Exploring The Top Ways To Make Your Coffee Healthier

13 min read JAN 22, 2023

From Instagram and TikTok, to Pinterest and just about every corner of the web, there’s no shortage of creative and trendy recipes, tutorials, and tips for how to make a truly delicious cup of coffee.

And, these make for decadent, rich, even picture-esque (Instagram worthy) brews, but unfortunately many of these recipes and trends incorporate ingredients that don’t exactly support your health.

Not exactly a recipe, but take this trend for instance: super sized coffee.

Iced coffees filled with a myriad of syrups, sauces, flavors, creamers, milks, toppings, and more have become so popular that 2023 is predicted to be the year of the super sized coffee.

We all saw what super sized fast food servings did to the health of the average American citizen, right?

And, clean, healthy coffee is a natural powerhouse of benefits for your body, it’d be a shame to counteract those benefits with large amounts of unhealthy additives.

So, what if we took this coffee trend and approached each super sized coffee recipe with health in mind, trading pumps of artificially flavored vanilla syrup for equally delicious stevia drops and pure vanilla extract?

Or, what if you traded mounds of canned whipped cream, filled with harmful additives, for homemade whipped coconut cream, or some almond milk and a splash of low-lactose, immune boosting heavy whipping cream?

You see, almost all of the trendy coffee concoctions and recipes we find seemingly everywhere online can easily be adapted, allowing you to experience the best of both worlds, with little more than a few ingredient swaps.

And today, we’d like to look at the 5 most popular categories in coffee recipes and offer some healthy adaptations, allowing you to enjoy these treats…with a healthy twist! 

1- Dalgona Turned Proffee

Dalgona coffee is a trend that gained popularity in 2020, yet it seems this trend is here to stay!

Or…is it?

We wanted to start with this trend that’s expected to receive a healthy upgrade in 2023, to illustrate how a few simple changes can take a sugary, unhealthy, calorie-heavy coffee recipe and turn it into something equally delicious that won’t spoil your health goals.

Dalgona coffee is made by mixing equal parts sugar, boiling water, and instant coffee, whisking these until a foamy, fluffy, sugary, dense whipped coffee is formed. This mixture is then used to top milk, essentially inverting the notion of coffee topped with a fluffy milk foam.

But, as you can imagine, this mixture is very sweet. 

Proffee Dalgona


Ingredients


Instructions

  1. Add hot espresso and protein powder to a bowl. Whip with a hand mixer on high speed for 3-4 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed, until fluffy.
  2. Add ice to a glass, and pour almond milk over ice.
  3. Top with whipped protein coffee. Enjoy!

So, in an effort to keep the creamy element while kicking the sugar, trend-watchers anticipate a new recipe will replace dalgona coffee, one with a similar creamy quality, satisfying those searching for a little something extra in their brew, but focusing more on health.

Enter proffee, or protein coffee.

This creamy coffee began to gain popularity in 2022, and many anticipate the notion of using protein in coffee to offer a creative and healthy upgrade to typical dalgona coffee.

So, instead of using sugar, boiling water, and instant coffee, protein powder replaces the sugar in this fluffy brew, as follows… (You’ll use freshly brewed espresso instead of instant coffee and boiling water here.) 

2- Cold Foam

Topping a dark, beautiful brew with cold foam isn’t just a trend, it’s down right delicious!

But, if you board this trend train on a regular basis, you’re likely to notice another trend, one where the number on the scale regularly increases.

And, this is due to the sugary, rather syrupy, element to popular coffee house cold foams.

Most sweetened cold foams contain syrups full of not only artificial flavors, but large amounts of sugar as well. Think of a simple syrup here, which adds a double portion of sugar to one portion of water, heating the two to form a sweet, thickened liquid that can be easily added to any brew.

And, while these syrups can make for yummy ingredients to cold foam, we’d like to opt for a healthier, yet equally tasty, way to top our coffee, hot or iced.

Making cold foam is actually pretty simple, all you need is an electric frother or a blender.

