Many of us love to start our day with a cup of joe, but unfortunately, sometimes our body doesn’t permit that. Don’t blame the coffee, it ain’t its fault! Caffeine is the culprit that’s causing your heart to race. But now that you’re hooked on java, the only solution to make things better will be switching to a low-caffeine coffee. 

In the market, there are options like half-caff or decaf that have a very low percentage of caffeine and are brewed like regular coffee. You can try them or opt for regular low-caffeine drinks, like lattes and cappuccinos. 

Keep reading as I have listed such low-caffeine coffee drinks. Also, what do you think, is espresso a low-caffeine drink or not? Read till the end to find the answer!

List Of Top 10 Easy-To-Brew Low-caffeine Coffee

Jumping from regular to half-caff or de-caf can be an unpleasant journey for your coffee-loving soul. So to make it comfortable, I’ve introduced the drinks in such an order where 10 has the max caffeine, and 1 has almost none. 

#10 Cappuccino

To begin the list, we have a drink that is widely loved by Italians and British people, which is the cappuccino. 

This espresso-based drink has a very luxurious velvety texture as it has two different layers of dairy. One is a layer of steamed milk, and the second is a velvety layer of milk foam. 

It might seem like too much milk, but it still has less milk than a latte. This is why if you compare the tastes, you get a bolder coffee flavor in cappuccino. Cappuccino can also be more filling than some other coffee drinks due to its serving size. 

Cappuccinos are usually served in a 14 oz cup and contain 179mg of caffeine. Now don’t get freaked out by the number because if you calculate, it’s around 12.78 mg of caffeine per ounce. 

Recently the Freddo cappuccino has been going viral all over the internet. This is a single-shot Greek iced coffee that originated near Italy and Cyprus. Hence will be a great drink to sip on the summer afternoons. 

Check this video if you want to learn to make Freddo Cappuccino. 

#9 Brewed Coffee

Next, we have our good old brewed coffee. Brewing is the method of extracting the soluble materials of the roasted coffee ground.

Now brews can be of different kinds and can be prepared with both hot and cold water. Here we are talking about a hot brew that is either a drip or a pour-over. They are lighter in taste compared to other brews like french press or espresso. 

It can be served in varied sizes ranging between six to 16 ounces. A regular 8 oz cup of brewed coffee contains 80 to 100 mg of caffeine. 

This means a regular serving gives you 11.25 mg/ oz caffeine content, which is not very low, yet quite lower than its contemporaries like cold brew, americano, or espresso. 

You can lower the numbers even more by choosing beans that are light-roasted or have naturally low caffeine content. 

Here is a  video that talks about the fundamentals of coffee brewing and shows how you can brew a cup at home. 

#8 Flat White

The flat white was a popular drink of the 2000s, especially because of the creative latte arts that were made on them. 

The drink is more concentrated and gives a stronger taste of coffee compared to a latte. From this, you can already guess why it is listed lower on the list. Yes, also has higher caffeine content than a latte. 

Flat white is usually served in a 12 oz serving size which contains around 130 mg of caffeine. So in the case of flat white, the caffeine content per ounce will be approximately 10.83 mg/ oz. 

But remember, these numbers are applicable only if you take a regular flat white, which is made with double shots of espresso. In case you are doing triple or quad shots, the caffeine content will be higher. 

It is great for people who like to have a strong cup of java but don’t like sipping plain espresso. Flat white has a rich and velvety mouthfeel as it contains a good amount of dairy. But it is less frothy than a traditional cappuccino. 

In case you want to try it out, here’s a video of how to make flat white in barista style. 

#7 Latte

So far, we’ve mentioned latte a number of times, so how can it not be on this list? 

A 16 oz latte mug contains around 154 mg of caffeine. This means you get 9.62 mg of caffeine per ounce. That is lower than a cappuccino.  

This drink has more to it, apart from being absolutely Instagram-worthy. It is made with two shots of espresso and around eight ounces of steamed milk. So you get enough caffeine to kick-start your system, but there’s also enough milk to cut down the bitterness of coffee.

Hence, it is an ideal drink for a coffee beginner. Unlike cappuccino, the best part is that you can switch the dairy part with non-dairy kinds of milk like almond or coconut, and it will still taste great. 

If you are wondering what the difference between coffee and a latte is, you can check out our detailed guide. 

#6 Iced Caramel Macchiato

Next is the famous iced caramel macchiato, with only 150 mg of caffeine per serving. It has a very rich and naturally sweet flavor of coffee and milk with a sharp contrast to crisp caramel. 

Please note that here we are talking about iced caramel macchiato (a type of latte macchiato) and not a regular macchiato (which is much stronger since it is made with espresso and a dash of steamed milk). The favors and serving size for both are quite apart.

