Bulletproof coffee is the new way to start your day with a bang! This simple morning drink jump-starts your metabolism, boosts your immune system, calms your nerves, and keeps you feeling full for hours! So, stick with me to discover how to make this trendy drink for yourself.
Looking to level up your morning pick-me-up? Regular old cup of joe not doing it for you? Had enough of homemade chai and Earl Grey matcha lattes? Well, bulletproof coffee is set to be your new best friend. This trendy drink has been raging for years, and for good reason!
Bulletproof coffee is basic in principle. Just blend hot, freshly brewed coffee with any combination of saturated fats. Butter, coconut oil and/or ghee are the usual choices, but there are tons of options, and I’ve listed some of my favorites below.
It’s a very simple drink, but it’s positively addictive! The fats turn the coffee rich, creamy, and frothy, and the nutrition boost they provide offer a whole range of health benefits.
Ingesting simple, saturated fats to start the day kickstarts the metabolism, helping to keep you full while aiding with cognitive function. It also slows the rate at which your body processes caffeine, giving you a slow release of energy rather than those crazy post-coffee jitters.
And that’s not all! Bulletproof coffee helps boost your immune system, calms your nerves, and provides a jolt of energy that’ll last you all day. It can also aid in weight loss by extending intermittent fasting, which helps boost energy levels and mental focus.
So rather than leading with a carb-heavy breakfast, keep it low carb and high protein or fat
This recipe is infinitely customizable, too. I’ve tried adding coconut oil, grass-fed butter, ghee, collagen, cinnamon, maple syrup… you name it! I’ve listed some of my favorites below, but I encourage you to play around with the theme and see what works best for you.
Read on to learn all the ways you can bulletproof your coffee!
Ingredients for Bulletproof Coffee
Here, you’ll find the basic ingredients for bulletproof coffee. Stay tuned for a list of the various options and additions I’ve tried.
Coffee: Start with 16 ounces of your favorite strong-brewed coffee. Just use your favorite morning brew!
Fats: Coconut Oil and grass-fed butter are great places to start due to their easy availability and refreshingly delicious taste! Butter is as simple as saturated fat gets, and coconut oil is mainly made up of medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs). These quickly break down and enter your bloodstream to be used as fuel, rather than stored as fat.
Other fat options include:
- Ghee – A traditional Indian clarified butter. It’s essentially butter with the milk solids and water removed. It’s lactose-free and packed with vitamins A, D, and E.
- Cacao Butter – Similar to coconut oil, cacao butter is full of saturated fat. It’s great for your skin and full of antioxidants! It’s also incredibly tasty. Cacao butter produces a super creamy and rich flavor, making for an incredible coffee treat.
- Coconut Butter – Rich in amino acids, calcium, and magnesium, coconut butter is also a good source of lauric acid. This nifty nutrient helps to destroy harmful bacteria in the body, boosting your immune system.
- Brain Octane Oil – Otherwise known as C8 MCT oil. There’s a lot of science I could waffle on about here, but the main thing you need to know is that C8 is the best of all the MCT oils. It converts to usable energy almost immediately and suppresses your hunger hormone, making you feel full. If you’ve never tried this product before, start with a single spoonful. It can be a little tough on the digestive system, so it’s best to start cautiously!
- Olive Oil or Avocado Oil – if you’re watching your cholesterol levels, source an unsaturated fat.
Collagen: This is the main additive I like to include in my bulletproof coffee. It’s our body’s most prominent protein, essential for strong bones, healthy connective tissue, elastic skin, shiny hair, and healthy nails! Gelatin is very similar and helps your body out in the same way. Here are my picks:
- Marine Collagen – Derived from wild-caught fish, marine collagen is paleo- and keto-friendly, and completely flavorless.
- Beef Gelatin – If you eat beef, this product is a little easier to find than the above. It won’t change the taste of your coffee, either, but it does make it extra frothy and creamy!
How to Make Bulletproof Coffee
Start by making 16 ounces of your favorite strong-brewed coffee. I like brewing coffee in a French press or by using a pour-over.
