This is some NEXT LEVEL java right here.
Meet the Superfood Elixir for Coffee.
For energy and focus with antioxidants and minerals…. you will never think of coffee the same after drinking this!
I’ll admit, I’m totally in love with coffee.
Call it an addiction or obsession but I don’t think it’s the worst thing in the world (says every coffee addict). The tantalizing aroma and familiar sound of coffee brewing; it’s part of my morning routine and something I legit look forward to. Many times, I’ve been asked about my thoughts on coffee. So many of you love it BUT want to love it in a healthier way without having to give it up, if that makes sense.
I’m right there with ya. Not planning on giving it up anytime soon!
There are far worse things to be attached to, or at least that’s how my mind rationalizes it. The topic of coffee is slightly controversial in the health world because of the acidity. On the flip side, there are health benefits to drinking it but ultimately, I think it stems down to what you are adding in that makes it borderline problematic. What you put in your coffee matters. The standard american way is conventional creamer, dairy milk and heaps of white sugar or sweet syrups (like the ones they use at Starbucks).
The standard american way of drinking coffee obviously needs an update.
Make it dairy-free and vegan, for starters. Avoid the chemicals and artificial sweeteners. I make it a point to buy the organic fair trade coffee beans from Trader Joe’s. I’m not chugging 6 cups a day, but I’ll savor 2 cups. On a rare occasion, I’ll have a cup in the afternoon (if I really need a pick me up) but will opt for chai tea instead, or my matcha energy drink. Drinking it black is too extreme for me, so the Silk Almond Vanilla Creamer OR unsweetened vanilla almond milk with raw coconut sugar/vanilla stevia is how I like it. Don’t forget a few good dashes of cinnamon!
Today, we’re totally amplifying your usual java with superfoods. They can and should be added to everything! Maca in smoothies. Hemp seeds in salads. Chia seeds in desserts. Turmeric and ginger in basically everything. So why not in your morning coffee?! Feeling like a superfood magician, there’s a certain blend I’ve been stirring into my morning cup for over a month now.
The extra boost of nutrients and energy is hard to pass up. This all started around the same time I posted my superfood Homemade Vegan Hot Chocolate that many of you loved. So this recipe has the same vibes as that.
I like to gather all the superfoods in my favorite mug, mix them up, pour the hot coffee over it, mix it again, add your sweetener/almond milk and sip away!
Here’s what you will need for this Superfood Elixir For Coffee:
Raw Cacao Powder:
Quite possibly my favorite superfood because hello, chocolate (find my favorite brand here
Raw Maca Powder:
My second favorite superfood. After noticing how it balances my hormones and mood (seriously though), I don’t go a day without it. I’ll add a teaspoon to smoothies, desserts, homemade snack bars and now, coffee. Maca is an energizing adaptogen that not only regulates hormones but increases fertility/libido, endurance and strength. A stress-relieving powerhouse with 31 minerals, it gives you a boost of natural energy and tons of phytonutrients (my favorite brand here
Cinnamon:
Super balancing and best known for normalizing blood sugar levels, cinnamon has antiseptic properties and aids digestion as well as nausea. Packed with manganese, fiber, iron and calcium, this classic spice adds much flavor and a slight sweetness. Not all cinnamon is the same though. Be sure to use saigon or ceylon cinnamon (vs. regular cinnamon) which have a distinct flavor and yummy scent (buy it here
Cayenne (only a teeny tiny amount):
(Totally optional!) Cayenne is known to rev up your metabolism and helps with congestion. Say goodbye to that stuffy nose. It reduces inflammation and blood cholesterol while relieving pain. Boosts your immunity too. Adding the tiniest bit goes a LONG way so be sure to add in super small amounts but I highly recommend adding a pinch to your mug as it really intensifies the flavors.
Turmeric:
Ahh, the golden wonder spice. I?ve really grown to love turmeric, mainly for its skin-loving properties (aids in a healthy glow) but it’s also antiseptic, anti bacterial and anti inflammatory. It comes from a root similar to ginger and is high in antioxidants. Adds a beautiful bright golden color; so vibrant! Fresh or ground is fine, I used ground.
Black Pepper or Coconut Oil:
In order for our bodies to absorb the goodness from turmeric, we need just a teeny pinch of black pepper. This helps to optimize absorption by enhancing the curcumin?s (in turmeric) bioavailability, helping it get past the stomach, small intestine and into the blood. You could also add a teaspoon of raw, unrefined coconut oil but it will leave an oily film on top… so I chose black pepper.
Ginger:
Ginger is so essential. So healing. So digestion-friendly. With it?s natural cold fighting properties, you can battle off congestion, flu and nausea while boosting your immunity as it destroys bacteria and viruses. Great for circulation and adds a zap of flavor. Fresh or ground is fine for this mug!
Natural Sweetener:
Of course we need a little sweetness! I prefer raw coconut sugar in this recipe but you could also use liquid stevia (as shown in the picture) or pure maple syrup – whichever you prefer. A splash of almond milk and you’re golden.
Superfood Elixir for Coffee
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon raw cacao powder
- 1 teaspoon raw maca powder
- 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
- pinch of black pepper
- pinch of cayenne pepper (optional!)
- 1 cup fresh, hot coffee
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- natural sweetener of choice (raw coconut sugar, stevia, pure maple syrup)
- splash of any dairy-free milk (unsweetened vanilla almond milk)
- 1 cup fresh coffee
Instructions
- In a coffee mug, combine the cacao, maca, turmeric, cinnamon, ginger, black pepper and cayenne pepper. Mix well. Pour hot coffee over and stir until combined!
