Protein Cappuccino

I’ve taken to making Homemade Protein Gummies to get some extra protein in. (Then I got a bit wild with the concept and designed some amazing Salty Black Licorice Gummies and Sour Cherry Cola Gummies!). It’s helped a ton!

Then I started making a bunch of prepared protein shake recipes, primarily for while we’re off camping - mostly .

The combination of combination of coffee and protein powder (Co-pro? Profee recipe? LOL!) has been a great way for me to get that protein up, while ALSO getting a boost of energy in a nutritious way.

Oh, and beyond the protein being good for muscle tissue - as fitness enthusiasts have long known - recent studies have shown that coffee consumption may actually help protect the brain against neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimers.

Score!

Protein Coffee Shake Recipes

I’ve done a bunch of protein coffee drink recipes now, in different flavors ... All are low fat, and with far less sugar / fewer calories than the average equivalent (well, non-protein equivalent!) coffee shop drink.

Be sure to see the link list near the bottom of this post, for all of the different ways to make hot / iced coffee drinks!

I’ll usually have one as a high protein breakfast and morning coffee in one. Then I’ll usually have a second one sometime after lunch, as a nutritious snack / afternoon caffeine fix

In this blog post, I’ll show you the first one I ever made. It started out as an iced coffee protein shake, but I’ve since taken to also serving it hot, like a traditional latte.

This high protein iced coffee is a super basic protein coffee recipe, and was what all of my other delicious flavor options sprang off from.

I tend to make them up about 10 at a time, in baggies - and keep the various flavours in labeled bags, in a bin

I’ve got an assortment of high-protein shake options on hand, and it’s the perfect way to have a delicious drink with only a minute or so of effort!

Anyway, lots to talk about, so let’s get to it!

Ingredients

This easy recipe needs only 3 simple ingredients. As is usually the case: the fewer the ingredients, the more important each individual ingredient is.

Some notes for you:

Protein Powder

While a lot of my recipes feature unflavored protein powder, this one uses vanilla protein powder.

I like to use a Revolution Nutrition's High Whey in Vanilla Cake, as it’s far and away my favourite.

That said, you should use a Vanilla Flavored Whey Protein Powder of your choice , that suits your nutritional needs

For best results, use one that tastes great and mixes up smooth.

Beyond that, just be sure to check the nutritional label.

I’m keto, so I need one that uses artificial sweeteners, rather than sugar. (I try to keep the grams of sugar per serving to an absolute minimum.).

I also like to check the other essential nutrients involved, and like my protein powders to have a good dose of a variety of essential amino acids.

The protein I use has 25 g protein per serving, that will vary fairly wildly between brands.

If you need a vegan protein powder, there are a few plant-based protein options, like pea protein, brown rice protein, and even pumpkin protein.

Really, just go with what works for you! If you like to drink it as-is, you’ll like it in this recipe.

Instant Coffee

Rather than using the usual suspects for coffee drinks here - cold brew coffee, coffee concentrate, or regular hot coffee - I use a type of coffee that most avoid:

Instant Coffee Granules.

I do these coffee protein drinks up a couple times a day, so I don’t like to fuss with brewing coffee for them. I make them up as single serving mix packets, and just liquid.

If you’d rather use brewed coffee and make this fresh, you can use 12 oz of coffee in place of the water/milk, and just skip the instant coffee.

The Liquid

I’ll use either water or Unsweetened Almond Milk, depending on my situation.

When camping, I’ll usually just use water, whether from a bottle or run through the Keurig to heat it up.

At home, I’ll usually go with the almond milk - it’s a good option in terms of carbs, etc, and makes for a creamier coffee drink.

Oat milk, Cashew Milk, Flax Milk, and Macadamia Milk are good substitutes as far as non-dairy milk go.

If you’re not watching your dairy intake, 2%, skim, or whole milk also work fine!

As with the protein powder, go with what you like - and what best fits your needs!

The Shaker Bottle

Ok, so it’s not so much an ingredient, but I find a good shaker bottle is key to success when doing these as an “on the go” thing.

I love my 20 oz BlenderBottle, and fine that the little wire globe thing in it does a great job of breaking up the protein powder, ensuring no clumps.

No shaker? No problem. You can use a blender, milk frother, or immersion blender if you want!

How to Make Protein Cappuccinos and Protein Iced Coffee

The full recipe is in the recipe card at the end of this post, here’s the visual walk through:

Before getting started, finely grind instant coffee in a mini food processor or spice grinder:

For Hot Protein Cappuccino:

Combine a scoop of protein powder and instant coffee in a shaker bottle, mason jar, or blender.

Add hot water or milk; shake until well combined, smooth, and with no undissolved coffee granules left on the bottom of the bottle.

Pour into a large mug, enjoy right away!

For Protein Iced Coffee Recipe:

Combine protein powder and instant coffee in a shaker cup or small blender.

Add cold water or milk*; shake until well combined, smooth, and with no undissolved coffee granules left on the bottom of the bottle.

Pour into a large glass filled with ice, enjoy right away!

Finally, coffee ice cubes are yet another option for your iced protein coffee! Just freeze coffee in your ice cube tray - then you don’t have to worry about the ice watering down the flavour!

For Protein Powder Cappuccino Mix Pouches:

This is a convenient way to have the drinks almost completely ready to go:

Measure dry ingredients directly into individual snack-sized plastic baggies.

Press as much air as possible out of each baggie, seal the zipper.

Note: Using milk - whether dairy milk or a plant based milk - will result in a creamier drink than water. It also gives you more of the froth on top, especially when it comes to hot drinks.

More High Protein Drink Mixes!

Looking for more high protein, low carb drink mixes that can be made ahead? I've developed a whole series of flavored latte instant drink mix recipes:

Chai Latte (Low Carb, High Protein)
Cream of Chicken Soup (Low Carb, High Protein)
Cream of Mushroom Soup (Low Carb, High Protein)
Fortified Instant Bone Broth
Gingerbread Latte (Low Carb, High Protein)
Matcha Latte (Low Carb, High Protein)
Mocha Latte (Low Carb, High Protein)
Peanut Butter Hot Chocolate (Low Carb, High Protein)
Peppermint Mocha (Low Carb, High Protein)
Protein Hot Chocolate (Low Carb)
Pumpkin Chai Latte (Low Carb, High Protein)
Pumpkin Spice Latte (Low Carb, High Protein)

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