Bulletproof coffee: recipe, calories and what research says

Bulletproof coffee is black coffee blended with clarified butter or ghee and MCT oil. The result is a smooth, creamy drink with a texture close to a latte. The difference? There is no liquid milk, and one serving provides about 260 kcal.

Here you will find a recipe with exact amounts, a calorie table, butter vs ghee and tips on choosing MCT oil. We also explain why the brewing method can affect cholesterol levels. Finally, we look at which bulletproof coffee claims are backed by research and which are just marketing.

What is bulletproof coffee

Bulletproof coffee is black coffee blended with fat. The classic recipe uses coffee, unsalted butter or ghee and MCT oil. MCT oil contains medium-chain triglycerides, usually sourced from coconut or palm oil.

The drink became popular with low-carb and ketogenic diets. Some people drink it instead of breakfast because it can increase fullness. Keep in mind, though, that it provides plenty of calories and breaks a zero-calorie fast.

The key is blending. Butter added to hot coffee melts but won’t combine with the water; it forms a greasy layer on top. A blender breaks the fat into tiny droplets and creates an emulsion with a texture similar to coffee with milk. Stirring with a spoon isn’t enough.

Bulletproof coffee recipe, step by step

1. Brew 250 ml of strong black coffee. The Bulletproof brand recommends a French press, but paper-filtered pour-over works just as well. We explain below why the choice matters.

2. Weigh the fat. To start, prepare 15 g of clarified butter or ghee and 15 ml of MCT oil. If you are making it for the first time, use only 5 ml of MCT and less butter.

3. Pour everything into a blender jug. Coffee at about 60-65°C is enough for the butter to melt quickly. Use only a blender suitable for hot liquids and follow the manufacturer’s instructions.

4. Blend for about 20-30 seconds, until the drink is smooth and creamy with no visible drops of fat. It should be light brown with a thin layer of foam.

5. Drink it straight away if possible. Over time it may separate. If it does, a quick re-blend usually fixes it.

A countertop or stick blender in a tall container gives the most reliable result. A powerful milk frother can also work, but the emulsion tends to be less stable.

How many calories are in bulletproof coffee

The calories depend on the type and amount of fat. Black coffee itself has only a few kilocalories.

About 260 kcal is roughly what a small breakfast provides. That doesn’t mean bulletproof coffee can fully replace it. It has practically no protein or fibre, so it won’t provide all the nutrients of a balanced meal.

Clarified butter or ghee, and which MCT oil

Clarified butter vs ghee. Both are almost entirely milk fat: clarifying evaporates the water and removes most of the proteins. Ghee is usually heated longer, which gives it a nutty, slightly caramel aroma. Both contain very little lactose but may have traces of milk proteins, so they are not suitable for people with a milk allergy. In bulletproof coffee the difference is mainly in taste. Regular butter works too, though its water and proteins can give the drink a slightly curdled look.

MCT oil vs coconut oil. They are easy to confuse but not the same. MCT oil contains medium-chain triglycerides, most often with C8 and C10 fatty acids. Coconut oil is dominated by lauric acid (C12), with C8 usually making up about 5-10%. C8 and C10 promote ketone production faster than C12, so swapping MCT oil for coconut oil won’t give the same effect, though it may work fine for taste.

Watch the amount of MCT oil. A larger dose on an empty stomach often causes digestive upset. So for your first try, start with a teaspoon rather than a full tablespoon.

Which coffee for bulletproof coffee, and why the brewing method matters

The brewing method affects how many diterpenes end up in your cup. With bulletproof coffee it is worth paying particular attention to this.

Coffee contains two diterpenes: cafestol and kahweol. A paper filter retains almost all of them. A metal filter or brewing without a filter lets much more into the brew. The difference is significant.

Intervention studies show that regularly drinking large amounts of unfiltered coffee can raise LDL cholesterol. In a meta-analysis covering about six cups a day, the average difference was about 15 mg/dl compared with filtered coffee.

That is why the classic recipe deserves some caution. A French press lets through significant amounts of cafestol, and ghee and MCT oil add a lot of saturated fat. This matters especially if you drink bulletproof coffee every day. A simple fix is paper-filtered pour-over, which clearly reduces cafestol. The brew may taste a little different, but you will blend it with fat anyway. How to grind for pour-over is covered in our guide on how to grind coffee for every method.

Which beans? Medium roasts with chocolate and nut notes work well, such as Brazil Mogiana or Mexico El Jaguar. The added fat can soften perceived acidity and change how the aromas come across, so it is worth brewing a slightly stronger coffee.

Does bulletproof coffee break a fast

Yes. Bulletproof coffee breaks a zero-calorie fast. A serving made with our recipe provides about 260-390 kcal, so it can’t be treated as a calorie-free drink.

Fat alone usually triggers a smaller insulin response than a large serving of carbohydrates. That doesn’t mean the zero-calorie fast continues, though. There isn’t enough research to say how bulletproof coffee affects autophagy in humans.

The bottom line: bulletproof coffee breaks a zero-calorie fast. What that means for your diet depends on its goal.

What research supports and what is marketing

What we know. MCTs are metabolised relatively quickly and can promote ketone production. Bulletproof coffee without sugar fits a ketogenic diet. In some people it increases fullness, though this isn’t guaranteed.

What hasn’t been confirmed. Studies on bulletproof coffee exist, but there are few of them and they involve small groups. They don’t support most of the advertised benefits. It hasn’t been reliably shown to improve cognitive function more than plain black coffee. Dave Asprey claimed his IQ rose by more than 20 points, but did not prove a link with the drink. The British Dietetic Association lists the bulletproof diet among examples of fad diets based on exaggerated promises.

Remember the caffeine. It may account for part of the boost people feel, and plain black coffee provides it too, for just a few kilocalories.

This article is for information only and is not dietary advice. If you have high cholesterol or liver, gallbladder or pancreatic disease, discuss drinking this much fat every day with your doctor or a dietitian.

Common mistakes

Stirring with a spoon instead of blending. Without a proper emulsion you get black coffee with a greasy layer on top. It’s like the difference between mayonnaise and oil poured into vinegar.

Starting with a full tablespoon of MCT. That much can cause stomach upset. Start with one teaspoon and increase gradually while watching how your body reacts.

Treating bulletproof coffee as a calorie-free addition to breakfast. The basic serving provides about 260 kcal. Count them in your daily energy balance.

Blending hot coffee in a sealed jug. If the manufacturer doesn’t allow it, steam can build pressure and blow the lid off. Use equipment designed for hot liquids. More on the temperature of the brew itself in our article on coffee brewing temperature.

Using regular butter with lactose intolerance. Clarified butter usually contains only traces of lactose, while regular butter has more. With a milk protein allergy, both ghee and clarified butter may be unsuitable.

Where bulletproof coffee came from

Bulletproof coffee was popularised by American entrepreneur Dave Asprey after a trip to Tibet in 2004. Around the end of the 2000s and start of the 2010s he began publishing and promoting the recipe. He founded the Bulletproof company in 2013, and his diet book came out in 2014. Asprey is not a doctor or dietitian, which is worth remembering when reading his health claims.

The inspiration was po cha, traditional Tibetan butter tea, made from tea, butter and salt, sometimes with milk. Asprey said he felt a burst of energy after drinking it in Tibet and decided to apply a similar idea to coffee.

In the traditional Tibetan diet, butter tea is a source of energy and fat. Bulletproof coffee, on the other hand, became popular as part of modern diets and lifestyles.