Recipes

Protein Coffee (Proffee): Iced Coffee Recipe

How to Make Smooth Protein Coffee

Combine chilled coffee with a protein product you already use, following its serving and liquid directions instead of guessing by the scoop.

5 min read By Coffee Crate Reading Room
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A creamy protein shake is poured into cold brew over ice beside a scoop of protein powder.
In this guide 5 chapters
  1. Coffee plus your chosen protein product
  2. Plan the liquid before adding powder
  3. Use enough liquid, then mix as directed
  4. Taste before adding more sweetness
  5. Use the label for the numbers

Coffee plus your chosen protein product

“Proffee” is a nickname for coffee mixed with a protein powder or prepared protein drink. The useful kitchen challenge is making the texture pleasant while respecting the product’s own directions. It is a beverage idea, not a promise of fullness, weight change or a complete breakfast.

Products differ in serving size, ingredients, sweetness and the liquid they need. Start with a product suitable for you, check its ingredient and allergen information, and use its directions. A scoop is a measuring tool supplied with one product, not a universal quantity across brands.

Plan the liquid before adding powder

For a first glass, choose one labeled serving or a smaller measured portion of your product. Check how much liquid that portion requires. Use cold prepared coffee for part of that liquid and cold water or milk for the rest, where the product permits those beverages.

For example, if your label calls for 240 ml cold liquid for your chosen portion, you might start with 120 ml ready-to-drink chilled coffee plus 120 ml water or milk. This is an example of dividing the label’s liquid amount, not a direction to mix every powder with 240 ml. If yours requires a different amount or method, use it.

  • Your label-measured protein product portion
  • The label’s total cold liquid amount, split between prepared coffee and permitted water or milk
  • Optional ice added after mixing, within the vessel’s fill limit

Cold brew concentrate needs dilution before it counts as ready-to-drink coffee here. A coffee-flavored protein powder may already contain caffeine; check its label before adding more coffee. Decaf prepared coffee is another option.

Espresso in a navy ceramic cup and saucer beside a small spoon
A little inspiration for your next coffee break. Follow the recipe for its ingredients and amounts. AI-created editorial imagery

Use enough liquid, then mix as directed

  1. Prepare the coffee ahead and chill it. Use clean equipment. Do not put warm or hot coffee in a sealed protein shaker.
  2. Measure the permitted cold liquids into your mixing vessel. A liquid-first sequence can help with powders; use the product and vessel instructions.
  3. Add the measured powder portion. Leave the headspace your shaker or blender requires.
  4. Mix by the label’s supported method until evenly combined. A spoon, shaker or blender may be appropriate; not every product needs the same tool.
  5. Check texture before adding ice. If it is too thick, add a little more permitted liquid and record the amount for next time.

A tiny splash may not be enough to wet a full powder serving. If it forms a thick paste or dry clumps, more vigorous shaking is not always the answer. Recheck the label’s liquid amount and sequence. Do not use carbonated coffee or sparkling water in a sealed shaker.

Taste before adding more sweetness

Vanilla and chocolate products bring their own flavor and often their own sweetness. Taste the mixed drink before adding syrup. If it tastes too sweet, use an unflavored product on another occasion or make a smaller permitted portion; pouring in more coffee changes caffeine as well as balance.

For a ready-to-drink protein beverage, follow its instructions instead of adding powder. Begin with a small coffee portion and a measured amount of the prepared drink. It is a different ingredient with its own opened-container storage directions.

Keep the same coffee and powder portion when comparing milk against water. Changing everything at once makes it hard to tell what improved the texture.

Use the label for the numbers

Any protein or calorie total depends on the amount of each product used. As arithmetic only, a product labeled 24 g protein per serving contributes 12 g from half a serving; milk or another added product contributes its own label-based amount. Those are not universal totals for this recipe, and the powder serving alone does not establish the drink’s suitability as a meal.

Make a serving you plan to drink and follow all mixed-product refrigeration and use directions. Our cold brew dilution guide helps prepare the coffee part. If you would rather enjoy coffee and milk without powder, the iced latte is ready for that morning too.

Sources & further reading

Our teaching is written for Coffee Crate. Named recipes remain credited to their creators; manufacturer instructions apply to the equipment specified.

Sources checked 2026-10-16.