Creamy Keto Coffee Will Satisfy Your Latte Habit

One of the hardest things about going on the keto diet might be quitting your morning latte habit. If you’re used to starting your day by hitting the closest coffee shop, you’ll have to hit the breaks — carbs add up quickly, even in the smallest-sized foamy milk drink.

But there’s good news. You can make an equivalently creamy cup at home with just three ingredients: coffee, butter, and MCT oil. It’s every bit as frothy — but more satiating — than your usual order. It’s called keto coffee.

Of course, putting butter into coffee (or tea) is nothing new. Butter tea, for example, has been around for generations. But the butter-plus-coffee equation is (ahem) buzzy as of late, thanks to a big push from some health and nutrition proponents. Here’s what you should know about butter tea, Bulletproof coffee, and keto coffee.

Butter tea is a traditional Tibetan drink made from tea and yak butter. It’s the inspiration for keto and bulletproof coffee. In Tibet, buttered tea is served to guests, and milk teas are for everyday consumption.

Bulletproof coffee is a branded coffee beverage created by David Asprey, who was inspired by an energizing cup of yak butter tea while on a Tibetan trek. Asprey took that inspiration and turned it into the Bulletproof company, which markets a very specific process for making coffee: Bulletproof coffee is brewed in a French press (to retain the beans’ oils), and made from filtered water, Bulletproof coffee beans, specialized MCT oil, and grass-fed butter or ghee.

Keto coffee is an energy-dense, creamy caffeinated beverage that’s similar to Bulletproof coffee. It’s made by blending any hot, black coffee (you can use a drip coffee maker if you don’t have a French press!) with MCT oil and grass-fed butter or ghee.

Read more: What’s the Deal with Butter in Coffee?

Starting your day with a cup of black coffee sets you back just five calories. Keto coffee, on the other hand, can clock in at 150 calories or more, thanks to the addition of the butter and MCT oil — which could be a good thing; it’ll certainly fill you up more than a regular cup of joe!

As for MCT oil, the medium chain triglycerides in MCT oil are digested faster than long chain triglycerides found in other oils and fats — which means may mean more fuel for your brain, more quickly — while butter adds a creamy texture that tempers coffee’s bitterness, but also saturated fat.

In other words, keto coffee might be for you if you follow the keto diet or practice intermittent fasting, but check with your doctor for specific nutritional advice.

Start with 1 cup of hot, freshly-brewed coffee from a French press or drip coffee maker. Pour the steaming coffee into a blender and add one tablespoon good-quality grass-fed butter (I like Kerrygold), and up to 1 1/2 teaspoons MCT — medium chain triglyceride — oil. Blend until the coffee is lightened in color with a cap of creamy froth.