My [Exact] Morning Coffee Recipe (This Ain't Your Average Cup of Joe)

One thing you may not know about me is that I was a barista at some local coffee shops for yeeeears, so it’s safe to say that coffee and I have been in a long-term relationship for many, many years now #HappilyInLove.

While I used to just drink it for taste and a caffeine boost without putting much thought into how it made me feel, my approach to coffee has evolved into one that actually keeps me nourished (annnd still enjoying that delicious morning bevvie!).

While I’ve always loved java— I recently had a shift in my relationship with coffee. After an experiment where I quit coffee for 50 days, I learned the importance of using my morning coffee as an intentional ritual + moment for self-care (not just drinking half a pot every morning on autopilot. yikes).

If you’re anything like me, you know that there’s truly nothing like sitting down and sipping coffee in the quiet first few moments of the morning…. *ahhhhh* But, it’s also important to pay attention to HOW your body best accepts & reacts to certain preparations and ingredients of coffee.

….So, in this blog post, I want to gently challenge you to ask yourself: how can you put more intention into that daily cup of coffee? How can you fill it with ingredients that will actually benefit your health? How can you upgrade your morning cup o’ joe?

I’ve had to ask myself those own hard questions, and, with time, I’ve found the exaaaact recipe that keeps me fueled, minimizes the negative consequences of too much caffeine, is full of better-for-me ingrdients, and is full of organic goodness that promote my health. Basically, it’s my little unicorn recipe coffee drink, and I have it prettttty much every morning.

This blog post outlines my basic formula to my healthy morning coffee, tools & tricks that I love, a simple recipe, annnnd additional options to upgrade to your liking (cream + sugar people, I didn’t forget about you!). So from one coffee lover to another, I hope you enjoy these opportunities to take your morning coffee to the next level! Cheers!

the morning coffee must-haves

quality grounds

instant coffee (if needed)

my french press

electric tea kettle

collagen, collagen, collagen!

handheld frother

from the ground(s) up

Okay, real talk— I used to neverrrrr put that much thought into my coffee grounds. I pretty much bought dark roast in whatever was on sale. And it was juuuust fine. But, with time, I’ve realized that the grounds we buy are the foundation of it all— and it pays to invest in quality, local, and organic beans whenever we can. Not only for the taste…. but for my HEALTH. Listen up.

We often think about organic veggies and high-quality meat in terms of things to buy “organic”, but honestly… did you know that one of the MOST pesticide-covered crops in the world is coffee beans??? Once I pictured all of those chemicals floating around in my morning cup of joe, I felt a little revolted knowing HOW MUCH I was consuming coffee and HOW MUCH I was unknowingly having all of those pesticides and chemicals too.

I instantly knew it was time to upgrade— both for the taste of coffee, but more importantly, for my HEALTH. (I hate to tell you this...but many coffee beans actually have MOLD in them — ummmm, no thank you!). Between the pesticides and mold, it’s very worth it to spend a few extra dollars on something you know is high quality and will support your health.

While finding a local roaster out there that serves quality, organic beans is AMAZING and highly encouraged, sometimes it’s nice to have a quick, online, easy to purchase source, as well. … ya just need. I personally use Four Sigmatic coffee for all of my grounds as it meets all those organic standards and MORE. It’s organic coffee that’s been tested for mold, heavy metals, and contamination (PRAAAAISE). Not only do they have the purest coffee— but it’s also packed with superfood goodness via adaptogens and mushrooms. (Side note: I feel like the term “superfood” gets wayyyy overused, but these mushrooms are worthy of the title.)

