Protein Iced Coffee (Proffee) Recipe

Before you start

Proffee is protein plus coffee: usually espresso or cold brew poured over ice and topped with a ready-to-drink protein shake, or protein powder blended with milk. It became popular as a quick breakfast drink that tastes like a sweet iced latte. The idea is simple, but it fails easily, and the usual failure is clumps.

Whey and many plant proteins clump when they hit hot liquid. Heat makes the proteins tighten up and stick together, and once lumps form they will not dissolve. The fix is to keep the protein cold: mix powder into cold milk first, or use a ready-made shake, and let the espresso cool on ice before the protein goes in. This recipe uses a ready-to-drink shake for the easiest version and covers powder as an option.

Ingredients

• 60 ml (2 oz) espresso — or 120 ml cold brew concentrate diluted 1:1
• 1½ cups (about 220 g) ice cubes
• 240 to 330 ml (8 to 11 oz) ready-to-drink protein shake — vanilla, caramel or chocolate
• 10 ml (2 tsp) simple syrup — optional; most shakes are already sweet
• pinch ground cinnamon — optional

Method

1. Fill a tall glass with ice all the way to the top. The ice cools the espresso before it meets the protein.
2. Pull the espresso and pour it directly over the ice. Stir for about 10 seconds until the glass feels cold. If using cold brew, simply pour it in.
3. Shake the protein drink in its bottle before opening. Protein can settle during storage.
4. Pour the protein shake slowly over the chilled coffee. It will swirl into the coffee and sit slightly on top.
5. Stir well, then taste and add syrup or a pinch of cinnamon if you want it sweeter or warmer.
6. Powder version: shake 1 scoop (about 30 g) of protein powder with 240 ml cold milk in a sealed jar for 20 seconds until smooth, then pour it over the chilled espresso instead of the ready-made shake.

Tips for success

• Never add protein powder directly to hot coffee. Mix it with something cold first, or the powder lumps up and will not dissolve.
• Taste your protein shake on its own first. Shakes vary a lot in sweetness, and many need no added syrup.
• Whey isolate mixes smoother and tastes cleaner than whey concentrate. Pea and blended plant proteins can taste earthy and slightly gritty.

Substitutions

Ready-to-drink shake

Unflavored protein powder blended with milk lets you control sweetness. Greek yogurt blended with milk and a little honey gives a thicker, tangier drink.

Espresso

Cold brew is smoother and needs no cooling. Instant espresso powder dissolved in 30 ml cold water also works and avoids heat entirely.

Ice

Freeze leftover coffee into ice cubes for a drink that does not water down.

Variations

Blended proffee

Blend espresso, protein shake and 1 cup of ice until smooth for a frappé texture.

Mocha proffee

Use a chocolate shake and add a pinch of salt to bring out the chocolate.

Troubleshooting

Clumps of protein float in the drink

The protein touched hot coffee. Cool the espresso on ice first, and pre-mix powder with cold milk in a shaker.

It tastes chalky or gritty

Some powders do not fully dissolve. Blend for 20 seconds instead of shaking, or switch to a whey isolate or ready-made shake.

It foams over the glass

Protein shakes foam when poured fast. Pour slowly down the side of the glass and leave space at the top.

Storage

Drink right away. Once opened, ready-to-drink protein shakes should be refrigerated and used within the time on the label, often 24 to 48 hours. Do not leave milk-based drinks out for more than 2 hours.

Safety notes

Protein products often contain milk, soy or other allergens; check the label. A double espresso adds a significant amount of caffeine, and the FDA cites 400 mg a day as an amount not generally associated with negative effects for most healthy adults.