Ghee in Coffee: What Is Bulletproof Coffee and Is It Worth Trying?

Ghee in Coffee: What Is Bulletproof Coffee and Is It Worth Trying?

By InstaCuppa Team  |  Published May 2026  |  Last updated: 28 September 2026  |  9 min read

You have seen it online. Ghee in coffee. Or butter in coffee. They call it bulletproof coffee.

It sounds strange. But it has become a popular morning drink, mostly with people on low-carb diets. Some of the reasons hold up. Some do not.

In many Indian homes, a spoon of ghee in hot milk or hot dal is an old habit. Adding ghee to coffee is a new twist on that habit.

Here is what ghee coffee does, how to make it, and who it is — and is not — good for.

What Happens If We Add Ghee in Black Coffee?

When you add ghee to black coffee, the drink turns creamy and gains calories, but it does not gain caffeine or a proven energy boost. One teaspoon of ghee (about 4 to 5 g) adds about 40 to 45 kcal. Ghee is pure fat, with 900 kcal in 100 g (USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 171314).

Ghee also adds saturated fat. In ghee sampled across India, 71% of the fatty acids are saturated (Indian Food Composition Tables 2017, NIN Hyderabad, food code T013). One teaspoon gives about 2.5 to 3 g of saturated fat, going by USDA's 60 g per 100 g.

So the honest answer is simple. Ghee in black coffee gives you taste, texture and fat calories. It can replace sugar and milk in your cup. It is not a health drink, and we could not find a single published trial of ghee coffee.

What Is Ghee Coffee?

Ghee coffee is simply coffee blended with ghee (and sometimes coconut oil or coconut butter). The blending creates a smooth, creamy drink without any solid fat lumps.

The original "bulletproof coffee" was made popular in the West. It used grass-fed butter and coconut oil or MCT oil in black coffee. In India, many people use ghee instead of butter. Ghee is butter fat with the water and milk solids cooked off, so it blends the same way and is easier to find. One thing ghee does not bring is MCT oil. Medium-chain fats make up less than 3% of the fat in Indian ghee (IFCT 2017, T013).

The result: a rich, frothy, filling morning drink that is completely different in taste and effect from regular chai or plain coffee.

Benefits of Ghee Coffee: What the Evidence Says

1. Steadier Energy? Only Because There Is No Sugar

Many websites say the fat in ghee slows how fast caffeine enters the blood. We found no study that shows this for ghee coffee. What is true is simpler. Ghee coffee has no sugar, so it cannot give you a sugar rush and dip.

Steady energy is the number one reason people try ghee coffee. If you feel better on it, the likely cause is the missing sugar, not magic in the ghee. You would get the same benefit from plain black coffee with no sugar.

2. Reduces Morning Hunger

Fat is the most energy-dense food type, with 9 kcal in every gram. One cup of ghee coffee with 1 tsp of ghee has about 40 to 45 kcal of fat.

Some people say they feel less hungry for a while after a cup. That is a personal effect. We found no controlled study of ghee coffee and hunger, so treat it as something to test on yourself.

This may help people who do not eat breakfast early. But ghee coffee is not a meal. It has fat but no protein or fibre, so eat a proper meal later.

3. No Sugar Needed

Ghee makes coffee taste naturally creamy. You do not need sugar or milk. The fat adds a richness that many people prefer over sweet, milky coffee.

Removing sugar from your morning coffee is a small but powerful change. One teaspoon of sugar weighs about 4.2 g (USDA FDC ID 169655). One cup of coffee with 2 tsp sugar, twice per day = about 17 g of sugar removed. Over 30 days, that is nearly 500 g of sugar.

4. Good for People Who Cannot Have Milk

Many Indians have a mild dairy sensitivity. Milk in coffee causes bloating or stomach discomfort for them. Ghee has almost no lactose and almost no milk protein. USDA lists 0 g of carbohydrate and 0 g of protein in 100 g of ghee. Many people who react to milk find ghee easier.

Ghee is still a dairy food, so ghee coffee is not dairy-free. If you have a milk allergy, not just a mild sensitivity, ask your doctor before you try it.

5. Gut Health: The Butyrate Claim Is Weak

Ghee has a natural fat called butyric acid, or butyrate. Butyrate does feed the cells that line the large intestine. But most of that butyrate is made by gut bacteria from dietary fibre, and "human data are still limited" (Hamer et al., 2008 review). A teaspoon of ghee carries only about 0.2 g of butyric acid, going by USDA's 3.2 g in 100 g of butter (FDC ID 173430).

No study has tested ghee coffee for gut health. If you want more butyrate, eat more fibre: dal, whole grains, vegetables and fruit. People with a sensitive stomach may find fat on an empty stomach makes things worse, so start small.

How to Make Ghee Coffee

Time: 5 min  |  Calories: about 45 kcal per cup with 1 tsp ghee, about 90 kcal with 2 tsp

Classic Ghee Coffee

Ingredients:

• 1 cup freshly brewed black coffee (hot)
• 1 tsp desi ghee (start here — build to 2 tsp over time)
• Optional: 1/4 tsp coconut oil or coconut butter
• Optional: a tiny pinch of cinnamon or cardamom

Steps:

1. Brew your coffee as usual. Black coffee, no milk, no sugar.
2. Pour hot coffee into a blender. Add 1 tsp ghee.
3. Blend for 20 to 30 seconds until frothy.
4. Pour into your cup. Drink immediately.

