Olive oil is praised for having a ton of health benefits, so people listened and started adding it to salads, desserts, and even beauty products. Olive oil in coffee though?
If you’ve wondered about adding olive oil in your morning brew and how it tastes, I tried it out and have some answers.
Hint: This article will change the way you think about olive oil forever!
Topics Explored
- Why Add Fat To Coffee At All?
- 3 Reasons Why You Should Add Olive Oil To Coffee
- Olive Oil Coffee Recipe
- What Does It Taste Like?
- Final Thoughts
- More Questions
Why add fat to coffee at all?
The Oromo people in Ethiopia are the first known to combine coffee with fat. They used to grind ripe coffee cherries and would add them into animal fat. They rolled the paste in balls which nomads carried with them and consumed for energy.
Lately, the idea of combining fat and coffee has turn trendy thanks to the likes of Bulletproof Coffee and even Starbucks.
The idea of adding MCT oil to coffee is popular in the paleo and keto diets. The combination is promoted as a substitute for a carb-heavy, grain-filled meal.
The idea is that it can keep you feeling full, provide lasting energy, and prevent the dreaded sugar crash.
The fat in the oil curbs your hunger, while the coffee provides better mental focus. If MCT oil works so well, will olive oil work the same way?
3 Reasons to Add It
Honestly, mixing olive oil with coffee doesn’t result in an overpowering taste (at least in our test). Done right, it can be darn delicious.
Best of all, adding a little bit of healthy fats to your morning cup of joe offers a ton of health benefits and can help you improve your focus.
1. Loaded With Antioxidants
Olive oil and coffee are both loaded with polyphenols. Polyphenols are the antioxidants that give the real, extra virgin olive oil that characteristic bitter and pungent kick.
It’s important to look for extra virgin olive oil since it’s the only one containing the main phenolic compounds, hydroxytyrosol and oleuropein. They also degrade quickly, so it’s crucial to press the olives within 24 hours of picking.
Research shows polyphenols in olive oil have a powerful antioxidant activity. The consumption of olive oil helps with atherosclerosis and cancer prevention.
2. Helps With Appetite Management
Olive oil for appetite management has the same effect as the popular MCT oil. Hunger is the result of the blood sugar falling and the cells absorbing glucose from the blood.
Olive oil keeps the blood sugar from crashing and suppresses glucose absorption for an extended period. Unlike coconut oil which is a popular source of MCTs, olive oil contains unsaturated fat which is the healthiest dietary fat.
A study conducted by the Technical University of Munich(1) has shown that even the aroma of olive oil can aid in appetite management. A focus group showed higher levels of the satiety hormone serotonin in their blood and a lower daily caloric intake after consuming olive oil.
3. Added Nutrients In Your Morning Brew
Olive oil has significant nutritional value that includes monounsaturated fats. These healthy fats help reduce inflammation and lowers your risk of heart disease – you don’t need to feel bad about adding a tablespoon into your coffee!
You can also find vitamin E and K in olive oil.(2) Vitamin E can protect cells from damage caused by free radicals. Vitamin K is vital for keeping your bones healthy, normal blood clotting, and wound healing.
RECIPE: Brewed Cacao Instead Of Coffee For Clean Energy
How To Make Your Coffee with Olive Oil
Adding olive oil in coffee is pretty straightforward. It sounds exactly as described. And if you are a seasoned Bulletproof Coffee ‘barista’, all you need to do is to substitute MCT oil with extra virgin olive oil.
Olive Oil Coffee
Make way for the new 'debutante', olive oil. This 'Bulletproof' replacement is totally worth a test. Check out this simple olive oil in coffee recipe.
Ingredients
- Olive Oil: 1 tbsp
- Grass-fed Butter (or Ghee or MCT oil): 1 tbsp
- Brewed Coffee: 1 cup
Instructions
- Start by brewing a cup of 8 oz (up to 12 oz if you wish) of black coffee as you normally would each morning, using your regular coffee beans. If you can, invest in good quality coffee beans.
- Once the coffee is made, add 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil. Extra virgin is essential as it contains additional nutrients.
- Add 1 tablespoon of grass-fed butter or ghee for that creamy consistency. Set aside and let it cool slightly.
- If you have a blender (*cautionary note below), place coffee mixture in and blend for 30 seconds or until you get a velvety texture with a bubbly layer on top.
- If you don't have a blender pour everything in a mason jar, seal and shake vigorously or use a handheld frother.
*Let coffee cool slightly before blending. Steam generated by blending hot liquids can build up a lot of pressure, enough to blow the lid off the blender.
The Results
Taste
I’d describe the taste as creamy, nutty, and sweet at the same time. My partner and I did not taste the olive oil at all. We used an organic olive oil brand carried by Costco and ghee.
To be completely honest, most of the flavor came from the ghee and the coffee. Near the end, it felt a little oily and peppery at the back of the throat but did not taste bad at all.
Don’t
You may be tempted to use any olive oil you have in the kitchen. Try not to use one that is too fruity or strong because it can overpower the brew. Use a mild flavored oil.
Energy Levels
I ran this test for a week in the hopes of some great results. It did help keep satiety at bay; I felt fuller for longer and did not have terrible sugar crashes.
Now, it’s hard to determine if our energy levels have increased more than usual. It really depended on the amount and quality of sleep we had the night before. Bad sleep = low energy, period.
Don’t
More olive oil doesn’t equal more energy. In fact, high levels of coffee and olive oil can act as a laxative. Don’t go overboard with it!
Method
In truth, the key step in keeping the coffee healthy is knowing how much olive oil to add. You see, both olive oil and coffee are laxatives and they don’t do you any favors combined in high concentrations. If your stomach is sensitive, don’t go overboard!
Don’t
You may also be craving a cold beverage over hot coffee. In any given scenario, DO NOT attempt to make iced olive oil coffee unless you enjoy congealed, oily coffee.
Final Thoughts
Here’s our summary on experimenting with olive oil in coffee. We can only confidently comment on its taste (the rest is anecdotal and should be tested methodically by an expert).
Keeping in mind the slightly bitter notes, peppery qualities of olive oil, we expected it to overwhelmingly take over the beverage’s flavor. To our shock, it was muted, and the result was pretty pleasant.
It tasted like buttery coffee due to the ghee, but we did not enjoy the oily mouthfeel after.
More Questions
Can You Put Olive Oil in Coffee?
You’re free to put olive oil in coffee as long as you do it slowly and work your way up. Start by adding no more than a tablespoon for at least a week and let your body adapt. You’ll experience the benefits from olive oil without sacrificing the taste of your coffee.
How Much Olive Oil Can I Put in My Coffee?
If you’re just starting, it’s not recommended to use more than 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil in your coffee.
While it depends on personal preference, keep in mind that too much olive oil can leave your coffee tasting oily and undrinkable. Both coffee and olive oil are laxatives, so we don’t recommend going overboard.
Verified Sources
Wondering where your info comes from? We totally understand. Hey Joe only obtains our information from reputable sources. Contents from this article are sourced from the following publications:
- Technical University of Munich: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130314124616.htm
- WebMD: https://www.webmd.com/diet/health-benefits-extra-virgin-olive-oil
