What is keto coffee? | Low-carb coffee + extra fat

Have you wondered what is keto coffee? and how is it different to regular coffee? Keto coffee can be so much more than your regular morning coffee. It is a rich, creamy coffee drink filled with a high fat content. Learn how to make keto coffee, health benefits and more.

What is the Ketogenic diet?

The keto diet is a low-carb, high-fat diet that can help with weight loss and management.  By reducing carb intake and increasing fat intake, the body enters a state of ketosis, where it burns fat for energy instead of carbohydrates.

Ketosis is the state of metabolism the human body enters into normally when undergoing fasting. Nutritional ketosis is when a person manipulates their nutritional intake to limit carbohydrates and increase fat intake so that they remain in a fat burning state as long as they remain on the ketogenic diet.

Learn more about the keto diet with this Beginners Guide to Cut the Carbs.

Health Benefits of keto

The potential health benefits of the ketogenic diet include weight loss, improved energy levels, and better blood sugar control.

Is coffee keto?

Coffee itself is keto-friendly as it contains zero carbs and can help increase fat burning due to its caffeine content.

Enter Keto Coffee. By adding ingredients such as coconut oil or butter, medium chain triglycerides (MCT) oil, and heavy cream, you can not only add more healthy fats to your diet but also increase satiety and energy level.

What is keto Coffee?

Keto coffee, compared to regular coffee which uses added sugar, combines the benefits of the keto diet with the energizing boost of caffeine to give you a delicious and healthy morning pick-me-up.  It typically involves adding ingredients like coconut oil, butter, and MCT oil to your coffee.

A ketogenic coffee is a great way to obtain your energy requirements derived from high quality fats, while at the same time getting hit of antioxidants that can ameliorating oxidative stress, inflammation, and carcinogenesis.

What Kind of Coffee drinks can I Have on the Keto Diet?

It’s important to note that adding sugary syrups, dairy milk, and flavored creamers can add unnecessary carbs and ruin the keto-friendliness of your coffee. Stick to unsweetened options and add flavor with sugar-free syrups or a dash of vanilla extract.

Black Coffee

Just coffee and water, this classic option is keto-friendly.

Butter Coffee

Just mix in a tablespoon or two of grass-fed butter instead of milk to add healthy fats and to provide a creamy texture.

Coconut Oil Coffee

Add a spoonful of coconut oil for added healthy fats and a hint of coconut flavor. This is a great keto coffee alternative for people who are dairy or lactose intolerant or those eating a plant-based keto diet.

MCT Oil Coffee

Medium chain trigylcerides (MCT) oil, comes from coconuts. MCT oil contains medium-length chains of triglyceride fats. MCT oil are shorter trigycerides making them easier to be absorbed. Just add 1-2 tablespoons for a creamy texture and energy to boost your through your morning.

Coconut Milk Latte

If you’re avoiding dairy and want a lighter keto coffee, try using unsweetened coconut milk instead of dairy milk to add creaminess and healthy fats.

Heavy Cream Coffee

Heavy cream is a thicker, high-fat dairy option to add creaminess and healthy fats to your keto coffee. Just add 1-2 tablespoons of heavy cream to your cup.

Sugar-Free Flavored Syrups

Add a hint of sweetness with sugar-free syrups, like vanilla or hazelnut. Be sure to check the label for added sugars. It’s important to remember also that artificial sweeteners can still play havoc with your blood sugars as well as your gut bacteria.

Sugar-Free Vanilla/Almond milk.

If you are avoiding dairy and want a lighter option, try using unsweetened vanilla or almond milk instead. However, be cautious as some brands can still have added sugars so always check the label.

Bullet Coffee or Bulletproof Coffee

This is a specifically designed keto coffee Made with added MCT oil or coconut oil and grass-fed butter, or ghee. It is a popular keto coffee with the keto community. It is the most saturated fat heavy keto coffee available. More on this soon.

Health Benefits of Keto diet Coffee

Some potential benefits of keto coffee include increased energy levels and brain function, improved weight loss, and reduced hunger cravings. Adding healthy fats to your coffee can also increase satiety, which means you stay fuller for longer.

Keto coffee is a great addition to the keto diet and can provide many health benefits when incorporated as part of a balanced, nutrient-rich diet. However, it’s important to remember that too much caffeine can have negative effects on your health, so it’s best to limit your intake, and opt for decaffeinated options when possible.

If your keto coffee is interfering with your sleep limit your coffee intake to earlier in the day. As with any diet or lifestyle change, be sure to consult with a healthcare professional before starting. Happy sipping!

More about Bulletproof coffee

One form of keto coffee that is super popular is Bulletproof coffee, also known as keto butter coffee, is freshly brewed black coffee or espresso that is blended with grass fed butter and MCT oil to form a frothy, creamy coffee filled with lots of healthy fats to keep you full until lunch as it contains a large amount of fats to keep you full until you next meal and keep you in ketosis.

