7 Healthy Coffee Ideas for Every Primal Taste

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Normally, I’m deep in the thick of nutritional research or other heady topics midweek. Today, not so much. I have coffee on the brain after trying a few new concoctions recently. As I’ve noted in the past, coffee is a welcome part of the Primal Blueprint. Unlike traditional paleo, there’s no conflict here. While living healthily and sleeping well mean I don’t depend on coffee for energy, I consider it a positive staple in my diet, not to mention a pleasant ritual in my day.

I’ve gone into extensive detail about the copious benefits—to overall health, to disease prevention, to cognitive function, even to fitness performance—in the past. Today, I’m all about the actual intake. There’s plenty to the why, but this post covers several Primal ways to enjoy it right now. Let’s dig in….

Mocha

Cacao nibs are loaded with polyphenols, and a great source of saturated and monounsaturated fat. Add coconut milk (or whole cream), plus a drizzle of coconut oil to smooth out the chocolate emulsion, and this dark chocolate mocha is brimming with healthy fats.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup cacao nibs
• 1 cup coconut milk or whole cream
• 2 teaspoons melted coconut oil

Instructions

Bring coconut milk or whole cream to a simmer in a small pot. Turn off heat and add cacao nibs. Let steep 5 minutes.

Blend the cacao mixture and coconut oil in a blender on high speed until smooth and frothy, about 1 minute. Strain through a fine mesh strainer, pushing down on the solids to release the liquid. Add a sweetener if desired. Pour the cacao milk into hot coffee, or chill it before adding to iced coffee. The cacao milk will keep in the fridge for about 5 days.

Macadamia Cream

Macadamia nuts are sweet and buttery fat bombs. Blend ‘em up into smooth cream for a rich and fatty cup of coffee that also has delicious macadamia flavor.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons macadamia butter*
• 3 tablespoons hot water

Instructions

Whisk together macadamia butter and hot water until smooth. Pour into a fine mesh sieve placed over a bowl. Press down with a spoon to release the smooth and creamy liquid into the bowl and separate it from any grainy solids. Whisk the macadamia cream from the bowl into your hot coffee.

*To make macadamia butter, simply blend raw or toasted unsalted macadamia nuts in a food processor until very smooth

Tahini Coffee

The high-fat sesame paste called tahini turns into a surprisingly delicious keto-friendly dessert cream when whisked with molasses and whole cream. Eat it alone, or stir the cream into your coffee.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon tahini
• 1 teaspoon blackstrap molasses
• 2 tablespoons whole cream

Instructions

Whisk together tahini, molasses and cream until completely smooth. Whisk the tahini cream into your hot coffee (or, just eat it for dessert with a spoon).

Chai Golden Milk Coffee

This spiced coffee is anti-inflammatory and antioxidant-rich. Chai Golden Milk (named after the Indian tea and the addition of turmeric) is delicious in hot or cold coffee. It’s also delicious without coffee when you want an uplifting caffeine-free beverage.

Ingredients

• 1 cup coconut milk or whole cream
• 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger or ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1 teaspoon coconut oil

Instructions

Whisk milk, turmeric, ginger, cinnamon, cardamom and coconut oil in a small saucepan or pot and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat and let steep 5 minutes. Strain though a fine mesh strainer to remove the grit. Add a sweetener if desired. Pour as much as you like into your hot coffee, or chill the spiced milk for iced coffee.

Egg Frappe

A frothy, iced coffee drink with a boost from whole eggs and antioxidant- rich spices.

Ingredients

• 5 ounces coffee, double strength* (use twice the amount of ground coffee you would normally use for 5 oz water) (150 ml)
• 3 pastured eggs, whole
• 1 teaspoon raw honey (5 ml)
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla (1.25 ml)
• 1/4 teaspoon of salt (1.25 ml)
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon (1.25 ml)
• 1/8 teaspoon cardamom (a pinch)
• 1/8 teaspoon turmeric (a pinch)
• 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar** (a pinch)
• 2 ounces coconut milk (60 ml)
• 1 1/2 cups ice (a large handful)

*The coffee is brewed at double strength so the flavor isn’t diluted when blended with ice.

