Keto coffee is quite a bit healthier than your average breakfast, and it has the calories to match. Commonly used in intermittent fasting, keto butter coffee gives plenty of energy and a great satiated feeling throughout the morning fasting hours.
Now, I want to explain this further. Drinking this coffee will break your fast from the night time, but it will ramp up your metabolism with caffeine and fats. This is to help you get through the fasting process in the 10+ hours ahead.
Personally, I drink 2 cups of this in the morning – fast all day – and eat at 9pm. If you’re only using this for breakfast, and still eating a lunch, then it’s not really intermittent fasting.
Our favorite brew is made with a pour over and goose-neck kettle. I chose the Bonavita Variable Temp Kettle because it’s on the cheaper side for the quality that you can get. If you’re a coffee lover, it’s definitely worth the splurge!
For the pour over, we have an Osaka “Lake Masu” Pour over. It’s really just for the design – I think it looks fantastic. You can easily get a cheap one here that’ll do the same exact thing though. Don’t forget that you’ll most likely need some coffee filters, too.
If you’re not a morning person and just want a quick and easy cup of coffee, you can always consider a Keurig Coffee Maker. I’ve owned numerous in the past and they’re great machines if you want convenience. It doesn’t take up much more room than a regular coffee maker and you can usually get small drawers or stands that will hold the k-cups for you. Plus, you can switch up the flavors with just about any type you want!
Even though k-cups have come a long way on consumer safety and ecological factors, you still might want to grind your own fresh coffee. Luckily, you can grab a small k-cup attachment that lets you brew any coffee you want in it. I actually recommend using freshly ground coffee as it’s healthier for you and tastes better – but I’m a huge sucker at times for the pure convenience of them.
This butter coffee recipe is a great alternative to Starbucks drinks as well.
Main Components Keto Coffee
Coconut Oil or MCT Oil – Coconut oil technically is MCT (Medium Chain Triglyceride) oil, well about 65-80% MCT anyway. MCT oil is just more concentrated than coconut oil, but both have been shown to aid in fat loss.
Grass Fed Butter – Cows that have a diet of fresh grass yields butter that has improved consistency and nutritional properties. The increase of fresh grass in the diet proportionally increases the amount of fat content, specifically unsaturated fats, which gives a pleasant firmness. The nutritional quality also increases, it’s loaded with Vitamin K2 and Omega 3 Fatty Acids.
Immersion Blender – Go on and try to mix this up with a fork, you’ll be sitting there for 20 minutes and having terrible results. Oil doesn’t mix with water unless you give it some help. You need a blender to be able to force these 2 liquids together, giving you a finished look like a latte – foamy on the top.
Benefits of Butter Coffee
Fat Loss. Plain and simple, the consumption of medium-chain triglycerides (MCT) has been shown to lead to greater losses in adipose tissue (fat tissue), in both animals and humans. If you’re looking for an easy, in-depth approach for the ketogenic diet, consider following The Keto Academy!
Eating Fat? Do I even need to explain this one? Eating fat has been shown to lead to greater amounts of energy, more efficient energy usage, and more effective weight loss.
More Energy. Studies have shown that the rapid rate of oxidation in MCFAs (Medium Chain Fatty Acids) leads to an increase in energy expenditure. Primarily, MCFAs are converted into ketones (our best friends), are absorbed differently in the body compared to regular oils, and give us more overall energy.
Heart Attacks? The myth that saturated fat increases the chance of Coronary Heart Disease has been debunked over and over. Recent studies show that saturated fats can actually have a positive effect on your overall heart health.
The Preparation
- 2 cups coffee
- 2 tablespoons grass fed unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons good quality MCT Oil (or coconut oil)
- 1 tablespoon heavy whipping cream (Optional)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (Optional)
*It’s a simple recipe, but don’t let that fool you. It tastes great, fuels you during the day, and has tons of additional health benefits. If you want to make it 0 net carbs, simply opt out of using the vanilla and heavy cream!
*Ketoproof coffee goes by a lot of names but it is originally adapted from Tibetan and Ethiopian butter coffees that hundreds of years old. Keep in mind that the name has become mainstreamed and is used to describe any cup of coffee with fat in it.
The Execution
1. Brew 2 cups worth of coffee into a large container using your favorite method. Try to choose something large enough (like a measuring jug) to eliminate spilling when we blend it.
2. If you’re using a pour over method, my recommendation is to grind to the size of kosher salt (or a bit smaller). Fill your coffee filter and wet the coffee with a little bit of water, allowing around 30 seconds for it to “bloom”. Then brew normally by pouring the water in a circular motion, carefully making sure the coffee isn’t swimming in water.
3. Grab your butter, MCT oil (or coconut oil), and immersion blender. You can mix this in a regular blender if you want to, but I feel like it’s more hassle than it’s worth to clean in a normal blender.
