Keto Bulletproof Coffee
Published August 4, 2019 • Updated March 10, 2026
This post may contain affiliate links. See my disclosure policy.
I've been making this every morning since 2013. Bulletproof coffee (grass-fed butter, MCT oil, and fresh brewed coffee blended until frothy) keeps me full and focused straight through to lunch.
I’ve been starting my mornings with this coffee for over ten years, and I still look forward to it every single day. Bulletproof coffee is freshly brewed coffee blended with grass-fed butter and MCT oil until it turns into a rich, frothy drink that honestly tastes like a latte. No cream, no milk, no sugar. Just healthy fat and coffee, and it keeps me full until lunch without even thinking about food.
The concept behind butter coffee is simple. You brew your favorite coffee (or espresso), toss in a tablespoon of butter and a tablespoon of MCT oil, and blend for about 30 seconds. That’s it. The blending is what creates that creamy foam on top, and I promise it does not taste like you just dropped a stick of butter in a mug. The texture is smooth, almost velvety.
I started making this when I went keto back in 2012, and it solved my biggest morning problem: I was never hungry for breakfast but needed something to keep my energy steady. This was the answer. The fats from the butter and MCT oil are absorbed quickly and used as fuel rather than stored, so you get a sustained energy boost on top of the caffeine. No crash at 10 AM. No reaching for snacks by 11.
If you’re new to MCT oil, start with one teaspoon and work your way up to a full tablespoon over a week or two. I learned this the hard way. Too much MCT oil on an empty stomach can cause digestive issues, and nobody wants that first thing in the morning. Your body adjusts, but give it time.
One thing I love about this recipe is how easy it is to make your own variations. I keep mine plain most mornings, but when I want something different, I’ll make a keto mocha or try a dalgona coffee with whipped topping. When the weather gets hot, I pour everything over ice or go all out with a keto frappuccino. And on cold winter mornings, a peppermint white mocha is hard to beat.
For anyone following a keto diet, this is the ideal morning drink. Zero carbs, 37 grams of healthy fats, and enough sustained energy to power through the whole morning. I genuinely cannot imagine starting my day any other way.
How to make butter coffee
- Brew coffee using your favorite beans or method. I use a standard drip maker, but pour-over and espresso both work.
- Pour the hot coffee into a blender. Add grass-fed butter and MCT oil.
- Blend for about 30 seconds until a thick, frothy head forms. This step is everything. Stirring won’t do it. You need the blending action to emulsify the fat into the coffee.
If you don’t have a blender, a handheld milk frother works. I keep one in my travel bag for mornings away from home. It doesn’t get quite as frothy, but it mixes everything well enough.
The key is blending, not stirring. When the fat gets properly emulsified, the drink turns creamy and smooth with a foam layer on top. Skip the blending and you end up with an oily film floating on your coffee.
Explore 685+ keto recipe videos with step-by-step instructions, tips, and tricks to make keto easy.
Ingredients
8 ounces of fresh brewed coffee or espresso -
2 tablespoons unsalted, grass fed butter
-
1 tablespoon MCT oil or coconut oil
Nutrition disclaimer
The nutrition information provided is an estimate and is for informational purposes only. I am a Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.); however, this content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your physician or other qualified health provider before making any lifestyle changes or beginning a new nutrition program.
Your Macros. Your Recipes. Calculated in 60 Seconds.
Get personalized keto macros and instantly see which recipes fit your targets. No more guessing what to eat.
Get My Macros + Recipes →Frequently Asked Questions
How many cups can I drink per day?
I stick to one in the morning, and that's plenty for me. Each cup has around 300 calories from the butter and oil alone, so multiple cups add up fast. On especially long days, I'll make a second cup in the early afternoon with slightly less butter and oil. But most days, one cup keeps me satisfied straight through to lunch.
Does butter coffee break a fast?
I drink mine during my intermittent fasting window and still see results, but technically, yes, it does break a strict fast. The butter and MCT oil contain calories and fat, which triggers some insulin response. For me, the fat keeps me from eating actual meals until noon or later, and that's the part that matters. If you're doing a strict water-only fast, skip the butter and oil. But if you follow a fat-fast approach where pure fat is allowed, this fits right in.
Should I start with less MCT oil if I'm new to it?
I always tell people to start with one teaspoon, not a full tablespoon. When I first tried MCT oil, I went straight to a tablespoon and my stomach let me know that was a mistake. Your body needs time to adjust to processing that much concentrated fat at once. Start small, give it a week, then gradually increase. Most people I've talked to can handle the full tablespoon within two weeks.
Does adding collagen to bulletproof coffee break a fast?
I add collagen to my cup most mornings, and yes, it does add calories and protein that technically break a strict fast. Collagen has about 35-40 calories per scoop and triggers an insulin response because of the amino acids. For me, the tradeoff is worth it. I still don't eat solid food until noon, and the collagen supports my joints and skin without making me hungry. If you're doing a pure water fast for autophagy benefits, skip the collagen. But if your goal is fat loss and you're already adding butter and MCT oil, the collagen isn't going to derail anything.