Add it to a blender, along with your chosen fats and add-ins, then blend on high for 30 seconds to a minute until it turns creamy and frothy. If you don’t have a blender, use an immersion blender or a milk frother to mix the healthy fats into the hot coffee.
Pour into a mug and enjoy!
How to Nail Bulletproof Coffee
- Most recipes you find online call for 8 ounces of black coffee to 1 tablespoon of fat. Scaled up, this becomes 16 ounces of coffee plus a tablespoon each of ghee and coconut oil (for example).
- I’ve personally found more success with a higher coffee-to-oil ratio, but I recommend experimenting to find the quantities that work best for you.
Optional Flavors and Sweeteners:
Looking for ways to customize your morning cup of joe? Here are some options for additions.
- Raw Cacao Powder – boosts your coffee’s antioxidants and provides that silky, rich, chocolatey taste.
- Ground Cinnamon – Naturally increases your circulation. Also, it’s delicious!
- Chai Spice – My go-to add-in for the Winter months. It turns your coffee into the ultimate warm and cozy drink.
- Vanilla – Who doesn’t love the taste of vanilla? No health benefits here, but man, does vanilla coffee taste good.
- Pure Maple Syrup – My favorite liquid sweetener! It’s rich in manganese, zinc, and antioxidants, and it’s much better for you than regular sugar.
- Raw Honey – I have to admit that this one is lost on me. I just can’t get my head around honey and coffee as a duo. Some folks swear by it, however!
My personal favorite way of making bullet coffee is adding one tablespoon of grass-fed butter, one tablespoon of coconut oil, and one scoop of collagen or gelatin.
With so many benefits for your body, a cup of bulletproof coffee might make you fall in love at first sip. It is a great alternative to store-bought creamers and ideal for those watching their blood sugar levels.
Whether you follow a keto diet or simply love the taste and feel of butter coffee, this easy recipe brings mental clarity first thing in the morning.
Love this bulletproof coffee recipe? Here are five more hot drinks for you to make.
More Beverages:
- Hot Buttered Rum with Cider
- Green Smoothie
- How To Make Ginger Beer
- Kombucha Cocktail
- Lacto Fermented Probiotic Lemonade
Enjoy your perfect cup of coffee!
Bulletproof Coffee Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp coconut oil or MCT oil*
- 1 Tbsp grass-fed butter
- 2 scoops beef gelatin **
- 16 ounces strong brewed coffee
Instructions
- Add everything to a blender and blend on high for 30 seconds to 1 minute until very creamy and frothy. Pour into a fancy mug, and enjoy!
Can you use any coffee? For example a flavoured blend like french vanilla or hazelnit?
Hi Alyssa,
You can use any type of coffee you would like 🙂
Since VitaCup already has MCT in it do you still add it to make BPC
Hi Lisa! I was using the VitaCup cartridges that didn’t have MCT, so in that case, I would add it. I wouldn’t add additional MCT to something that already has it, but that’s my personal preference because my belly can only handle a small amount of MCT before it gets queasy. For those who are well-adapted to MCT, adding it may be no problem 😉
I have been drinking bulletproof for over a year now and love it. I use 1 tablespoon Kerrygold, 1 tablespoon of organic coconut oil, a dash of SweetLeaf Organic Stevia Sweetener to 10 oz. of coffee. I am interested in implementing the C8 MCT oil into this. What would be the best way to do this? What would you supplement with the MCT oil? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Hi Gloria! I would start small with the MCT oil because it can make some people queasy, so it’s best to start small. So I would do 1 tbsp butter, 2 tsp MCT oil and 1 tsp regular coconut oil to start out. If you end up liking the MCT oil, you can always increase it to 1 tbsp. Hope you enjoy!
I meant to say MCT oil and Kerrygold grass fed Irish butter. Have you tried this combination ?
Great article. I just started making bulletproof coffee and you have been giving me new ideas. What I started with is MTC oil and Kerrygold pure Irish butter. Have you used this before ?
