What high-protein milk means for your café menu

Protein has moved from the gym bag to the everyday shopping basket — and coffee is one of the last daily rituals to catch up. Perfect Daily Grind has just published a feature on what that means for specialty cafés, and we were glad to take part in it.

Here is the short version.

The demand is already there. Around 48% of US adults are actively trying to eat more protein, and 70% of European consumers now keep an eye on how much they get. Two-thirds of Americans drink coffee every day. Few habits are better placed to carry protein than the morning cup.

Customers are paying for it. Starbucks charges up to US$2 to add protein to a drink, and its CEO has called the platform "highly incremental" — new sales rather than cannibalised ones. For independent cafés that have dropped plant-milk surcharges, a protein option is a reason for customers to trade up again.

Powder is the difficult route. Coffee is hot and acidic, which is exactly where whey isolate tends to clump and curdle. It also adds a prep step, a dosing variable and more cleaning. The simpler answer is protein that is already in the milk.

That is what double milk is. We remove part of the water from the milk, so everything naturally in it — protein, fat and milk sugars — becomes more concentrated. Nothing is added. MILBOK Double Milk contains 5.5g of protein per 100ml, around 70% more than whole milk and roughly five times a typical barista oat drink. A 250ml drink carries about 14g of protein, the equivalent of two eggs.

It steams like ordinary milk at 55°C, builds a dense, stable microfoam, and its natural sweetness means less syrup in the cup. Sealed, it keeps for six months at room temperature.

Read the full feature

Perfect Daily Grind goes deeper into the science, the chain rollouts and what all of this means for café menus.

Why high-protein milk is becoming coffee's latest fascination — Perfect Daily Grind, 24 September 2026

Want to taste it?

We will be pouring at Prague Coffee Festival (24–25 October) and Rotterdam Coffee Fest (5–8 November).

Get a sample · Where to buy · Try the Flat Double White recipe

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