Coconut Oil Coffee

April 7th, 2013 | Posted by Alison Spath in Fitness

Coffee pot, blender, coconut oil, cream… what are we making today?

How to Make Coconut Oil Coffee

We’re making coconut oil coffee!

No, I have not lost my mind. Yes, I realize coconut oil in coffee might sound crazy, but it’s good!  You won’t believe it until you try it.  I sure didn’t.

I’d heard (read) about people putting coconut oil in coffee when I started reading about Intermittent Fasting a couple years ago.  I’ve been in love with coconut oil and all of its benefits for quite some time now, but the idea of putting coconut oil in coffee seemed a little extreme and frankly, sort of gross.

Why Put Coconut Oil in Coffee?

Coffee with coconut oil is coffee with staying power. I’ve come to find that a cup of coffee made with coconut oil and a little heavy cream (or half and half) gives me a nice, sustained energy boost thanks to the way the body metabolizes the medium chain triglyercides found in coconut oil.  Coconut oil is one of my favorite pre-run or pre-workout snacks (or before getting started with some housework, heavy duty cleaning or hauling laundry for 5 people up and down the stairs!)  Putting coconut oil in hot coffee is basically just another way to consume it.

A couple years ago I made an effort to become more adapted to using body fat for fuel.  I started by consuming less sugar and fewer refined carbohydrates on a regular basis, and practicing intermittent fasting too.  Today I often exercise first thing in the morning on an empty stomach (or sometimes after a cup of coffee if I’m waiting for the sun to come up) or a chocolate coconut oil cup if I feel a little hungry but want to wait to eat breakfast or my next meal until I’m done exercising.

I use to NEED to eat breakfast shortly after waking, or at the very least I had to have a small snack before a run (like half a banana or a date with nut butter) but this is no longer the case.  Exercising in fasted state is believed to help train your body to burn fat for energy, and fat is much cleaner form of fuel for your muscles than glycogen.  Once you’ve adapted to burning stored fat more efficiently, your body will burn a combination of stored fat and glycogen during exercise and you’re less likely to “bonk” because you’ve run out of muscle glycogen.  Even if/when your body fat percentage is really low, you never “run out” of body fat for energy.

In this way, I use coconut oil as a supplement.  As always, please remember I’m not a medical or sports professional!  This is all my own understanding based on my own reading and experience.  It’s up to you to do your own research and decide for yourself if this is right for you – but if you’re curious to know more, I hope some of those links above will get you pointed in the right direction.

Have you heard of bulletproof coffee?  It’s basically the same thing, except bulletproof coffee is made with butter and sometimes a little coconut oil too.  Even Dr. Andrew Weil agrees that bulletproof coffee made with butter and/or coconut oil can be a worthwhile experiment to see if it’s something that works for you.

How to Make Coconut Oil Coffee

I made a cup of coconut oil coffee yesterday before my morning heated power vinyasa yoga class. I prefer to do yoga 1 – 2 hours after a meal, and since my class was first thing in the morning, a cup of coffee with a little coconut oil was the perfect pre-yoga snack.

You’ll start with a hot cup of coffee.

Coffee Action Shot

And a tablespoon of coconut oil.  I’ve read some recipes that call for 2 Tbsp of coconut oil – but be warned that too much coconut oil at once can cause digestive upset if you’re new to it.  1 Tbsp works well for me.

Coconut Oil for Coffee

Yes, your coffee will have an oil slick – don’t be alarmed.

Coconut Oil Slick

Add a tablespoon or so of half and half or heavy whipping cream (or a 1/2 tbsp of each) and put in the blender.

Coffee in Vitamix

It’s a latte at home!  Coffee in the blender makes some serious foam.

Blended Coconut Oil Coffee Good to the Last Drop

There is a slight hint of coconut flavor to this – but I would say it’s subtle and is not overpowering.  I like coffee without sugar – but if you like your coffee sweet, I would use a calorie free sweetener like stevia (NOT an artificial sweeter!) to avoid releasing insulin, the fat storage hormone.  And if you’re not a coffee drinker, you could definitely replace coffee with hot tea.

Frothy Coconut Oil Coffee

Have you ever put coconut oil in coffee or heard of bulletproof coffee?  Why do you drink it?  What did you think?  Please share your experience for the bulletproof coffee newbies out there!


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43 Responses

  • I’m a black coffee kind of girl but I do love coconut flavor so I’m sure this is tasty. :-)

  • Really interesting. I will definitely give this a try.

  • Lisa says:

    I always add coconut oil to my coffee and absolutely love the taste and texture…. But I’ve never put it in the blender!!! Can’t wait till tomorrow morning so I can try it that way :-)

    • You’ll love it Lisa, I’m sure! I’m a little embarrassed to admit that I’ve actually started putting coffee in the blender even without coconut oil and just cream – I love the foam!

  • Mike says:

    Hi Alison! I do something similar. I brew up some chocolate pur-eh tea, drop some coconut oil in there and then blend it up with some Hemp Force powder from Onnit. Very tasty. I also go coffee with this nice Cacao powder I got from our favorite store.

