Chicory: the classic coffee alternative

A roasted root from the dandelion family — bitter, earthy, caffeine-free, and in your cup for longer than you think.

Chicory root has been blended with — or substituted for — coffee in some corner of the world for at least 200 years. In New Orleans it survived Civil War coffee shortages and stuck around. In France it powered the “café au lait” tradition. Today it’s the backbone of most caffeine-free herbal coffees on the market.

What it is

The chicory plant (Cichorium intybus) is a perennial herb native to Europe. Its blue flowers are edible; its leaves become endive and radicchio; and its taproot, when roasted and ground, brews up like coffee.

The roasted root is:

  • Naturally caffeine-free
  • Bitter but sweet — with a malty, slightly chocolate-like edge
  • High in inulin, a prebiotic fiber that feeds gut bacteria
  • Gluten-free in pure form, though many blended “grain coffees” contain barley

What it tastes like

If you’ve had New Orleans-style coffee at Café du Monde, you’ve tasted chicory — it’s what gives that brew its distinctive bittersweet depth. On its own, roasted chicory tastes darker than coffee: less acidity, more body, almost molasses-adjacent when brewed strong.

Brands we cover

  • Teeccino — chicory + carob + barley blends, many flavors
  • Leroux — single-ingredient ground chicory (classic French brand)
  • Café du Monde — chicory-blend coffee (not caffeine-free; contains coffee)
  • Pero — barley, chicory, and rye grain-coffee blend
  • Cafix — similar grain-coffee blend, slightly sweeter

See our full chicory coffee roundup for a head-to-head comparison.