A typical, sweet, cold foam contains heavy cream, 2% milk, and artificially flavored or sweetened syrup (such as plain, vanilla, pumpkin spice, caramel, etc).

But, you can easily clean things up, especially the sweet element of the foam, by swapping out a few kitchen ingredients.

Take a look at this Spiced Pumpkin Cream Foam that uses real, natural ingredients, combined with heavy cream for a decadent and healthy cold foam to deliciously top your next iced coffee.

Or, if you’re looking for more of an everyday option (a little less seasonal), check out the Milk And Honey Cold Foam recipe instead.

Try one or both for a healthy cold foam alternative. 

Iced Coffee With Spiced Pumpkin Cream Cold Foam


Ingredients


Instructions

  1. Pour coffee over ice in your favorite mug or drinking glass, leaving room for foam, and stir in 1 tablespoon of maple syrup until combined.
  2. In a separate glass, combine heavy cream, pumpkin puree, 1 tablespoon maple syrup, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, and pumpkin pie spice. Stir together until incorporated.
  3. Pour pumpkin-cream mixture into an electric frother, cover, and froth on the cold setting. You can also add the ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth and frothy.
  4. Top coffee with spiced pumpkin cream cold foam and enjoy! (Feel free to sprinkle a little nutmeg on top for extra flavor and color.)

Milk And Honey Cold Foam Topper


Ingredients

  • 8 ounces cold brewed Lifeboost Medium Roast Coffee
  • ½ cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
  • ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • ½-1 tablespoon raw honey
  • Ice

Instructions

  1. Add ice to a tall glass, top with cold brew, and set aside.
  2. Add almond milk, vanilla, and honey to an electric frother and froth on the cold setting. You can also add these ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth and frothy.
  3. Top cold brew with milk and honey foam, and enjoy! 

3- Real Food Lattes

Real food lattes incorporate a typical espresso, usually a couple shots, with real food.

And, of course these concoctions are gaining popularity. I mean, what’s more tantalizing than visions of chocolate bars melting right into your cup under the heat of the pulled espresso shots. Or, entire slices of cake or pie topping a prepared latte, even artificially made shortcake pieces and freeze-dried strawberries sprinkled on top of the same (a prepared latte).

These “drinks” can make for great pics, cleverly staged for social media. And, no doubt they can also be decadent.

But, there’s a healthier way to approach this trend as well.

Thinking of creating a real food peppermint mocha by melting a peppermint patty in your double shot of espresso?

You can still enjoy those flavors while lightening the caloric load of such a creation and enhancing your health!

How? Take a look…

Dark Chocolate Peppermint Espresso

Instead of melting a peppermint patty into your espresso, add 1-2 freshly pulled of shots Lifeboost Organic Espresso Coffee to your mug, then stir in 1 drop of therapeutic (food grade) peppermint essential oil, or ⅛ teaspoon peppermint extract, and 5-10 grams (roughly 1-2 teaspoons) of 70% cacao, or higher, dark chocolate.

If you’d like a little more sweetness than the dark chocolate brings, you can add a drop or two of liquid stevia for a calorie free alternative.

Stir these together in your mug for a refreshing, minty, and delicious real food treat!

As a bonus: the real cacao dark chocolate will provide an added boost to your coffee’s already-rich antioxidant content, and it contains fiber, magnesium, and other essentials. 

Strawberry Shortcake Latte


If you’re thinking the above strawberry shortcake nod sounds more up your alley, instead of using artificial ingredients and freeze-dried fruit, did you know you can muddle fruit right into your mug.

Obviously, you can get a bit more creative here too, as we’ll show you here in a moment, but adding fresh fruit, real food that adds a sweet flavor to your brew without piling on the calories, is truly delicious!

And, instead of splurging for a slice of shortcake oddly topping your latte, simply adding a bit of vanilla or a healthy vanilla creamer can achieve a similar flavor effect.

Go ahead and give this delicious and creamy strawberry shortcake latte a try; it incorporates real food (strawberries) and won’t sabotage your health as you sip!

