How to Make Protein Coffee

Try the latest fitness trend and learn how to make your own protein coffee at home so you can easily boost your protein intake!

How to Make Protein Coffee
Photo by Demi DeHerrera / Unsplash
María Rubio María Rubio
6 min read

Nowadays, you might see ads for products that contain protein left and right, making it the prime time to get serious with your goals and start getting more protein in your diet. There are a lot of ways to add that extra dose of protein for your muscles to your day – and protein coffee is one of them!

Proffee, or protein coffee, is a beverage that has taken the fitness world by storm. Just as the name suggests, it’s made out of coffee and your protein of choice, a powerful combination to fuel your workouts and help your muscles recover properly after. Coffee is already delicious and protein can be too, depending on the one you choose, along with a variety of other ingredients that you can add to it to make it tastier and more nutritious.

There are many ways to make protein coffee. We’re going to show you how to make your own proffee and what else you can add to it, plus our favorite protein coffee recipe! But first, let’s talk a little about the benefits of adding protein to your coffee…

Benefits of protein coffee

While you might drink regular coffee just for the taste, it also has many benefits to it, and combining it with protein just makes it a lot more beneficial for your daily life and your workouts.

Here are some of the main benefits of drinking protein coffee:

Boosts your protein intake

Your body needs three different macronutrients to function properly: carbohydrates, fats, and protein. Protein in particular is very important when you’re on a fitness journey or an active person in general because it’s the essential nutrient in charge of repairing and keeping your body tissues stronger – including your muscles. This takes us to the next point…

Aids in muscle recovery

During intense workouts, your muscle fibers get damaged, causing microtears that your body needs to repair. Giving your body an extra dose of protein will ensure that your muscles can recover properly and get repaired after each workout, allowing you to grow bigger and stronger muscles and be ready for your next workout.

Helps start your day with energy

Coffee contains caffeine, a mild stimulant that increases your alertness and your physical energy, making it a natural energy booster. In combination with the protein, it can help you start your day with high spirits and ready to smash your workouts. Plus, the negative effects of caffeine, such as increased stress, can be counterbalanced by the natural properties of protein!

Fills you up

Whether you drink it as a pre-workout early in the morning or later in the day, protein coffee can help you feel satiated. You can take it with you to the gym or have it as a lunch-time snack to prevent hunger from striking and your energy levels to decrease when you need it most.

Makes your regular coffee tastier

If you like coffee, you probably already drink it daily with your choice of creamer and sweetener. But adding some protein instead, whether it’s a pre-made protein or your protein powder, can make it more flavorful and sweet without the need for extra additives that might not be as healthy for you.

Packs a nutritional punch

Protein by itself is already highly nutritional, but coffee also has its health benefits! Aside from the energy that it gives you to get through your day and your workouts, it’s also a powerful source of antioxidants, riboflavin and niacin (B2 and B3 vitamins), magnesium, and potassium.

How to make your own protein coffee

Think of protein coffee as just another variation out of the countless ways you can make coffee. There isn’t an exact recipe or a perfect way to do it, because it depends on each person’s unique preferences. For example, some people prefer straight dark coffee and others prefer it sweet and with a lot of milk.

There are three main ways to make protein coffee. The first one is by buying a pre-made protein shake and adding some coffee to it so that it’s tastier and gives you more energy. The second one is making your coffee and then adding collagen powder to it, which is flavorless, allowing you to fully taste your coffee without any extra flavors, although it won’t be as rich in protein.

The last and best way to do it is by adding protein powder to your coffee. We say this is the best way because protein powders are designed with fitness and nutritional goals in mind, allowing you to really get the most out of your protein coffee.

As we previously said, there isn’t a correct way to make protein coffee, but we can give you the general steps to follow if you want to make your own protein coffee at home with protein powder:

Pick your brewing method

There are many ways to make a cup of coffee. Do you prefer your coffee hot or cold? Dark or more watery?

You can go the simpler route and just use the pour-over method with a paper filter, or use a coffee maker which makes the coffee for you. Another way of making coffee that’s getting more popular by the second is the cold brew method, making for a delicious iced coffee that’s both refreshing and energizing!

Pick your protein powder

The next step to making a protein coffee is, of course, picking your protein. There are many protein powder options out there for you, letting you pick from whey, casein, hemp, and other types of protein, as well as a bunch of different available flavors, such as vanilla protein powder, and chocolate protein powder, and so on.

That said, you should pick your protein powder carefully. You’ll want your powder to support your fitness goals and not the opposite, so make sure you read the nutrition label carefully and look for any unnecessary additives or sweeteners that might get in the way between you and your goals.

If you want the best quality protein powder, our sister company 373 Lab has two delicious whey protein isolate flavors in their collection – Cold Brew Latte and Chocolate Cheesecake. Each scoop contains 25 grams of 100% whey protein isolate that you can add to your coffee for extra flavor and to make it more nutritious!

Pick your milk

This one isn’t strictly necessary, but a lot of people prefer a touch of milk in their coffee instead of just water – and protein coffee isn’t the exception!

Similar to protein powders, there are many options of milk you could choose from. You could go for regular cow milk, choosing between whole, 2%, or even lactose-free, or go for the plant-based options which might align better with your strength training or weight loss goals. Soy, almond, coconut, and oat milk are a few examples of plant-based milk that are also high in protein and can give your protein coffee an extra nutritional punch!

Pick your additional ingredients

Your protein coffee is ready at this point, but you can keep adding to it for extra flavor. For example, you could add some nut butter to it, your favorite healthy seeds, a pinch of cinnamon, or even some honey as a healthy sugar alternative – it’s up to you!

If you want to make sure your proffee is as healthy as it can be, avoid adding sugar and other artificial sweeteners to it. And try to switch it up every time you make your protein coffee so you don’t get tired of it.

And that’s pretty much it, you can now enjoy a delicious cup of protein coffee! If you want to try making your first protein coffee at home soon and don’t know where to start, feel free to follow our favorite iced cold brew latte recipe:

  1. First, make your cold brew or buy one that’s pre-made. You can make your own by mixing grounded coffee and cold water, leaving it overnight, and then straining it the next day.
  2. Pour one cup of coffee into a shaker bottle and add a scoop of 373 Lab’s Cold Brew Latte Whey Protein to it.
  3. Shake until the powder is completely blended with the coffee, then add 1/2 or 1/3 cup of your plant-based milk of choice as well as any additional ingredients and shake some more. You can use a frother to give it that foamy layer on top.
  4. Add a couple of ice cubes to your cup and you’re ready to go!

Meet your protein needs in a delicious way

You can take your protein coffee with you anywhere in an insulated cup so that it stays cold (or hot) until it’s time to drink it, or just keep it in your fridge until you want to have a taste of your new favorite iced drink. Whether you work out at the gym or at home, your protein coffee will be there waiting for you to give you extra energy and muscle support!

Remember to keep your caffeine consumption at a healthy level to avoid the unpleasant side effects that come with going over the recommended amount, such as an increased heart rate, anxiety, and a jittery feeling in your body. Yes, coffee is delicious, but nothing in excess is healthy!