Also…. first things first, NO, it doesn’t taste like mushrooms— it just tastes like regular old coffee (just with the added health benefits mixed in)

So, whether you want to boost immune function, stay calm and limit anxiety, get focused and in the zone, or just want to help your overall wellness, I hiiiiighly recommend Four Sigmatic mushroom coffee beans. This is not sponsored at all— just a classic refer-a-friend affiliate link! I have used this brand for over 3 years and gotten so many people hooked! Not only do these things work (seriously, just one try of the lions mane mushroom coffee and you’ll understand!), but they are so, so good for you. This is the foundation of your cup—it’s so worth it to invest in high quality beans, not only for taste, but for your health. 

why I use a french press to make my coffee 

If there’s one thing I learned from my past life as a barista, it’s how to make coffee in just about every form. Whether it’s drip coffee, pourover, espresso shots...your girl knows how to make a cup. But my favorite way to make coffee on an “everyday” basis is a French press — it tastes better than drip, super easy to customize portions, and it’s less time-consuming than pourover. I like this particular French press because it’s stainless steel so it keeps your coffee warm, annnnnnnd it’s cute (ya gotta keep the aesthetic alive!). Whether I’m whipping up a cup of decaf, half-caf, or fully caffeinated, I’ll typically throw my grounds in this bad boy for a delicious and easy morning cup. 

this electric kettle

After using my former kettle about 10 times a day (for coffee, tea, all the warm, cozy beverages, etc.) for the past four years, it was on its last legs. So we recently updated our hot water kettle to this particular one, and we LOVE it. I think it’s so cute, and it works great. Just fill it with water, and a minute or two later, you have piping hot water ready to go! I heat up water for my French press in here and pour it over the grounds in the french press.

(SIDE NOTE: Also…if you are coffee, tea, and hot bevvie lover and have not yet invested in an electric tea kettle yet…SISTER. You need one. It’s game-changing + so easy. Fill it up and in just a minute or so you’ll have piping hot water ready to go! I personally noticed that I started drinking a looooot more tea once I invested in a kettle—there’s no stove hassle and no need to unnecessarily microwave. Basically, long story short: an electric tea kettle is a must for all my fellow hot bevvie lovers! You will not regret it.)

gimme some collagen

While my grounds and water are sitting in the French press for 5-10 minutes, I put a scoop of collagen into a mug. I typically do one scoop of Vital Proteins collagen. Collagen is GREAT for your gut, joints, hair, and nails. It is a unique protein that is mega helpful in terms of connective tissue (think elasticity and flexibility). This is particularly beneficial for your joints and gut health… but alllllllsooooo for the fun things like having youthful + plump skin, fast-growing hair, and long + strong nails. This specific brand is *actually* tasteless (a lot of other collagens I tried tasted kind of weird…) and it’s a great way to sneak proteins and v v v beneficial amino acids into your coffee. Basically, this is something to add to your coffee that you barely notice but has GREAT benefits for your health! Win-win!

froth it up!

Another thing that’s soooooo worth it to invest in is a handheld frother. I mean, if nothing else, follow this tip. Frothing up your coffee (whether it’s with collagen, creamer, etc.), it makes it soooo much more well-mixed and creamy and frothy and delicious. I often see bloggers mix their morning coffee, matcha, etc. in their blender. And while mixing our coffee in the blender undoubtedlyyyyy mixes and gives a beautiful texture…. WHO actually has time to dirty and clean the blender every morning?! It’s definitely not me.

That’s where the handheld frother comes in. It’s a perfect compromise. It blends and froths the beverage, but no obnoxious clean-up (not to mention, it takes up zero space on your counter like the big ol’ blender). It’s like $15, and I personally loooove mine. (I can’t find the exact one, but this one seems close!) I love it. It’s a one-time purchase that will totally upgrade your coffee experience.

now, let’s get into the actual recipe….

My basic “everyday” coffee recipe:

Ingredients:

• 2-3 spoonfuls of Four Sigmatic ground coffee (Running low on time? Four Sigmatic also makes instant, single-serving coffee packets! I prefer the taste of the ground coffee, but love the ease of the packets!)

