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How to Use Bovine Colostrum, Including 9 Recipes

By Ethan Boldt

March 3, 2025

One of the original superfoods, bovine colostrum has burst onto the health scene for many people. The first milk created by mammals after childbirth and designed for gut and immune system health, bovine colostrum is similarly loaded with nutrition and antibodies.

This “liquid gold” is thicker, yellowish and more nutrient-dense than regular milk. This powdered supplement is increasingly being used for the gut in various ways, including promoting a healthy gut barrier, immune system response and a healthy response to inflammation. Athletes also turn to colostrum to assist with performance as well as muscle recovery.

But how do you use bovine colostrum powder? Is it like a protein powder or are there differences? (There are differences.) What types of colostrum recipes exist? Let’s dig in.

Type of bovine colostrum to use

Bovine colostrum typically delivers a mild, creamy taste with a subtle sweetness and a hint of milky richness. That’s certainly the case with Ancient Nutrition’s unflavored Colostrum powder. It’s smooth and easy to blend into your favorite cold drinks or recipes without overpowering other flavors.

Ancient Nutrition’s colostrum comes from grass-fed cows raised without hormones in the U.S. To ensure both quality and animal welfare, a “Calf-First Commitment” is followed, which means the colostrum is only collected after the calves have received what they need for a healthy start.

Ancient Nutrition also offers a lemon bar flavor, which features bright citrus notes and a touch of sweetness. It tastes like a zesty lemon treat with a hint of creamy undertone, giving you a light, dessert-like flavor.

Bovine colostrum vs. protein powders

Bovine colostrum powder is very low in calories (under 5 per serving), is relatively low in protein (under 1 gram per serving), and Ancient Nutrition’s supplement is packed with bioactives like lactoferrin and immunoglobulins IgG and IgA, plus clinically studied probiotics (to aid with absorption).

In other words, it’s completely different from protein powders, which are high in protein, contain far more calories and feature a very different set of ingredients. Instead, bovine colostrum may complement certain protein powders like collagen and whey in select recipes, such as protein smoothies.

How not use use bovine colostrum

Because of the colostrum's bioactive components, it’s important to know how not to use bovine colostrum. It’s not recommended to heat this product or mix it into hot liquids such as coffee (though it can be mixed with cold coffee; see below).

Instead, only mix powdered colostrum with a cool or lukewarm liquid to avoid damaging its beneficial properties.

Ways to use bovine colostrum

1. Mix with water

The easiest way to consume bovine colostrum is adding one scoop of the powder to 8 ounces of cold water. Stir with a spoon or use a frother and consume.

2. Mix with a dairy or nut milk

Just as water makes a good mixing partner, so does nearly any type of milk. You can stir into almond, oak or coconut milk, for example. You also can use with regular milk, including A2 milk that is more easily digested.

Consider using Ancient Nutrition’s Lemon Bar Colostrum for a sweeter, lemony cup of colostrum-rich milk.

3. Stir into cold coffee

While you’re not supposed to mix bovine colostrum with hot coffee, cold coffee is a full go. Many people now even do a colostrum collagen coffee combo, with a scoop of each in their morning cup of beneficial Joe.

4. Add to your fruit or protein smoothie

Unflavored bovine colostrum will work in nearly any kind of smoothie. Use with whey protein in any of these high-protein smoothies or use with collagen in these protein shakes, for example.

Want to pair colostrum with another superfood like bone broth? Add to this dark chocolate protein smoothie that already features Bone Broth Protein Chocolate.

5. Stir into yogurt

Bovine colostrum also mixes well with yogurt. Just add a scoop to your plain Greek or regular yogurt, whether or not you’re also having it with fresh fruit and granola.

You can also use the lemon bar version to mix with plain yogurt for a simple dessert or snack.

6. Bovine colostrum smoothie bowl

Similarly, get out the power blender for a smoothie bowl with frozen fruit, plain yogurt and bovine colostrum. Blend it up, pour into a bowl and top with your faves like granola, seeds, cacao nibs and nuts. That’s called a nutrient-packed breakfast.

7. Bovine colostrum overnight oats

Fan of overnight oats? It’s one of the easiest, most nutritious breakfasts, and it just got even better by the option of adding a scoop of colostrum.

Get a small Mason jar and add half a cup of old fashioned oats, a tablespoon of chia seeds, a teaspoon of maple syrup, a quarter cup of Greek yogurt, some berries or cut up fruit, two-thirds cup of milk or plant milk, and a scoop of bovine colostrum. Stir, cover overnight and consume the next morning.

8. Bovine colostrum chia seed pudding

Chia seeds provide fiber, omega 3s and help keep you full. They also marry well with colostrum for a chia seed pudding.

You can add to this protein-rich chocolate chia seed pudding, for example. In a bowl, mix two tablespoons of chia seeds, one-quarter cup unsweetened cocoa powder, half-cup unsweetened almond milk, one tablespoon maple syrup and one scoop of bovine colostrum. Stir well until combined. Cover for four hours or overnight.

9. No-bake colostrum energy bites

While bovine colostrum powder shouldn’t be used in baking recipes, you can certainly add to select no-bake ones. For example, you can add to any of these protein ball recipes.

Strawberry coconut oat no-bake energy balls make a good candidate. For 20 balls, simply combine 1 cup fresh strawberries, a cup and half of oats, one cup almond butter, half a cup shredded coconut, two scoops protein powder (such as Multi Collagen Protein Vanilla), one tablespoon maple syrup, one teaspoon vanilla and one scoop of bovine colostrum in a food processor.

Pulse until combined. Cover and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes to allow it to cool. Roll mixture into one-inch sized balls, about the size of one tablespoon.