Whole30 Coffee: Rules, Creamer, Recipes, and More! 2023

If you’re like me, coffee is a near-religious part of your morning routine. This Whole30 Coffee post has been up my sleeve for AGES, and I’m glad y’all chose this as the lastest of my Whole30 resources! I’ll be sharing with you Whole30 Coffee Rules (and tips for making it extra delicious!), Whole30 Coffee Creamer ideas, AND some Whole30 Coffee recipes! I’m hoping this super thorough Whole30 Coffee post will really help make the most of your coffee- and your mornings!

First, let’s knock out some of the most commonly-asked questions about Whole30 Coffee!

Can I have coffee on Whole30?

From the Whole30 official rules: “Coffee: Yes. Yes, you can have your coffee. You’re welcome. You can drink it black, add unsweetened compliant nutpods, coconut milk, almond milk, or add cinnamon or vanilla beans to the brew. But remember, Whole30 guidelines exclude milk, cream, non-compliant milk substitutes, and added sweeteners—including stevia (more on that below).

Tip: Regarding “Paleo” coffee creamer… sigh. We know there’s a recipe out there where eggs, coconut milk, dates, and some voodoo magic are combined with prayers to create a thick, creamy concoction that can take the place of your cream and sugar (or Coffeemate) and once again transform your undrinkable black coffee into sweet, dreamy caffeine. We REALLY don’t like this, and would encourage you to take a look at why you need this at all. Do you really like coffee, or are you drinking it for the hit of sugary flavor.” (source)

As stated about, it’s most important to first realize that coffee IS allowed on the Whole30.

Your first option is to drink your coffee black. (I KNOW, I know…)

If you’re going to attempt to drink your Whole30 coffee black, you’ve got to really prioritize the quality of the coffee itself.

Tips for Great-Tasting Whole30 Coffee:

Get quality coffee beans!
Get a whole bean coffee and grind at home
Try alternative brewing methods
Add flavors (vanilla bean powder, cinnamon, pumpkin spice)

Get Quality Coffee Beans

You can experiment as much as you want with the brewing methods below, but by FAR the biggest factor in the flavor of your coffee is the quality of the coffee beans you start with!

Single Origin: There is a coffee “bean belt” along the equator that is where coffee trees thrive best. Strive to find a single-origin coffee that’s along this belt!

Fair Trade: Since coffee growers can easily be exploited for their labor, you want to be sure the coffee you purchase is labeled as fair trade.

Organic: When you buy organic coffee, you know that the coffee growers are using their land responsibly, minimizing air, water, and soil pollution, and aren’t using most pesticides and fertilizers made with synthetic ingredients.

Small, Air-Tight Bags: Air-tight bags keep coffee the freshest, and it helps the beans avoid sunlight. (In the same vein, when you get home, be sure to store your coffee in an air-tight container in a cool, dark place). Unless you have a TON of coffee drinkers in your household, you don’t want to buy coffee in bulk. It may be a cheaper price point, but that means the beans at the bottom of the bag could be months old by the time you use them- yuck!

Roast Date: Be sure to check the bag you’re getting for a roast date- this will tell you the exact date your beans were roasted. For ideal flavor, aim for roasted beans that are four days to two weeks old.

Shade-grown: Coffee trees originally were grown under a canopy of trees. In the last half-century, coffee trees that can handle direct sunlight have taken precedent, because they’re easier to grow and harvest. This new method is considered unsustainable and harmful to the environment. Choosing shade-grown coffee is better for the environment!

Get Whole Bean Coffee and Grind at Home

Always, always, ALWAYS buy whole bean coffee! Grinding at home doesn’t take a ton of time, and it makes SUCH a huge difference in flavor!

Coffee’s hard, outer bean protects the inside from oxidation- a natural process that quickly mutes the flavor. If you get ground coffee, the outer shell has been removed, which makes oxidation almost unavoidable.

You can get a coffee grinder for pretty inexpensive! Check this one out on Amazon. OR if you have a Magic Bullet, you can use the spice blade exclusively for coffee! Check it out here.