Bulletproof coffee may be good for a keto diet, but too much of it isn’t good for anyone. One cup can contain as many as 450 calories (about one-quarter of a normal day’s maximum) and 14 grams of saturated fat (more than adults should consume in an entire day). Two cups of bulletproof coffee per day is definitely not healthy and can lead to health issues such as:

• Insomnia
• Cardiac arrhythmias- As coffee contains Adenosine is used in emergency medicine to treat supraventricular arrhythmias  

In one review study, healthy levels of caffeine for adults is 400-450mg/day and 300mg/day  pregnant women.

Keto coffee vs bulletproof coffee

While both keto coffee and bulletproof coffee have added fats, the main difference is in the type of fat added. Keto coffee can contain any type of healthy fat such as coconut oil or heavy cream, while bulletproof coffee specifically includes grass-fed butter and MCT oil.

Both can provide health benefits, but it’s important to consider the potential negative health effects of consuming too much saturated fat, particularly from butter.

It’s also important to note that bulletproof coffee is higher in calories and may not be suitable for everyone, including pregnant women or those with heart conditions.

Keto coffee provides a more customizable option for adding healthy fats to your morning drink.

Keto coffee recipe ingredients

There are three key ingredients that go into making the perfect cup of keto coffee for the coffee lover.

• Coffee – You can use whole beans, ground coffee or instant coffee. Decaf, caffeinated coffee or espresso.
• Grass Fed Butter – Grass fed butter,  increases the level of Vitamin K2 and Omega 3 Fatty Acids and is kinder to cows. Use unsalted or salted butter – the choice is yours and depends on your taste preference. The butter adds creaminess and gives a frothy head similar to a latte.
• Coconut oil or MCT oil – Also known as Medium Chain Triglyceride. These are used as immediate fuel by the body to provide energy, focus and better cognition. The difference of between organic coconut oil and Medium Chain Triglyceride Oil, is simply that MCT oil has a higher concentration of Medium Chain Triglyceride

How to make keto coffee

1. Brew coffee using your favorite beans or coffee grounds.
2. Pour coffee into a blender or your mug.
3. Add your favorite source of keto fats singly or in combination: ghee, butter, coconut oil, MCT oil or unsweetened almond milk.
4. Blend or use a handheld frothing device to mix until a frothy head forms. Sometimes if you have one, you can use a regular blender or an immersion blender that make keto recipes such as bullet coffee fun easy to make.

Keto Bulletproof Coffee Recipe Ingredients

Typical keto coffee recipes consists of:

1. 8 ounces of fresh brewed coffee or expresso
2. 2 tablespoons unsalted, grass fed butter
3. 1 Tablespoon medium chain triglycerides (MCT) oil, or organic coconut oil

With these 3 fundamental ingredients anyone can personalize their coffee recipes to their own tastes. This can include being part of their own morning coffee routine, incorporating it into a cold brew coffee or making an iced coffee version of a keto coffee recipe.

Besides the basics, many people like to add in a few other ingredients into their butter coffees to make it specific to their tastes to extra flavor such as adding vanilla extract, keto coffee syrups or cinnamon. Below is a list of foods that can for additional health benefits and flavor to make your keto coffee even better. These include:

• collagen powder
• adaptogens such as turmeric
• Himalayan salt
• cinnamon
• protein powder
• cocoa powder
• vanilla extract
• Keto coffee syrups

Frequently Asked Questions about Keto Coffee

Can I add any sugar to my coffee on Keto?

The purpose of keto is to restrict sugar at every step of the low carb diet, adding sugar simply defeats the purpose of keto. To discover healthy sugar alternatives click here.

Can I have Milk or Creamer on the Keto Diet?

Adding cream rather than milk is a great way to have a keto coffee, as you are using less sugar in the form of lactose. Try to avoid any added sugar, even substitutes such as maple syrup, coconut sugar or granulated sweetener products to be ensure that it is considered carb free.

What are good milk alternatives for plant-based keto coffee drinkers?

There are some low carb options for plant-based keto coffee drinkers such as unsweetened almond milk or coconut milk. Soy milk can be added especially for lactose intolerant

Another alternative compared to using coconut milk diary based products, is using a nut-based creamer such as Macadamia Nut Creamer, or Cashew Milk Creamer. These can be found at most health food stores or online.

Ultimately, the best milk alternative for a keto coffee will be one that has minimal added sugar and carbs to keep your drink low carb and keto friendly.

Important points to consider

A ketogenic diet has potential to increase cholesterol, change your microbiome and the long terms effects of being on a ketogenic diet are unknown.

If you are considering changing your eating pattern to a ketogenic diet talk to your health professional.

The Keto Friendly Coffee Summary

Keto coffees include a range of coffees which are low carb, ranging from black coffee, to coffees with milk, coconut oil, butter or MCT oil to a high fat option called bulletproof coffee containing both grass-fed butter and MCT oil.

Choose your creamer to suit your taste. Enjoy!

References

Masood Sadiq Butt & M. Tauseef Sultan (2011) Coffee and its Consumption: Benefits and Risks, Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, 51:4, 363-373, 

Dashti HM, Al-Zaid NS, Mathew TC, et al. Long term effects of ketogenic diet in obese subjects with high cholesterol level. Mol Cell Biochem. 2006 Jun;286(1-2):1-9. 

The Nutrition Source. Coffee. Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health. Retrieved 10/15/22.