Brewing coffee without beans: These impact firms are saving your morning ritual

To many of us, the thought of messing with our morning cup of coffee is borderline sacrilegious.

But climate change doesn’t care about our rituals, and rising temperatures around the world are putting serious pressure on coffee farms.

Prices are up, availability is shaky, and the future of your favorite bean is looking a little, well, roasted.

That’s why a growing number of startups are looking into making coffee without actual coffee beans.

Impact Loop has taken a look at some of the most promising alternative “beanless” brews that aim to deliver the same kind of flavor without the environmental baggage.

Why coffee needs a makeover

The global demand for coffee is at an all-time high—but the conditions needed to grow it are becoming harder to find. Arabica, the bean behind most specialty coffee, is notoriously picky. It needs high altitudes, stable temperatures, and just the right amount of rain. As the climate shifts, more regions are becoming unsuitable for cultivation. At the same time, deforestation and intensive farming practices are harming biodiversity and contributing to the very climate issues that threaten the industry.

Add to that: ☕️ Coffee prices hit record highs recently 🌱 Over 60% of wild coffee species are at risk of extinction 💧 Coffee farming is water-intensive – up to 140 liters per cup from seed to sip

Beanless brews: what’s actually in the cup?

The new wave of coffee alternatives are using roasted, fermented, or upcycled ingredients to replicate the aroma, body, and complexity of a real cup of joe.

Some of the most popular ingredients are:

Date pits – Most of us toss date pits aside as waste, but in the Middle East they’ve been used as a coffee bean alternative for centuries. The seeds can be roasted and ground into a dark, rich powder that is caffeine-free but deeply aromatic.

Chicory and cereals – Long used as a coffee extender, chicory brings a bitter, roasty backbone. When blended with barley, rye, or even lupin beans, the result can surprisingly close to a mild drip brew.

Spent grains and okara – Some companies are using leftover soy pulp (okara), surplus bread, and brewery waste to create complex, fermented brews that mimic coffee’s tang and depth.

Molecular magic – A few biotech pioneers are recreating coffee from scratch— fermenting sugars and plant-based compounds into coffee-like molecules that hit the same sensory notes, right down to the caffeine kick.

Here’s a look at some of the top impact companies trying to reinvent coffee:

Daffee (Netherlands)

Brewed from: Upcycled date seeds

About: Daffee transforms organic date seeds into a smooth, earthy coffee alternative that is caffeine free and gut friendly. Founded by Syrian war refugees Tamim and Rahaf Lymoni – who met and married online before finally meeting up in person in the Netherlands three years later – the idea for Daffee was born after Rahaf was told to eat dates for their nutritional value following stomach surgery.

Northern Wonder (Netherlands)

Brewed from: Chicory, cereals, legumes (like lupin and chickpeas)

About: Northern Wonder is also trying to replicate the taste and experience of coffee without using a single bean. The company uses a blend of chicory, lupin beans, chickpeas, barley, and rye – all ingredients chosen for their rich, roasted flavor and low environmental impact.

Their product, dubbed Coffee Free Coffee, is designed to deliver that classic coffee aroma and crema while massively reducing the carbon footprint. It comes in both caffeinated and caffeine-free versions.

Atomo Coffee (United States)

Brewed from: Upcycled agricultural byproducts

About: Seattle-based Atomo Coffee reverse-engineers the flavor and chemistry of coffee using upcycled ingredients like date pits, sunflower seeds, carrot powder, and even potato powder. Their approach is both scientific and sustainable.

Atomo offers a blend that is made with 50 percent real Arabica beans, providing a smoother transition for those coffee lovers reluctant to totally give up the real thing.

"By using farm grown upcycled and superfood ingredients, we have created a lower impact coffee option and are building a more resilient circular food system," the company says on its website.

MediDate (United States)

Brewed from: Roasted date seeds

About: MediDate also takes the ancient Middle Eastern tradition of brewing roasted date seeds and gives it a modern twist. Like Daffee, their coffee alternative is completely caffeine-free, yet still delivers a smooth, slightly nutty, and roasted flavor.

The brew is naturally packed with prebiotics and antioxidants, promoting gut health and stable energy without overstimulating the nervous system. The company also offers versions flavored with cinnamon, cardamom or carob.

Palm Bites (Canada)

Brewed from: Palestinian Medjool date seeds

About: Palm Bites started out selling gourmet date-based snacks but expanded into the world of alternative brews with their Date Seed Coffee. Their version is made exclusively from roasted and ground seeds of premium Palestinian Medjool dates. The flavor of their date seed coffee is deep and slightly caramel-like, with a mild bitterness that’s perfect for espresso-style drinks or slow sipping.

Prefer (Singapore)

Brewed from: Okara, surplus bread, spent barley

About: Prefer is aiming to turn food waste into gourmet coffee experiences. Based in Singapore, they brew “beanless coffee” using okara (soy pulp), leftover bread, and spent barley from beer brewing.

Through precision fermentation and microbial processing, Prefer transforms these leftovers into a dark, rich brew that mimics the acidity, bitterness, and aroma of traditional coffee.

Compound Foods (United States)

Brewed from: Fermented agricultural byproducts

About: San Francisco-based Compound Foods is taking a biotech approach to coffee alternatives. It uses a fermentation process to upcycle date seeds and other ingredients to generate the aromatic compounds and flavor molecules that give coffee its signature smell and taste.

Founded by Costa Rica native Maricel Saenz, the company especially targets women with its Minus coffee that contains half the caffeine of normal coffee along with added L-theanine and vegan protein to reduce cortisol spikes.

Voyage Foods (United States)

Brewed from: Chickpeas, rice hulls, and caffeine from tea

About: Voyage Foods is best known for its peanut-free peanut butter and cocoa-free chocolate, but it’s also diving into coffee with a beanless brew made from chickpeas, rice hulls, and caffeine derived from green tea.

Their strategy is to deconstruct flavor at the molecular level, then rebuild it using accessible, allergy-friendly, and sustainable ingredients. For their coffee alternative, the goal is to deliver the same ritual and taste as traditional coffee—but using ingredients that don’t rely on fragile supply chains.