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Looking for a delicious and easy way to supercharge your morning routine? This Protein Coffee (Proffee) recipe packs 29 grams of protein into a flavorful, energizing drink that can be made iced or hot. It's perfect for busy mornings, post-workout recovery, or anytime you need a nutritious pick-me-up.

If you're a coffee lover looking to meet your daily protein intake, then this protein coffee will be your new best friend. Combining the rich flavors of your favorite coffee with the benefits of protein powder, this drink is not only delicious but also provides a caffeine boost and extra protein to keep you fueled throughout the day.

When it comes to breakfast, getting a good amount of protein is key to keeping you fueled and satisfied until your next meal. As a doctor, I aim for 30 grams of protein in my morning meal to kickstart my metabolism and keep me going strong all morning long.

Looking for some high protein breakfast ideas? Try my high protein overnight oats, 3-ingredient banana protein pancakes or high protein scrambled eggs with cottage cheese.

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What Are the Benefits of Protein Coffee?
Why You'll Love This Dish
Doctor's Tips
Ingredients
How To Make Protein Coffee Step-By-Step
Chef's Tips
More High Protein Recipes
Recipe
Reviews

What Are the Benefits of Protein Coffee?

Protein coffee offers numerous health benefits, making it an ideal morning beverage or post-workout drink. Here’s why:

Boosts Exercise Performance: Consuming coffee and protein powder before exercising can give you an immediate energy boost and enhance your workout. The caffeine in coffee acts as a natural stimulant and the protein powder supports muscle recovery and growth.
Aids in Weight Management: The combination of coffee and protein can help you feel fuller for longer. Caffeine boosts metabolism and reduces hunger hormone levels. Protein takes more energy to digest compared to carbohydrates or fats. It also promotes satiety, which helps to control your appetite throughout the day.
Helps Meet Daily Protein Needs: Adding protein powder to your coffee can help you meet your daily protein requirements, especially if you typically skip breakfast. Starting your morning with protein ensures you spread your intake evenly throughout the day, which is important for maintaining muscle mass and overall health.
Enhances Cognitive Function: Coffee is known for its ability to increase mental alertness and improve mood by interacting with adenosine receptors in the brain. When combined with protein powder, which often contains brain-supporting vitamins like A, B, and C, you get a potent mix that can boost cognitive function and keep you sharp all day.
Improves Flavor and Versatility: Many protein powders come in various flavors, such as vanilla, chocolate or caramel, which can enhance the taste of your coffee. This makes protein powder a great substitute for traditional sweeteners and creamers, adding both flavor and nutritional value to your cup.

Why You'll Love This Dish

Packed with Protein: Packed with 29 grams of protein, this protein coffee recipe is a great way to boost your daily protein intake while enjoying your morning coffee.
Convenient: A quick and easy way to get your caffeine fix and protein intake in one go.
Versatile: Can be enjoyed hot or iced, making it suitable for any season.
Customizable: Use your favorite protein powder and type of coffee to tailor the flavor to your liking.
Nutritious: Packed with essential nutrients, it's the perfect way to start your day or recover after a workout.

Doctor's Tips

Adding protein to your coffee is an easy way to increase your morning protein intake without extra effort.
Getting enough protein at breakfast has many benefits including helping to stabilize blood sugar levels, boosting metabolism, and keeping you feeling full and satisfied until your next meal. Plus, our bodies are able to use protein more efficiently when it's spread evenly throughout the day.
Looking for more high protein recipe ideas? Check out my collection of the best high protein lunches.

How to Add Protein Powder to Your Coffee

You can add protein powder to your coffee to make hot protein coffee or iced protein coffee. Adding protein powder to your coffee is simple and can be done in various ways.

Directly in Coffee: Brew your favorite coffee and stir in a scoop of protein powder. Stir continuously to prevent clumping. You can do this in hot coffee or iced coffee.
Mix with Milk or Creamer: You can dissolve the protein powder in milk or your favorite creamer first and then add it to your coffee. This is my preferred method because you get a smooth consistency. I like to use a handheld frother to mix the powder into the milk. You can also use a shaker bottle.
Make a Protein Smoothie/Shake: You can also make an iced coffee protein shake in a blender. Try my coffee protein shake recipe, which blends protein powder with coffee, milk, a frozen banana, and peanut butter.
Bottled Protein Shake: You can also skip the protein powder altogether and pour a bottled protein shake into your coffee or espresso. This works for hot or iced coffee.

Ingredients

Ingredient notes and substitutions. See recipe card at the end of the post for full ingredient list.

Coffee- you can make this recipe with any type of coffee or espresso. You can make this recipe with hot or cold coffee. When I'm making iced protein coffee, I typically use cold brew coffee, which has a smooth flavor. You can buy bottled cold brew coffee from the grocery store or make your own cold brew. If I want a stronger drink, I'll brew a couple of shots of espresso.
Milk- you can use any type of milk including dairy or non-dairy milk; dairy milk and soy milk will have the highest amount of protein. Oat milk foams up well and becomes very creamy.
Protein powder- use the protein powder of your choice like whey or plant-based protein powder. Be sure to use a protein powder that you like the taste of. You can use a scoop of vanilla, chocolate or other flavors like caramel.
Sweetener (optional)- a lot of protein powders are already sweetened so you may or may not need to add an additional sweetener depending on your taste.

How To Make Protein Coffee Step-By-Step

See recipe card at the end of the post for full recipe instructions.

Step 1- Place the protein powder in a foaming pitcher or glass and pour the milk on top. Use a handheld frother to mix them together until frothy.
Step 2- Fill a glass with ice and pour in iced coffee or 2 shots of espresso to make an iced latte. Add any desired sweetener like sugar or stevia.
Step 3- Pour in the foamed protein milk.
Step 4- Stir it up and enjoy!

To Make This Protein Coffee Hot: Follow the same recipe but pour the protein milk into 8 ounces of hot coffee instead of iced coffee.

Handheld Milk Frother

This is the milk frother that I use to make the foamed protein milk for this recipe. It's inexpensive and easy to use!

Chef's Tips

Be sure to use a protein powder that you like the taste of. You can experiment with different flavors like vanilla, chocolate or caramel.
For an extra protein boost, consider using a protein-rich milk like dairy milk or soy milk. I also like to use oat milk because it foams up well and becomes very creamy.
Cold brew coffee is an excellent option for this recipe, as it offers a smooth and robust flavor. I like to make my own cold brew but you can also buy it. For a stronger drink, I will brew a couple of shots of espresso.
Use coffee ice cubes made from your favorite coffee to keep your iced protein coffee from diluting.
You can also make protein coffee with a prepared protein shake instead of protein powder. Try to find one that doesn't have too much added sugar.

A glass of protein iced coffee with a glass straw and another glass in the background.

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