I just started drinking bulletfproof coffee (my version) I use 12-16 oz starbucks house blend coffee, 1 tablespoon organic coconut oil, 1 tablespoon kerrygold irish butter, pinch of turmeric, pinch of cinnamon, blend. am I using too much fat?or making it all wrong? its so good and I feel much better drinking coffee this way instead of with half and half and other creamers.
Hi Rosie, That sounds great! I don’t think you’re using too much fat at all…most people use 1 tablespoon of fat per 8 ounces of coffee for optimal creaminess, so really the amount of fat you use is up to you. Since you’re feeling great, I’d say you’re onto something good here! Love that you use turmeric and cinnamon!! xo
So much great info here! I love bulletproof coffee with ghee. Can’t wait to try some of these new ways!
Can you do coffee with ghee and MC
T and collagen plus a lump of cocoa butter or is that too rich or too much fat ?? I have been experimenting. I find my coffee is very oily. Please reply. Thanks for the great info. Could never find out much about it. Also how long would this sustain one before needing to eat. I e. When do I eat my first meal after the bulletproof.
Thanks Pat
Hi Pat, if you wanted to combine the three, I would do the three fats – ghee, MCT, and cocoa butter – I would only use 1 teaspoon of each and use 12 to 16 ounces of coffee. Add between 1 and 2 tsp collagen 🙂 I usually stay satisfied for 2 hours after drinking coffee. Hope this helps!! 🙂
I have wanted to give this a try but being lazy did not want to dirty my blender blender. Has anyone had any success with using an immersion blender?
Hi Jeannie, I’ve never used an immersion blender – I’m visualizing it would make a mess, but I could be wrong. You could try using a handheld milk frother (like this one: http://amzn.to/2r1z88U), although I don’t think it will do as good of a job of blending as an actual blender. When I’m done blending my coffee, I just pour a little soap in it, fill it with hot water, let it sit for a bit, then rinse it out…I don’t take much time to clean it. Hope this helps!
Perfect help… Thanks much!
I use a cheap handheld milk frother I bought from ikea and it works great!
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/30301167/
I have been hearing a lot about bulletproof coffee, but have never tried it myself. Three years of drinking it? No wonder you know your stuff! Bookmarking this so that I can try it myself!!
Combining coffee and vitamins is a genius idea! I also love that the cups are BPA-free and recyclable. I’m not a coffee drinker but I would certainly give that French Vanilla a try!
Also, your photography is so on point, I can barely stand it.
It certainly is a great product! The French Vanilla is definitely the best vanilla-flavored coffee I’ve tried. It’s so silky smooth and heavenly! 😉
I was cleaning out my pantry the other day and found three (THREE!) jars of coconut butter. Not sure how that happened but I’m thinking I might need to try adding some to my coffee!
I clearly haven’t explored the wonderful world of bulletproof coffee enough; I never thought of mixing vitamins in! Since I dislike taking pills that’s a perfect option :). I’m loving this post!
Thanks, girl! Let me know what you think when you try it! 😀
As you say–things can get really interesting. Excellent and concise discussion of all the possibilities. Love the blender idea to make it frothy. (Just this morning I dropped a sample pkg of vital collagen into my smoothie. If I’d read this first I would have tried it in coffee–that I have yet to bulletproof!
Ah yes, collagen in smoothies is excellent, too! Let me know if you end up trying some bulletproof coffee 😉
Wow! I have never read anything like this and find it fascinating! I will never view my morning pint of coffee the same. I am interested in trying some of the herbs you mentioned, especially ashwaganda. Thanks for sharing the info in a way that my pre-caffeinated brain could absorb.
I think you’d love it! It’s a great way to feel energized throughout the day and there are so many health benefits you can reap from your daily habit. Hope you try it!
Whoaaaa you are dropping so much knowledge here! I’ve tried making a version of bulletproof coffee, but haven’t quite found the combo I like yet. I’m 100% in team vanilla though!
It can be a bit of an acquired taste, for sure. I used to make lattes with whole milk or add half & half, or with almond milk, but as it turns out, my body reacts poorly to both dairy and almond milk. I can tell you, I enjoy the way bulletproof coffee feels more than non-boosted coffee 😉 Hope you find something you love, m’dear! Get that vanilla!