Iced caramel macchiato is usually served in a similar-sized glass to a latte, which is around 16 ounces. Which means it contains around 9.37 gms of caffeine per ounce. 

If you don’t have a Starbucks near you or want to save some bucks, you can easily make this drink at home with the help of some simple ingredients and this video!

#5 Dunkin’s Iced Latte

If you lead a busy life, then you might be someone who likes grabbing a cup of coffee on the go instead of doing a whole ritual of coffee-making! 

In that case, I can suggest you a low-caffeine coffee if you have Dunkin’ Donuts near you. If you are planning to cut down on your caffeine but still want to sip on a cup of java, try Dunkin’s Iced latte. 

Since it’s a latte, the serving size is quite big (16 oz), and the caffeine content compared to it is quite less (7.37 mg/ oz). It has caffeine content similar to instant coffee but tastes far better since you get freshly brewed espresso. 

The usual iced latte at Dunkin’s is made with dairy milk, but upon request, you can switch that to the milk of your preference and add whipped cream to make your drink extra creamy. 

#4 Instant Coffee

The reason most of us love instant coffee is that it’s quick, it’s easy to make, and it’s lighter on the pocket. Plus, it’s light on caffeine content too! At home, we usually make an 8 oz serving which contains around 57 mg of caffeine. 

This means the caffeine per ounce is approx 7.1, which is the lowest so far! 

Apart from being totally hassle-free to make, instant coffee also has a great shelf-life. So it is great if you are someone who travels a lot.  

Now many coffee lovers don’t really love the flavor of instant coffee, and it’s fair enough. Instant coffee simply can not compete with the richness of freshly brewed coffee grounds, but there are tips you can follow to balance things out. 

One of the best tips I can give you right away is if you want your instant coffee to taste less bitter, DO NOT pour boiling hot water for brewing. Always use lukewarm to get that naturally sweet taste. 

#3 Irish Coffee

On the list of top three, we have a fancy drink here: Irish coffee. Disclaimer! It is a caffeinated alcoholic drink, so if you think that’ll be too much for your system to handle, skip on this one. 

Irish coffee is a hot coffee drink made with Irish whiskey and freshly brewed espresso and sugar. So it is a sweet boozy coffee drink that is perfect for the Christmas season or if you simply want a change. 

Irish coffee is usually served in a special Irish coffee mug. It holds 10 ounces of the beverage, which contains only 47.5 mg of caffeine. Meaning you get only 4.75 mg of caffeine per ounce! 

Here’s a video on how you can make Irish coffee at home. 

#2 Starbucks Decaf Pike Place Roast 

If you are a regular visitor to Starbucks, you might want to know what’s the lowest caffeinated drink there. With no surprise, it is none other than Starbucks Decaf Pike Place Roast. 

The huge 16 oz drink contains only 25mg of caffeine. That means you get only 1.56 mg of caffeine per ounce! 

The drink has a very well-rounded taste, with subtle hints of chocolate and toasted nuts. Besides low caffeine, the drink also has only five calories, 0g sugar, and 0g fat! So if you are on a low-calorie diet, this drink will go best with it. 

Starbucks even has its K cups and coffee bags in this variant. You can also buy and store them so that you don’t have to run to your nearest Starbucks every time you crave coffee. 

#1 Decaf Brew

On number one, we have none other than, Decaf brew. I know some of you might have guessed it, but come on, it has a caffeine content of approx 0.25 mg/ oz, and there’s no way any other coffee drink can top that! 

Some argue about the relevance of decaffeinated coffee and how it tastes different, but I can give you many reasons why you should prefer it over regular ones. The biggest reason, you get to taste coffee but minus the jitters and side effects. 

Can You Call An Espresso A Low Caffeine Drink? 

This is actually a tricky question! You may find some people saying espresso is a low-caffeine drink. And if you know what espresso is, then your instant reaction will be that the person is insane. But, to your surprise, they are not completely wrong. 

So to clear your confusion, let’s understand why someone would say that. 

Espresso is the most concentrated coffee drink, which is either served on its own (as shots) or can be used as a base for other drinks. 

Now, one shot of espresso has around 63 mg of caffeine, BUT! one shot equals to ONE OUNCE! Hence, the serving size is very small.

So, you will be consuming only 63 mg of caffeine (which is moderate) if you take a single shot of espresso, but that does not mean espresso is a low-caffeine drink; it is the size that creates the illusion. 

Final Words 

If you aren’t very particular about how your cup of java tastes, I would suggest switching to a half-caff or decaf coffee. 

Half-caff and decaf coffees are quite advanced now, and you can barely spot the difference. But if you are a coffee aficionado, you may still miss the rich aroma of regular coffee. 

In that case, you can pick from the list I gave where most of the drinks are made with regular coffee yet have very low caffeine content.