Butter coffee has become a popular trend in the coffee and wellness community.
The idea first came into the mainstream from the self-proclaimed “biohacker” and creator of the Bulletproof Diet, Dave Asprey.
Asprey’s influence on the wellness and coffee community has stuck around with many people enjoying the drink.
People use it for health purposes, but also because it is a tasty take on a typical morning cup of coffee.
Ready to try butter in your morning coffee?
We have rounded up the answers to all of your questions regarding buttered coffee here!
What Is Butter Coffee?
Butter coffee refers to adding coconut oil to your coffee along with butter to increase the healthy fat content of the drink, thus creating a better metabolic response in the body.
There is evidence to suggest that butter coffee does work to increase resting energy expenditure and fat oxidation compared to standard black coffee.
Is “Bulletproof Coffee” the Same Thing?
Bulletproof coffee and butter coffee are very similar.
The only difference between the two is that bulletproof coffee requires the use of grass-fed butter, MCT oil, also known as medium-chain triglycerides, and a specific coffee bean marketed by Asprey.
Why Do People Put Butter in Coffee?
The addition of butter into the coffee works to increase the fat content of the drink and serves as a creamer agent to the brew.
The main reason behind adding butter to coffee, along with coconut oil or MCT oil, is to increase the metabolic response in your body, thus increasing resting energy expenditure.
It is also a drink that aligns with the Keto diet which makes it appealing to a larger audience, not just those working on their personal health goals.
Remember, while there is evidence it works to increase metabolic actions, there is no solid evidence suggesting butter coffee or bulletproof coffee facilitates weight loss.
What Does Putting Butter in Coffee Taste Like?
Recipes call for unsalted grass-fed butter, so you won’t find the coffee tasting salty.
The butter acts as a creamer mitigating the bitterness of the coffee and turning the drink velvety smooth.
The flavor can take some getting used to if you generally drink your coffee black.
How Old Is Butter Coffee?
It is said that those in Tibet and Ethiopia have been adding fats to their coffee for hundreds of years.
History suggests that an Ethiopian population in the ninth century consumed coffee grounds and clarified butter.
Even Asprey himself was introduced to butter in coffee, and other high-fat ingredients like yak milk or yak butter and coffee, on a trip to Tibet in the early 2000s.
However, Butter coffee is relatively new to the US. Asprey began marketing his bulletproof coffee concept in 2011.
Since then, it has grown into a full-time business for him and many other coffee enthusiasts.
He wrote his book in 2014 and opened a storefront in California to sell his bulletproof coffee in 2015.
What Are the Health Benefits of Butter in Coffee?
Butter in coffee, or bulletproof coffee, seems to be useful in aiding the increase of the metabolic rate in your body.
Some people claim this helps facilitate weight loss, but there is no concrete evidence of this.
There are benefits to coffee as it is. It provides energy, but also contains antioxidants and helps boost your metabolism.
The boost in your metabolic rate can help you burn more fat.
The three main benefits of butter in coffee are satiating your hunger, keeping you energized, and providing mental clarity and focus.
Hunger
Butter in coffee helps keep you fuller longer because the high-fat content keeps you full.
Any foods with a higher fat content usually do a good job of keeping you full for hours, so this is no exception to that rule.
Energy
Beyond the traditional energy properties of coffee, adding butter to your morning cup can help you stay more energized throughout the day.
Butter coffee increases your energy levels because it can help your body reach a state of ketosis.
Ketosis is when your body starts using fat cells instead of carbohydrate cells to produce energy.
If you reach a state of ketosis, these fat cells begin to burn as an energy source thus producing more energy for a longer period.
The addition of MCT oil in bulletproof coffee also acts as an energy source.
It is specifically formulated to help you reach ketosis and run longer off of fat stores.
People claim that there is no energy crash due to the high-fat content in butter coffee.
Mental Clarity
Mental clarity and improved focus are a byproduct of having higher energy stores for longer.
If you don’t experience that crash, as you would with typical coffee, you won’t find yourself fading around 1 pm.
In addition to the sustained energy source, if you reach ketosis the butter coffee offers improvements on your brain function as well.
If you have more energy and more fuel, your brain functions better.
Potential Risks of Butter in Coffee
There are a few key risks to drinking butter coffee, especially every day.
Professionals have pointed out that high-fat content may not be sustainable for consumption multiple times per day.
If your doctor has given you calorie count guidelines to follow each day, be sure you aren’t overloading your coffee with butter to adhere to those guidelines.
The MCT oil included in bulletproof coffee has been proven to be about as good as olive oil, so if you are worried about the fat content as it relates to oil this should offer some comfort.
Science points to having a hearty and healthy breakfast as being just as good in keeping you more focused and energized throughout the day as butter in your coffee.
Eating a well-rounded plate also provides a lot more nutrients than butter in your coffee.
How Is Butter Coffee Made?
Making butter coffee is not as hard as it may seem. You can make it on your own or buy it pre-made through companies like Bulletproof Coffee.
The most important part of the butter coffee is blending it thoroughly.
You don’t want chunks of butter floating in your drink!
Here are a few easy steps on how to make a bulletproof coffee recipe at home:
- Start with cold-pressed or brewed coffee
- Combine the coffee and butter in a high-speed blender
- Add MCT oil or coconut oil
- Blend and enjoy
Of course, there are recipes online you can follow as well.
Some people like to add syrups like vanilla for a little flavor.
If you don’t want to make your coffee with MCT oil, you can opt for adding only butter and coconut oil.
Additionally, if you want to dip your toe in butter coffee, you can add only butter to your coffee to start experimenting with the taste and texture.
Using Other Butters and Oil
The point of adding grass-fed butter or ghee to your coffee is to increase the fat content and add creaminess to the texture.
Using grass-fed butter or ghee is crucial because of the fat content and clarity of the product.
Though ghee and high-quality butter are the best choices, there are a few recipes online for Keto coffee that call for almond butter in your coffee.
Adding almond butter makes a delicious thick froth when mixed with the coffee.
There are also some instances online where a recipe calls for peanut butter in the coffee.
One major drawback to peanut butter is that it clumps up in the bottom of the glass instead of dissolving.
Coconut oil and MCT oil are the basic oils used to make bulletproof coffee and other butter coffee recipes.
There is not much evidence that people use different oils when making their coffee.
Any oil similar to the consistency and nutritional properties of coconut oil may work instead.
It is worth noting that the bulletproof coffee and butter coffee recipes call for the types of butter they do because of their health benefits, the consistency of the coffee, and the flavor.
Attempting to substitute without guidance will not get you the results you want.
Should You Add Butter to Your Coffee?
Adding butter to your coffee is a personal preference.
If you want to try something different with your diet, this may be a good choice.
If you are looking for a way to mitigate morning hunger and better sustain energy throughout the day, perhaps try butter coffee.
The addition of butter adds a unique flavor to the coffee as well.
Common Mistakes When Brewing Butter Coffee
Here are a couple of common mistakes when brewing butter coffee.
Avoiding these mistakes is paramount in creating the best butter coffee you can make.
- Using low-quality butter
- Shaking rather than blending
- Adding too much coconut oil
- Using an incorrect ratio of butter, to coconut oil, to coffee
Final Thoughts
If you are interested in the potential health benefits of butter coffee, be sure to do a bit of research or talk to your doctor to see if this is right for you.
Otherwise, try adding butter to your coffee for the taste and texture it brings! Happy mixing!