4. Cut off 2 Tbsp. of grass fed butter. I’m surprised at how few people use the packages markings – just cut into it, they work! I personally prefer salted butter, but many don’t. Feel free to start with unsalted first to test it out.
5. Drop in the butter, add 1 tsp. of vanilla extract, and plunk in the 2 Tbsp. coconut oil (or MCT oil if you’re using it) as well.
6. Last but not least, the 1 Tbsp. of Heavy Cream. This adds a great creaminess to the coffee for a silky texture.
7. Mix it all together with your immersion blender. Usually between 45-60 seconds gets a great frothy cap on the top. Make sure to move the immersion blender up and down to emulsify all of the fat into the coffee. This also aerates the mixture some, adding additional froth. Note: You can do all of this with a normal blender bottle and a blender ball – but the fats won’t be as emulsified, so you may need to shake every few minutes.
8. Watch out when you’re pouring with the froth on top (it can drip down the side), but your ketoproof coffee is finished! Measure it out into your favorite mug and drink away.
I personally drink both of the cups I make, but if you were to drink 1 cup of KPC it would come out to: 260 Calories, 27.7g Fats, 1.05g Net Carbs, and 1.08g Protein.
| Ketoproof Coffee | Calories | Fats(g) | Carbs(g) | Fiber(g) | Net Carbs(g) | Protein(g) |
| 2 cups coffee | 10 | 0 | 1.14 | 0 | 1.14 | 1.49 |
| 2 tablespoons butter | 204 | 23.04 | 0.02 | 0 | 0.02 | 0.24 |
| 2 tablespoons organic coconut oil | 243 | 26.94 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1 tablespoon heavy whipping cream | 51 | 5.41 | 0.41 | 0 | 0.41 | 0.43 |
| 1 teaspoon vanilla extract | 12 | 0 | 0.53 | 0 | 0.53 | 0 |
| Totals | 520 | 55.39 | 2.1 | 0 | 2.1 | 2.16 |
| Per Serving(/2) | 260 | 27.7 | 1.05 | 0 | 1.05 | 1.08 |
Sources
- The application of medium-chain fatty acids: edible oil with a suppressing effect on body fat accumulation.
- Physiological effects of medium-chain triglycerides: potential agents in the prevention of obesity.
- The linear relationship between the proportion of fresh grass in the cow diet, milk fatty acid composition, and butter properties.
- Conjugated linoleic acid in adipose tissue and risk of myocardial infarction.
- A systematic review of the evidence supporting a causal link between dietary factors and coronary heart disease.
- The questionable role of saturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids in cardiovascular disease.
- Increased concentrations of omega-3 fatty acids in milk and platelet rich plasma of grass-fed cows.
Yes! For most people this would replace a meal, probably breakfast.
I used a hand mixer with a whisk and it worked great! Yum!
Ok, that is definitely a new one for me! You are so creative. 😀
Will ghee work in BPC in place of butter? I have a normal coffee pot, a French press, and a bullet-style blender. I want to make this work without having to go shopping for new kitchen gadgets. 🙂
Sure!
I don’t drink coffee or tea. A few of my family are friends have turned towards Crio Bru (cocoa beans instead of coffee beans) would this be a good keto-able alternative??
Sure! There are a few people in our Facebook group who have started drinking this. I want to try it too. 🙂
I have a hard time fasting through the day, and it said in the intro that this doesn’t help you much if you drink this in the AM and then eat lunch at a normal time. Would it be ok to drink this like an hour after supper and then not eat breakfast until 10-11am? That would still give me 12 hrs fasting, but I didn’t know, if again, that would take away the point of making/ingesting the doctored coffee.
Thank you for any insight!
Hi Ashley, it’s best to drink something like this if you are fasting longer but it wont hurt you if you don’t. Just keep in mind that there’s quite a bit of fat in this, so the calories are almost like a full meal on it’s own. At minimum I would use it to replace breakfast and then not eat until lunch time, even if you don’t get the full benefit of fasting. If it makes you feel more at ease this format is used in week 2 of the 30 day meal plan for about a week before it gets you fasting until dinner.
I’ve seen them, and “aa” is correct, they’re known as “xenoestrogens” and are causing MAJOR health problems around the country now. Pick up any book on hormones, love the Suzanne Somers ones, and you’ll learn all about it!
Hi,
In the keto coffee recipe list states it provides ingredients and measurements for 2 cups of coffee totaling 520 calories. However, just above the ingredients list at the bottom of the page, it states “I personally drink both of the cups I make, but if you were to drink 1 cup of KPC it would come out to: 520 Calories, 55.39g Fats, 2.1g Net Carbs, and 2.16g Protein.”. So I’m confused, is the 520 calories for one or two cups. Just want to be sure how many calories I actually be consuming.
