Butter coffee recipe, or Kopi Gu You, as it’s made in coffeeshops in Singapore and Malaysia, from way before bulletproof coffee existed.
Estimated reading time: 7 minutes
What is Butter Coffee?
I’m sure you’ve heard of the butter coffee or bulletproof coffee craze that’s enslaved many a health enthusiast and those on a low carb diet.
It essentially involves adding butter to a steaming cup of coffee and mixing it in. Espresso with butter is an especially popular fuel drink to get one’s morning started.
The caffeine mixes with the fats in the butter (can also be coconut oil) to create the perfect low calorie, slow energy release drink. Allegedly, and if you’re not adding milk and sugar to it.
Adding butter to coffee has been around for a long, long time; it is by no means a modern invention. Just like the Tibetan yak butter tea. Which is where the idea of bullet coffee comes from, courtesy of David Asprey, the founder.
It’s a fairly widespread practice, from India to China to Vietnam, all the way down to Indonesia.
There are purportedly some health benefits to it, but I’m not going to bother with butter coffee benefits, nor talk about mcts and stuff.
Because I’m not making the Western version of butter coffee. I’m making the one I grew up drinking in kopitiams in Singapore and Malaysia.
Kopi Gu You
Let’s break it down, shall we?
Kopi = coffee in Hokkien and also Malay
Gu You = butter in Hokkien, traditionally spelt gu – iu (gu = cow)
Kopitiam = coffee shop in Hokkien
So Kopi Gu You = Butter Coffee, literally.
Butter coffee the way it’s made in Singapore and Malaysia, and other parts of South East Asia, is no lean, mean drink. That’s because we add condensed milk to the drink, as you can see from the recipe and video.
Just like Vietnamese Coffee, recipe on LinsFood.
How to Make Butter Coffee?
Butter in coffee recipes are very very easy to make at home. Our version goes like this (full recipe in the card below):
- Boil some water.
- Warm your jug or carafe.
- Brew the coffee for 3-4 minutes.
- Warm your cup/mug up and dry.
- Add condensed milk to the mug.
- Pour the brewed coffee onto the condensed milk (be sure it’s strained, or pour it through a strainer).
- Pour a little more hot water over.
- Finally drop a cold block of butter.
- Leave the butter to melt, stir it all up and enjoy.
Ingredients
We don’t need much, just
- coffee (not instant)
- condensed milk
- water
- butter
The Coffee
The traditional kopi gu you is made with Nanyang Coffee. This is a local coffee made in Singapore with robusta beans that are roasted to Full City with added sugar and butter or margarine.
The result is a rich, dark coffee with flavours of burnt sugar and chocolate. It is a strong brew with a fruity and creamy aroma.
If you can’t get hold of Nanyang coffee, your best bet is one that’s similar in flavour and aroma. So you want a full bodied dark roast with toasty, caramel flavours.
Condensed Milk
I enjoy my tea and coffee with condensed milk most of the time, the way I grew up drinking the stuff. So I always have condensed milk at home.
As you may be able to see in the video, I’m using a skimmed version, which works pretty well. So easier on the fat content, if that’s something that bothers you.
Full fat, low fat or no fat condensed milk in your kopi gu you – it’s all good.
Butter
Some people will use unsalted butter for their butter coffee. However, I much prefer the more well rounded flavour of salted butter and to me, it makes for a better drink too.
I shall leave this up to you.
Ghee coffee is also quite popular, if you fancy trying it, but naturally, don’t go calling it coffee gu you! Coffee with ghee is a slightly more aromatic and creamier drink.
In Ethiopia, they’ve been been adding their traditional ghee, Niter Kibbeh, into their coffee for years. So you know it works. I have a homemade niter kibbeh recipe on LinsFood, if you fancy flexing those culinary muscles. It’s essentially, spiced ghee.
How to Drink Butter Coffee
Once you’ve made it, leave the butter to melt. Then give it a good stir, mixing it all up and take a huge sip. Be careful though, it will still be pretty hot.
