Coffee is a controversial topic in health circles and I could write equally supported posts about why coffee is great for you and why it is horrible. The bottom line is that when sourced correctly, coffee can have some health benefits, but there are also people who should avoid it. Like most aspects of health, the answer is personalized to who asked the question.
The Problem With Regular Vanilla Lattes
In college, I used to subsist on vanilla lattes from the coffee shop on campus, and I still love the taste of them. Now that I’m not consuming pasteurized milk or sugars, I don’t drink coffee shop lattes and I definitely don’t drink pre-made coffee creamers (seriously… check the ingredients if you still consume these). I wanted to find a real food alternative that tasted just as good.
If you are a latte fan and usually spend $3-5 on a sugar-laden one at a coffee shop, try this real food recipe instead!
Brain-Fuel Coffee: A Latte Better for You
I’ve written before about my favorite way to drink coffee with added nutrient-dense foods like coconut oil, grass-fed butter, and sometimes spices. I still love drinking coffee this way and often add liquid stevia or spices like cinnamon for extra flavor.
As an experiment, I took my original favorite coffee recipe and added collagen peptides, an easily digested form of gelatin. I love that this recipe combines some of my favorite nutrient-rich foods and is a good combination of fats and protein. I often drink this in the morning and have tons of energy and mental focus all day.
If you can tolerate stevia, adding a few drops of English toffee or vanilla stevia makes this taste better than a coffee shop. If not, a splash of vanilla creates almost the same flavor.
But why is the recipe a “superfood” vanilla latte? A few extra touches:
Vanilla Latte Super Ingredients
- Grass-fed butter is a great source of vitamin K2 which helps decalcify arteries and is important for proper blood clotting. There is also research that it can lower the risk of heart disease.
- Coconut oil (or MCT oil) is a great source of lauric acid and medium-chain fatty acids, which are an excellent easy fuel source for the body and brain.
- Collagen hydrolysate is an easily digestible form of gelatin that supports skin, hair, nails, and digestion and is a good source of protein. (This is the collagen hydrolysate I use – the blue lid)
- Chicory and dandelion root are naturally supportive of the liver. I order both dandelion root and chicory root in bulk and make them like coffee in a French press.
- Another superfood option is using this mushroom coffee blend instead of regular coffee. I know it sounds a little weird, but you won’t even know there’s mushrooms in it, and the lasting energy and nutritional benefits seriously trump regular coffee. They have both regular and caffeine-free versions too.
Caffeine-Free Coffee Alternatives
When I was working to intensively support my body to get my autoimmune disease into remission, I wasn’t drinking coffee, but found that I could create the same flavors by making a strong tea of dandelion root and chicory root. I fell in love with the flavor of chicory when I visited New Orleans and sometimes prefer an herbal coffee or tea recipe like this one even when I can have caffeine.
This vanilla latte recipe offers several stand-ins if you need to avoid coffee as well.
Superfood Vanilla Latte Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup brewed coffee (herbal coffee alternative)
- 1 TBSP grass-fed butter
- 1 TBSP coconut oil (or MCT oil)
- 1 TBSP collagen peptides (work up slowly!)
- 5 drops vanilla creme stevia (or ½ tsp pure vanilla extract)
Instructions
- Brew coffee in a French press for best results, but any coffee will work.
- Place brewed coffee, butter, coconut oil/MCT, collagen, and vanilla in a blender. Do not use a Magic Bullet or other closed-in blender as it can crack or explode.
- Blend on high for 10-15 seconds until froth forms.
- Drink and enjoy.
Notes
Nutrition
Like this recipe? Check out my new cookbook, or get all my recipes (over 500!) in a personalized weekly meal planner here!
What do you drink in the mornings?
I am new to your blog and really enjoy reading about your home made substitutions to otherwise generally unhealthy everyday products. The dry shampoo for brown hair has become a favorite! I will definitely try your recipe for the vanilla latte – it sounds very interesting.
Our family has found a wonderful low acid coffee that we love. PUROAST LOW ACID COFFEE, made in California. The scientific proof of drastically reduced acid levels is available on their website. It is truly delicious, and offers organic whole bean, ground or k-cup. If you are interested in giving it a try the website is http://www.puroast.com.
Thanks!
How did get your coffee (in the photo) to turn that creamy color without any milk or cream?
Blending the butter and MCT/coconut oil and collagen creates this.
I tried it and I loved it! I used unflavored stevia drops, a splash of homemade vanilla and about a teaspoon of raw honey to make it a little sweeter. Perfect! I used to drink my coffee with international delight creamer (nasty ingredients) and I hated that I did that but I just couldn’t give it up. Finally I did it. I quit drinking coffee cold turkey because I could never find a way to enjoy coffee without the nasty creamer. That was about a month ago and I am so happy to have coffee back in my life in a tasty and healthy way! Thanks for the recipe!
Hi! Do you use kerrygold butter often? It’s grass fed butter? How about for cooking?
Thank you for your knowledgable and encouraging posts!! I can not tolerate coconut oil or MCT at this time. Is the above recipe still acceptable without the MCT or will it affect the finished product?
Still totally fine 🙂
I drink two beverages each morning:
— bone broth, 8 oz.
— coffee from a roaster that goes around the world, working with small estates and buying directly from them for a higher price than the farmer would get through so-called “fair trade” programs.
I mostly prefer my coffee black, but once in a while I’m in the mood for a sweet coffee drink. This one looks great! Thanks for sharing. 🙂
This recipe sounds delicious. i would love to try it with dandelion and chicory root. How do you brew that tea?
This is also a lot of fat and calories for one drink. Do you count this as your breakfast?
This does often count as my breakfast but I don’t ever count (or limit) fat or calories. I brew both by adding a tablespoon of each to a french press and adding boiling water.
Thank you so much for this recipe! I cannot wait to try it: I love the taste of chicory root as well.
Is the butter salted or unsalted? Thanks!
You can use either one. I like both. Salted gives a more salted vanilla caramel latte taste and regular gives a sweeter taste
Mmm…I can’t wait to try this!
Can you recommend another good brand of coffee? Bulletproof is a little too pricy for us.
Thanks Katie for all that you do!!
🙂
Just look for a good single source organic one 🙂
Thanks! 🙂
I am a little concerned about the Vanilla Sweet Leaf because of the “Natural Flavors” ingredient because sometimes “Natural Flavors” can mean sugar, gluten, etc. I’m trying to find what they use as their natural flavoring, but I can’t seem to find anything. Do you know anything about this?
Hey Elle! If you want the bulletproof one for a cheaper price, order the 5 pound bag of the bulletproof coffee and it is way cheaper that way 🙂
You can also vacuum seal bags of it and put it in the freezer so when you need more you just take out one of the bags, let it warm to room temp, and then its good to go!
I’ve read it’s a bad idea to freeze your coffee. You should only buy what you will use within a few weeks. We are lucky enough to have a local coffee shop that roasts their beans in house and provides several fair trade, organic versions!