Thanks, Dell
Sorry Dell, I recently updated the table to use the USDA database info and made a mistake. The top one should show that halved, I’ll fix this in the next few minutes. 🙂
Hello-
This is my first time trying the Keto diet and I am not having much success. I have been doing it for three weeks and have lost nothing. I use the Ketostrips and it always indicates that I am at trace levels of Keto. I’m not sure what I’m doing wrong. Any suggestion on how to kick start this?
Hi Mary, are you tracking your macros? What are you eating?
Im on week 3 of keto ruled me’s diet plan where fasting after a bp coffee begins. Thing is, I purchased a month’s supply of kegenix powder and it’s working well. I have to choose between the kegenix and the coffe since the former is so filling. Do you approve? Should I add something else to my breakfast to go along with the Kegenix?
If it’s working for you, use the one you like best. 🙂
I’m just trying to get started on keto. Ive been reading and trying to organize and understand. I don’t drink coffee. Any thoughts?
You don’t have to drink coffee if you don’t want to!
I love that you have all the nutrition data here. So useful – especially for anyone who hasn’t heard of the bulletproof coffee concept.
Thank you!
I love that you have all the nutrition data here. So useful – especially for anyone who hasn’t heard of the bulletproof coffee concept.
Why would black coffee kick me out of ketosis? Why add extra fat instead of burning my own if in excess?
Hey Nikolay,
Great question!
The caffeine in black coffee increases epinephrine levels in the body, which will stimulate gluconeogenesis in the liver. This will increase the amount of sugar that our liver releases into the bloodstream, thus decreasing the need for ketone production. Although there is no research on how black coffee affects ketosis directly, it is likely that caffeine consumption can lower your ketone levels or simply keep them from getting higher while epinephrine levels are higher than normal.
With this ketoproof coffee, you can combat the potential effects of caffeine by getting plenty of MCTs from the coconut oil and/or mct oil because the MCTs will go straight to the liver where they will be converted into ketones.
To answer your second question:
Adding extra fat to the coffee is a great way to get plenty of fat in to fuel you throughout the day. If you are using this as a tool to help you fast during the day, then you will end up eating significantly fewer calories and lose more weight. However, if you added fat to your coffee and had it with all of your normal meals than you’ll just be adding hundreds of calories to your daily diet that will slow your progress. If the extra calories (from the ketoproof coffee) take you over your maintence calories for the day, then you will gain weight.
Can I use a regular coffee maker or a kettle from Walmart/Target? Once the coffee is done, would I just mix in the other ingredients?
Sure! The key is to use some kind of blender (hand frother, put it in an actual blender, stick blender…etc.)
Great! Now if I follow the plan of drinking two cups in the morning and fasting until dinner , what would be a great way to make sure I get enough calories , fat , and protein ? I researched and it says I need 1400-1600 cals , 100-120 g of fat, and 107-125 g of protein. Majority of the dinner recipes I am finding when I add the macros from the coffee and dinner isn’t adding up to the above totals . If I don’t meet the totals , is it a bad thing?
Sorry for asking so many questions lol, I am so confused!
Don’t be sorry! That’s what we’re here for 🙂
I think it’s OK to be under the totals as long as you’re not feeling too hungry. You can always add a more if you need to. (Maybe look up some nice fat bombs recipes, or another side dish or something.)
Is it bad to totally scrap the butter?
Not bad. This was literally my first time ever trying anything but milk/cream and sugar in my coffee so I can’t say how this compares to other keto coffee recipes, but it tasted okay and didn’t make me sick like I thought it would.
Doing this for the first time, will this cause diarrhea?
Some people do experience that when upping their fats for the first time.
Hi, I am new to ruled but it is working good for me. My question please is can I add a tiny bit of sweetener to this coffee, as I am not a black coffee type person. And I meant a ruled recommended sweetener just curious if it would change benefits of the coffee? Thanks.
Sure!
Hi, very new to this, but loved the recipe. I found I needed to add a little liquid stevia to sweeten it though. I had my first cup after fasting over 12 hours. I realized it was about 15 or 16. The BPC ended up not being enough, as I felt I needed more, so I added 2 hard boiled eggs. Is that ok? In the future I probably will not fast that long. Also, I have grass fed ghee, but noticed the calories were considerably lower. Would it still be a good alternative if you dont have grass fed butter? Thanks!
Do you only recommend this while fasting? I had started the Accelerated Weight Loss meal plan today and did just one Bacon Avacado muffin with 1 cup of the Ketoproof Coffee. Is that okay?
