Does Drinking Flavoured Coffee Break a Fast?

Does flavoured coffee break a fast? Here is your comprehensive guide to everything you need to know about drinking coffee while intermittent fasting.

Overhead shot of a person cupping their hands around a mug of coffee with the words, 'will drinking flavoured coffee break your fast?'

Odds are, you’ve probably heard of intermittent fasting by now.

While fasting has long been done for religious reasons and medical ones, it recently become a popular method to improve health and lose weight.

Touting it a a great way to limit calorie intake and increase insulin sensitivity, followers of intermittent fasting eat only within a certain time-frame to maintain a fasting period that's usually between twelve to sixteen hours per day. By maintaining a fasted state, people sometimes experience health benefits including improved heart health, reduced inflammation and better blood sugar control. But while many sing the praises of this eating method, it can sound quite daunting to the uninitiated.

And if you love your morning cup of vanilla roast coffee, you might be wondering one big question. Does drinking flavoured coffee break a fast?

The answer isn't quite as simple as it seems. It depends on a number of factors, including what type of flavoured coffee you enjoy, as well as anything else you might put in your cup.

Fasting for a Blood Test

Before we get into the nitty-gritty of drinking coffee during intermittent fasting, it’s important to note that the circumstances are different if you are fasting for medical reasons, such as before a blood test.

If you are fasting for a one-time blood test, it is typically advised to avoid coffee.

Unless your doctor tells you otherwise, all drinks except water should be avoided. Of course, whether you need to fast or not will depend on what kind of blood work you’re having done, so make sure to check with your doctor about your specific situation.

Intermittent Fasting and Coffee

Good news! You CAN fast and have your coffee too. When following the guidelines of intermittent fasting, plain black coffee is okay to drink while in your fasting state.

However, any additional ingredients that contain sugar or calories can impact blood sugar levels, potentially causing your fast to be broken.

Thankfully for coffee lovers, flavoured coffee containing flavouring as part of the brew is still considered ‘black coffee’ when nothing else is added. This includes vanilla, hazelnut and caramel roast. Generally, roasted beans are all-clear, but when using coffee pods, be sure to check whether they have any added sugar.

See the diagram below to better understand what you can and can't add to cup of coffee while fasting. While natural sweetener with zero calories is okay, artificial sweeteners that contain sugar are not. Likewise, you should also avoid milk, heavy cream. If you really can't go without milk, a low-calorie low-sugar choice like unsweetened almond milk is the best option.

Can add:

Cinnamon
Cocoa powder
Ice
Vanilla Extract

Can't add:

Artificial flavours
Sugar
High-calorie additives (such as creamer or syrup)

Infographic showing which ingredients can and can't be added to coffee while intermittent fasting. Cinnamon and vanilla can, while sugar and milk can't. Ice is optional.

How Coffee Affects Fasting

According to Kim Foster, MD, ‘coffee without any added sugar, cream or milk is completely fine to consume during the fasting window. It does not significantly affect your body’s insulin level and it won’t break your fast.’

But what if you can’t stand it black? Is it okay to add some cream or coconut milk? Will it derail your fasting goals? According to Dr Foster, ‘some people say that a small amount of cream — since it’s high in fat — won’t trigger insulin or break your fast so it’s okay.’ Having spent a significant amount of intermittent fasting herself, however, she felt that the cream was disrupting her fast. Now, she only drinks black coffee while fasting — a habit that she attributes to weight loss and overall well-being.

If you really love your morning cuppa and are saddened by the thought of giving up your favourite type of coffee, Dr Foster also has some great advice. Rather than nixing your favourite iced latte entirely, find a way to make it work with your intermittent fasting lifestyle. If Limiting your favourite milky or flavoured coffees to your eating hours will allow you to drink your coffee and enjoy it too! If this means you'll be drinking coffee later in the day, you. might consider trying decaf coffee to avoid disruptions to sleep and circadian patterns.

To hear more about her experience, how coffee can impact fasting, and how you can learn to like black coffee, watch her video here:

Alternatives to Flavoured Coffee

Ready to give up your mocha, but still not sold on the idea of flavoured black coffee?

Fear not — there are plenty of other morning beverages you can reach for instead. If you’re still in need of a caffeine fix, try swapping your coffee for tea. With plenty of flavour variations on offer, you’re more likely to find something you like.

A few great caffeinated tea options include

Green tea: Green tea is a good option for those looking for a non-coffee, caffeinated alternative. Both plain green tea and flavoured versions will keep your fast, since the extra flavour comes from natural ingredients rather than additives. Common green tea variations include rose green tea, jasmine green tea, and mint green tea.
Black tea: If you like a classic breakfast tea, black tea might be your new go-to. In addition to plain black tea, you can also try Earl Grey, which has hints of bergamot. Or reach instead for a plain Chai tea, which is full of extra flavor from spiced with cinnamon, cardamom, ginger and clove.
White tea: Prefer your tea to go down smooth? You’ll love the subtle flavour of white tea. In addition to drinking it plain, it’s also common to see this tea combined with jasmine and rose.

Non-caffeinated Coffee Alternatives

If you value the ritual of morning coffee more than the coffee itself, you might experiment with a few caffeine-free beverages to start your day instead. A few fasting-friendly options include: