My absolute favorite place to stop for coffee (shout out to Dark Heart Coffee Bar) recently started serving up a delicious new latte. The combination of cardamom plus coffee is something I never would have thought of, but the combination is magical.
Unfortunately, as the original cardamom latte is made with espresso, full-fat milk, and cardamom syrup, it’s definitely a high-calorie/high-sugar (with over 200 calories and 23 grams of sugar) indulgence reserved only for special occasions. Worse, the flavor is addicting and I crave it often. Instead of overindulging, I decided it was time to bring the flavor home and create my own special blend.
I came up with a healthy iced cardamom coffee with all of the flavor, less than half the calories, a mere half gram of sugar, and a nice boost of protein to boot.
But first, what is cardamom, and does it have any benefits?
Cardamom is a spice originally from India that’s slightly sweet, a bit earthy, with a touch of mintiness. It’s perhaps best known as one of the spices found in gingerbread, yet it works well in many sweet as well as savory recipes. It’s also been used in traditional medicine for hundreds of years likely because it’s rich in antioxidants. For just a few of its possible benefits according to research, cardamom may:
- Help regulate blood pressure
- Have a diuretic effect to remove excess water
- Support natural killer cells in the body to fight illness
- Promote the body’s healthy response to inflammation
- Support digestion and potentially relieve discomfort such as nausea and vomiting
- Support oral health by preventing bad breath and potentially cavities (it’s common in some cultures to eat cardamom pods after eating to freshen breath, and it’s also found in some chewing gums)
- Provide antibacterial effects and help the body battle infections
- Support breathing and oxygen use
- Decrease blood sugar levels
- Decrease weight and waist circumference in overweight women (according to one small study)
Many of these effects, however, have only been found in animal studies, so further research is warranted.
Nonetheless, it’s still a delicious addition to coffee. So, let’s get to the healthy iced cardamom coffee recipe:
Equipment
- Coffee Pot
- Blender
Ingredients
- 1 cup brewed coffee cooled
- 6 ice cubes
- 1 scoop BioTrust Cafe Mocha Low Carb Protein Blend
- ½ tsp ground cardamom
Instructions
- Brew coffee as usual and let cool (or chill in the fridge).
- Pour cooled coffee into blender and add ice cubes, protein powder, and cardamom.
- Blend until smooth and creamy.
- Pour into a glass with extra ice cubes.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
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