The Breakfast Staple We Never Would Have Thought Of Adding To Coffee (But It Makes Sense)

Few things are better than that first cup of coffee in the morning. As good that is, though, coffee really shines when paired with other ingredients that help enhance the flavor. We all have our favorite additives, including coffee staples like cream and sugar, but if you really want to step up your morning coffee, consider another breakfast staple that you never would have thought to add: yogurt.

It may sound odd, but when done right, a bit of yogurt gives your coffee a unique flavor and a velvety smooth texture. In an interview with sister site The Takeout, Rod Johnson, co-founder of BLK & Bold, said that "Adding yogurt to coffee gives it a full, creamy texture while bringing a light tang to the flavor." Yogurt also has some potential health benefits over milk or cream, which Johnson touched on: "It's similar to using milk but with added probiotics that support gut health [...] It's a simple swap that adds some richness and a small nutritional boost without taking away from the coffee itself."

Before you reach for the coffeepot, bear in mind that yogurt doesn't complement every cup of coffee. "Hot coffee can cause yogurt to separate," said Johnson, "so I usually recommend trying it with iced coffee." He also explained that "Plain or lightly sweetened yogurt works best because it lets the coffee flavor shine." As celebrity chef Ina Garten says, coffee should taste like coffee, and if you agree, plain yogurt is the way to go.

Of course, coffee doesn't have to stand alone. If you decide to use yogurt with your coffee, consider complementing it with some other ingredients that you would add to a bowl of yogurt. Add a touch of blueberry syrup, a drizzle of honey, or a little bit of caramel to transform your morning coffee into a breakfast delight. Always remember to add ingredients to your coffee thoughtfully to preserve the balance of flavors in your brew.

If you like your coffee hot, you can still add yogurt if you're willing to give it a try. To help prevent curdling, use full-fat yogurt and let it warm up to room temperature before adding. You might also include a sprinkle of cornstarch beforehand to stabilize it. Finally, there's the tempering, which means adding a little bit of hot coffee to the yogurt before mixing it into the rest of the coffee. This extra step helps prevent temperature shock and can keep the yogurt from separating.

Or, you can go in a different direction and make coffee yogurt instead of yogurt coffee. Simply add a bit of instant coffee to your yogurt and mix thoroughly, and you have a yogurt breakfast with the signature flavor and caffeine boost of a cup of coffee. Enhance it even further with a little cocoa powder to truly bring out the coffee flavor and balance its bitterness.

Static Media owns and operates both Foodie and The Takeout.