• .75 liters hot water

• 1 scoop Vital Proteins collagen

Instructions:

• Put your coffee grounds in your French press, topping with hot water and stirring it all together

• Put the cover on the French press and let it sit for 5-10 minutes before slowly pushing the strainer down

• Add 1-2 scoop Vital Proteins collagen to your mug (this is also where you could add your own sweetner, creamer, etc.)

• Pour your prepared coffee to your mug slowly mixing with the ingredient

• Froth alllll the goodness together with your handheld frother for about 30 seconds

• Enjoy! You just made a delicious coffee with holistic mushrooms, adaptogens, and healthy protein!

Optional note on adding sugar/cream:

Personally, I have always liked black coffee. It’s 10000% just personal preference— I’m just one of those people that reeeallly like the taste of coffee straight up! So that’s how I make my basic formula— simple, dark roast, black, and straight up.

….But! I know a lot of people like a lil sweetness and added creaminess! Which is completelyyyyyy fine— you do you, baby! While it’s important to be mindful of sugar and fat, I think there are ways to add beautiful (and delicious) sweet creaminess to your morning coffee! So, in addition my basic formula above, if you are wanting a little extra somethin’ somethin’, here are ways to add sweeteners and cream with the most health bang for your buck…

but, kate, i like cream and sugar…. (that’s totally fine, girlfriend!)

HEALTHIER WAYS TO ADD SWEETNESS:
If you’re someone who likes a little sweetener in your coffee, I personally would use pure maple syrup or local raw honey. Raw honey is great because it contains amino acids, electrolytes, antioxidants, and antimicrobial compounds. It’s just a great natural sweetener. You could also use organic unrefined coconut sugar, which is pretty equal in comparison to regular sugar, but it also has potassium, electrolytes, nutrients, and a lower glycemic index. Orrrrrrrr you could do 100% Organic Grade B maple syrup because there are a lot of trace minerals in that. Personally, if I add a sweetener it’s maple syrup. Mmmmm, so good.

HEALTHIER WAYS TO ADD CREAM:
If you like creamer—there’s no shame in the creamer game! I don’t judge anyone if they sweeten or add cream to their coffee, but just make sure you’re getting a high-quality organic grass-fed creamer. Simply look at the ingredients and make sure it’s as simple as possible (if you’re looking at your creamer and there are 50 different ingredients that you can’t pronounce the name of...it’s time to upgrade). You don’t want the first thing entering your body in the morning to be a cocktail of man-made chemical compounds, artificial flavorings, and colorings that your body doesn't even know how to digest and understand. so it’s sooooooo worth it to upgrade to a high quality cream. Often it tastes better, it’s more rich and filling, and it’s just a food that your body understands. I truly believe you can have your cream and drink it too! (Just go for a high quality, simple ingredient version!)

IF YOU INTERMITTENT FAST:
Drinking coffee on an empty stomach can be stress-inducing on the body for some women. The rush of caffeine can launch your body into fight or flight, activate your sympathetic, and raise cortisol. To sloooow this rush of caffeine (and subsequent over activation of your sympathetic nervous system), you can consider adding a healthy protein (the collagen) and adding a healthy fat to your coffee! This makes the coffee more “complete” and easier to digest, absorb for your body. As you know, I add collagen for protein, and I will sometimes also add in MCT oil which is great for brain health and fueling your body while you fast. If you’re someone who intermittently fasts, this is a great way to sneak in some healthy fats at the beginning of the day, fuel your body, and sloooow that caffeine overload on an empty tummy. 

coffee goodness!

And there you have it! My exact morning coffee recipe. This is something we drink every single day, so why not optimize it and make it as healthy as can be? I can’t wait to hear if you try this recipe and how you make it your own. And if you’re looking for even more coffee resources and recommendations, take a moment to check out this post on how to regain control of your caffeine intake! (I solemnly sweat that I won’t tell you to quit coffee forever. Pinkie promise!)

Cheers to you and your health, my friend! 

but, wait! there’s more!