    • Hey Mike! Someone left a comment on facebook about cacao powder… I will have to try that soon. I’m also going to have to check out the chocolate pur-eh tea, I’ve never heard of it before. Thanks for the ideas!

  • devann says:

    I read the link about fat burning vs. glycerine burning but it didn’t say how to train your body otherwise. Any recommended links?

  • Courtney says:

    It’s 5:30 am and I am drinking my coffee with coconut oil and cream (no blender, so as not to wake the kids). Wow! This is delicious. I normally prefer my coffee black first thing in the morning, so I am surprised how much I like this. I don’t know if it is good for me or will help me eat less, but I’m willing to try it. I am sure it would be delicious as a decaf version in the afternoon with a little cocoa powder and stevia. Thanks for the idea.

    • Coconut oil has a tendency to squash my appetite – I often don’t eat breakfast until much later when I drink this, sometimes it ends up replacing breakfast all together and before I know it it’s lunch time! (Coconut oil in coffee makes Intermittent Fasting easier… IF makes eating less easier.)

      So happy you like it!

    • Mike says:

      Get a battery powered smoothie blender, the kind you stick into a large cup. They can be used without so much noise as a conventional blender. If you’re only mixing liquids, it does not require so much wattage.

  • Jessi says:

    I love your blog! I tried this as soon as I read your post and have now drank it in both hot coffee and hot tea. I have the coffee before I leave for work in the morning and I am not hungry until lunch really. Thanks for the interesting, healthy posts!

  • JMaria says:

    This is brilliant. Trying it in the morning! Hopefully it will help when I go back to work and won’t have time for breaks!!

  • Amira says:

    I tried adding coconut oil to coffee before but always ended up throwing it away. I blended 2 tsp of coconut oil in 1 shot of expresso with a splash of whole milk and 2 packet of stevia this morning and WOW!! It was amazing! One more way to add coconut oil in my diet!

  • tim says:

    i use cocout oil with espresoo that best ever : ) by the way use organic wink have a good day

  • April says:

    Could you use soymilk instead? I’m vegan so I don’t use half and half or heavy cream? Just curious.

  • Lily says:

    I found you looking for ways to get more coconut oil in my diet, and am loving this coconut oil coffee. Because my blender is a pain to set up in my tiny kitchen, I’ve been experimenting with a handheld electronic milk frother. Works beautifully! I feel like I’m having a cappuccino instead if boring old coffee. Thanks!

  • Mary Smith says:

    Hey guys, I just tried Coconut oil and coffee this morning. I woke up with a brain fog caused by allergies and bad sinus. After a cup of coconut oil and coffee I’m full of energy! I’ve heard somewhere that you can add grass fed butter. I might try that. Thought I would share it with you…

  • Great Scott! This is amazing! I’ll never go back to “regular coffee” again!

  • Su says:

    I’ve been enjoying this foamy coconut oil coffee very much! However, I’ve been wondering if there is any palatable way to add chia seeds to coffee as well, for even more benefits. Perhaps if you blend chia “gel” it would thicken the coffee a bit, like a smoothie consistency? Has anyone ever tried adding chia to their coffee?

    • I don’t know about chia seeds in coffee, but there are other drinks you can make with chia seeds. I think I’ve seen recipes for “chia fresca” and they go (mostly) unnoticed in smoothies. (I love them as a yogurt topping too!)

  • alex says:

    don’t try with iced coffee… doesn’t work :(

  • I enjoy reading a post that can make men and women think.

    Also, thanks for allowing me to comment!

  • michael says:

    i will try the coconut oil tomorrow morning

    right now i use organic cacao, honey and a cinnamon stick in a blender with the coffee

    cant wait to see how the coconut oil tastes in my concoction

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  • Cheryl says:

    Well, I was very intrigued by your post. Tried it first thing this morning. Omg! It’s delicious! The froth? Did I mention the froth? It’s like having a cappuccino in a coffee house. I don’t think my coffee will ever be the same. Thanks for sharing #Ilovemynewcoffe

  • Daniza says:

    Hi!! Can this be made with instant coffee?

  • joey says:

    Another delicious suggestion is to use raw cocao powder if coffee not your thing. Raw cocao is full of antioxidants and magnesium. Plus its about the only way I can take coconut oil without gagging. Although I will try your coffee recipe it sounds yum!

  • Trevor says:

    Very nice blog post. I definitely love this website. Keeep
    writing!

  • Ivanna says:

    I am die-hard coffee lover and this is the perfect addition to my morning coffee! I used a hand blender to whip together my regular concoction of fair-trade coffee, milk and cream and added a Tbsp of coconut oil to the mix. It comes out so frothy and the coconut taste is so sweet and subtle. The only thing I had to get used to was a slight “oil” aftertaste. Maybe it was just in my head! I usually just have coffee before work at 6:30 and then a snack at 10 or so. Anything to make the coffee more filling wins! Thanks for sharing this Alison!

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  • Leslie says:

    I tried this in my morning coffee and I LOVE IT!!! Who would have thought that this would be soooo mmm mmm good? Thanks for sharing, Alison!

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