You’re probably familiar with Bulletproof coffee. You know, the one that’s blended with butter. The one that curbs your appetite, increases mental clarity, and generally makes drinkers feel superhuman? Yep, that’s the one. Though the focus is often on butter, there’s another ingredient that packs an equally fatty punch: MCT oil.
Short for medium-chain triglycerides, MCTs are fatty acids that have taken the coffee world by storm in the past few years (mainly because of Bulletproof coffee). But you don’t have to be a coffee- or butter-lover to reap the benefits. From smoothies to lattes to nut butter, these healthy recipes will help you spread the MCT oil love — and reap the many benefits too.
1. Frothy Irish Breakfast Tea Latte With MCT Oil
If coffee isn’t your thing—or you simply want to change things up —try a black tea latte. Made with Irish breakfast tea, heavy cream or nondairy milk (we recommend cashew milk), pink Himalayan sea salt, and a drop of MCT oil, this latte is creamy, comforting, and the perfect morning or afternoon pick-me-up. Pro tip: If you’re new to MCT oil, start small and gradually add more so it doesn’t upset your stomach.
2. Digestion Boost Green Smoothie
Just when we thought green smoothies couldn’t get more supercharged, along came MCT oil. Already chock-full of greens—spinach, cilantro, cucumber, green apple—this smoothie kicks things up a notch with satiating MCT oil. We love the added kick from ginger and lemon, which make it the perfect drink to wake you, and your insides, up.
3. Dark Chocolate Matcha Coconut Butter Keto Cups
Paleo, low-carb, gluten-free, vegan, and super satisfying? Not all desserts are made equal. And not all desserts have to be sugar bombs either. These simple dark chocolate coconut butter matcha cups are great for snacking or curbing that sweet tooth—or both! The best part: No fancy equipment required. All you need is a muffin tin.
4. Vegan Pumpkin Spice Matcha Latte
Pumpkin spice and matcha lattes are great on their own, but together? Something about the sweetness of PSL mixed with the bitterness of matcha made us question the combo, but a sip later, we were hooked. Simply throw the ingredients in a blender, whirl for a minute, and enjoy. Though the recipe recommends mixing one cup water with one cup almond milk, we like skipping the water and going full nut milk to keep things extra creamy. (Though using one cup almond milk and one cup pecan or walnut milk would be pretty good too.)
5. Creamy Cocoa Coconut Low-Carb Shake
Are you one of those people who gets super hungry an hour after having a smoothie? We feel you. Protein is a well-known way to make smoothies more filling, but it certainly isn’t the only trick in the book. This shake uses full-fat coconut milk, MCT oil, and almond butter to make it a fatty force to be reckoned with. The recipe is best as is, but if you insist on lightening it up, use regular coconut milk in place of full-fat.
6. Roasted Almond Butter With Flax and Tocos
Grabbing nut butter from the store may be oh so easy, but making it from scratch means you know exactly what’s in it (buh-bye, added sugars!) and that the nuts aren’t roasted in nasty oils or heavy amounts of salt. It also means you can add fun flavors like honey or vanilla and healthy ingredients such as flaxseed and tocos, a delicious sweet powder that’s derived from the bran of rice and contains concentrated amounts of vitamins E and D.
7. Medicinal Mushroom Latte
The thought of a mushroom latte may have you thinking hmmm instead of yummm, but stay with us. Made with cashew milk, maca powder, cinnamon, and honey, this latte is sweet, simple, and totally drinkable. And no, it doesn’t involve blending whole mushrooms—we’ll save that for soup. Instead, mix a tiny teaspoon of a dried mushroom blend (we like reishi) into the latte and sip away. You’ll hardly detect the flavor, and what you do taste, you’ll unexpectedly enjoy.
8. White Chocolate Mocha With Herbal Coffee
A mocha made with herbal coffee… ? These drinks seem to keep getting weirder! But everything is worth trying at least once, right? Especially if it’s a healthier, less sweet, lower caffeine, filling twist on the sugar-packed classic. This surprising blend uses cacao butter as white chocolate, soaked cashews for creaminess, and herbal coffee (the recipe creator recommends Dandyblend) for a coffee-esque taste without the crash or acidity. Trust us, you’ll be as pleasantly surprised as we were.
9. Classic Overnight Oats With Bananas
It’s doesn’t get much easier—or more filling—than overnight oats. After all, what’s better than a recipe that does all the work? Keep things classic with nut milk, cinnamon, chia seeds, and uncooked oats, and jazz things up with MCT oil, caramelized banana, and a drizzle of nut butter. Easy morning, satisfied belly, happy you.
