In its purest form, cold brew coffee is vegan. That means if you go to your local coffee shop and order a black cup of cold brew, chances are your beverage is free of animal products. However, things get a tad trickier when you factor in the increasingly popular canned cold brew drinks, since many of them may contain added ingredients that are not vegan-friendly, like honey.
Cold brew coffee is made by grinding coffee beans and then soaking them in room temperature water for an extended period of time, but since it has roughly three times the caffeine of a cup of regular coffee, many brands will toss in dairy milk and/or sweeteners like honey for good measure. Translation: There are now many canned cold brew coffee options on the market that aren’t plant-based.
Is Cold Brew Coffee Vegan?
Despite the existence of many non-vegan canned cold brew varieties, there are still several (that aren’t simply black coffee) that vegans can easily enjoy.
For example, plant-based brand Califia Farms has multiple vegan cold brew coffee options such as its Concentrated Cold Brew Coffee and its Mocha Nitro Draft Oatmilk Latte, which, as its name suggests, is made with plant-based oat milk instead of dairy milk. The California-based brand even releases holiday-themed cold brew beverages like Pumpkin Spice Latte Cold Brew and Peppermint Mocha Cold Brew every year.
Next time you need an extra caffeine boost, consider giving one of these vegan cold brew drinks a try.
Chobani Cold Brew Plain Oatmilk
The brand known for its prolific line of Greek yogurts (and more recently, oat milk varieties) launched a line of cold brew coffee drinks in January 2021. While some aren’t plant-based because they are made with dairy milk, there is a vegan-friendly version made with Chobani’s own plain oat milk. Vegans can also enjoy the Chobani Pure Black Cold Brew, which contains no milk of any kind.
“Chobani Coffee is crafted from single origin 100% Arabica beans, geared for the passionate coffee drinker looking for cold-press brews who love the added taste of creamers made from farm fresh milk and oat milk,” Peter McGuinness, President and COO of Chobani, said in a statement.
Buy it here.
Oatly Cold Brew Latte
The Swedish oat milk brand sells several canned caffeinated drinks, including a Cold Brew Latte. Per the Oatly website this drink is made from 100% fair-trade arabica coffee beans and has about the same amount of caffeine as a large cup of black coffee. It’s also 100% vegan and is rich in unsaturated fat.
Buy it here.
Califia Farms Mocha Nitro Draft Oatmilk Latte
The California-based brand has dozens of plant-based drinks to choose from, including several different cold brew varieties. Its canned Mocha Nitro Draft Oatmilk Latte is also sold in Black & White, XX Espresso, and Salted Caramel flavors, is made with nitro cold brew that’s been sourced from premium Arabica beans and oat milk.
Buy it here.
Stumptown Coconut Cold Brew Coffee
To create this caffeinated vegan drink, Stumptown mixed its popular cold brew with plant-based coconut cream from Sumatra, Indonesia. The result is a slightly sweet beverage with a hint of coconut.
Buy it here.
Califia Farms Cold Brew Coffee Black & White With Oatmilk
This Califia Farms product boasts a balanced oat milk to cold brew ratio. This means it features a smooth (not bitter) taste. It’s also soy-free, gluten-free, and contains no added sugar.
Buy it here.
Stumptown Cold Brew With Oatly
Oatly strikes again! This time, the popular oat milk is blended with Stumptown’s bold cold brew coffee for some caffeinated deliciousness. This drink is sold in Original, Chocolate and Horchata flavors, and each of them are 100% vegan.
Buy it here.
Califia Farms Concentrated Cold Brew Coffee
Califia Farms’ Concentrated Cold Brew Coffee is billed as the brand’s “smoothest, most full-bodied coffee experience.” Since it’s very strong and has a bitter taste, the Califia Farms folks suggest you add some water or your go-to plant-based milk to the drink before taking a sip.
Buy it here.
RISE Brewing Co. Nitro Cold Brew Coffee
When RISE Brewing Co. Nitro Cold Brew Coffee launched in August 2018, it was America’s first canned vegan oat milk latte. “We decided to pair our cold brew coffee with oat milk after over a year of trying virtually every existing dairy alternative,” the brand’s CEO, Grant Gyesky, said at the time. Though there are plenty of other options on the market now, RISE’s cold brew remains popular and is available in Original Black, Oat Milk Latte, and Oat Milk Mocha flavors.
Buy it here.
Chameleon Cold Brew Coffee
Chameleon’s bottled cold brew coffee comes in Original, Vanilla, Cinnamon Sugar, Mocha, Churro and Mexican flavors. According to the website, “Each batch is expertly crafted to deliver low acid, super smooth coffee.”
Buy it here.
Trader Joe’s Cold Brew Coconut Cream Latte
The popular supermarket chain jumped in the cold brew game in May 2019 when it released its Cold Brew Coconut Cream Latte in two flavors—Original and Caramel Spice. The canned cold brew beverages are made with cold brew, plant-based coconut cream from Indonesia and cane sugar.
Buy it here.
Chameleon Cold Brew Oatmilk Latte
The Texas-based brand also sells bottled cold brew oat milk lattes blended with, well, oat milk. These vegan drinks are available in Original, Dark Chocolate and Maple flavors. Seasonal varieties, such as Pumpkin Spice, have also been spotted at Target.
Buy it here.
La Colombe Oatmilk Draft Latte
The chic coffee roasters have a trio of oatmilk draft lattes that combine sustainably sourced oat milk and cold brew coffee. The dairy-free canned drinks, which boast a touch of sweetness, are available in three flavors — Original, Vanilla and Caramel.
Buy it here.
Califia Farms Pure Black Cold Brew Coffee Blonde Roast
Last but certainly not least, Califia Farms sells several different varieties of flavored cold brew, which are either black or mixed with almond milk. In addition to the Blonde Roast blend, the brand’s bottled cold brew comes in Medium Roast, XX Espresso, Vanilla Latte Tolteca and Mocha flavors. Califia Farms also loves a good seasonal beverage, so keep an eye out for Pumpkin Spice Latte Cold Brew around the start of fall and Peppermint Mocha Cold Brew around Christmas.
Buy it here.
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