- Add in the vanilla, sweetener, dairy free milk of choice and stir.
- Enjoy!
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
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Can I add this to my keto yogurt instead of coffee?
Sure why not!
Coconut oil adds great flavor and mouthfeel to coffee, but needs to be emulsified into it to avoid that oil slick on the top. I make my supercoffee in a big travel mug and hit it with a stick blender for 30 seconds. I end up with a great, creamy coffee (with no creamer) and the other powered ingredients suspend a little better and don’t sink to the bottom as much. Also: that fat is a great way to extend your intermittent fast, if you’re into that, without feeling hangry. I can go til noon, 1, even 2 PM some days with nothing else!
Hi! I really like your recipes! Now I know how to make the best coffee in the world! Thank you for posting this!
★★★★★
I wasnt sure at first if I’d like the chalkiness of having several powders in my coffee. After a few sips I got used to it. I used my immersion blender and added 1.5tsp of MCT oil as well. Might try adding collagen in as well. I only used a cup of coffee. I may do the premixed as others have done.
★★★★
I’ve been using a very similar recipe, but as I rarely drink coffee decided to try it in my tea. It works really well! I normally use it in my PG Tips, but you could probably try it in oolong, for better metabolism support. For those of you complaining about too much stuff in the bottom of you cup, I find stirring regularly while drinking helps, and also backing off the quantity a bit.
I seem to be left with a lot of the spices left at the bottom of my cup, and this is with stiring it a little before every sip. Do you have any tips on how to avoid this.
Hi Crystal! You could try blending it first and then warm it up. I sometimes do that and it helps a lot.
Shannon
I add a couple of shakes of turmeric, ginger, cinnamon, cayenne, and black pepper to make my anti-inflammatory/ketogenic coffee, plus a tablespoon each of butter and coconut oil. I mix it with a $15 battery-powered milk frother I found on Amazon, which does a great job of getting the oils insoluble spices in suspension. The frother is an indispensible utensil. My anti-inflammatory/keto coffee consumption went from two cups a week to one cup a day.
I can’t wait to try this! What would be the conversion when using fresh Turmeric and ginger? Thanks again for posting!
How many times a day or week is this mix recommended? For example, do you recommend drinking it only once a week? Twice a week? Once a day?
The link to your favorite raw cacao powder says it isn’t available and won’t be returning. Do you have another recommendation for a different brand?
Hi Danielle, sorry about that! I updated the links. Here’s my fave cacao: http://amzn.to/2DmjieE
Absolutely delicious and exactly the kind of recipe I was looking for when I wanted to incorporate cacao and maca into my coffee this morning. Like many others, I’m sipping a cup of it right now! So perfect for this cool December morning. Thank you for sharing!!
how much calories is in there?
I’m a health nut college student and my friends and I are coffee OBSSESED, as you are. At first they didn’t like that I was “messing” with perfectly good coffee but after they had a sip of this they were sold. Not only is it super good for you but the spices give you an extra boost of alertness with every sip! I still crave good ol’ black coffee but this is a regular drink for me now. Also- I made it in a large batch and it worked just fine!
Is it 1 or 2 cups of fresh coffee ☕️?
About 2 cups coffee for one coffee cup, or whichever amount needed, depending on the size of the cup.
I am currently sipping on this relish elixir! I love how it has a kind of hot coco treat feel to it!
Is there a recipe to make up a larger batch and then just add it to your coffee from there? New to your site, and superfood coffee and tried my first cup this morning. Loved it! Thanks!
Hey Crystal, that’s not a bad idea! I put the recipe into a measurement calculator (found here: http://skillet.lifehacker.com/divide-multiply-or-adapt-any-recipe-in-one-click-with-1730632423) which allows you to multiply it by 8 times. Hope this helps!
8 tablespoon raw cacao powder
8 teaspoon raw maca powder
2 teaspoon ground turmeric
2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
pinch of black pepper
pinch of cayenne pepper
Hi! Just wondering how much you would use from the larger quantity? like a couple of teaspoons or tablespoons? I don’t know if I’m just too tired to know an obvious answer!? (sick 3 year old and 1 year old haha)
Shannon & Sarah – I re-calculated along with using 1/16 teaspoon as a pinch.
Assuming US spoon sizes, you would use this much per serving:
– 4.75 US teaspoon
Here’s the recipe for making 32x quantity (that’s 3.12 US Cups or 750ml)
“`
## Dry ingredients:
32 tablespoon raw cacao powder
32 teaspoon raw maca powder
8 teaspoon ground turmeric
8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 teaspoon ground ginger
2 teaspoon of black pepper
2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper (optional!)
## Wet ingredients:
16 tsp vanilla extract
“`
Sean, Thanks for doing the calculation for us! To make it slightly easier, 4.75 teaspoons is equal to 1.58 tablespoons. So basically a tablespoon and a half. A little less scooping of the mixture! 🙂
I am sipping my superfood coffee elixir right now and I love it!! Thank you for the recipe. Love TGF. I’m new to the vegan lifestyle and it is very helpful. Especially since my children and husband are not Vegan…..AT ALL!! ☹️ Your site is helping me so much!! Thanks again!
What about blending this in a magic bullet??
I blend mine in my blender, coconut oil mixes in perfectly
I adore the aroma and taste of coffee too, but I don’t drink it much because I don’t want to start the habit. But this, this totally makes it justifiable 😀 Thank you for that! Sounds delicious, and I think I have everything in my kitchen already yay!
love this. if you like the creaminess of a little coconut oil (or unsalted butter or ghee), use a stick blender to froth the whole thing up… no greasy film. Just yumminess.