What if your morning latte was also a total game changer for your health? If you’re interested, you might wanna take a closer look at a superfood latte recipe. Here, you’ll find a nutrient-packed, flavorful twist on the regular latte.
Full of beneficial ingredients, these “lattes” don’t just taste incredible, but work overtime for your body.
Curious? Stick around. I’ll be breaking down everything you need to know about these nutrient-dense drinks, including my current favorite recipes.
Table of Contents
What Are Superfoods?
Superfoods aren’t just a nutrition buzzword. Rather, science has shown that they pack an insane amount of health-boosting compounds. These foods range from berries, leafy greens and healthy fats, to teas, nuts, spices, legumes and fish.
Today, I’ll focus on superfoods from a coffee perspective. I’ll give you the lowdown on latte-worthy candidates, which you can easily incorporate in powder or puree form.
Some of my current favorites include matcha, cacao, turmeric, ube (purple yam), berries, lavender and beets.
What’s a Superfood Latte?
A superfood latte is a latte-style drink that contains a nutrient-dense superfood and creamy milk. Some are coffee-based, while others are 100 percent caffeine-free.
The base of a superfood latte recipe is the superfood itself. Whisked into hot water as a powder or blended into a fine puree, it’s then topped with frothed dairy or non-dairy milk.
You may serve these lattes hot or iced, and sweeten them with honey, maple syrup, coconut sugar or monk fruit. Vanilla, cinnamon, ginger and cardamom also add a wonderful aroma and extra depth.
Personally, I love how intentional these drinks are. Every ingredient in a superfood latte recipe serves a healthy purpose beyond just looking and tasting great.
What Are the Health Benefits of Superfoods?
While superfood lattes have myriad benefits, with any food or drink, moderation is key. You should also note that the health benefits are subjective. What works for you may not work for another.
With that in mind, I recommend speaking with a health practitioner before consuming any superfood latte recipe, especially if it’s your first time. Nevertheless, researchers have identified a host of health benefits in superfoods. Let’s take a look.
Sustained Energy Boost
Slamming a coffee might have you feeling all buzzed up for an hour before crashing the next. Superfood lattes, on the other hand, offer a completely different energy experience.
Superfoods like matcha and hojicha contain caffeine. However they also contain L-Theanine, which promotes a calm focus. Thus, on drinking, say, a matcha tea latte, you’ll get all the benefits of caffeine without the dreaded coffee crash or jitters.
Powerful Anti-inflammatory Effects
Inflammation is the cause of tons of health issues from rheumatoid arthritis to heart disease.
Curcumin, in turmeric, does wonders for inflammation. In fact, research shows that it can be as powerful as some over-the-counter drugs!
Elsewhere, cacao’s flavonoids have also been shown to reduce inflammation, while gingerol, present in ginger, tackles it at the cellular level. Even matcha catechins (EGCG), beetroot betalains and berry anthocyanins work to calm inflammation.
Potent Antioxidant Protection
Antioxidants are crucial in combating free radicals, the main cause of oxidative stress and aging.
In a superfood latte recipe, foods that have high antioxidant levels not only look and taste great, but also deliver these health benefits.
Cacao, for instance, has one of the highest antioxidant counts in any food – approximately 146 mg (per 7.3-gram serving) or 98,000 on the Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) scale. This is higher than red wine, dark chocolate, blueberries, acai and matcha.
Interestingly, matcha contains 137 times the antioxidant level in green tea.
Stress Relief, Relaxation and Mood Support
Modern life is incredibly stressful, and while caffeine in coffee definitely helps, superfood lattes with adaptogens can do better. These are great at reducing anxiety while boosting your mood and relieving stress.
Research shows that ashwagandha, a key ingredient in moon milk lattes, helps to lower cortisol (the body’s main stress hormone). Maca, another adaptogen, lowers stress, lifts mood and balances hormone levels in men and women.
Then there’s reishi, which supports stress relief by promoting better sleep. In a mushroom coffee, it’s the perfect drink right before you turn in.
You also have mood boosters like cacao and lavender. Cacao contains theobromine and phenylethylamine, which trigger dopamine and serotonin, your brain’s happy chemicals.
Lavender, too, has significant calming effects. Food-grade lavender contains linalool and linalyl acetate, which activate your parasympathetic nervous system, telling your body it’s safe to relax.
If you ever feel stressed or anxious, do yourself a favor and swap your afternoon espresso for a cacao, ashwagandha or lavender latte!
Mental Clarity and Focus
Focus and mental sharpness is something most of us struggle with, and that’s where a good superfood latte recipe can help.
Adding lion’s mane, a nootropic (brain enhancing) mushroom to your coffee, does wonders for your brain health, mood and digestion. Studies show that these mushrooms improve memory and focus, while helping to prevent cognitive decline.
As mentioned, matcha’s unique combo of caffeine and L-Theanine (a key difference in coffee vs tea) creates what scientists call a “calm alertness.” It keeps you focused and sharp for longer without the jitters.
Another ingredient common in adaptogen lattes is ginseng, which helps with mental clarity, heart health and immunity.
Improved Digestion and Weight Management
For many people coffee downright irritates the gut. A good superfood latte recipe, on the other hand, can actually help with gut health while supporting sustainable weight loss.
Turmeric is one of these foods. It stimulates bile production (which helps break down fats), reduces bloating and soothes inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract.
Ginger, commonly paired with turmeric and black pepper in golden milk lattes, eases nausea and improves digestion. And EGCG, present in matcha, boosts metabolic rates, which helps with weight loss.
Notably, these lattes aren’t about restrictive dieting or quick fixes. Rather, they support your body’s natural digestive processes and metabolism with whole food ingredients that actually nourish you.
