I’ve discovered the secret of happiness. It’s preventing your kids from those wretched late-afternoon blood sugar crashing, sensory-overloading, tummy-rumbling meltdowns. You know the ones I mean. It’s called Bulletproof Milk, and it’s here to save the day.
Hey internet! Big news: I found the antidote to the wretched witching hour. It’s this fabulously kid-friendly bulletproof milk recipe, and it’s inspired by my beloved (but no longer daily) bulletproof coffee, and the blogger who first shared the idea. In our house, it’s known simply as “hot milk”, and it’s ridiculously awesome.
You know how kids are often grumpy, hungry, and tired when they get home from school? (Or anytime at all, let’s be honest.) I’ve been giving this magical concoction to my kids as their after-school snack and get this: it not only feels like a treat (they adore it), it also makes them calmer and happier. It’s like a literal chill pill. Ha!
The original Bulletproof coffee is an official thing with a derivative of coconut oil (MCT oil) that you can buy. However, there are now tons of variations on the same idea. I have my own version that I shared here. The basic concept, however you tweak it, essentially upgrades your cup of coffee into a healthy powerhouse of satiety and nutrition. Awesome for adults, but not so much for kids.
Bulletproof Milk: Kid Favorite!
Like the coffee version, Bulletproof Milk is the perfect shot of healthy fats (butter or coconut oil) in a warm, cozy liquid that goes down smooth with a hint of sweet cinnamon (or cocoa) goodness. It balances blood sugar, satiates the “hangries”, and straightens out all the wonky bits from the day. It’s like a hug for your insides, guys. Weird analogy, but just go with it, ok?
The final ingredient takes the whole thing up a notch or twelve: collagen. I’ve been adding collagen to my Bulletproof coffee for the last year or so, and I’m OBSESSED, you guys. I mean, obsessed. So of course it’s in Bulletproof Milk, too. Duh. If you ask me, Hot Milk (what the cool kids call it) has magical powers, and it’s largely thanks to the brilliance of hydrolyzed collagen.
What the heck is hydrolyzed collagen, anyway?
Collagen is a white powdered supplement. It’s the protein found in animal bones connective tissue. Gelatin (yes, you can use it to make homemade jello… it’s pretty cool) is made from cooked collagen. It’s in homemade bone broth, too, and is one of the reasons that bone broth has been traditionally used for generations for general good health, and for supporting the body’s healing from sickness.
So now you’re wondering: if gelatin is cooked collagen and it gels when mixed with hot liquid, how do we get collagen in consumable powder form?
Hydrolyzed collagen is collagen that’s been bathed in enzymes, breaking it down into the most bioavailable form possible so that the body can get the maximum benefit from it. It’s then powdered and made available to us. Hydrolyzed collagen is tasteless, and mixes into any liquid, hot or cold – water, juice, smoothies, coffee, tea.
Collagen is actually found in the human body in high amounts, and plays a key role in healthy skin, joints, hair, muscles, and the brain. It’s also super helpful for gut health, better sleep, and supporting a healthy metabolism. In other words, we need lots of it, and it’s super amazing stuff.
And one of my favorite parts? It has 10 grams of protein per serving (a small scoop, included in the container) which means you can make a regular smoothie into a protein smoothie without any of the junky protein powders out there! We add it to our bulletproof coffee, and now… our bulletproof milk.
Where do I find hydrolyzed collagen?
In 2017 I bought my first container of collagen from Perfect Supplements. After using it for about a year now, I highly recommend it.
There are other more well-known brands out there, like Vital Proteins, and Great Lakes, however… Perfect Supplements has equally high lab-tested quality while their prices are lower, which makes it a no-brainer. It’s non-GMO, glyphosate-free, hormone-free, and from grass-fed cows.
You can buy it in a big jar (pictured above), or in a box of single-serving packets, which are fabulous for travel (but more expensive). I took some of the packets on vacation last summer, and it was super convenient.
Coupon Code! If you want to order collagen (or anything else on their site), be sure to use my coupon code: REDHONEY10 to get 10% off your order. You can stack the discounts too, to make it even more affordable: they offer 25% off when you buy 3 Perfect Supplements brand products. (So, buy 3 jars of collagen, and you get 25% off, plus my coupon code for an additional 10%! Yay!)
Now, go forth and make a batch of Bulletproof Milk, serve it to your kids, and accept your Mom of the Year award with modesty. (PS. If you don’t have collagen yet, you can totally make it without. It will still be great for you, it just won’t have the protein awesomeness and the other great benefits of collagen.)
Bulletproof Milk
Ingredients
- 5 cups milk of choice: nut milk, coconut milk, cow's milk... We're currently loving store-bought cashew milk, but any milk will do the trick.
- 1.5 T butter
- 1.5 T coconut oil
- 1-2 T maple syrup
- 5 scoops hydrolyzed collagen I sometimes use a bit less if I'm trying to be super frugal.
- cocoa powder optional
- cinnamon optional
Instructions
- Warm milk in a pot on the stovetop on medium-low.
- While milk is heating, add other ingredients to a high-powered blender.
- Once milk is thoroughly warmed (be careful to not let it scald on the bottom), add it to the blender, and blend on high for 10 seconds.
- Add optional additions as desired, pour into mugs, and enjoy.
Notes
- For cinnamon hot milk, add a few shakes of cinnamon in your mug and whisk or stir well.
- For cocoa hot milk, add half a teaspoon of cocoa powder in your mug, and whisk or stir well. Note: the cocoa powder doesn't mix in as well, and you may want to use the blender.
- At our house, we pour two mugs of hot milk (for cinnamon), then add the cocoa to the remaining hot milk in the blender for the other three people.
- Other add-ins would work too - get creative!
Nutrition
Frances
Delicious, perfect pick me up!
Mandi
Love it! I’ve been using PS’s collagen for about 6 months for myself, but I LOVE this as a way to keep my kids satiated between meals!
Hope
How much is a “scoop” of the collegen?
Thanks for this great recipe, I will try it!
R&H Assistant
Depending on the one you get, it will come with a scoop. In this case, the scoop is about 11 grams. 🙂