Fuel your mornings with this creamy, refreshing protein coffee, or proffee, that is packed with 20g of protein and caffeine to kickstart your day! Made with just 4 ingredients, it comes together in minutes and is perfect for busy mornings.
I love enjoying mine with a batch of steel-cut oat cookies or applesauce zucchini muffins for a filling, energizing breakfast that keeps me going all morning. It is also great served with my eggless coffee cake!
I've always found it tricky to get enough protein in at breakfast, especially when I'm enjoying baked goods like my vegan English muffins, applesauce banana bread, or oatmeal protein pancakes.
That's exactly why I started making this proffee! It's a quick, easy way to boost my morning protein intake while getting in my morning caffeine fix.
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💚Why you will love proffee
- A creamy yet refreshing beverage great as a light breakfast or afternoon pick-me-up
- Quick to make and is ready in minutes
- Highly customizable to suit your taste preference
- An easy way to add 20g of protein to your diet!
☕What you will need
- Espresso - I use a double-shot Nespresso pod in my Nespresso Vertuo. You can go with ½ cup of strongly brewed coffee, cold brew, or 1-2 teaspoon of instant coffee dissolved in ¼ cup hot water.
- Protein powder - I am using the Naked Pea protein powder. Both plant-based and whey protein powder work. Unflavored, vanilla, or coffee flavored are best here. You can also use a bottled protein shake or protein milk.
- Milk - I am going with almond milk, but other kinds of milk work in this recipe.
- Sweetener (optional) - If you like sweetened coffee, add your favorite syrup or sugar-free alternatives like Splenda or stevia.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
✨Variations and optional add-ins
- Caffeine-free option - Go with a decaf espresso or instant coffee. Or, you can make my protein hot chocolate instead.
- Mocha - Use chocolate protein powder OR mix in a tablespoon of cocoa powder into protein shake.
- Pumpkin spice - Stir in 1 tablespoon of pumpkin puree + ¼-½ teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice to your protein shake. Then, sweeten to taste.
- Caramel - Sweeten proffee with 1-2 tablespoons of caramel sauce or syrup.
- Sweeteners - Customize with sugar, maple syrups, coffee creamers, or flavored syrups of choice (such as caramel and vanilla!)
❄️How to make iced protein coffee
Step 1: Add protein powder and milk into a shaker. Shake until everything is well combined.
Step 2: Pour coffee into a glass of ice, followed by protein shake. Your protein iced coffee is ready to be served!
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☕️ How to make hot protein coffee
- Mix protein powder with milk, and stir to combine.
- Heat it in the microwave for 45-60 seconds until hot, or in a pot on the stove, stirring frequently.
- Froth protein milk using a milk forther.
- Pour in coffee, then protein milk, holding back the foam.
- Spoon foam over the top, and your hot proffee is ready to be enjoyed!
✔️Helpful tips
- Making coffee without a machine - You can use cold-brew or French press coffee. Instant espresso powder is another great choice.
- Use protein shake - You can substitute the protein powder and milk with ¾ to a cup of bottled pre-made protein shake. It will further reduce the preparation time.
- Make it decaf - If you prefer your protein iced coffee to be lower in caffeine, use decaffeinated coffee instead of regular ones.
- Adjust the consistency - This coffee is on the thicker side. You can reduce the amount of protein powder to 2 tablespoons if you prefer a thinner consistency. Optionally, slightly increase the amount of milk used by ¼ cup.
- Serve coffee hot - Make your protein shake, and heat it in the microwave at 15 seconds burst, or until it is warm. Keep an eye on it to prevent it from spilling over. Combine coffee with the heated protein shake, and your warm protein coffee is ready to be served.
❔Commonly asked questions
Adding protein powder to coffee is a great way to boost your protein intake while enjoying your caffeine. It mixes best in cold or room temperature coffee.
If making hot coffee, mix protein powder with ½-¾ cup of milk to create a shake, then warm it up in the microwave before adding to the coffee. This will prevent clumping.
Most protein powders, including whey, casein, plant-based, and collagen powder, can be used to make proffee. I recommend sticking with more neutral flavors such as vanilla, coffee, or unflavored for the best taste, but feel free to experiment with other flavors!
To make protein mocha, use chocolate protein powder instead.
📖 Recipe
Protein Coffee (Proffee) - iced or hot
Ingredients
- ¾ cup soy milk or any other kinds of milk
- 3 tablespoons protein powder unflavored or vanilla flavored preferred*
- 1-2 shots espresso or cold brew/instant coffee**
- 1 tablespoon sugar or sugar syrups of choice (optional)
Instructions
To make iced protein coffee
- Stir sugar syrup into the shot of espresso, if using.
- Place your protein powder and milk in a shaker and shake until everything is well combined.
- Pour your espresso shot and protein shake over some ice. Your protein iced coffee is ready to be served.
To make hot protein coffee
- Mix protein powder with milk, and stir to combine.
- Heat it in the microwave for 45-60 seconds untilhot, or in a pot on the stove, stirring frequently.
- Froth protein milk using a milk forther.
- Pour in coffee, then protein milk, holding back the foam.
- Spoon foam over the top, and your hot proffee is ready to be enjoyed!
Notes
- Caffeine-free option - Go with a decaf espresso or instant coffee.
- Making protein shake without a shaker - You can use any sealed container, including a mason jar or small water bottle. Alternatively, combine using a handheld milk frother.
- Adjust the consistency - This proffee is slightly thicker than a regular latte. You can thin it out by reducing the amount of protein powder to 2 tablespoons.
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Nutrition
Nutrition info calculated is just a rough estimate and is provided as a courtesy. Bear in mind that value will vary based on variables like specific brand or type of product used. To obtain the most accurate representation, it is highly recommended that you calculate it on your own with the actual amount and type of ingredient used.
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