Keto Vanilla Butter Latte

⏲ ~9 min total · prep 4 · cook 5 · 1 servings

By the KFI Test Kitchen · Tested & approved by Jason Lieu, KFI recipe editor

Published Sep 15, 2026 · Updated Sep 15, 2026

Ingredients

• 1 cup strong hot brewed coffee (or 2 espresso shots topped with hot water)
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 tsp MCT oil or virgin coconut oil
• 1 1/2 tbsp heavy cream, warmed
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 drops liquid stevia, or a pinch of powdered monk fruit
• 1 tiny pinch fine sea salt
• Ground cinnamon, for dusting

Instructions

1. Brew the coffee first so it's piping hot — a blender emulsifies butter best at 180°F or above.
2. Fill your serving mug with hot water to warm it, then dump the water out.
3. Warm the heavy cream in the microwave for 15-20 seconds.
4. Combine the hot coffee, butter, MCT oil, vanilla, sweetener, and salt in a blender; crack open the lid's center cap, cover with a folded towel, and blend 20 seconds on medium until the mixture turns pale tan and frothy — hot liquids erupt from a sealed blender.
5. Pour into the warmed mug, spooning the foam on top.
6. Swirl the warm cream over the surface, dust lightly with cinnamon, and drink immediately before the butter separates.

Why this recipe works

• Heat you can measure Butter emulsifies best at 180°F or above, so the coffee brews first and goes into the blender piping hot. A lukewarm latte separates in the cup.
• The cracked lid Hot liquid in a sealed blender erupts. The center cap stays open with a folded towel over the hole, and that is the whole safety briefing.
• A warmed mug Hot water sits in the serving mug while you blend, then gets dumped. Cold ceramic is the fastest way to kill the foam.

Tips for making this recipe well

Blend 20 seconds, no more

Medium speed until the drink turns pale tan and frothy. Longer blending adds nothing and lets the mixture cool.

Warm the cream separately

Fifteen to twenty seconds in the microwave. Cold cream poured over hot foam reads as a cold streak in the cup.

Sweeten low

Two drops of liquid stevia or a pinch of powdered monk fruit to start. You can add more; you cannot take it back out.

One tiny pinch of salt

You will not taste it as salt. It rounds the butter and keeps the drink from tasting flat.

Drink it fresh

The butter starts to separate as the cup sits. Swirl the spoon between sips and finish it warm.

Serving suggestions

This stands in for breakfast on the mornings when food can wait, 0.9 g net carbs and about 11 minutes with the brew. Strong brewed coffee works where an espresso machine does not; two shots topped with hot water is the other road, and the recipe allows either. Spoon the foam on, swirl the warmed cream over it, and dust the top with cinnamon. Hold the mug with both hands and drink it hot.

Storage and meal prep

A butter latte does not keep, and no container fixes that; the emulsion breaks as it cools and the fat settles into a slick ring. What stores is the setup. A small pantry jar of cinnamon, salt, and powdered sweetener mixed ahead covers the dry ingredients, with the vanilla living next to the blender. The drink itself takes 20 seconds of blending, so make it when you want it and rinse the jar after.

Variations worth trying

• Cinnamon-forward Add 1/4 tsp of the cinnamon into the blender with the coffee instead of dusting on top. The spice runs through the foam instead of sitting on it.
• Coconut direction Use the virgin coconut oil option in place of MCT. A light coconut note comes through, which suits the vanilla.
• Iced version Blend cold brew, butter, and oil on high for the same 20 seconds; cold liquids cannot erupt, so the lid stays closed. Pour over ice, though expect the fats to firm slightly where they meet the cubes.

Frequently asked questions

Can I make this without a blender?

You can whisk it hard in a mug, but the texture suffers. The blender is what emulsifies the butter into foam; whisked, the butter floats in beads.

Why did my latte separate?

The coffee was under 180°F, which is the usual cause. Butter emulsifies best piping hot, so brew fresh and blend immediately.

Can I use coconut oil instead of MCT oil?

Yes, virgin coconut oil is the listed swap. The flavor leans slightly coconut, which works with the vanilla.

Is the salt necessary?

It is one tiny pinch, and it disappears into the drink. What it does is round the butter so the latte tastes rounded rather than flat.

Which sweetener is best?

Two drops of liquid stevia or a pinch of powdered monk fruit, per the recipe. Start low and taste, because sweetener is easier to add than to remove.

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