You can skip the butter and coconut oil: this vegan bulletproof coffee is so delicious, making a great morning or afternoon treat, with the benefit of healthy coconut oils and superfood maca.
Have you heard of bulletproof coffee? This coffee mix uses butter and often coconut oil in combination with a cup of coffee. The fats found in grassfed butter are supposed to be good for your overall energy, while the coconut oil (or specially-formulated medium-chain triglyceride [MCT] oil, made from coconut and palm) offers a type of ‘brain food’ to help you whiz through your meetings or spreadsheets.
And despite predictions that the bulletproof coffee trend would disappear, it seems to have stuck around. But if butter in your coffee just sounds too weird (or if you choose not to eat butter), we have an awesome vegan bulletproof coffee recipe that can help you start your morning off right!
This recipe is not mine, but created by my sweetie Scott. He’s the coffee drinker in our house (I tend to prefer tea). But his homemade bulletproof coffee recipe is pretty dang awesome, and I find myself ‘helping’ him make it, or sneaking little sips when he’s not looking – and sometimes when he is watching too!
He found that you can use coconut butter, which offers the added benefit of thickening your cup o’ joe (and like, it’s not butter. Gross). Coconut butter, made from whole, dried coconut offers fats and flavor to your coffee that is incomparably delicious, and creates a creamy texture that is craveable.And don’t worry about coconut butter being an expensive treat: you can make your own coconut butter from dried, shredded coconut.
My sweetie also likes to blend in a little maca, one of our favorite supplements for so many reasons. Maca, if you’re not familiar with it, is a root native to the Andean cultures of Peru and Bolivia.
It is a delicious supplement that can help with energy, libido, and adrenal function. Most importantly, though, it tastes like caramel malty yumminess that pairs perfectly with coffee. If you are not interested in maca, you can easily substitute cacao/cocoa, or just leave it out entirely.
So, our vegan bulletproof coffee contains basically these three ingredients: good quality organic coffee brewed in a french press, coconut butter, and maca. Sometimes he adds a bit of agave (I prefer stevia), sometimes a bit of ground cardamom, and maybe a bit of coconut milk too, for extra creaminess.
If you have a blender, whizzing your mixture will give the best, creamiest results. Our methods of choice is our recently-acquired Nespresso milk frother that we got from some awesome friends. This little guy works like a mini blender to blend up the coconut butter and coffee into a creamy, frothy cuppa. This frother has a heating option too, so it’s great for leftover brews, and making a ton of other warm or cold beverages (like blending up superfood hot chocolate and green drinks).
Our basic recipe for one serving is below. Do you make bulletproof? Let us know your tricks in the comments!
Vegan Bulletproof Coffee
Ingredients
1 cup warm strongly-brewed organic coffee
1-2 Tablespoons coconut butter (can also use coconut oil)
1-2 teaspoons maca powder (optional)
1/2 teaspoon agave nectar, maple syrup, or a pinch of green stevia powder
Method
- If using a blender or frother, add all ingredients and blend until combined. Serve immediately.
- You can also make it by shaking in a jar or whisking together until the coconut butter and maca blend into the coffee. This may lead to some clumps, so shake it like you mean it!
Please note that you need to drink this warm, because the coconut butter and/or oil gets solid quickly. Warm it up if your coconut solidifies! Enjoy!