Coconut Milk In Coffee – The Ultimate Guide to a Dairy-Free Delight

Last updated on October 27th, 2023 at 14:16

Coconut milk in coffee is amazing and there are many health benefits, including weight loss. Even if you are not a health nut or on a diet, it is one very tasty and very refreshing cup of coffee!

This article I detail the use of coconut milk in coffee, the benefits and give away the secrets of the Latte Love Brew incredibly healthy coconut milk coffee recipe!

Keep reading for the details!

Coconut Milk In Coffee

Coconut milk in coffee is unquestionably delightful, tantalizing and absolutely delicious! I remember my first one (it’s that good!) which was in the Asian nation of Vietnam where Ca phe dua, their way of making it, made my taste buds dance and sing with joy!

Of course there are many ways of making this drink, and may that I have to discover. The recipe below gives you the instruction for making a super healthy coconut latte.

Before I get to the details of the recipe let’s talk about the benefits of coconut milk in coffee.

(My favorite is the cool fact that it is gluten-free and both vegan and keto friendly!)

Read: Toasted coconut coffee

Coffee With Coconut Milk Benefits

There are many benefits to drinking coffee with coconut milk, which is why I make it one of my must-have morning coffee drinks.

One of the huge plus points, especially in the fall and winter, is the nutritional profile helping to stave off the flu and common cold and other ailments. I’ll share in a moment my special winter recipe that adds to the nutritional profile of your morning Joe.

Nutrients found in coconut milk:

• Calcium.
• Iron.
• Magnesium.
• Potassium.
• Vitamin C.

The electrolytes make switching your regular milk for coconut milk more hydrating, which is great for your morning cup of coffee since you have gone the whole night without consuming any liquids.

One compound that is found in coconut milk is lauric acid, which is a fatty acid that has antimicrobial and antiviral properties and is also known to be lower cholesterol levels aiding cardiovascular health and is known for cleaning your arteries reducing the risk of strokes and heart attacks.

Coconut milk is also good for weight loss, which I will get into more details in a second, due to the high amount of MCT – Medium Chain Triglycerides.

Coconut milk contains phenolic compounds which are antioxidants, meaning it can help to repair cellular damage.

So far I’ve only spoken about one half of the equation, let add to what you have learned so far the benefits of the other half, coffee.

Read: Coffee with coconut water

Coffee, despite the bad press that it may have regarding caffeine content, it remains a solid fact that caffeine is good in moderation. I am no one to argue with the thousands of peer-reviewed research that points that out.

Coffee, be it caffeinated or decaffeinated (N.B. Swiss water process is best, healthiest) is loaded with powerful antioxidants that are only found in coffee, chiefly, Chlorogenic acid, which is responsible for a bulk of the health benefits of coffee, which include being good for your brain health, heart health and liver health.

Coffee is well respected for being fantastic for your liver health, so much so that this is why many doctors recommend its use as an enema.

Like coconut milk, coffee contains flavonoid and phenolic compounds which are beneficial for your health. Coffee also has a good nutritional profile containing:

• Choline.
• Folate.
• Magnesium.
• Manganese.
• Niacin (Vitamin B3).
• Pantothenic acid (vitamin B5).
• Phosphorus.
• Potassium.
• Riboflavin (Vitamin B2).

Adding to this the health benefits of coconut milk, and it is clear that coconut milk in coffee has innumerable health benefits and starting your day with coconut coffee is a pretty good idea, at least from a nutritional and taste point of view.

Coconut Milk In Coffee For Weight Loss

As stated above, coconut milk in coffee is great for weight loss. Keep in mind that it is not a miracle solution and a couple of cups of coffee per day is not going to suddenly have you dropping a few kilos and a few dress sizes on its own. It’s good in conjunction with a healthy calorie controlled diet and a good exercise program.

