Keto Bulletproof Coffee
Published August 4, 2019 • Updated July 8, 2026
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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.
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Ingredients
8 ounces of fresh brewed coffee or espresso -
2 tablespoons unsalted, grass fed butter
-
1 tablespoon MCT oil or coconut oil
Step by Step Instructions
Step by Step Instructions
Get the blender
Add ingredients to a blender.
Pulse it
Pulse until combined. If using a frother, add ingredients to a cup and use frother to mix until combined.
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.
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Get My Macros + Recipes →Frequently Asked Questions
What exactly is bulletproof coffee?
I get this one a lot from people who hear the name and assume it's complicated. It isn't. It's just freshly brewed coffee blended with grass-fed butter and a little MCT oil until it turns frothy and creamy. No milk, no cream, no sugar, and nothing fancier than a blender. The name comes from the idea that the fat keeps your energy and focus steady through the morning instead of crashing. I make one every single day, and I promise it tastes like a latte, not like a melted stick of butter, which is exactly what most people brace for the first time they try it.
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.
Is coffee keto-friendly?
Plain black coffee is completely fine on keto, and I drink it every day without a second thought. On its own, coffee has no carbs and basically no calories, so your morning cup isn't what breaks a diet. What turns it into a higher-fat keto coffee is everything I blend in: the grass-fed butter and MCT oil are where all the fat and calories come from, not the coffee itself. So if you're brand new to this and wondering whether your daily cup fits, it does. The thing that usually wrecks it is sugar and flavored creamers, not the coffee.
Can I make this with tea instead of coffee?
I've made a tea version on afternoons when I want the fat and the staying power without another hit of caffeine. Brew a strong black or green tea, then blend in the same butter and MCT oil exactly the way you would with coffee. It froths up and stays creamy, though the flavor comes out lighter and a little more delicate than the coffee version. I like it later in the day when a full cup of coffee would keep me up at night. If you're sensitive to caffeine, a decaf tea works here too.
What's the difference between MCT powder and MCT oil?
I keep both around and reach for the powder when I'm skipping the blender. MCT powder dissolves with just a stir, so it's what I use for iced coffee or when I'm traveling without my blender. It also tends to sit easier on my stomach than the oil, which matters if a full tablespoon of oil is too much for you first thing in the morning. The oil is more concentrated and gives me a slightly stronger energy hit, so that's still my default at home. If you're new to this and prone to that MCT stomach heat, I'd start with the powder and work up.
Obsessed with this. Does it work with decaf?
Decaf works. The butter and MCT oil are what handle the fullness, caffeine or not. I actually made it with half-caf for a while when I was cutting back.
does it have to be high powered or is a regular blender ok?
Smell from the blender when this is going is one of the better things in the morning. One thing: if you're new to MCT oil, start at half a tablespoon and work up to the full one. The fat load hits before your body adapts. Most recipes skip that part. Past that first adjustment week, Kerrygold plus MCT in the blender becomes pretty automatic. I don't actually think about breakfast anymore.
One shortcut that changed my mornings: you don't need the big blender for this. An immersion blender right in the mug gets it there in about 45 seconds, and you're only washing one thing after, which at 6am matters more than it should. The froth isn't latte-level foam like you'd get from a Vitamix, but it holds and it's good. I use Kerrygold because you can taste the difference (nuttier, less one-note), and I started with less MCT oil than the recipe calls for because a full tablespoon right away is a lot if your gut isn't used to it, something nobody really warns you about when they share this drink. Hot coffee matters too: if it's not still steaming when you add the Kerrygold, the butter doesn't fully melt before you blend and you end up with little fat pockets that won't come together. Pull the mug straight from the pour and you're good.
The fat pocket thing is real. I learned that one the first time I let the coffee sit for a few minutes before blending. Pull it straight from the machine.
Yeah, letting it sit is the killer. Straight from the pour works every time.
37 grams of fat for breakfast was the thing I couldn't get past. A cup of coffee should not be 334 calories, that was my whole position for about a year. Tried it when I was already bored of eggs every morning and couldn't figure out what else fit. The satiety part I expected, but what I didn't see coming was how clear-headed I felt around 10am, that wasn't in any of the posts I'd read. Grass-fed butter specifically makes a difference here, tried it with regular unsalted once and the taste was noticeably flat. Worth buying the real thing.
The 10am clarity is what kept me coming back, not staying full. Kerrygold is the only butter I'll buy for this. You can taste the difference.
Sunday nights I portion the Kerrygold into a silicone mold and fill a squeeze bottle with MCT oil. Takes under a minute in the morning now, and I'll never go back. Zero carbs, 334 calories, fits 16:8, and I don't think about food until noon, sometimes later. Took me way too long to figure out: run the blender jar under hot water and dry it before you blend. Froth holds all the way down.
The silicone mold for Kerrygold is so smart, I'm stealing that. I had no idea the warm jar made that much difference, mine loses froth halfway through and I've just been living with it. Trying this tomorrow, Michelle.
Butter in coffee sounded so wrong to me for years, but the MCT oil plus Kerrygold combo keeps me full until noon in a way that no regular morning cup ever has. The blended froth is better than what I was getting at the coffee shop, which I genuinely did not see coming.
The coffee shop comparison comes up all the time. A blender actually emulsifies butter fat, a steam wand just froths. That's why it holds and comes out so thick.
Tried blending it over ice because it's been in the 90s and I couldn't do a hot drink, and it turned into this cold foam thing I was not expecting at all. I've made it iced every day this week.
That cold foam is the MCT and butter still emulsifying, just airier because the heat isn't driving it. Five straight days is a pretty good review.
Switched to cold brew concentrate instead of hot brewed coffee a few weeks back and the flavor shift surprised me. The emulsion isn't quite as thick but it tastes way less medicinal, more like something I'd actually pay $7 for at a coffee shop. Still the same Kerrygold and MCT oil ratio, just colder. Going back to hot brewed feels weird now.
Yeah, cold brew drops the acid way down so that harsh edge just disappears. Emulsion going thinner is a temperature thing, fat doesn't bind as tight into cold liquid. Extra 30 seconds of blending usually tightens it back up.
Made this almost every morning for months now. Two tablespoons of Kerrygold in the blender and somehow coffee turns into breakfast.
That's the one. I forget to eat lunch half the time because of it. Try adding a scoop of collagen sometime - still works as breakfast and adds about 10g protein without changing the flavor.
Butter in coffee. I said no to this for months because it sounded like something someone invented to justify a weird habit. Finally tried it after a rough week when I was tired of being hungry by 10am, made it with Kerrygold, and didn't eat until 1pm without even thinking about it. Still getting the ratio right (mine comes out a little oily when I rush the blender step) but the staying power is real.
Set a timer. I kept cutting it short too until I started doing that. 60 seconds minimum, and the hot coffee straight from the pot makes a difference on the emulsification.
Made a batch for Sunday brunch and my friend Sarah, who thinks putting butter in coffee sounds like a prank, was on her second cup before anyone else finished their first. She's not keto but she's been texting me about ordering Kerrygold all week.
Ha, Sarah texting about Kerrygold on her own is more convincing than anything I could put on this page. The butter skeptics always end up the most obsessed.
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?
It's the time. 30 seconds doesn't fully break down the fat, so it separates fast. I run mine at least 60-90 seconds.
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.
The room temp thing took me a while to figure out too. And yeah, the full tablespoon first thing is... a commitment. Half is where most people actually land.