Food Recipe Collections & Favorites Healthy Meals 7 Delicious (and Healthy!) Ways to Upgrade Your Next Cup of Coffee Does your morning brew need a boost? By Betty Gold Betty Gold Betty Gold is the former senior digital food editor at Real Simple. Real Simple's Editorial Guidelines Updated on November 22, 2022 Fact checked by Haley Mades Fact checked by Haley Mades Haley is a Wisconsin-based creative freelancer and recent graduate. She has worked as an editor, fact checker, and copywriter for various digital and print publications. Her most recent position was in academic publishing as a publicity and marketing assistant for the University of Wisconsin Press Our Fact-Checking Process Share Tweet Pin Email Waking up to a cup of coffee (or three) is non-negotiable for many of us. Caffeine is crucial, but the process of making and enjoying coffee can help you ease into the headspace to conquer whatever is ensue on any given day, too. One way to derail all potentially relaxing elements of this routine? Drowning your otherwise perfect pour-over or espresso in sugar, syrupy stuff, and other chemical-ridden creamers. More likely than not, your should-be energy-boosting beverage will leave you feeling sleepy, sluggish, and overcome with brain fog. If you're tired of the same old cup of coffee, skip the sweetener and try one of these delicious upgrades from nutrition expert Joy Bauer, MS, RDN, CDN. 3 Simple Ways to Sweeten Foods Without Sugar (or Anything Artificial) 01 of 07 Make DIY Vanilla Creamer Love coffee creamer? Make your own two-ingredient recipe with no added sugar by whipping up a naturally sweet DIY vanilla version. Simply mix 1/4 cup of milk (or oat, almond, or soy milk) with a few drops of vanilla extract, then heat in the microwave for 20 seconds. 5 Clever Ways to Use Vanilla Extract That Don't Require Baking 02 of 07 Go for Cocoa Sprinkle some cocoa powder right into your cup. You'll get a delicious chocolate-flavored coffee and score some of the perks of cocoa flavanols—specifically, the heart-health benefits of improved blood flow. 03 of 07 Add Some Fizz If you feel like your coffee is a little flat, try a fizzy spin. Sparkling water will add a subtle effervescence to your iced coffee or cold brew without adding sugar, calories, or artificial sweeteners. It's also caffeine-free, so if you're looking for a little lift without a full jolt, watering down your drink is a smart way to lower its caffeine content. 04 of 07 Spice Up your Cup Add a sprinkle of cinnamon to your coffee for plenty of delicious flavor and zero grams of sugar. You can also combine cocoa powder and a dash of cinnamon for a mocha blend, or try a sprinkle of nutmeg instead. Another option: Add a dash of cayenne to your coffee grounds before brewing. Warning: Start sparingly. 05 of 07 Mix in Powdered Peanut Butter Power up your coffee with peanutty protein. Mix in 2 tablespoons of powdered peanut butter (ground peanuts that have been dehydrated) to your hot mug of coffee. It's sugar-free and delivers 5 grams of satiating protein with some fiber, too. Is Cold Brew Coffee Good for You? Here's What You Need to Know 06 of 07 Freeze It Keep your leftover coffee in your freezer for future iced beverages. Instead of tossing your old coffee, pour it into ice cube trays and freeze. Add a few "coffee cubes" to your next cup of java to create iced coffee that's not watered down. You can even add spices or flavorings like cinnamon or cocoa powder before freezing for extra zing. 07 of 07 Pick Flavored Pods Over Syrup Try no-sugar-added flavored coffee beans or single-serving pods, like vanilla, mocha, and hazelnut. There are tons of great brands that offer delicious flavors without any added sugar (real or fake). You can't beat them for convenience, either. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit Sources Real Simple is committed to using high-quality, reputable sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts in our articles. Read our editorial guidelines to learn more about how we fact check our content for accuracy. Baynham R, Veldhuijzen van Zanten JJCS, Johns PW, Pham QS, Rendeiro C. Cocoa flavanols improve vascular responses to acute mental stress in young healthy adults. Nutrients. 2021: 27;13(4):1103. doi:10.3390/nu13041103