I Tried MCT Oil Coffee Every Morning for a Week: Here’s What I Noticed
There is something addictive about starting the day with an instant lift of energy and alertness.
Coffee already has a reputation for helping you feel more awake, but one popular add-in is often said to take those effects even further: MCT oil.
For seven days, I replaced my usual morning coffee with a frothy cup of coffee blended with MCT oil to see what would happen.
MCT coffee is very simple to make. You just add medium-chain triglycerides (MCT oil) to a cup of organic coffee, then mix it with either a blender or a handheld frother. I chose the frother because it was quicker and easier.
This drink is often referred to as Bulletproof coffee or butter coffee when grass-fed butter is included. Technically, the original Bulletproof version uses C8 Brain Octane oil, a specific type of MCT fatty acid.
The drink was popularized by Dave Asprey as a wellness-focused coffee designed to support ketone production, improve steady energy, and promote better overall performance. Since then, oil-enriched coffee has become a favorite among keto dieters and people looking for improved focus and sustained energy.
For my test, I used a liquid coconut-derived MCT oil, not the official Bulletproof brand. During the final two days, I also added a slice of grass-fed butter to increase the fat content and give the drink a slightly salty flavor.
I went into this experiment with cautious optimism. My goal was to see whether I would notice the commonly claimed benefits within one week, such as:
- Better mental clarity
- Longer-lasting energy
- Increased fullness and fewer cravings
Because I was not following a ketogenic diet during this week, I did not measure ketones or check whether I had entered ketosis.
Here is what happened when I added MCT oil to my coffee every morning for one full week.
Day 1: The Hardest Part Was Getting Started
The first day was easily the most difficult. I had a lot of hesitation about pouring oil into my coffee.
For years, my usual routine had been simple: black drip coffee with a small splash of organic almond milk. So the idea of adding even a healthy fat felt strange at first.
Once I committed to trying it, though, the process itself was easy. Making MCT coffee really came down to three steps:
- Brew the coffee
- Add the MCT oil
- Froth or blend it
I normally grind whole beans each morning, but pre-ground coffee would work just as well. Although traditional Bulletproof coffee is often made with drip coffee, any brewing method can be used.
To start cautiously, I added one teaspoon of MCT oil. I kept the bottle at room temperature, then used a handheld frother to mix everything together. This created a creamy, latte-like foam on top.
The first sip took some bravery, but the taste surprised me. It was not unpleasant at all. The foam made the coffee feel smoother and richer, almost like a heavier homemade latte.
After drinking it, I definitely felt energized. It was difficult to tell whether the effect was stronger than my normal caffeine boost, but I did feel more alert and awake.
What stood out most, however, was how filling it was. The fat sat heavily in my stomach and significantly reduced my appetite. Instead of eating breakfast, I ended up skipping the meal and treating the morning more like an intermittent fasting window.
That said, coffee with added fat does contain calories, so it would technically break a strict fast. If staying fully aligned with intermittent fasting is important to you, plain black coffee is still the better option.
Day 2: Easier to Make, Easier to Drink
By the second day, the routine already felt more natural and much faster.
I used the same amount of MCT oil as on Day 1. The product I had was odorless and flavorless, which made the drink much easier to enjoy.
I also added a small splash of almond milk. For anyone following a keto diet, a low-sugar almond milk would make the most sense.
I do not normally sweeten my coffee, but if you prefer a sweeter taste, low-carb options like:
- Stevia
- Erythritol
could work well without adding much sugar or causing a major blood sugar spike.
After drinking it, I again felt a noticeable energy lift. The first two days were both productive, and what I liked most was how effectively this drink replaced breakfast.
The satiety was impressive. I felt comfortably full all morning, snacked less than usual, and noticed that my mind stayed clear for hours.
Day 3: More Fullness, Less Snacking, One Unwanted Side Effect
By Day 3, I had adjusted to the thick foam and the heaviness of this high-fat morning coffee.
However, later that morning I noticed some mild heartburn, which I do not usually get from regular coffee alone.
I had not lost any visible weight by this point, but my appetite remained much lower throughout the day. That alone led to less snacking, which made me think this habit could potentially support weight loss over time if someone stuck with it consistently.
For people on a low-carb or ketogenic diet, this type of coffee may be especially appealing. It is low in carbohydrates and rich in fats from MCT oil.
MCTs are supplements made from medium-chain fatty acids found in sources such as:
- Coconut oil
- Palm oil
- Breast milk
Because these fats are shorter in structure than many other fatty acids, research suggests they can be digested more quickly and converted into ketones faster.
That may explain why MCT oil is often linked to:
- Reduced cravings
- More stable energy
- Brain fuel
- Better focus and mental clarity
Day 4: More MCT Oil, Added Butter, Richer Results
Even though I had some slight heartburn the day before, I decided to carefully increase the amount of MCT oil.
This time, I used one tablespoon of MCT oil and added a slice of salted grass-fed butter because I did not have unsalted butter available.
As expected, the butter gave the coffee a slightly salty flavor, which I actually did not mind. It also made the drink much thicker, heavier, and richer. The foam became denser than it had been with just one teaspoon of MCT oil.
If you are someone who likes heavy cream in coffee, butter coffee may feel like a natural fit because it delivers a similar richness.
After drinking it, I noticed a few things:
- I felt very full
- I was highly alert
- My heart seemed to beat faster
- My digestion felt better
The increased heart rate made me wonder if it was slightly raising my metabolic rate. I also felt more regular digestion-wise, which was an unexpected benefit.
As for mental performance, I still felt focused, but not dramatically more than on the earlier days.
Day 5: Subtle Benefits, but Not a New Daily Habit
By Friday, I had become comfortable trying different versions of MCT coffee. I alternated between:
- Coffee with only MCT oil
- Coffee with MCT oil and grass-fed butter
Of the two, I liked the plain MCT oil version far more. My favorite recipe of the week was simply coffee with one teaspoon of MCT oil.
The butter coffee I tried on Days 4 and 5 was my least favorite. It felt too rich, and because I had already been trying to avoid dairy before this experiment, adding butter to my coffee seemed unnecessary.
I did notice slightly better concentration and a stronger sense of alertness during the week. Still, the effects were subtle. While the drink clearly kept me full and may have helped me snack less, the improvement was not dramatic enough to make this a must-have daily ritual for me.
One surprise, though, was that I felt like I may have dropped a few pounds by the end of the week, likely because I was eating less overall.
Final Thoughts on Drinking MCT Oil Coffee for a Week
After a full week of MCT oil coffee, my experience was mixed but interesting.
What I liked
- It was easy to make
- It created a rich, creamy texture
- It kept me full for hours
- It reduced my desire to snack
- It seemed to support focus and steady morning energy
What I did not love
- The drink could feel heavy
- The butter version was too rich for me
- I experienced mild heartburn
- The mental and energy benefits were noticeable, but not dramatic
If you are curious about MCT oil coffee, especially if you follow a keto lifestyle or want a more filling alternative to breakfast, it may be worth trying. For me, the best version was the simplest one: coffee with a small amount of MCT oil and no butter.
In the end, I found the results real but modest. It helped with fullness, focus, and cutting back on snacking, but it was not a life-changing upgrade to my morning coffee routine.
