Okay, first off, who was like, yes, I’m gonna eat this dark little pebble-looking coffee bean instead of making my morning cup of joe? Well, whoever it was, thank you because consuming coffee beans in moderation are said to have health benefits, not to mention they taste yummy when paired with some chocolate!
So yes, you can eat coffee beans and even *spoiler* Coffee grounds if that floats your boat. With this post, we are gonna uncover the nitty gritty bean truth behind consuming coffee beans, such as what the pros and cons are, what they taste good with, and who should avoid them (cough, bark, cough, meow).
As alluded to earlier, this post is about the details of eating coffee beans and grounds!
So Why Do People Eat Coffee Beans?
It’s funny, writing this post, I realized, was the whole reason behind me finding my love for coffee; feel free to skip this homage to my childhood coffee lover.
This question actually stemmed from my childhood. I was seven years old, and my family was visiting from the city; they brought along with them these mini sample-size coffee grounds. They were beautiful and gold colored; they looked so fancy and smelled heavenly of chocolate, an unknown scent that I later learned to be coffee, and a hint of fruit aromas. I knew nothing about coffee or these fancy coffee beans and grounds in front of me other than they smelled phenomenal.
So like any other curious kid, I opened them and dug my small hand into the little packages to reap my reward and was taken aback by the instant taste of coffee, a mixture of bitterness, slight sweetness, and smells that overwhelmed my senses. I looked at the bag and grimaced, wh could eat this? I looked over at the next bag and saw little beans and thought, oh, they look and smell like chocolate, so they must be good, wrong! While they were good, they were not up to the expectations of 7 year old when you consider the sweetness level.
Thus, I was disappointed again, and instead used my head and read the label. I picked out the gist of it and realized I needed hot water, so I turned the faucet to the highest level and waited till I saw steam. Placed a handful of grounds into the cup and placed the cup underneath the stream of hot water, then let it sit for a few minutes. I looked greedily over my newly made dark brew, and it smelt divine, so I hurriedly tried to drink it only to cough up coffee grounds… Luckily my mom heard my coughing fit and realized what I was doing and made me my own correctly made cup of coffee with cream and sugar… and that is how my love for coffee began!
It wasn’t until I was in my twenties that I decided to try coffee beans again, and at this point, I had developed quite a liking for all things coffee. So I loved them! Chocolate-covered and bare were both awesome, and I appreciated the little taste of coffee hidden flavors hidden in each little bean.
Can You Eat Coffee Beans FAQ
What is a coffee Bean?
A coffee bean is the hard part of a coffee cherry plant, and the inner part of the coffee cherry is the coffee bean. Usually, you’ll find two coffee beans per coffee cherry fruit. The cherry part of the fruit is removed, and the remaining hard coffee beans are green. After they are separated, the beans undergo a process that eventually leads to roasting. Resulting in the roasted coffee beans that we are so used to!
Should you eat Roasted coffee beans or green coffee beans?
I would say your best bet is consuming the roasted variety; while you can consume both types, the green coffee beans will be harder to chew, offer a woodsy and grassy taste, and be overall bitter. While the roasted coffee beans are softer due to the roasting process, they also taste better, in our opinion. However, we will mention that the green variety does offer more antioxidants and better health benefits since, during the roasting process, some of the benefits of coffee beans can be lost.
Can you eat Raw Coffee Beans?
yes, you can eat raw coffee beans; they offer the same benefits as their roasted counterparts. However, raw coffee beans are definitely gonna leave your taste buds underwhelmed as they are very bitter, not sweet, and even taste like wood.
Is it Safe To consume raw Coffee Beans?
yes, it’s safe to consume raw coffee beans; in fact, compared to their roasted counterparts, raw coffee beans will offer more health benefits s they contain higher amounts of antioxidants.
What do coffee beans taste like?
Coffee beans taste bitter and almost woodsy; it’s no wonder why people cover up the taste with chocolate.
Do Coffee beans taste Good?