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces freshly brewed Lifeboost Medium Roast Coffee
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla almond creamer
  • 1 cup mashed strawberries
  • ¼ cup monk fruit sweetener
  • ½ cup heavy whipping cream (or almond milk for a non dairy option)

Instructions

  1. Add mashed strawberries and monk fruit to a small saucepan and cook together on low heat for 15 minutes.
  2. Add strawberry mixture to a blender, and blend until completely smooth.
  3. Add heavy whipping cream (or almond milk) and 1-2 tablespoons of the blended strawberry mixture to an electric frother. Froth on the heated setting.
  4. Brew coffee, add to your favorite large mug, then stir in vanilla creamer.
  5. Top with frothed strawberry foam, and enjoy! 

*If you’d like a little more strawberry flavor, simply add a teaspoon or so of the warmed puree to your coffee when you stir in the vanilla almond creamer, prior to topping with the strawberry cream foam. 

4- Coffee Cocktails

Coffee cocktails are becoming increasingly popular, and it’s no wonder: coffee and alcohol make a perfect pair.

The caffeine content of coffee essentially works to hide the effects of alcohol, allowing many to enjoy cocktails infused with coffee a bit more than a traditional (java-less) drink.

But, most cocktails, coffee cocktails included, are incredibly high in calories.

Consider the mudslide, for instance, this coffee cocktail can contain up to 1000 calories on average, with some versions topping 2300 calories!

A typical mudslide contains coffee liqueur, irish cream, ice cream, vodka, chocolate sauce, and is usually topped with whipped cream.

This healthier version of the classic cocktail, however, subs an almond milk creamer for ice cream, omits the whipped cream, and uses a healthy, vegan chocolate sauce.

And, these minor adaptations allow this (still) delicious cocktail to be enjoyed at only 250 calories a serving!

Take a look at the simple differences between these two recipes and see how just a few changes can make a huge caloric difference!

Traditional Mudslide


Ingredients

  • 1 cup vanilla ice cream
  • ½ cup ice
  • 1 ounce Bailey’s Irish Cream
  • 1 ounce espresso vodka
  • 1 ounce coffee liqueur
  • 1 tablespoon chocolate syrup
  • Whipped cream, for topping

Instructions

  1. Combine ice cream, ice, Bailey’s, vodka, and liqueur in a blender, and blend until smooth.
  2. Drizzle chocolate sauce inside a glass, add blended mixture, then top with whipped cream. 

Low Calorie Mudslide

Ingredients

  • 1 ounce Lifeboost Dark Roast Coffee, brewed and chilled
  • ½ cup ice
  • 1 ounce vodka
  • 1 ounce coffee liqueur
  • 1 ounce Bailey’s Irish Cream
  • 1 ½ ounces almond milk creamer
  • 1 teaspoon homemade chocolate syrup (see recipe below)

Instructions

  1. Add coffee, ice, vodka, liqueur, irish cream, and creamer to a blender and blend until smooth.
  2. Drizzle chocolate sauce inside a glass, add blended mixture, and enjoy!

2 Ingredient Vegan Chocolate Syrup

  • ¼ cup maple syrup
  • 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
  • Add syrup and cocoa powder to a bowl and mix until well combined. Use immediately or store leftover syrup in a sealed container in the refrigerator for 1-2 weeks. 

5- Coffee Desserts

Including coffee in a dessert recipe is a popular trend allowing you to savor the delectable flavors of coffee within the decadent sweetness, and texture, of a classic dessert.

From cakes and pies, even ice cream, the thoughtful addition of coffee in a dessert is amazingly delicious.

But, if you have a sweet tooth, meaning you’ll be prone to savor again and again, or if you’re simply looking to indulge without detouring from your health goals, there are certainly healthier ways to do so!

So far, we’ve subbed ingredients here and there to make a healthier version of the given recipe, but here, you’re in for a double treat.

Making healthy coffee ice cream is super simple, and it doesn’t have to come with a laundry list of ingredients, especially those that can be detrimental to your health.

So here, instead of swapping ingredients, we’ll go ahead and list the ingredients from a less than healthy coffee ice cream recipe, then we’ll share two of our favorite ways to make healthy coffee ice cream! 

