Recipe: Buttered Coffee

Canadian Buttered Coffee (or… “Heated Awesomesauce”)

This recipe is based on Dave Asprey’s recipe for Bulletproof Coffee, but localized with ingredients available in Canada that can be found at most (non-discount) grocery stores. I’ve been looking around for butter from grass fed cows, but it doesn’t seem to be available in Canada (likely due to our goofy import ban on dairy products combined with Canadian grass-fed herd minders not wanting to navigate the equally goofy barriers to entry for dairy producers). The purest, most healthful organic butter I’ve run across in Ottawa is Organic Meadow’s unsalted variety. It’s available at the larger Loblaw’s stores here in Ottawa, and some other higher-end indies.

Equipment

• French Press (the coffee oils make it into the brew intact and deliver a superior flavour)
• Blender (hand / bullet blenders work well)
• Coffee Grinder (once you start grinding your own beans, you’ll never go back to instant or pre-ground)

Ingredients

Core Ingredients

• 4 tbsp freshly ground coffee
• 12 oz hot water (not boiling)
• 1 tbsp organic butter
• 2 tbsp coconut oil (or MCT oil)
• 1 tsp stevia (the purer, the better – look for erythritol and stevia leaf extract as the primary ingredients)

Optional Ingredients

• 1-2 tbsp protein powder (I prefer unflavoured, cold-pressed whey isolate)
• Kelp powder (if you’re like me and are trying to get high-quality iodine into your diet, but hate the taste of kelp and seaweed)
• Ground vanilla, from freshly roasted vanilla beans (45mins @ 325 F in the oven provides a good roast – do it ahead of time and store in a cool, dry place)

Why organic butter? It lacks preservatives, hormones or antibiotics, and has a better nutrient profile than regular butter. Why stevia? Also no preservatives, it comes from natural sources (a plant found in South America and Southeast Asia), and it’s calorie free. Why MCT oil? This fat is medium chain, and easily converted into energy by the human body. Start out with a small amount if you’ve never ingested pure MCT oil before – it’s really strong and will churn your innards until your body gets used to it. Also talk to the relevant professionals if you have a health condition or specific concerns. Or don’t want to take some random dude’s blog for gospel (ie this recipe doesn’t constitute medical or dietary advice of any kind… so don’t get your lawyer all up in my grill, ffs).

Makin’ It

Canadian Buttered Coffee is breakfast unto itself. If you prepare this alongside your normal breakfast meal, don’t be surprised if you pack on a few pounds. Depending on the combination of ingredients you choose, this recipe will deliver between 450 and 600 calories per 16 oz serving. Seriously, it is breakfast. I’ve found that this particular combination of healthy, saturated fats and caffeine delivers food satiety and mental clarity well into the early afternoon. But hey, that’s just my experience.

In the Kitchen

Heat the water and brew the coffee (an electric kettle will take far less time than a box of matches or stirring really hard). Add all of the ingredients to the blender, and blend on low. Once all the ingredients are combined and a bit of foam starts to form on the top, you’re good to go. Pour it in a travel mug and enjoy with the rising sun or during your morning commute.

Enjoy, and share on the Twitter. Or Facebook. Or Google Plus (wait, is that still a thing?). Or just take a picture of this post and get it on Insta.