Coffee is low in calories and contains literally zero calories! It is what you add to coffee that adds the calories, sugar, sweeteners and yes, milk, including coconut milk. The plus point of coffee is that it is an appetite suppressant and helps to suppress those hunger pangs when you are on a diet.

I can personally testify to its effect as I regularly go on full on fasts for days and a couple of weeks at a time with my only consumption being coffee and water.

The caffeine content also enhances your metabolism and the release of stored fat. Coconut milk contains medium chain triglycerides which enhance the burning of energy and stored energy (fat!) and are also good for making your stomach feel full and thus curbing your appetite.

Coconut milk in coffee for weight loss is a win-win situation. If you are on a diet or seeking to lose weight, think about using coconut milk in your morning coffee.

Read: Coconut coffee

Coconut Milk In Coffee Taste

I make no secret of that I love coconut coffee in all forms be it coconut oil, coconut milk and I am known to use coconut cream instead of heavy cream for the more indulgent and decadent coffee beverages.

Yes, I am known to drink coconut water too, particularly during the summer months or when I am out in the tropics; it’s a hydration thing!

Real coconut milk tastes better than coconut water and canned coconut milk. On the subject of coconut water, you won’t get that tropical taste that you might be expecting. I use it to get the electrolytes.

You will love the taste of coconut milk in your morning cup of coffee as it is delicious, very refreshing and ever so slightly sweet. Using sweet Thai coconut milk or unsweetened coconut milk will get that tropical taste in your coffee with the creamy notes that match coffee perfectly well.

Adjust your coffee by roast to get what you love, what hits the spot for you. Dark roasts will produce a more dominant coffee flavor while a medium roast will be a lot lighter and have a reduced presence of the coffee in terms of flavor. A light roast is too light, and you end up with too much of a flavor from the coconut.

The key is to get a balance of the delicate coconut milk nuance and the coffee together and make your taste buds sing!

How To Use Coconut Milk In Coffee – The Healthiest Coconut Milk Coffee Recipe

This recipe is the “secret” Latte Love Brew healthy winter morning/flu season coconut milk coffee recipe. It contains two key and cool ingredients that give the brew an extra health boost.

Ingredients Needed For The Coconut Coffee Recipe

None of the ingredients in this recipe are difficult to source or find. At Latte Love Brew, we encourage you to use the best possible ingredients that you can find. It’s the barista principle where the best ingredients and the best equipment produce the best results.

While this recipe is perfect with two shots of espresso, you can use a moka pot to brew the coffee if you have not yet invested in a home espresso machine.

Ingredients: 

• 40 grams (13.34 Oz) Whole bean medium-dark or dark roast coffee beans.
• 4 Ounces coconut milk (120 ml coconut milk). Unsweetened and organic is best.
• 2 teaspoons of raw honey or manuka honey.
• A pinch of cinnamon.
• Ice cubes (optional).

Instructions For Making This Tasty And Healthy Coconut Coffee Recipe

Start by weighing 40 grams (13.34 Oz) of freshly roasted medium-dark or dark roasted premium quality coffee beans. Check the roasted on date and make sure they were roasted no more than 7 days ago.

Grind your coffee to a fine powder like espresso grind of 200 microns using a ceramic flat burr coffee grinder. Grind in 5 second burst with a 3-second rest between bursts.

Put your grinds in your portafilter and tamp with care and attention. Use a flat and even pressure of 30 kg.

Put your digital coffee scale on your drip tray with your coffee cup on top of it. Tare your coffee scale to zero the display and pull and time the extraction of your shots of espresso.

The weight of your double shot of espresso should be 60 grams (2 ounces). If your shot is more or less than 60 grams, you may need to adjust your espresso machine.

Your double shot should have a brew time of 25 seconds with a variation either side of 5 seconds.

If your extraction time is less than 20 seconds, your shot will taste slightly sour, watery and under extracted. The reason is due to a lack of contact time with your coffee grounds and the hot water. To fix this, use a finer grind to encourage greater contact.

