The first time I heard about Lebanese white coffee from my dear Canadian reader, Gladys, I assumed it was coffee with a lot of milk. Wrong on both counts — there’s no milk in it, and there’s no coffee either. It’s hot water with a splash of orange blossom water, sometimes sweetened with sugar or honey, and it’s what Lebanese families traditionally sip after a big meal. Caffeine-free, floral in the loveliest way, and basically the most elegant glass of water you’ll ever drink.
The concept charmed me immediately, but the traditional version wasn’t going to work in my kitchen. Sugar and honey have been off my menu for about two decades, and honestly, I wanted something cold — the kind of thing you reach for when it’s warm outside and plain water feels a bit boring.
So, I built my own version, and it turned out even easier than the original. The traditional method involves boiling water and stirring until the sugar dissolves, which means you’re then waiting around for your drink to cool if you wanted it refreshing. Mine skips all of that. Ice-cold water, a few teaspoons of orange blossom water, a squeeze of liquid stevia, one quick stir, and it’s ready. No heating, no dissolving, no waiting, no sugar.
It takes about thirty seconds and tastes like something you’d be handed on a shady terrace somewhere near the Mediterranean. Three ingredients, one glass, and suddenly your afternoon feels a little more special.
What Exactly Is Lebanese White Coffee?
Lebanese white coffee, or ahweh bayda, has neither coffee nor milk in it. The name is wonderfully misleading: the traditional drink is simply hot water scented with orange blossom water and usually sweetened with sugar. It is often served after a meal as a fragrant, caffeine-free alternative to regular coffee.
Orange blossom water is made by distilling the blossoms of bitter orange trees. It has a delicate floral aroma with a fresh citrus note, although it doesn’t taste like orange juice. A little goes a long way — use too much, and your drink may begin to resemble a very elegant perfume.
White coffee is also associated with Lebanese hospitality and leisurely after-dinner conversation. It is simple, soothing, and quick to prepare, which makes it easy to offer to guests. My iced, sugar-free version keeps that lovely orange blossom flavor while making the drink even quicker: no kettle, no sugar to dissolve, and no waiting for it to cool.
Step-by-Step Instructions
This drink takes less than a minute to make, so have your glass and spoon ready — the preparation may be over before you know it.
Pour 1 1/4 cups (300 ml) of ice-cold water into a small pitcher or directly into a serving glass.
Add 5 teaspoons of orange blossom water, or adjust the amount to your taste.
Add 10 drops of stevia or monk fruit, or enough to reach your preferred sweetness.
Stir thoroughly with a spoon until all the ingredients are well combined.
Fill a serving glass with ice, pour in the white coffee if you prepared it in a pitcher, and serve immediately.
Yum!
Here’s the recipe for you to enjoy:
Instant Sugar-Free Lebanese Iced "White Coffee"
The first time I heard about Lebanese white coffee from my dear reader, Gladys, I assumed it was coffee with a lot of milk. Wrong on both counts — there’s no milk in it, and there’s no coffee either. It’s hot water with a splash of orange blossom water, sometimes sweetened with sugar or honey, and it’s what Lebanese families traditionally sip after a big meal. Caffeine-free, floral in the loveliest way, and basically the most elegant glass of water you’ll ever drink.
The concept charmed me immediately, but the traditional version wasn’t going to work in my kitchen. Sugar and honey have been off my menu for about two decades, and honestly, I wanted something cold — the kind of thing you reach for when it’s warm outside and plain water feels a bit boring.
So I built my own version, and it turned out even easier than the original. The traditional method involves boiling water and stirring until the sugar dissolves, which means you’re then waiting around for your drink to cool if you wanted it refreshing. Mine skips all of that. Ice-cold water, a few teaspoons of orange blossom water, a squeeze of liquid stevia, one quick stir, and it’s ready. No heating, no dissolving, no waiting, no sugar.
It takes about thirty seconds and tastes like something you’d be handed on a shady terrace somewhere near the Mediterranean. Three ingredients, one glass, and suddenly your afternoon feels a little more special.
