One of my dietary New Year’s resolutions is to stop drinking coffee. I’m convinced it will help me sleep better and give my adrenals a break.

Everyone who loves coffee knows how hard it is to give up but the trick is to replace it with something equally as compelling.

After lots of kitchen experimentation I found the perfect healthy brew that’s dairy free, extremely energizing, tasty and loaded with health benefits just like coffee.

I call it “The Matcha Mate Almond Latte“.  I know it’s a mouthful so let me break down the individual ingredients for you…

Yerba Mate

Yerba Mate is more popular than coffee in Argentina. It’s loved for it’s energizing properties without the jittery quality of caffeine. It is reminiscent of green tea but without the bitterness.  It needs to be steeped for 10 minutes for maximum potency and is full of vitamins, minerals, amino acids and antioxidants. It’s yummy and mild and will give you sustained energy.

Matcha

This finely ground green tea powder is gaining popularity for its ability to boost detoxification, immunity, energy levels, weight loss, memory, concentration and calm. It’s a super food of its own right. A tiny bit adds amazing flavor and boosts the health benefits of this latte.

Unsweetened almond milk

You can buy unsweetened, organic almond milk in most stores or learn how to make your own here. You can also use hemp milk, coconut milk, cashew milk or even real milk if that’s your preference.

Sweetener

Adding a touch of honey and maple syrup balances the mild bitterness of the matcha. You can also sweeten it with a banana since it’s made in a blender. Also, if you are a butter in your coffee type, then feel free to add butter, ghee or MCT oil to your brew.

Flavoring

I sprinkled a bit of cardamom to my latte because I am obsessed with this spice, but you can use pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, vanilla or almond extract. Or leave out the spices all together, it doesn’t need it.

I’m sharing this latte recipe over at the Paleo Mama’s blog. Get the full recipe here.