Coffee Drink
Bulletproof Coffee: Butter Coffee Recipe and Ingredients
Coffee, butter and MCT oil, with a modest home recipe and clear ingredient distinctions.
What Is Bulletproof Coffee?
Bulletproof coffee is coffee blended with butter or ghee and MCT oil. Bulletproof is a brand name; butter coffee is the broader preparation. Blending disperses the fat to create a creamy drink without steamed milk. The recipe below is a smaller-fat home adaptation, not a promise of weight loss, improved focus or a nutritionally complete breakfast.
Recipe · Ingredient differences · Calories and caffeine
Key Takeaways
- 1The defining ingredients are brewed coffee, butter or ghee, and MCT oil.
- 2Mixing method matters: unmixed fat forms a surface layer.
- 3Added fat contributes calories and does not remove caffeine.
Drink Snapshot
- Coffee
- 240 ml brewed coffee
- Added fats
- 10 g butter and 5 ml MCT oil
- Texture
- Creamy after mixing
- Time
- About 5 minutes with brewed coffee
On This Page9 Sections
Flavor and Tasting Notes
The drink keeps the coffee’s roast character but gains a buttery flavor and richer mouthfeel. Frothing can make the surface look like a milk coffee, although the ingredients and nutrition are different. A medium roast is a useful starting point if you want the coffee to remain noticeable without a heavily smoky finish.
The goal is a uniform mixture, not a floating knob of butter or visible oil slick. Separation after standing is a practical reason to mix again and serve promptly, rather than a cue to keep adding more fat.
Preparation and Recipe
Makes: one approximately 250 ml serving before froth. Time: about five minutes with coffee already brewed. Use a scale, measuring spoon, large heatproof mixing jug and a handheld frother approved for warm liquids.
| Ingredient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Brewed coffee | 240 ml |
| Unsalted butter | 10 g |
| MCT oil | 5 ml, or one measured teaspoon |
- Prepare the coffee. Measure 240 ml freshly brewed coffee into a tall, heatproof mixing jug with at least 600 ml capacity. Let it stop actively steaming before mixing.
- Add the fats. Add 10 g unsalted butter and 5 ml MCT oil. Stir until the butter melts.
- Mix carefully. Use a handheld frother rated for warm liquids, with the whisk head below the surface. Mix in short bursts until the coffee looks uniformly creamy; stop before lifting the whisk out.
- Serve. Pour into a warmed 300 ml mug and drink while warm. Stir again if the surface begins to separate.
If using a countertop blender instead, use only a model and container approved for hot liquids and follow its fill, cooling and lid instructions. Vitamix explains why equipment and venting matter. A sealed personal blending cup or shaker is not a substitute.
Butter, Ghee and Oil
| Ingredient | Practical difference |
|---|---|
| Unsalted butter | Adds butter flavor and some milk solids; used in this recipe |
| Ghee | A clarified butter product; changes flavor and composition, so use its own label |
| MCT oil | A specified oil ingredient in the branded preparation |
| Coconut oil | A possible separate variation, with a different composition and potentially coconut flavor |
Do not present coconut oil as identical to a formulated MCT oil. For that broader variation, see keto coffee. Butter contains dairy; a butter-based recipe is not vegan. Milk-allergy suitability should be checked on the actual product rather than assumed from the word ghee.
What the Brand’s Recipe Establishes
The Bulletproof recipe identifies coffee, MCT oil and butter or ghee as the core preparation. Its published quantities differ from the deliberately smaller portions here. This is a source for the branded recipe’s identity, not independent evidence for the company’s health or performance claims.
A latte uses espresso and milk; this recipe uses brewed coffee and added fats. The similar creamy appearance does not make them equivalent in protein, carbohydrate or total calories.
Calories, Caffeine and Fasting
Calculate calories from the coffee and the exact butter and oil portions on their labels. A large serving of fat is not nutritionally equivalent to black coffee, and “no added sugar” does not mean “no calories.” This drink is not a complete breakfast simply because it is filling or marketed for mornings.
Butter and oil do not remove caffeine. Use decaf coffee if desired, remembering that decaf can still contain some. Adding these calorie-containing ingredients is incompatible with a zero-calorie fast; medical fasting instructions should come from the care team, not a coffee recipe.
Dialing in and Troubleshooting
| Problem | First adjustment |
|---|---|
| Oil pooling on top | Mix again while warm and keep the whisk below the surface |
| Greasy mouthfeel | Reduce added fat on the next serving |
| Coffee tastes lost | Use a coffee with a flavor you enjoy; avoid increasing fat to compensate |
| Splashing while mixing | Use a taller jug with more headroom and shorter bursts |
Editor's Take
Common Questions
Can I make it without a blender?
Can I use coconut oil instead of MCT oil?
Does it contain milk?
Does Bulletproof coffee have less caffeine?
Sources and Further Reading
Bulletproof
Bulletproof coffee recipeBrand source for coffee, MCT oil and butter or ghee; our portions are a separate home adaptation.
Vitamix
Blender safety and hot liquidsManufacturer explanation of equipment and venting; consult the manual for the actual blender and container.