**Cream of tartar is optional. It helps stabilize the egg whites and make the drink frothier.

Instructions

Let the coffee cool slightly, then whisk in the eggs. Cool in freezer for 10 minutes.

While the coffee is chilling, combine honey, vanilla, salt, cinnamon, cardamom, turmeric, cream of tartar, coconut milk and ice in the blender.
Blend briefly, so the ice cubes are broken into small pieces.

Pour the chilled Primal egg coffee into the blender. Blend again for 30 seconds or so, until the ice is slushy and the top is frothy.

Egg Coffee

A delicious alternative to Bulletproof coffee, this smooth and creamy coffee drink is brimming with micronutrients.

Ingredients

• 1 cup (240 ml) coffee
• 2 pastured eggs
• 1 tsp sugar
• Pinch of salt

Instructions

Beating the eggs together, whole, as if you were making scrambled eggs (or blend them). For a 1-cup dose of coffee, use two whole eggs. Once the eggs are beaten or blended, slowly drizzle in the coffee. You don’t want to cook the eggs. You want them to stay creamy. If you’re concerned about the avidin in the raw white, dump the coffee in to ensure maximal heat exposure. Otherwise, just drizzle.

A higher egg:coffee ratio (using a large shot of espresso, for example) for a stronger coffee flavor works well, too.

Add a little sweetener plus some salt to make the coffee taste like a liquified custard.

Vanilla Collagen Fuel Coffee

The sweet vanilla flavor and healing collagen found in Primal Kitchen® Collagen Fuel are a superior alternative to sugary, flavored coffee drinks.

Ingredients

• 5-8 ounces of brewed coffee
• 1 scoop of Vanilla Primal Kitchen Collagen Fuel

Instructions

Fill your mug about 1/4 the way with brewed coffee. Mix one scoop of Primal Kitchen Collagen Fuel well enough to make a paste. (I use Vanilla, but Chocolate would work well for a mocha flavor if you prefer.) Then fill the remainder of your mug with coffee. Stir well, and enjoy!

How to Make Cold Brew

Cold brew is all the rage and for good reason; it’s less acidic and has a bolder flavor than iced coffee, which can taste watered down or bitter. As opposed to iced coffee, which is brewed hot then chilled, cold brew is brewed in cold water. Buying cold brew from a coffee shop can be spendy. Luckily, it’s easy to make at home. Here’s how to make cold brew:

A ratio of 1 cup whole coffee beans to 4 1/2 cups water will give you a strong brew.

Don’t grind the beans too finely or they’ll cloud up the coffee. A coarse grind is better for cold brew.

Put the coarsely ground coffee beans in a glass pitcher, tall container, or coffee press. If using a pitcher or container, you’ll need cheesecloth to strain the grounds later.

Slowly pour in the 4 ½ cups cold water, gently stirring as you pour to moisten all the coffee grounds.

Lightly cover the container, or put the lid on the French press (don’t press it down). Let stand in the refrigerator 12 hours.

If using cheesecloth, line a fine mesh sieve with the cheesecloth and set the sieve over a large pitcher or deep container. Pour the coffee into the cheesecloth-lined sieve and give the water a few minutes to filter through the grounds.

If using a French press, simply press down the plunger and push the grounds to the bottom.

Once the grounds are separated from the coffee, your cold brew is done!

Cold brew keeps well for a week or more in the refrigerator.

Tip: Don’t want to dilute your cold brew at all? Make coffee ice cubes to float in your cup of cold brew.

That’s all for me, folks. I’ll wager many of you have your own creations to share. Offer your ideas and any questions on the board, and take care.

The post 7 Healthy Coffee Ideas for Every Primal Taste appeared first on Mark’s Daily Apple.

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