If your extraction time is greater than 30 seconds, your shot will be overtly bitter and over extracted. This is caused by too much contact between your hot water and your coffee grounds. Fixing this is just as easy and as simple as using a slightly larger grind size to encourage the hot water to flow with greater ease between the grinds.

Add your coconut milk, cinnamon, and raw honey (or manuka honey) to a bowl and mix well until all the ingredients are mixed well together.

Add your milk mixture to your milk jug and steam your milk gently and gently froth it to make some milk foam.

Add your espresso to a tall glass and add your steamed coconut milk and scoop in some milk foam using a spoon.

Serve and enjoy.

If you are using a moka pot to brew the coffee using the same fine grind size and a coffee to water ratio, and brew 4 oz (120 ml of coffee). You will need to use 15 grams of coffee and 120 ml of water.

Instead of the coffee to coconut milk ratio of 1:2 that we used with the espresso machine, use a 1:1 ratio for yoru beverage. Prepare your coconut milk in the same fashion.

Frequently Asked Questions About Coconut Milk In Coffee

Is Coconut Milk Good In Coffee?

Yes, coconut milk is amazing in coffee and creates a tasty tropical flavor to your coffee beverage. Adding coconut milk or coconut oil adds a neat and tasty treat to your coffee as it adds healthy medium chain fatty acids. It’s one of the best ingredients to add to your coffee.

Does Coconut Milk Separate In Coffee?

Coconut milk does have the potential of curdling in your coffee. This is why the type of coconut milk that you use matters a lot and why baristas at your local coffee shop use special plant-based milk that is purposely designed for steaming, frothing and adding to coffee and tea.

It’s not only coconut milk that has the potential for separating and curdling; oat milk, almond milk, soy milk, cashew milk, hemp milk, macadamia milk and all types of non-dairy milk alternatives.

Using regular versions, you risk having chunks of milk floating in your coffee.

Is Coconut Milk Good As Coffee Creamer?

Yes, coconut milk is great as a coffee creamer both due to the benefits of coconut milk’s nutritional profile, the healthy coconut milk fat, and the flavor; it tastes simply amazing!

Can You Make A Cappuccino With Coconut Milk?

Yes, you can make a great tasting coconut milk cappuccino. It’s a tasty alternative coffee beverage. I advise you check out and use the Barista coconut milk for steaming and frothing. Make your cappuccino in the same way as you would a regular cappuccino and if you so wish, add a dusting of cocoa powder or chocolate shavings or cinnamon powder.

Will Coconut Milk Curdle In Hot Coffee?

Yes, the problem with curdling is with regular coconut milk and is when you are pouring it over a hot coffee or hot espresso shot. At room temperature or when heated, this is not a problem.

Does Coconut Milk Change The Taste Of Coffee?

Yes, anything that you add to coffee will alter its flavor; a different milk, an alternative sweetener, honey, a herb or spice.

Does Starbucks Have Coconut Milk?

Yes, Starbucks uses a high quality, very tasty coconut milk that is sourced from Sumatra, Indonesia. It’s a single origin coconut milk that they use.

Why Isn’t My Coconut Milk Frothing?

When you froth your coconut milk, you unwind and denature the proteins. The proteins in alternative milks are not as strong and in a reduced quantity as are not as good as supporting the air bubbles. Some non-dairy milks have a fat content that is too low and fails to form a protective bubble over the air.

This is why using barista alternative milks is better. They are made with either an oat milk base or use gellan gum as a stabilizing agent.

Final Thoughts – Coconut Milk In Coffee

If you have read this far, thank you kindly; it is appreciated. You should know all about coconut milk in coffee and have a great and super healthy coconut latte recipe with honey, which is highly nutritious and like coconut milk is also antimicrobial, antibacterial and antiviral! It has cinnamon which is great for blood sugar levels and has many other benefits on top of what you will enjoy from the coffee and coconut milk.

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