Because of the calories, most people would only drink this as a meal replacement. If you’re tracking your macros for the day and it’s not throwing you over then it shouldn’t be a problem. 🙂
Hi Cha, I think eating if you are hungry and using ghee is perfectly OK. After you get used to keto you won’t feel as hungry and the coffee will be enough. 🙂
I’m looking for a substitute for BPC for my husband. He has never been a coffee drinker and does not like BPC. Any good suggestions out there? He’s normally been drinking protein shakes in the morning with blueberries and peanut butter, so looking for something to maybe incorporate the protein powder and and peanut butter that would give a similar effect as BPC.
Keto smoothies and milkshakes are a great option. Here are some recipes you can try and/or customize:
https://www.ruled.me/peanut…
https://www.ruled.me/blackb…
https://www.ruled.me/bluebe…
https://www.ruled.me/mcketo…
Feel free to add extra fat (from MCT oil), sugar-free peanut butter, and/or protein powder to these if you’d like.
This is quite a lot a calories so I assume it will kick me out me out of fasting? I am doing keto with IF where I don’t eat before 13:00.
Yes! We have this in morning on the 30 day plan to help people get used to going through the day without solid food, but if doing IF you will want to do black coffee if you drink coffee in the morning.
Can this be made with instant coffee?
Yes!
Thank you
Hey Amber,
It isn’t bad at all to scrap butter. Feel free to use whatever fats work for you. I personally like to blend coconut oil and MCT oil together without the butter so that I can get even more of an energy boost without the extra calories.
If you are tracking calories, make sure you include the calories from the fats that you put into your coffee with your calorie intake for that day.
What if I do not drink coffee or tea…is there something else I could drink instead?
My doctor recommended I try a keto diet last week, so I am prepping this week by starting to slow down my carb consumption. I am an avid coffee drinker, but am allergic to coconut and dairy. Could anyone offer a decent sub for coconut oil and ghee/grass fed butter? (My allergy to dairy is off the charts high, so I’m afraid of even trying milk fat, despite the claim that it is dairy free). Would avocado oil work in place of coconut oil?
Hi, Avocado oil works really well and it does not have a flavor.
Keto smoothies and milkshakes are a great option. Here are some recipes you can try and/or customize:
https://www.ruled.me/peanut-butter-caramel-milkshake/
https://www.ruled.me/blackberry-chocolate-shake/
https://www.ruled.me/blueberry-banana-bread-smoothie/
https://www.ruled.me/mcketo-strawberry-milkshake/
Feel free to add extra fat (from MCT oil), sugar-free peanut butter, and/or protein powder to these if you’d like.
Hi! Is it preferred that I make the BPC in the morning? Or can I make a large batch at once, and drink it while it is refrigerated? I am a student on the go, so sometimes I don’t even have time to make myself a cup of coffee. 🙁
Thanks!
Is there a difference between using liquid coconut oil and the white coconut oil in the jar? Is one preferable for BPC?
I think if you try to refridgerate this it would seperate because the fats would want to solidify.
Hey Kristen,
Some common keto-friendly hot beverage alternatives you can try are bone broth and herbal tea. You can even blend either one up with a keto-friendly sweetener and fats of your choice (e.g., MCTs, coconut oil, butter, and/or heavy cream) if you’d like.
You could also have a keto smoothie:
• Keto Tropical Smoothie
https://www.ruled.me/keto-tropical-smoothie/
• Peanut Butter Caramel Milkshake
https://www.ruled.me/peanut-butter-caramel-milkshake/
• Blueberry Banana Bread Smoothie
https://www.ruled.me/blueberry-banana-bread-smoothie/
• McKeto Strawberry Milkshake
https://www.ruled.me/mcketo-strawberry-milkshake/
• Cucumber Spinach Smoothie
https://www.ruled.me/cucumber-spinach-smoothie/
• Blackberry Chocolate Shake
https://www.ruled.me/blackberry-chocolate-shake/
Hey Kerry,
Great question!
The liquid coconut oil (that stays liquid in the fridge) will actually help boost your ketone levels a bit more than your standard coconut oil (that solidifies when the temp is below ~76 degrees Fahrenheit).
That is the main difference from a diet and keto perspective.
I have a milk frother…I wonder if that would be adequate or would I actually need an immersion blender to mix this?
Avocado oil may be a good option as well, but I am not sure how it will taste with coffee.
You could try using cocoa butter and MCT oil derived from palm kernel oil. I haven’t tried this combination myself, but it seems like it would be a tasty option for you.
If you decide to try this out, let us know how it is! Knowing that this is a viable option would be helpful for many other ketoers with similar allergies. Thanks!
This is definitely a hot drink. I really prefer iced coffee. Would there be any way to do this as an iced coffee?
Hey Andrea,
You could definitely turn this into an iced coffee. Try following some of the steps in our recipe for iced keto proof tea as your guide:
https://www.ruled.me/iced-k…
To make a quick cup on the go, you can also try using heavy cream and MCT powder, mix those into coffee, and add ice.
Experiment a bit to see what works best for you and let me know how it goes. 🙂