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Coffee Kombucha Recipe

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How to Make Kombucha from Coffee
Wellness Mama » Blog » Recipes » Coffee Kombucha Recipe

I’ve consumed a lot of unusual foods, drinks, and supplements on my journey to find health answers. From the green smoothies, to the fermented fish livers, to the marine phytoplankton, I’ve tried some interesting things over the years.

Of all the strange things I’ve tasted, this recipe has to be close to the top of the list of unusual flavors.

It isn’t bad, but it is certainly unusual … it’s kombucha … made from coffee instead of tea…

Coffee Kombucha?

Our family has been drinking kombucha for years, and about a year ago, I tried brewing kombucha with coffee at the suggestion of a friend.

It definitely worked, and the result was a probiotic coffee that was very much an acquired taste.

I did find a few tricks to make it taste better, like doing a second ferment with simple syrup and flavored stevia, creating an effervescent and slightly tangy chilled coffee drink.

Important Notes

  • If you’ve never brewed regular kombucha before, I would suggest starting with that to learn the brewing process with its natural ingredients (here is a tutorial).
  • Since coffee is naturally acidic, I found that less additional starter liquid is needed.
  • Use an extra baby SCOBY and not the SCOBY you use for brewing regular kombucha, as once a SCOBY is used for coffee, it should not be used for tea kombucha again.
  • I found that coffee komucha brews more quickly, so test it often and be ready to start a second ferment or put in the refrigerator to stop fermentation after a few days.
  • The second ferment is necessary for the flavor of coffee kombucha. Without it, the finished result will be very tangy and bitter.
How to Make Kombucha from Coffee

Coffee Kombucha Recipe

Make kombucha from coffee and avoid the fluoride in tea. This energy boosting tangy drink is easy and delicious. 
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 4 days 30 minutes
Calories 240kcal
Author Katie Wells

Servings

3 quarts

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Add the sugar to the coffee while it is still hot and stir to dissolve.
  • Let the coffee cool to room temperature.
  • Pour the brewed coffee into a gallon size glass jar.
  • Add the SCOBY and the 1 Tablespoon of brewed kombucha to the jar.
  • Cover with cheesecloth or a coffee filter and a rubber band.
  • Let sit at room temperature for 3-5 days or until it reaches desired flavor. It will still be slightly tangy and bitter at this point.
  • Remove the SCOBY and use to make a new batch.
  • Pour the brewed coffee kombucha into quart size mason jars or bottles for the second ferment.
  • Divide the simple syrup and stevia evenly between the jars or bottles.
  • Place airtight lids on the glass jars and leave at room temperature for an additional 24-48 hours for a second ferment. This will add carbonation and a little more sweetness to the brew.
  • Refrigerate and serve cold as desired. I recommend serving over ice and adding coconut milk and additional flavored stevia to taste if desired.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts
Coffee Kombucha Recipe
Amount Per Serving (1 cup)
Calories 240
% Daily Value*
Sodium 3mg0%
Carbohydrates 56.3g19%
Sugar 16.3g18%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Notes

If you want, you can make half a batch with only 1.5 quarts of coffee and ½ cup sugar.

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What is the most unusual thing you’ve ever tried in the name of health?

Katie Wells Avatar

About Katie Wells

Katie Wells, CTNC, MCHC, Founder of Wellness Mama and Co-founder of Wellnesse, has a background in research, journalism, and nutrition. As a mom of six, she turned to research and took health into her own hands to find answers to her health problems. WellnessMama.com is the culmination of her thousands of hours of research and all posts are medically reviewed and verified by the Wellness Mama research team. Katie is also the author of the bestselling books The Wellness Mama Cookbook and The Wellness Mama 5-Step Lifestyle Detox.

Comments

36 responses to “Coffee Kombucha Recipe”

  1. Dina Avatar

    Personally I love coffee kombucha. My first batch I sampled it before the second ferment that is definitely an acquired taste. I made the mistake of adding cream. Add a teaspoon of vanilla to the batch it really helps. I just made my second batch and used vanilla and almond extract it’s really good. It helps if you can tolerate black coffee, if you can than the taste of this after a second ferment is delicious.

  2. Colleen Avatar

    I make black-tea kombucha all the time (using honey instead of sugar). So that’s what my scoby is accustomed to eating. I thought I’d try the coffee version and started a batch with sugar and a scoby baby three days ago. It’s not bubbling like tea kombucha does. Instead, there are white spots floating on the surface which look like mold, but on closer inspection turn out to be bits of foam made of teen-tiny bubbles. I’ll persevere, but is this normal? Does it take time for a scoby to get used to a different liquid and sweetener? Thanks!

  3. Darlene Avatar

    1 TBSP brewed and unflavored regular kombucha is that the tea brew I have already made before? And the following ingredients for the second brew?
    ¼ cup simple syrup 2 TBSP sugar dissolved in 2 TBSP hot water
    10 drops vanilla creme or english toffee flavored stevia or to taste

  4. Melody Avatar

    I’ve done coffee kombucha before, a few years ago, and I really enjoyed it. Mine was not bitter, though it was definitely tangy. It tasted almost citrusy, which I find very interesting since there was no fruit added. This time I’m doing a second ferment, which I never did the first time around. We’ll see how it turns out.

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