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups = 300 ml ice-cold water
- 5 teaspoons (or to taste) orange blossom water
- 10 drops (or to taste) stevia or monk fruit drops
Instructions
- Combine the ice-cold water, orange blossom water, and the sweetener in a pitcher or directly in a serving glass.
- Stir with a spoon until well combined.
- Serve immediately over ice.
Recommended Products
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Tips for Variations
Orange blossom water may be the star of this drink, but it gets along surprisingly well with a few carefully chosen additions — just don’t invite them all into the glass at once.
Make it sparkling: Replace the still water with the same amount of ice-cold sparkling water. Stir the orange blossom water and sweetener into a small amount of the water first, then gently add the rest so you don’t stir away all the bubbles.
Add a squeeze of lemon: Stir in 1–2 teaspoons of freshly squeezed organic lemon juice for a brighter, slightly tart drink. Lemon and orange blossom are natural companions, and the acidity keeps the floral flavor from becoming too perfumey.
Try it with lime: For a sharper citrus note, replace the lemon juice with 1–2 teaspoons of fresh organic lime juice. This version is especially refreshing when served with plenty of ice.
Give rose water a small role: Add 1/4–1/2 teaspoon of food-grade rose water alongside the orange blossom water. Rose water can take over a drink with remarkable efficiency, so start with the smaller amount and taste before adding more.
Turn it into floral iced tea: Replace the water with 1 1/4 cups (300 ml) of chilled black, green, or white tea. Add the orange blossom water and sweetener as usual. It is no longer caffeine-free — unless you use decaffeinated tea, but it makes a fragrant change from ordinary iced tea.
Add fresh mint — without leaves in your teeth: Steep a few fresh mint leaves in hot water, strain, and chill the infusion completely before using it in place of the plain water. The mint adds freshness while the strained drink remains smooth and leaf-free. Alternatively, you can steep peppermint tea and chill it before using.
Serve it warm: To bring the drink closer to the traditional version, use hot water instead of ice-cold water and leave out the ice. Liquid stevia or monk fruit still dissolves immediately, so there is no sugar stirring marathon while everyone else is already relaxing after dinner.
Final Thoughts
The weather here in Finland is still surprisingly hot, so this icy orange blossom drink has been especially welcome. I also needed a recipe this simple because my Finnish clean keto and carnivore online store has kept me extremely busy lately.
Yesterday was the store’s third anniversary, which I celebrated with an Instagram Live for my followers. The kitchen decided to join the entertainment: right in the middle of the live session, the fluorescent lamp began crackling and smoking. I quickly switched it off and opened the door to air out the apartment. The smell was incredibly strong, and I would rather not know which poisonous gases I may have inhaled. Fortunately, the lamp didn’t start a fire, I didn’t faint, and the broadcast continued — just with mood lighting that was rather moodier than planned. All that excitement is well documented in Instagram.
I also launched two new seasoning blends under my own brand: organic ranch seasoning, whose recipe you can also find here on my blog, and organic taco seasoning, which my customers had requested many times. Getting them ready involved designing the labels, preparing and filling the pouches, sealing them, attaching expiration-date stickers, taking product photos, writing the descriptions, and testing the seasonings in various dishes. A tiny pouch can create a surprisingly long to-do list.
Naturally, a third birthday required cake. I baked this flourless keto chocolate sheet cake that I posted a couple of weeks ago and filled it with sugar-free vanilla buttercream frosting. I loved how it turned out, and it earned plenty of oohs and aahs when I showed it during the live session. Fortunately, the cake had already made its entrance before the lamp tried to steal the show.
After all that activity, this Instant Sugar-Free Lebanese Iced “White Coffee” was exactly what I wanted: cold, fragrant, refreshing, and ready in less than a minute. Some days call for elaborate kitchen projects; others call for pouring three ingredients into a glass and stirring. This was most definitely a three-ingredient week.
Oooh, I love the presentation with “orange” straw…very cute!
Thank you for the acknowledgement my dear friend.
With love from Canada.
Gladys
Thank you for your kind comment and the idea for this refreshing recipe!