Well, that depends on what you consider good; coffee beans, roasted or raw, taste bitter, acidic, a little woody, and have slight hints of fruit.
Can you eat Coffee Cherries?
Can you eat coffee grounds?
Yes, you can eat coffee grounds however we will say that it’s hard to do since they are so crumbly in texture. Your best bet would be to add them to your favorite dessert as a slight sprinkling.
How many coffee beans are too many in a single day?
We would strive to aim to eat around no more than 20 coffee beans in a single day. The issue with coffee beans is that despite their rather small size, even if you cover them with chocolate. They are loaded with caffeine and are acidic, and you could experience bad side effects such as increased heart rate, heartburn, and digestive issues. As always, ask your doctor if it’s okay for you to eat them ☺️.
Can you eat coffee beans every day?
You could, but we would stress the importance of monitoring your consumption and reducing it to around 10-15 coffee beans per day. They are potent little beans, and the last thing you want is the bad side effects of overconsumption. As always, consult your doctor before embarking on something long-term or if you have bad side effects from caffeine.
Who shouldn’t eat coffee beans?
Adults without any health issues or adverse reactions to caffeine and coffee can safely consume coffee beans, usually without worry. As always, ask your doctor if you’re worried or unsure. Kids should avoid these potent little coffee beans because they are packed full of caffeine and can quickly overwhelm their bodies. You should also never feed coffee beans to pets; they may have health benefits for us, but none of that transfer to pets.
Eating Coffee Beans Vs. Brewing Them?
Eating coffee beans by themselves will not be as pleasing as consuming them as a liquid. The whole bean version will be more bitter, acidic, and less flavorful than the brewed version. However, if you need caffeine quickly, consuming the coffee beans in their whole format will be a faster way to get that boost of caffeinated energy. The liquid version we are familiar with will be less caffeinated and can be combined with your favorite creamers and sugars or enjoyed black.
Not convinced? Stick to a good ole strong brew red eye, black eye, and dead eye!
Are Chocolate Coffee Beans Good?
Speaking of Chocolate Coffee Beans, Try our delicious homemade version that taste way better than the the average store version 😎.
Chocolate coffee beans are insanely good, and that’s what makes them dangerous! It’s easier to limit how many coffee beans you eat when they are in their raw or roasted variations due to taste. If they are coated in chocolate or some other delicious coating, it makes it easier to gorge on them and lose track of how many you are eating. This is why we always pull out our serving size from the bag and separate it so that we know when we are done eating them, that’s it. Never eat from the bag, and make sure you don’t leave them where kids can get them!
Pros Of Eating Coffee Beans
*Potential Benefits* *similar to consuming liquid version*
Chock Full of Antioxadants!
These tiny little beans of goodness are full of chlorogenic acid; what that means is this happy little antioxidant can possibly help with deterring inflammation and help curb the risk of diabetes. It’s also noted as possibly being good against cancer, as are antioxidants in general.
Caffeine in its potent form!
Since we drink coffee to get the benefits of caffeine power, you’ll be pleased to hear that the little beans deliver a punch of caffeine per bean that is powerful! This is why we stress consuming in moderation! It’s also absorbed faster in the body than when you drink it, so be prepared for the jitter if you eat all of your serving of coffee beans quickly. Who would have thought that espresso was beaten out by some little coffee beans 🙄.
Risk Of Eating Coffee Beans
Digestive Issues
With all potent foods comes potential digestive issues. Just like if you eat too many chili peppers, your stomach can be in pain from the acidic qualities and, in turn, increase your chances of heartburn and nausea. When consuming coffee beans, the same thing holds true, and you want t consume them slowly and usually not on an empty stomach.
Increased heart rate
Since they are loaded with caffeine that is more easily absorbed than the brewed version, you’ll want to be careful how much you consume because too much can cause you to get common over-caffeinated side effects such as increased heart rate, jitters and other bad symptoms.
1 thought on “Can You Eat Coffee Beans? We Get Down To The Honest Bean Truth!”
Comments are closed.