Try Alternative Brewing Methods

There is a huge debate, and probably always will be, over the best way to make coffee. We personally love mixing it up around here and trying new methods!

Here are some of my favorite options for how to brew your coffee:

Preparation Methods

Once you have made your coffee with one of the above methods, it’s time to add your extra ingredients! Choose from any of the Whole30 compliant ingredients below. Whatever method you choose, I LOVE blending my coffee one of two ways:

In a Vitamix
Or with a coffee frother

Add flavors!

Contrary to popular belief, you CAN add compliant flavors to your coffee! Some great options:

Vanilla Bean Powder
Cinnamon
Nutmeg
Pumpkin Spice
Raw Cacao
Coconut Manna

I know immediately after talking about drinking your Whole30 coffee black, you’ll ask:

What can I put in my coffee on Whole30? Here are a list of options for what you can put in your Whole30 coffee!

Almond milk (click here for Whole30 approved almond milk options)
Coconut milk (click here for Whole30 approved coconut milk options)
Full fat coconut milk
Coconut oil
MCT Oil
Coconut manna
Ghee (Fourth & Heart even has a Vanilla Bean Ghee!)
Some compliant creamers (list below)
Spices
Collagen Peptides and Gelatin

A list of Whole30 Compliant Coffee Creamers:

Nutpods

Nutpods is the ONLY officially Whole30 Approved (liquid) coffee creamer available! To find out more about the Whole30 Approved program, click here.

There are lots of Nutpods varieties, which is why I recommend getting this variety pack!

Ingredients: Purified Water, Coconut Cream, Almonds, Natural Flavors, Acacia Gum, Sunflower Lecithin, Dipotassium Phosphate, Gellan Gum, Sea Salt.

Click here to shop Nutpods on Amazon!

Vital Proteins

Vital Proteins Vanilla Collagen Creamer

Ingredients: Collagen Peptides, Organic Coconut Milk Powder, Natural Vanilla Flavor, Organic Bamboo Shoot Extract, Organic Acacia Fiber

Vital Proteins Coconut Collagen Creamer

Ingredients: Collagen Peptides, Organic Coconut Milk Powder, Natural Vanilla Flavor, Organic Bamboo Shoot Extract, Organic Acacia Fiber

Vital Proteins Mocha Collagen Creamer

This one is my favorite- it is SO GOOD!

Ingredients: Collagen Peptides, Organic Coconut Milk Powder, Natural Vanilla Flavor, Organic Bamboo Shoot Extract, Organic Acacia Fiber

Shop Vital Proteins Mocha Collagen Creamer on their website here.

*Vital Proteins is officially Whole30 Approved. To find out more about the Whole30 Approved program, click here.

Califia Farms

Califa Farms Unsweetened Almondmilk Coffee Creamer

Ingredients: Almondmilk (Water, Almonds), Sunflower Oil, Sunflower Lecithin, Natural Flavor, Calcium Carbonate, Sea Salt, Potassium Citrate, Locust Bean Gum, Gellan Gum

Califa Farms Unsweetened Better Half Almond Milk Half and Half

Ingredients: Almondmilk (Water, Almonds), Coconut Cream, Sunflower Lecithin, Natural Flavor, Calcium Carbonate, Sea Salt, Potassium Citrate, Locust Bean Gum, Gellan Gum

Buy Califia Farms Creamers online via their website or check their store locator to find Califia Farms near you.

Grasso Foods

Naked Creamer

Ingredients: Virgin Coconut Oil, Grass-Fed Ghee

Mocha Creamer

Ingredients: Virgin Coconut Oil, Grass-Fed Ghee, Raw Cacao Powder

Chai Creamer

Ingredients: Virgin Coconut Oil, Grass-Fed Ghee, Cinnamon, Cardamom, Nutmeg Oil

You can find Grasso Foods Creamers on Amazon or via their website.

MUD/WTR

MUD/WTR Creamer

Ingredients: Organic Coconut Milk Power, Organic MCT Powder (Medium Chain Triglycerides), Organic Acacia Fiber, Organic Tapioca Maltodextrin (Derived from Organic Yuca Root). Contains Coconut

Shop online via the MUD/WTR website