Cocoa Butter decaf. Coffee {GAPS, Paleo, dairy-free}

Name: Cocoa Butter decaf. Coffee
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: 1 12 ounce cup coffee (darkly brewed decaf., piping hot); 2-4* T. COCOA butter, (small chunks or pieces); 1 T. gelatin (Perfect brand recommended); 1-2 tsp. raw honey (or stevia, to taste, for Keto version) (or preferred sweetener, to taste)

Updated Aug 10, 2018 · 35 Comments

I may receive a commission if you purchase through links in this post. I am not a doctor; please consult your practitioner before changing your supplement or healthcare regimen.

Nothing says, Sunday to me like Butter Coffee, (aka Bulletproof Coffee). I used to make Butter Tea (and still do on occasion); but as my gut healed, and I was able to tolerate coffee again, I found the flavor of coffee much more restful and delicious. I have always loved dark brews and decaf. coffee satisfies! (I do avoid caffeine, to protect my adrenals.)

Weak coffee is allowed on the GAPS diet. So if you believe (what I’ve said) that this preparation of strong coffee is GAPS-friendly please keep in mind that Dr. Natasha hasn’t given me the thumbs up. It is GAPS-friendly, in my opinion. Why is that? There are two ingredients that help make the darker brew gentler to a potentially fragile gut lining: gelatin and fat. I have never liked weak coffee. So for me, it’s all or nothing.

Here’s my all.

About a year ago, when my Interstitial Cystitis was healed by the GAPS Introduction Diet (I wrote about this here), I was able to reintroduce coffee, but only with amendments that made it gentle. I started really slowly and carefully, to be sure and cautious, to protect what I’d worked hard to heal. The result? No symptoms, just a happy belly.

When I first started making these, I used grass-fed butter, because I had acquired a sensitivity to coconut oil. (The recent tradition of Bulletproof Coffee uses both grass-fed butter and MCT oil [a medium chain triglyceride extracted from coconut oil, one that digests easily and delivers immediate and prolonged energy] or coconut oil.)

Then, always fine-tuning my healing, I acquired a rash on my thumb and eliminated dairy for a short time to determine its cause. With both butter and coconut oil out, by beloved weekly ritual was at a standstill. But, as the ever-flexible, undaunted and ingenious queen of my kitchen, I was once again bound for an… alternative! About this time I got really into cooking and baking with cocoa butter. So that was the natural solution. A fat that tasted like chocolate blended into my coffee?! Heck yes! 🙂

Turns out, cocoa butter coffee makes an amazingly fine foam. So creamy, luscious, lovely! Oh mercy~ Sunday pleasure! I actually videoed the cup of joe after it had been poured into a clear mug because I couldn’t believe its behavior: swirling magic kept moving as the fine foam settled into its new home, seriously beautiful and surprising! From a one color cup of foamed coffee, ripples waved until three layers emerged and then finally, two, in multi-hued, mocha-colored beauty.

Now make this… and take a sip…. Amazing, right? 🙂

Cocoa Butter

Regarding cocoa butter, I know it’s new for many of us. It’s hard to buy or order something that’s out of our usual repertoire. I got off easy because a local cute market, here in Eugene, OR, sells it in bulk. But I also now enjoy buying it from Amazon, as they carry a wonderful product by Terrasoul (find it here). I love reaching into the bag for chunks– the smell, the enriching, so-soft feel of it on my fingers! Either way, I highly recommend incorporating this special fat into your world. I have now made grain and refined-sugar free Pound Cake with it, Homemade Dark Chocolate and love experimenting, which is how this Cocoa Butter Coffee came to be.

Health-wise cocoa butter is good for you, super good! It contains almost no caffeine, has an excellent fat profile (saturated fats- 57-64%, monounsaturated fats- 29-43% and polyunsaturated fats- 0-5%) and has a high smoke point; so it’s safe for baking and sauteing.

Don’t miss these pieces

There’s an important piece of this equation that I almost forgot to share! It’s our stomach pH, and protecting it. Having the proper acid pH (between 1 and 3) in our stomachs stimulates the rest of our digestive mechanisms to function properly. Coffee, in particular, changes this pH significantly (to between 4 and 5).

Therefore, I always take 1 Betaine HCl with Pepsin capsule right before I enjoy my cup of decaf. coffee. Always.

This supplement is really important regardless of coffee, in my opinion. Anyone healing, anyone with GI issues or an autoimmune disease should, I believe, be taking the supplement with every meal. But with coffee, even more so.

Called HCl for short, this potent supplement is hydrochloric acid. It indeed adds acid to the stomach, setting the stomach pH right.

Gelatin is the final protective piece, one we don’t usually see in bulletproof or butter coffee recipes. (Find the best one here [sustainable, grass-fed, pesticide-free!]) I added it when I first started making butter coffee and butter tea to help create an added barrier to my gut, something that would coat, protect and heal. It does just that. It makes the drink gentler, adds protein and overall makes it more nutrient dense.

Turns out, cocoa butter coffee makes an amazingly fine foam. So creamy, luscious, lovely. Oh mercy~ Sunday pleasure! I actually videoed the cup of Joe after it had been poured into a clear mug because I couldn't believe its behavior: a swirling magical business kept moving as the fine foam settled into its new home, seriously beautiful and surprising!

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