Traditional Coffee Ice Cream

Unfortunately, this recipe is loaded with sugar. And, since we’re not swapping ingredient for ingredient, we’ll spare you the instructions here and get right down to a full-blown recipe replacement, times two!

Ingredients

  • ¼ cup sugar
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1 tablespoon instant coffee granules
  • 2 tablespoons butter, melted
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
  • 2 cups heavy cream

Instead of sugar, cornstarch, and sweetened condensed milk, the sweetness in the following healthy coffee recipe comes from bananas…nature providing the sweet tooth fix here.

And, if you opt for using our Highlander Grogg flavored coffee selection, you’ll get the added bonus of hints of caramel and vanilla, providing a sense of sweetness from flavor alone, minus the calories! 

Lifeboost Healthy Coffee Ice Cream: Option 1


Ingredients


Instructions


  1. Add all ingredients to a blender, and blend on high until smooth.
  2. Pour mixture into a freezer safe container, cover, and freeze only for an hour or so.
  3. When ready to eat, set the ice cream out for a few minutes, allowing it to soften just a bit prior to scooping. Enjoy!

*This healthy coffee ice cream isn’t super creamy, so it’s best enjoyed without allowing it to freeze to a solid consistency. This is why we recommend only freezing for roughly an hour (or less).

*You could also sub your preferred milk here. A dark chocolate almond milk would make a great, creamy chocolate version of this delicious treat! 

Lifeboost Healthy Coffee Ice Cream: Option 2


Ingredients

  • 1 ½ cups cold brewed Lifeboost Dark Roast Coffee
  • 2 cans full fat, unsweetened coconut cream
  • ⅔ cup pure maple syrup
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. Place cans of coconut cream in the refrigerator for a few hours prior to using. This will allow the cream to firm and separate. Scoop out only the coconut cream, leaving the liquid in the can. (You won’t need the liquid for the ice cream, but you can use this in smoothies or simply enjoy it as coconut water.)
  2. Add all ingredients to a blender, and blend on high until smooth and creamy.
  3. Pour mixture into a freezer safe container. Cover and freeze for several hours or until firm.
  4. Set out ice cream a few minutes to soften a bit prior to scooping, and enjoy!


*This recipe is gluten free, vegan, paleo-friendly,

Check out Lifeboost Coffee Embolden Dark Roast. 

Medical Disclaimer
This content is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice or to take the place of such advice or treatment from a personal physician. All readers/viewers of this content are advised to consult their doctors or qualified health professionals regarding specific health questions. Neither Dr. Charles Livingston nor the publisher of this content takes responsibility for possible health consequences of any person or persons reading or following the information in this educational content. All viewers of this content, especially those taking prescription or over-the-counter medications, should consult their physicians before beginning any nutrition, supplement or lifestyle program.

References:
https://www.olivemagazine.com/drink/2023-coffee-trend-predictions/
https://www.webstaurantstore.com/blog/2356/top-coffee-trends.html#:~:text=Larger%20Coffee%20Drink%20Sizes,in%20iced%20coffee%2C%20increase%20volume.
https://stylecaster.com/2023-drink-trends/
https://www.haylskitchen.com/protein-powder-dalgona-whipped-coffee/
https://seaofblush.com/how-to-make-whipped-coffee-dalgona-coffee-without-instant-coffee/
https://www.everydayhealth.com/diet-and-nutrition-pictures/delicious-reasons-to-eat-dark-chocolate.aspx#:~:text=Of%20course%2C%20the%20darker%20the,Environmental%20Research%20and%20Public%20Health.
https://yourdreamcoffee.com/dark-chocolate-in-coffee/
https://www.webmd.com/diet/what-to-know-mixing-alcohol-caffeine
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/326386
https://www.willcookforsmiles.com/mudslide/
https://loseweightbyeating.com/mudslide-recipe/
https://simpleveganblog.com/homemade-chocolate-syrup-2-ingredients/
https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/coffee-ice-cream/

Drop a Comment

All comments are moderated before being published