In this post: Fall is the best time of year to enjoy piping hot lattes! So, it’s also the perfect time to learn to make lattes at home – with no fancy equipment!
Given how much I adore coffee now, people always find it hard to believe I only began drinking it a few years ago. My coffee consumption is relatively new so I can be a bit of a coffee snob. I prefer a little bit of extra flavor with my coffee! That’s why I made this recipe for how to make a latte at home – without an espresso machine!
Table of Contents
What is a Latte?
A latte (or caffè latte) is simply an Italian coffee beverage made with espresso and steamed milk. To make cafe lattes at home without an espresso maker, I use strongly brewed coffee, heated milk, and foamy milk topping.
What is the Difference Between a Latte and a Cappuccino?
There are so many coffee beverages – sometimes it’s hard to remember the difference. Here’s a little guide.
- Lattes are coffee or espresso and plenty of hot milk with a layer of milk foam for decoration.
- Cappuccinos include layers of espresso and equal parts steamed milk, making them much stronger than lattes.
- With macchiatos, a small amount of foamy milk is added to the espresso/coffee and leaves only a “mark” in the espresso.
- Mochas include coffee/espresso and milk with some chocolate added.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
This latte recipe:
- is quick and easy to make
- doesn’t require fancy equipment or hard-to-find ingredients
- is adaptable to any dietary restrictions or allergies (see below for ideas)
Latte Ingredients
- Coffee: brewed from grounds at the desired strength.
- Milk of choice: find tips on picking milk below.
- Coffee syrup: used to sweeten and flavor lattes. The flavor of simple syrup depends on what latte you make.
- Sugar: or your favorite coffee sweetener (Splenda, stevia, maple syrup, honey, etc.).
- Optional ingredients for flavor: spices, syrups, toppings, etc. (Ideas below)
Substitutions and Variations
Dietary considerations
- Dairy-free – choose a non-dairy milk and flavoring syrup.
- Sugar-free – use unsweetened milk and sugar-free sweeteners and syrups.
- Keto – switch to unsweetened milk substitutes and a keto sweetener and syrup.
Latte flavors
- Vanilla spice latte – add 2 tsp vanilla coffee syrup, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 dash of nutmeg, 2 cinnamon sticks, and 1-2 dollops whipped cream.
- Pumpkin spice latte – add pumpkin puree and pumpkin spices.
- Eggnog latte – includes espresso, milk, eggnog, vanilla extract, and spices.
- Iced latte – made with a slightly different process than hot lattes; perfect for the warm seasons.
How to Make a Latte at Home
- Brew the coffee at your desired strength. Typically, I’d use about 8-10 tbsps of coffee grounds or more to make 2 lattes.
- Heat the milk, sugar, coffee syrup, and optional spices in a glass measuring cup in the microwave or a small saucepan on the stove. Heat the mixture through until the sugar dissolves – but don’t let it boil or burn!
- Using a milk frother, froth the hot spiced milk mixture until it’s foamy on top.
- Fill two mugs halfway with the hot coffee.
- Add the frothed milk mixture until each mug is almost full. Hold back the foam with a wooden spoon if necessary.
- Using a spoon, add a bit of foam to the top of each mug.
- Add optional toppings – whipped cream, spices, sprinkles, etc. Enjoy!
Serving Suggestions
In my opinion, lattes are best served with a sweet treat like:
Recipe Tips
- Make your coffee stronger than normal.
- You can froth your milk with a milk frother or by putting the milk in a mason jar (with a lid) and shaking it vigorously.
- You can optionally preheat your cup so the latte stays hot longer.
- To make an iced latte, pour the strongly brewed coffee over ice and then add milk and sweetener. If you want more in-depth instructions, follow my Iced Latte + Iced Coffee Recipe.
- The best milk for a latte is one that foams well. So, whole milk (no skim milk!), soy milk, and oat milk are best. Coconut milk, cashew milk, and almond milk may also be acceptable options. If you don’t care much about the foam, you can use whatever milk you want!
Storage and Making Ahead
You can make your coffee ahead of time and store it in the fridge. As for the milk and foam, it’s best to make them right before you serve your lattes.
FAQs
Does a latte have caffeine?
Yes, a latte has caffeine! In this recipe, each latte has about 50-100mg of caffeine, which is about 12.5-25% of the recommended daily limit. You can use decaf coffee if you want a much smaller amount of caffeine (~2mg).
Is coffee or a latte stronger?
Typically a cup of coffee has about 95mg of caffeine whereas a latte of the same size has about 60mg of caffeine. However, this can vary based on how the latte is made (espresso or coffee) and how strongly each is brewed.
What kind of milk should I use for a latte?
You should use milk that foams well. The best is cow’s milk, but vegan milks like oat milk, soy milk, and cashew milk also work well.
What is a milk frother?
A milk frother is simply a device that froths milk. One version of a milk frother looks like a pitcher and can froth lots of milk at the same time. The other kind of milk frother (the one I have!) is a little handheld device with one end that spins when you press a button.
How to make a latte at home with other flavors?
My favorite ways to change up the flavor of my lattes is to use flavored coffee syrups, flavored sweeteners, and toppings/additives like cinnamon, mint, vanilla extract, etc.
How to Make a Latte
How to make a latte at home with no fancy equipment!
Ingredients
- 1 cup coffee, brewed from grounds at desired strength
- 1 cup milk of choice
- 2 tsp coffee syrup
- 4 tsp sugar
- 1-2 dollops whipped cream of choice (optional)
Instructions
- Brew the coffee at your desired strength. Typically, I’d use about 8-10 tbsps of coffee grounds or more to make 2 lattes.
- Heat the milk, sugar, coffee syrup, and optional spices in a glass measuring cup in the microwave or a small saucepan on the stove. Heat the mixture through until the sugar dissolves – but don’t let it boil or burn!
- Using a milk frother, froth the hot spiced milk mixture until it’s foamy on top.
- Fill two mugs halfway with the hot coffee.
- Add the frothed milk mixture until each mug is almost full. Hold back the foam with a wooden spoon if necessary.
- Using a spoon, add a bit of foam to the top of each mug.
- Add optional toppings – whipped cream, spices, sprinkles, etc. Enjoy!
Notes
- Vanilla spice latte – add 2 tsp vanilla coffee syrup, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 dash of nutmeg, 2 cinnamon sticks, and 1-2 dollops whipped cream.
- Pumpkin spice latte – add pumpkin puree and pumpkin spices.
- Eggnog latte – includes espresso, milk, eggnog, vanilla extract, and spices.
- Iced latte – made with a slightly different process than hot lattes; perfect for the warm seasons.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 2 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 126Total Fat: 4gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 14mgSodium: 61mgCarbohydrates: 19gFiber: 0gSugar: 19gProtein: 4g
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database via Nutrifox, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators. We encourage readers to make their own calculations based on the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
How long have you been a coffee drinker? Do you love lattes as much as I do?
