Bulletproof Coffee

Bulletproof coffee is a blended coffee drink made with a single serving of quality fat in place of milk. The result is thick, glossy and closer to a latte than a black coffee, with almost no carbohydrate. A cup made with 30g of butter works out at roughly 220 calories and under 0.5g of carbs.

What Goes Into a Bulletproof Coffee

The ingredient list is short by design. Freshly brewed coffee, one fat source, nothing else. What changes is which fat you reach for, and that choice affects texture, flavour and calories.

Butter

Unsalted butter gives the richest cup. It emulsifies into a stable foam and carries the most flavour. At 30g it contributes around 215 calories and 24g of fat. Grass-fed butter is the traditional choice, though any good quality block butter works.

MCT Oil

MCT oil is flavourless and blends instantly. It is marginally higher in calories per gram than butter, closer to 250 calories for 30g, and it makes a thinner drink. If you have not used it before, start with a teaspoon and build up.

Coconut Oil, Ghee and Double Cream

Coconut oil sits between the two and adds a faint sweetness. Ghee behaves much like butter with a nuttier finish. Double cream is the mildest option and the easiest to find in a UK supermarket, though it brings roughly 1g of carbohydrate per 30ml with it.

Why Blending Matters

Stirring fat into coffee does not work. The fat separates and pools on the surface within seconds. Blending emulsifies it, which is what produces the pale colour and thick foam that bulletproof coffee is known for.

A handheld milk frother is enough for a single cup. A jug blender is worth using if you are making two or more, or if you are adding a raw egg for extra protein as suggested in the recipe note below.

Getting the Coffee Right

Because there are so few ingredients, the coffee itself does a lot of work. A freshly brewed cafetiere or filter coffee gives a cleaner result than instant. Brew it slightly stronger than you normally would, since 30g of fat softens the flavour noticeably.

How to Fit It Into Your Morning

A cup is calorie dense, so most people treat it as a replacement for breakfast rather than something alongside it. If you would rather eat, it goes well with a slice of toasted low-carb bread and butter, which adds under 1g of carbs.

If you want something warm without the coffee, our low-carb golden turmeric latte uses the same blending method with a different base. For something colder, the low-carb dalgona coffee is worth a look in summer.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many calories are in a bulletproof coffee?

Around 220 calories per cup when made with 30g of butter. Using MCT oil pushes it closer to 250, and using 30ml of double cream instead brings it down to around 120.

Is bulletproof coffee keto?

Yes. Made with butter, ghee, coconut oil or MCT oil, a cup contains essentially no carbohydrate. Double cream adds about 1g per 30ml, which still fits comfortably within a ketogenic day.

Can you make bulletproof coffee without a blender?

You can use a small handheld milk frother, which costs very little and does the job for a single cup. A jar with a tight lid and vigorous shaking is a distant third option, and the foam will not hold.

What is the difference between bulletproof coffee and bullet coffee?

Nothing. Bullet coffee is simply a shortened name for the same drink. Butter coffee and keto coffee refer to it too.

How much fat should you add?

30g is a standard single serving and the amount this recipe is built around. If you are new to it, halve the quantity for the first few cups.