What's the difference between C8 and C10 MCT oil?
I've used both, and the difference is noticeable. C8 (caprylic acid) converts to ketones faster, so the morning energy kicks in sooner. C10 (capric acid) is slower but cheaper. Most budget MCT oils sell a 60/40 blend of both, which is a fine starting point. I ran a blend for about six months before switching to pure C8, and my morning focus was sharper within the first week. If you're watching your budget, a blend works. But if you want the cleanest energy boost, go with straight C8.
Can I make bulletproof coffee dairy-free?
I've done this plenty of times. The easiest swap is ghee, which is clarified butter with the milk solids removed. It still blends into a creamy, frothy cup and the flavor is slightly nuttier, which I actually like. If you want to skip butter entirely, use coconut cream or coconut oil in place of it. The texture is a little different (less of that latte-like body) but it still emulsifies well when blended. I keep ghee on hand for days when dairy isn't sitting well, and the coffee turns out just as smooth.
Can I batch-prep bulletproof coffee ahead of time?
I've done this on busy weeks and it works. Brew your coffee, blend in the butter and MCT oil, then pour it into a mason jar and refrigerate. It keeps for 2-3 days. When you're ready to drink it, reheat on the stove or in the microwave, then give it a quick re-blend or froth. The fat separates in the fridge, so you need that second blend to re-emulsify everything. I wouldn't go longer than 3 days because the flavor starts to flatten. For mornings when I'm really rushed, having a jar ready to reheat saves me a solid five minutes.
What kind of coffee beans work best for this?
I use whatever beans I'm into that week, but after years of making this daily, I've noticed bean quality matters more here than in regular coffee. The butter and oil amplify the coffee's natural flavor, so stale or cheap beans taste worse, not better, with fat in the mix. I look for single-origin, medium to dark roast and grind them fresh. Some people worry about mold and mycotoxins in lower-quality beans, and while I don't obsess over it, I do buy from roasters that test their batches. If your coffee tastes off or bitter even with butter and MCT oil, try upgrading the beans before adjusting anything else.
Been making this for a few weeks and the froth always separates back out within a minute or two. I'm using a regular blender, about 30 seconds. Is it the MCT ratio, or do I just need to run it longer?
Been making this every morning for three months and last week I finally tried it with actual Kerrygold instead of whatever unsalted butter I had on hand, and the difference is real. It blends up richer, almost creamy in a way mine wasn't before. I also dropped back to about 3/4 tablespoon of MCT because I was getting that stomach heat thing, and it still holds me through to lunch. Not going back.
3/4 tablespoon is where I land most mornings too. The full tablespoon doesn't hold you any better, it just pushes closer to that threshold. Not worth it.
Been making this for months but kept getting that separation halfway through my cup, which bothered me more than it should. Started using room temp Kerrygold instead of pulling butter straight from the fridge and the whole thing stays emulsified way longer now (the blender does its job but cold butter was fighting it). I also dropped the MCT oil to half a tablespoon because a full one first thing in the morning was, let's just say, motivating me to move faster than I wanted to. Still tastes good, still keeps me full through lunch, just a little more manageable.
Thought keto was going to ruin my mornings, tried this with MCT oil and Kerrygold, and now I just need to figure out the right amount of MCT because starting with a full tablespoon had some... consequences.
I've made bulletproof coffee from like four different recipes and this is the one that actually tastes like what coffee shops charge $8 for. The Kerrygold butter plus actually blending it (not just stirring, I was doing it wrong for two years) made a huge difference. Losing one star for blender cleanup at 6am but the flavor is not even comparable to what I was making before.
Yeah the blender is the whole thing. Stirring just leaves oil slicks on top. Rinse yours right after you pour and it takes like 20 seconds to clean.
Made this at a little spring brunch I hosted last weekend, mostly as a 'try this weird thing' moment. My friend Sarah isn't keto at all but she grabbed a cup, and by noon she texted me asking why she still wasn't hungry. That's the whole sell right there. The Kerrygold blends in way smoother than I expected (I'd always assumed butter coffee would taste greasy) and now I'm making it every morning just for myself.
Sarah's noon text is the whole pitch. I never bother trying to explain bulletproof coffee anymore, I just hand someone a cup. The greasy assumption is the thing that holds most people back from even trying it.
My husband is not a coffee person at all, but I convinced him to try this and now he wants one before his early morning calls. The Kerrygold butter blends in so completely you'd never guess it was there, and I genuinely think that's what converted him. He says it holds him through till noon, which is more than his usual coffee ever did. I started making this just for myself and now I'm making two every morning.
That noon hold is real. I notice it most on the mornings I skip it. Kerrygold was the right call for a first-timer, the flavor hides in a way generic butter doesn't.
This coffee is delicious! Its the best thing that I've put into my mouth since I started keto!! How many would be too many in a day?! Lol thank you
I stick to one. Each cup is close to 300 calories just from the butter and oil, so a second one adds up quick. On a really long day I'll make another around noon, but that's about as far as I go.