Although I may forget to pop my morning multivitamin, there’s one thing I never start my day without: an AM cup of coffee. Since we’re all about making our morning routines as efficient as possible, we’ve been experimenting with a few ways to combine the two. Enter: the quest of learning how to make coffee healthier.
Studies show that drinking coffee has major health benefits beyond helping us snap out of our morning comas—like reducing our risk of type 2 diabetes. And, since it’s typically the very first thing we put in our bodies each day, why not discover how to make coffee healthier and sneak in a dose of nutritious benefits while we’re at it?
How to Make Coffee Healthier to Boost Your Energy and Mood
If you’re wondering how to make coffee healthier, scroll on for our favorite ways. The benefits (and added flavor) are just too good to keep drinking basic black coffee. Benefits include boosting mood and energy, protecting your heart, and enhancing your brain cell functioning. Sold? We’re all for adding these eight natural boosts to our daily caffeine routine.
Our Favorite Coffee Brands
Zend Beauty Single-Origin Coffee
Single-origin coffee enriched with vitamins and hyaluronic acid to support healthy hair, skin, nails, and immune function.
Smooth, balanced, and caramelly—a coffee that’s easy to brew at home and hits the spot, every morning. The origin rotates seasonally, to showcase the coffee at its best.
When we’re not hanging out at the Austin café (or making a trip up to Portland to visit the brand’s American flagship), we’re stocking up on this blend that boasts notes of brown sugar, caramel, and stone fruit for the perfect, delicious buzz.
Cinnamon
If you want to maximize flavor without adding extra calories, sprinkle a dash of cinnamon into your cup. It can add some seasonal flavor (sans sugar), while delivering a powerful, and delicious, dose of antioxidants. Having been used in natural medicine for thousands of years, cinnamon is loaded with protective compounds (all 41 of them!). Plus, it has one of the highest antioxidant activity of any spice. It’s also packed with manganese, iron, and calcium. These help boost your immune system (winter colds be gone), lower your blood sugar, and even cut your risk of heart disease.
Serve: Stir half a teaspoon of cinnamon into your cup of coffee, or brew your coffee with a teaspoon of cinnamon mixed right into the grounds. You can also brew your coffee with a cinnamon stick so the spice has extra time to infuse.
Vanilla Extract
You don’t need to depend on sugar and processed creamers to sweeten your coffee. Try a few drops of pure vanilla extract instead. It’s classified as a brain superfood for its ability to boost mental performance, mood, and overall brain health. Vanilla has also been proven to relieve stomach aches and digestive issues, reduce joint pain, and relieve stress.
Serve: Add a few drops of pure extract to your cup or pot of coffee. You can also add a vanilla bean to your coffee grounds so the flavor infuses before you brew.
Coconut Milk
Coconut milk is the perfect add-on if you’re lactose intolerant, cutting out dairy, or just want a low-calorie milk substitute. You’ll also get a healthy dose of vitamins C, E, and B, antioxidants, magnesium, and iron. Healthier bones, teeth, brain, kidneys, and boosted heart health await.
Serve: Add a teaspoon or two of organic, unsweetened coconut to black coffee. If you want it extra sweet, you can add some maple syrup. Vanilla extract and cinnamon are great with it, too!
Ashwagandha Powder
One of the usual suspects at my house, ashwagandha powder is perhaps my favorite way to brew up a morning cup of coffee with an added punch. This medicinal herb has been used in Ayurvedic medicine for over 3,000 years to relieve stress, increase energy levels, and improve concentration.
Serve: Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon into your coffee. You may want to combine this with some cinnamon and coconut oil since it can have a pretty strong flavor. I like to add it to my coffee with almond milk, a dash of cinnamon, and a cap full of vanilla extract. I then blend it together for the perfect frothy, nutrient-packed cup.
Not all adaptogens are formulated equally, but we’ve learned to trust and lean on Moon Juice’s herbs for the brand’s effective herbal supplements. The concentrate is a 15:1 full-spectrum Ashwagandha root extract for a stress-free sip.
Grass-Fed Butter
You’ve probably heard of the butter coffee craze by now, and for good reason. Celebs, athletes, models, and health influencers alike claim adding the buttery, fatty goodness in their coffee gives them more energy, improves brain function (bye, brain fog!), and helps in weight loss.
Serve: Add a small amount of Bulletproof, MCT Oil, or melted butter to your coffee and blend. If you decide to slide a slice into your morning joe, try using grass-fed butter, which has a higher amount of omega-3 and vitamin K than regular butter.
Sports Research MCT Oil (32 fl oz)
Medium Chain Triglycerides (MCTs) are quickly digested and converted into fuel for the body and brain. When consumed, these dietary fats are rapidly absorbed and turned into ketones by the liver, allowing your body to use them for long-lasting energy.
Collagen Peptides
Collagen is one of the most abundant proteins in the body. It’s an essential building block for skin, nails, organs, hair, tendons, ligaments, bones, and cartilage. Collagen is credited with providing the elasticity, suppleness, and regeneration of our skin. But as we age, collagen production decreases, and our skin begins to thin and lose elasticity and moisture leading to fine lines and wrinkles.
Studies show adding a dash of this beauty powder to your coffee can help keep your skin looking hydrated and wrinkle-free, give your liver a boost at flushing out your system, reduce inflammation, and support joint health. Win, win, win.
Serve: It comes in powder form, so you can stir a few tablespoons into pretty much anything (coffee, smoothies, yogurt) to get a major protein boost that will help you kick-start your day—and your dewy glow!
This Marine Collagen Peptide Complex is formulated to support healthy weight management alongside all of the regularly touted benefits of collagen (promoting skin, hair, and nail health). It’s unflavored, making it the perfect addition to my AM coffee or smoothie. Bonus: It keeps me full until lunch!
Cardamon
Cardamom, like ashwagandha powder, has also been used in Ayurvedic medicine for thousands of years. A spice commonly added to coffee in the Middle East, cardamom gives coffee an exotic flavor similar to ginger (they’re in the same family), and is packed with nutrients. It’s also loaded with fiber, essential minerals, and cancer-fighting compounds. Research found cardamom contains compounds with the potential to kill cancer cells and stunt new cancer cell growth. Powerful stuff.
Serve: Sprinkle a pinch or two into a cup of brewed coffee, or add a few whole cardamom seeds to your coffee beans if you grind yours before brewing.
Cayenne Pepper
If you really want to spice up your daily caffeine routine, add a dash of cayenne into your morning brew. Trust us, not only will it wake up your taste buds, but it will also give you a nutrient boost early on in your day.
Cayenne has been used to manage stomach problems, lack of appetite, and circulatory issues for thousands of years in Native American medicine. Recent research shows that it may relieve pain from headaches, help digestion, and even prevent heart disease. It’s pretty much a coffee-obsessed, spicy-food lover’s dream.
Serve: Sprinkle a dash or two of cayenne into your coffee and stir. Some like to first blend with milk and sugar, so the pepper is not too overwhelming. Central American and Middle Eastern cultures even like to add melted chocolate! Sweet and spicy for the win.
Note: if you are susceptible to acid reflux or other digestive issues, you may want to avoid this one.
