Is Coffee Halal? Caffeine, Flavors and Coffee Shops

Coffee is made from the roasted seeds of the coffee plant. Plants are halal unless they are harmful or intoxicating, and coffee is neither in normal amounts. The Qur'an forbids intoxicants ^[2]. Coffee is a stimulant: it keeps you alert but does not cloud the mind.

In fact, coffee as a drink has Muslim roots. It was first brewed in Yemen in the 15th century, where Sufis drank it to stay awake for night prayers ^[1]. From there it spread to Mecca, Cairo, Damascus and Istanbul ^[1].

When coffee first spread, some scholars were unsure about it. In 1511 a council in Mecca banned it because of its stimulating effect, and Cairo saw a similar ban in 1532 ^[1]. Some critics compared coffee to wine, partly because people drank it from a shared bowl in public houses ^[1].

The bans did not last. The Ottoman Grand Mufti Ebussuud issued a fatwa allowing coffee, and the earlier bans were overturned ^[1]. Coffee does not intoxicate, so the comparison with alcohol did not hold. Today no major school treats plain coffee as haram.

Plain coffee, espresso, cold brew and instant coffee are halal. The questions come from what is added:

• Liqueur coffees. Irish coffee and similar drinks contain whiskey or liqueur. These are not halal, because they contain an intoxicating drink ^[2].
• Flavor syrups and extracts. Some vanilla and other flavorings are made with alcohol. Scholars differ on small amounts of alcohol in flavorings. Some allow it when it can't intoxicate and is not from grapes or dates ^[3][4]; others advise avoiding it ^[5]. See our vanilla extract page.
• Creamers and toppings. Some creamers, whipped toppings and marshmallow foams contain gelatin or emulsifiers of animal origin. See our mono and diglycerides and Dunkin' marshmallow cold foam pages.
• Bakery items. Pastries sold next to the coffee may contain pork, lard or gelatin.

A few specialty coffees raise their own questions.

Kopi luwak is made from coffee cherries that were eaten and passed by the Asian palm civet, then cleaned and roasted ^[6]. Some Muslims ask whether this makes the beans impure. The beans themselves are hard seeds that pass through whole, and they are washed and roasted before use. Indonesia, a major producer, sells kopi luwak widely ^[6]. If this question matters to you, ask a scholar you trust.

Barrel-aged and "wine-processed" coffees are aged in used whiskey or wine barrels or fermented with wine-yeast methods to add flavor. The finished beans are not a drink of alcohol, but some Muslims avoid them out of caution. Ask the roaster how the beans were processed.

At a coffee shop, the coffee itself is fine. The halal question is about food items and certain syrups and toppings. Most US coffee chains are not halal-certified, and their breakfast sandwiches often include bacon or sausage.

For chain-specific details, see our Starbucks and Dunkin' pages. If you're unsure about a specific drink, ask for the ingredient list of the syrup or topping, or order plain coffee with milk.