My grandpa’s favourite accompaniment, whether he was having butter coffee or teh tarik, would be buttered toast. More often than not, the toast will also be accompanied by soft boiled eggs drizzled with light soy sauce and topped with freshly ground black pepper.
This remains my favourite, nostalgic Sunday treat.
Another popular accompaniment to kopi gu you in kopitiams is kaya toast. Kaya is coconut and pandan jam, something that’s been on my to-do list for this blog for ever!
I’m working on an eggless version at the moment, so look out for it!
Kopitiam Coffee Lingo
I did the various tea versions on our teh tarik article. Now let’s have a little bit more fun. Next time you’re in Singapore or Malaysia, order your coffee like a local! Pronunciation help follows the list.
- Kopi O = black coffee with sugar
- Kopi O kosong = Black coffee, no sugar (kosong = empty/zero in Malay)
- Kopi C = with evaporated milk and sugar (C = main evaporated milk brand used to be Carnation)
- Kopi C kosong = with evaporated milk, no sugar
- Kopi gah dai = with extra condensed milk (gah dai means more sweet in Hockchiu, can be used with any drink)
- Kopi siew dai = with less condensed milk (siew dai means less sweet)
- Kopi pok = half strength coffee with condensed milk (pok means thin)
- Kopi gau = stronger coffee with condensed milk (gau means thick)
- Kopi peng = Iced condensed milk coffee (peng means ice)
- Kopi tarik = condensed milk coffee that’s been “pulled”; pour from glass to another from a great height, to cool slightly, and to add froth (tarik is pull, you can see me demonstrating this on the teh tarik article)
Pronunciations
- kosong = koh – sewng (like oh and sew)
- gah dai = gah – die
- siew = see – you but pronounce quickly, like a single syllable
- pok = poke
- gau = gow (like in cow)
- peng = payng (like in pay)
- tarik = tah – rayk (like in ah and ray)
And there you go, all about Kopi Gu You, or Butter Coffee, the way it has been made in Singapore and Malaysia for a long, long time. Sadly, it is a dying art, and you’ll only find it in the odd coffeeshop in Singapore, Penang and perhaps Malacca. But I’m sure they’d be happy to drop a bit of butter in your coffee if you ask!
If you like the recipe, drop me a comment to let me know. And if you’re feeling like a star, don’t forget that 5-star rating! 😉Thank you!
If you make the recipe, share it on any platform and tag me @azlinbloor, and hashtag it #linsfood
Lin xx
Butter Coffee Recipe (Kopi Gu You)
Equipment
- 1 mug
- 1 strainer or coffee sock if not using Frencg press
- 1 tablespoon
- 1 teaspoon
Ingredients
- 2 heaped Tbsp dark roast ground coffee UK Tbsp, about 20g/0.7 oz
- 500 ml hot water boil your water, then count to 10 before using
- 2 Tbsp condensed milk
- 10 g cold salted butter unsalted works too
Instructions
- Add the coffee to your cafetiere or jug.
- Top with 200 ml (⅘ cup) of the hot water. Remember, boil your kettle, then count to 10, before adding the water to ground coffee.Stir the coffee gently for 10 seconds to encourage absorption.Leave to brew for 4 minutes.
- While the coffee is brewing, pour a little hot water into your chosen mug, swish around to warm up.Pour out the water and dry your mug.
- Add the condensed milk to your mug. 2 Tbsp give you a perfectly sweet kopitiam kopi. Use 1 Tbsp if you pefer.
- If using a cafetiere, press down the plunger gently and pour your coffee over the condensed milk.If using a strainer or sock, pour the coffee onto the condensed milk though whatever you're using.If using a sock, be sure to rinse it with hot water and wring dry before using.
- Top with 100 ml (⅖ cup) more of hot water.
- Drop the butter in and leave it to melt a little. Then stir well and enjoy your delicious butter coffee!
