Older leaves can be bitter and not to my liking, so taste-test before you add them to anything. Always bring a reliable foraging guide and confirm your identification before using any plant.

If you don’t want to rely on foraging it in the wild, you could plant it from seed as part of an edible landscape or a medicinal garden.

Growing your own is safer and gives you a consistent supply. Chicory is easy to start from seed and once established, it largely takes care of itself. It’s worth adding to an edible landscape or medicinal garden specifically because the whole plant is useful.

Buying it pre-roasted and ground is the most practical option for most people. If you don’t have access to wild chicory or don’t want to deal with the processing, high-quality chicory is widely available. A few reliable options: Cafe Du Monde (a classic New Orleans-style coffee and chicory blend), New Orleans Roast, Mountain Rose Herbs roasted chicory root powder, and French Market’s chicory/coffee blend.

How to Make Chicory Coffee From Scratch

If you’ll be using grown or foraged chicory, the roots must be dried, roasted, and ground before brewing. Here’s how:

1. Locate and harvest the roots

Find chicory growing in clean soil and away from roadsides, sprayed areas, or agricultural runoff. Pull up the entire plant to get the root.

2. Soak, scrub, and chop

Soak the roots briefly to loosen dirt, then scrub them clean and chop off the green parts. Pat the roots dry and slice them into small pieces. Some roots will have a very dense, woody center. Set those aside and put in a compost pile as they are tougher to chop and much more slow to roast. The softer pieces roast more evenly.

3. Roast

Spread the root pieces on a baking sheet and roast at 300°F for 60–90 minutes. Lower and slower gives you better flavor control and reduces the risk of burning. The pieces will turn brown and smell like a combination of chocolate, caramel, and coffee, and the smell gets richer the darker they get. Remove from the oven and cool to room temperature.

4. Grind

Roasted chicory root is tough. A coffee grinder works well; a high-powered blender is another option. Grind until fine.

5. Brew

Use 1–2 tablespoons per 8–12 ounces of water. This ratio works in a drip coffee maker, French press, or cold brew. For a coffee blend, start with 70% coffee and 30% chicory, then adjust to taste.

What Does Chicory Coffee Taste Like?

Expect something close to a strong black coffee with a noticeable mocha flavor and a hint of caramel. It’s earthy and slightly bitter, similar to a dark roast, but with a rounder, less acidic finish than regular coffee.

If you’re not a black coffee drinker, it takes a sweetener and creamer well. Cinnamon is a natural addition. Most people who try it are genuinely surprised at how coffee-like it is — this isn’t a tisane or a grain drink. It’s close to the real thing.

How to Store Chicory Root

This is where chicory earns its place in a preparedness pantry if you want to have it for use months or longer. Pre-roasted, ground chicory has a shelf life of 2–3 years, often longer if stored properly. Whole dried roots store even longer. Keep ground chicory in an airtight container away from light and moisture, the same way you’d store coffee, but it’s significantly more forgiving.

Unlike coffee, chicory doesn’t go stale or rancid quickly. That makes it one of the more practical hot beverage options for long-term food storage, especially since it’s also growable and forageable if supply chains are disrupted.

A Caution About Chicory

Chicory agrees with most people, but a few things are worth knowing before you make it a daily habit.

Digestive adjustment. The inulin that makes chicory good for your gut can also cause gas, bloating, or loose stools if your system isn’t used to it. Start with a teaspoon per cup and give your body a week or two to adapt before increasing.

Ragweed or Asteraceae allergies. Chicory is in the daisy family. If you react to ragweed, birch pollen, or chrysanthemums, start with a small amount and pay attention to how you feel.

Pregnancy. Large amounts of chicory may stimulate uterine contractions. Stick to normal food-quantity amounts and check with your doctor before making it a daily drink.

Foragers, take note. Where you harvest matters as much as how much you use. Skip anything growing near roadsides, agricultural runoff, or areas that might have been sprayed. Clean soil, clean plant.

Frequently Asked Questions

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