No blender? Add ghee to coffee in a tall glass. Use an immersion blender or a milk frother. Or just stir very well — it will not be as frothy but it still works.

Spiced Indian Ghee Coffee

Ingredients:

• 1 cup strong black coffee
• 1 tsp ghee
• A pinch of cardamom powder
• A pinch of cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp raw honey (optional, adds sweetness)

Blend all together. Drink warm. This version has an Indian-spiced flavour that many people prefer to the plain Western version. Half a teaspoon of honey adds about 11 kcal and 3 g of sugar.

Ghee Chai Variation

Not a coffee drinker? Try ghee in masala chai instead.

Brew your chai as usual without milk. Add 1/2 tsp ghee. Blend or stir well. Add honey to sweeten. The ghee adds the same creaminess and the same calories to chai as it does to coffee.

Black Coffee with Ghee and Honey: Are There Extra Benefits?

Black coffee with ghee and honey has no proven extra benefit over black coffee with ghee alone. Honey adds sweetness and sugar. Honey has 304 kcal and 82 g of sugar in 100 g, and one tablespoon weighs 21 g (USDA FDC ID 169640). So half a teaspoon adds about 11 kcal and 3 g of sugar.

You may hear that hot coffee turns honey harmful. That idea comes from tradition, and we found no strong human study either way. If you like honey in your cup, let the coffee cool for a minute, keep it to half a teaspoon, and count it as added sugar. Read more in our guide to black coffee with honey.

Who Is Ghee Coffee Good For?

Ghee coffee works best for:

• People who want to drop sugar from their morning coffee
• People who do intermittent fasting (IF) and want a filling drink inside their eating window — note that ghee coffee has calories, so it does break a strict fast
• People who are reducing sugar and sweet chai
• People with mild dairy sensitivity who cannot have milk coffee
• People on low-carb diets

Ghee coffee is not ideal for:

• People with high cholesterol or heart disease who need to limit saturated fat — check with a doctor first. The WHO names ghee as a source of saturated fat and advises keeping saturated fat under 10% of daily energy.
• People who need a real breakfast — ghee coffee is fat and coffee, with no protein or fibre, so it cannot replace a meal
• Children — ghee coffee has caffeine. Not suitable for children

Common Mistakes with Ghee Coffee

1. Not blending it. If you just stir ghee into coffee, the fat floats on top. The drink feels greasy. You must blend it. Blending creates an emulsion — the fat mixes evenly with the coffee. The result is a smooth, creamy texture.
2. Starting with too much ghee. Start with 1 tsp. Some people start with 1 tbsp right away and feel nauseous. Fat on an empty stomach takes getting used to. Build up over 2 to 3 weeks.
3. Adding sugar and milk too. Ghee coffee is meant to be coffee plus fat, with no sugar. Adding sugar brings the sugar back. Adding milk turns it into a richer milky coffee with more calories. Try it without anything else first.
4. Using vanaspati instead of ghee. Use pure desi ghee from a brand you trust — not the cheap "vanaspati ghee", which is a factory-hardened vegetable fat. A National Institute of Nutrition study found trans fat above the permitted limit in several vanaspati samples, and only trace amounts in ghee (Dorni et al., Food Chemistry, 2018).

How to Start with Ghee Coffee — A 7-Day Guide

Most people find ghee coffee unusual at first. The key is to start small and build up over a week.

Day 1 to 2: Add just 1/2 tsp of ghee to your regular black coffee. Blend it. Taste it. Notice the creaminess, and notice how your stomach feels.

Day 3 to 4: Increase to 1 tsp ghee, about 40 to 45 kcal. For most people this is enough. Notice if you feel full longer and have less desire to snack before lunch.

Day 5 to 7: If you usually eat breakfast late anyway, see how you feel with ghee coffee first and food later. Eat whenever you are hungry. If you have diabetes or take daily medicine, ask your doctor before you change your breakfast.

Week 2 onwards: Most people settle at 1 to 2 tsp per morning. Some add coconut oil. Some prefer the spiced Indian version with cardamom.

If you feel nauseous at any point, reduce the amount. Fat on an empty stomach takes getting used to. Some people need 2 to 3 weeks before they feel fully comfortable.

Ghee Coffee vs Regular Coffee with Milk and Sugar

Common Questions

Related Reading

• Ghee Benefits (Desi Ghee Ke Fayde): Taseer, Vitamins and How Much a Day
• Bulletproof Coffee with French Press: Recipe, Benefits & Mistakes
• Black Coffee Calories: Full Nutrition Breakdown (With and Without Add-Ons)
• Black Coffee with Honey: Benefits, Taste & Does It Break Your Fast?

Sources

1. USDA FoodData Central — FDC ID 171314 (ghee), 173430 (butter, without salt), 169640 (honey), 169655 (granulated sugar), 171890 (brewed coffee). Values read 28 September 2026.
2. Indian Food Composition Tables 2017 — National Institute of Nutrition (ICMR-NIN), Hyderabad. Table 12, fatty acid profile of edible oils and fats, food code T013 (ghee).
3. Healthy diet fact sheet — World Health Organization (saturated fat under 10% of total energy; ghee listed as a saturated fat).
4. Review article: the role of butyrate on colonic function — Hamer HM et al., Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics, 2008.
5. Fatty acid profile of edible oils and fats consumed in India — Dorni C et al., National Institute of Nutrition, Food Chemistry, 2018.