Yes, you can put raw milk in coffee, and for a lot of homesteaders and small-farm families it's the only way they'll drink it. The trick is to keep the milk from getting scalded, so you keep what drew you to raw milk in the first place. Here's how.
Why people choose raw milk
Raw milk is milk that hasn't been pasteurized. Its fans, including the Weston A. Price Foundation and many traditional-food and homestead communities, say it keeps natural enzymes like lipase and a fuller, creamier flavor that pasteurization changes (Weston A. Price Foundation's Real Milk). For many, it's also about knowing their farmer and where their food comes from.
Mainstream health agencies disagree that raw milk has special health benefits, and you'll find both sides in the debate. What almost everyone agrees on: it tastes incredible in coffee.
How to add raw milk to coffee (without cooking it)
- Let the coffee cool a minute or two before adding milk. Very hot coffee starts to "cook" the milk.
- Add the milk last, not heated on the stove.
- Want it warmer? Warm the milk gently in a jar set in hot water, not in a pan or microwave, so you don't scald it.
- Froth it cold or barely warm: a handheld frother turns raw milk into a thick, sweet foam, especially if you shake in some of the cream line.
- Try it iced: raw milk is at its best in iced coffee, with nothing cooked at all.
Source it like a homesteader
- Know your farmer. Visit if you can. Look for clean milking practices and pasture-raised animals. The Real Milk Finder lists raw-milk farms by state.
- Ask about testing. Good raw-milk dairies test their milk and herds regularly. In 2024, the FDA urged states to test herds after bird flu (H5N1) was found in some raw milk (report), so ask how your farm handles it.
- Keep it cold and drink it fresh.
- Check your state's rules. Raw milk laws vary by state.
Our favorite raw milk coffee
Kaizen Coffee is an instant mushroom coffee, so it dissolves in a splash of warm water and leaves the rest of the cup for raw milk. Our go-to: one scoop in 2 oz of warm water, top with 8 oz of cold or gently warmed raw milk, froth, and finish with cinnamon. Every scoop brings organic Arabica, 8:1 fruiting-body lion's mane, cordyceps, chaga and tremella, organic cacao and a full gram of organic Irish sea moss, with no sweeteners or fillers. Every batch is third-party tested for mold, mycotoxins, glyphosate and heavy metals.
We personally love to add some raw milk along with honey in our daily cup.
Frequently asked questions
Does hot coffee "pasteurize" raw milk?
Very hot coffee can heat the milk enough to change it, which is why many raw-milk drinkers let coffee cool slightly or add milk last.
Can you froth raw milk?
Yes. Cold or gently warmed raw milk froths beautifully, especially with some of the cream.
Is raw milk good in mushroom coffee?
Yes. Its creaminess rounds out the earthy notes. Add cinnamon or a little raw honey if you like it sweeter.
Is raw milk legal?
It depends on your state. Some allow retail sales, some only farm sales or herd shares, and some don't allow it.
Shop Kaizen Coffee → (Our handheld frother is a free gift with your first Coffee subscription.)