My Favorite Superfood Latte Recipes
Most of these drinks should come together with basic kitchen equipment you probably already have.
The ultimate, of course, is one of these home espresso machines, which will help you achieve silky microfoam. But in its absence, you may use a small saucepan to heat your milk. After this, froth it using a French press or hand-held frother.
For matcha purists, a chasen (bamboo whisk) and chawan (ceramic bowl) is mandatory. But if you can’t get these, a small whisk and bowl will do just fine.
You may also need one or both of the following:
Blender: Incorporates healthy fats and purees more effectively.
Thermometer: Ensures milk is at the correct temperature (140-145 degrees Fahrenheit / 60-65 degrees Celsius).
Now, here are three superfood latte recipes I’m currently enjoying. Each recipe serves one. Oh, and I recommend using latte glasses instead of cups to serve these drinks, so you can enjoy them in all their glory. They really are something to look at!
Red Velvet Latte
Ingredients:
1 teaspoon beetroot powder
1 teaspoon raw cacao powder
1 ounce (30milliliters) hot water
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-2 teaspoons vanilla syrup, honey or maple syrup to taste
8-12 ounces (240-354 milliliters) milk of choice
Optional cheese foam topping: 1-2 tablespoons mascarpone or cream cheese, 2 tablespoons heavy cream, 1 tablespoon milk of choice, 1.5 teaspoons confectioner’s sugar and a pinch of salt
How to Make It:
Whisk together beetroot powder, cacao powder, sweetener and vanilla extract with hot water in a small bowl until smooth.
Pour this mixture into your latte glass.
Now, for your cheese foam. In a separate bowl, combine all the ingredients listed above and hand-whisk them until you get a smooth, pourable cold foam. Set aside.
Heat and froth your milk, and then pour it over your beet-cacao mixture. It should turn a gorgeous pink-red color.
Top with the cheese foam if using, and enjoy!
Why It’s Super:
Beets provide nitrates for improved blood flow and athletic performance, and betalains for detoxification and anti-inflammation. Combined with cacao’s antioxidants, you’ve got yourself a healthy drink in one pretty package!
Pro Tip: This is the perfect pre-workout drink. Nitrates in beets improve blood flow and oxygen delivery to the muscles, enhancing performance and stamina. Turn it into a protein coffee by adding protein powder.
Purple Latte
Ingredients:
1-2 tablespoons ube powder
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-2 ounces (30-60milliliters) hot water
1-2 teaspoons vanilla syrup, honey or maple syrup to taste
8-12 ounces (240-354milliliters) coconut milk or milk of choice
Toasted coconut flakes to garnish (optional)
How to Make It:
In a bowl, mix 1-2 tablespoons of ube powder with hot water, sweetener and vanilla extract.
Whisk until you’ve got a smooth purple paste.
Pour this paste into your latte glass and set aside.
Heat and froth your milk of choice, before topping the ube paste with it.
I recommend using coconut milk. Its creamy, tropical sweetness enhances the subtle, earthy sweetness of ube.
Adjust sweetener if needed, garnish with toasted coconut flakes (optional) and serve.
Why It’s Super:
Ube is rich in vitamin C and anthocyanins for an antioxidant boost.
Pro Tip: Ube makes an incredible iced latte. The purple color stays vibrant over ice, giving you a stunning, subtly sweet yet creamy drink.
Moon Milk Latte
Ingredients:
1/2 teaspoon ashwagandha powder
1/2 teaspoon maca powder
Pinch of ginseng powder
Pinch of ground cinnamon, nutmeg or ginger
1-2 ounces (30-60milliliters) hot water
1-2 teaspoons honey or maple syrup to taste
8-12 ounces (240-354 milliliters) milk of choice
How to Make It
Combine the ashwagandha, maca, ginseng powder and your spice of choice with hot water and sweetener in a small bowl.
Whisk this mixture until smooth and pour it into your latte glass.
Warm your milk over a gentle heat. This is traditionally a bedtime drink, so no need for super high temperatures.
Froth the milk lightly, and then pour over the adaptogen powder base.
Sip slowly, and enjoy!
Why It’s Super
This latte is all about stress relief. Ashwagandha lowers cortisol, maca supports energy and libido and the ritual itself promotes relaxation, hence the name “moon milk.”
Pro Tip: A tiny bit of coconut oil or ghee, helps with adaptogens absorption. It also gives the drink a creamy, more indulgent texture.
Final Thoughts
What I love about these latte-style drinks, is that they give you the freedom to enjoy “coffee” your way. Whether you choose to incorporate coffee or not (coffee has health benefits, too), these are, nonetheless, delicious, gorgeous-looking drinks that help support your energy, immunity, stress levels and overall wellbeing.
Start with one or two recipes and build from there. One thing’s for sure: whichever superfood latte recipe you choose, it’s sure to taste darn good while doing you a lot of good!
Now, I’d love to hear from you. Which superfood latte are you most excited to try first? Or have you already been making these at home? Drop a comment below.
Superfood Latte FAQ
Mix your superfood powder (matcha, berry, turmeric, cacao, etc.) with a little hot water until smooth. Then, heat and froth your preferred milk or froth cold milk. Top the superfood base with the frothed milk, ice (if making an iced latte), sweeten to taste and enjoy.
A superfood latte is a latte-style drink made with nutrient-dense ingredients like matcha, turmeric, cacao or adaptogens instead of (or in addition to) coffee. It’s topped with creamy, frothed, hot or cold milk.
Yes! When made with natural superfoods, natural sweeteners and plant-based or quality dairy milk, lattes can be incredibly healthy.
Adding turmeric (with black pepper for enhanced absorption) to your morning coffee may support weight loss. It helps to boost metabolism and regulate blood sugar levels. This isn’t a magic solution but best combined with a healthy diet and exercise.
