Make a Cafe Latte

Written by
Lindsey Goodwin
Lindsey Goodwin is a food writer and tea consultant with more than 12 years of experience exploring tea production and culture.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Lindsey Goodwin
Tested by
Victoria Heydt Reviewed on 06/01/20 by
Victoria Heydt is a food photographer, stylist, and editor. An Institute of Culinary Education grad, she also develops and tests recipes.
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Victoria Heydt
Updated 06/30/20
Caffee Latte Recipe

The Spruce  
  • Total: 10 mins
  • Prep: 5 mins
  • Cook: 5 mins
  • Yield: 1 Cup/1 Serving

Lattes (or Caffe Lattes) are espresso drinks made with a fairly large amount of foamed milk. They are milkier than cappuccinos. In America, many lattes are prepared as flavored lattes.
In northern Europe and Scandinavia, the term café au lait has traditionally been used for the combination of espresso and milk. In France, caffè latte is mostly known from the original Italian name of the drink (caffè latte or caffelatte); a combination of espresso and steamed milk equivalent to a "latte" is in French called grand crème and in German Milchkaffee or (in Austria) Wiener Melange.

Ingredients

  • For the Espresso
  • 1 tablespoon coffee
  • 1 fluid ounce water
  • Optional: 1 1/2 fluid ounces (or 1 shot) of flavored simple syrup
  • For the Foamed Milk
  • 3 fluid ounces milk (or more)

Steps to Make It

Note: while there are multiple steps to this recipe, this cappuccino is broken down into workable categories to help you better plan for pulling shots, steaming milk, and assembling your beverage.

Pull a Single Shot of Espresso

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. Place the water into the boiler of your espresso machine.

  3. Place1 tablespoon of coffee into the portafilter.

  4. Tamp (press) the coffee down using a tamper. Do this two to three times to make sure the grounds are packed tightly.

  5. Place the portafilter into your espresso machine's group head and lock in place by turning it to the right.

  6. Place a latte cup or the glass carafe that came with your espresso machine under the group head and pull the shot for 23 to 30 seconds. Typically, there is a lever, switch, or button to start this process.

  7. Once the shot is pulled, add a shot of flavored syrup for a flavored latte, if using. Then foam the milk.

Foam the Milk

  1. Place the milk into either a glass measuring cup or a small metal pitcher.

  2. Insert the steam wand into the container with the milk, just under the surface of the milk

  3. Engage the steam wand on your espresso machine. (You may need to read your espresso machine's manual for this, as each espresso maker is a little different.)

  4. Make sure to keep the tip of the wand towards the side of the container. This will create a vortex with the milk.

  5. Move the container higher, lower, closer, then further so that the steam wand can incorporate the air into the milk, making the foam. The bubbles should get smaller and smaller as you do this.

  6. Once the milk has foamed to double its size, turn the steam wand off.

  7. Using a spoon to retain the microbubbles on top of the steamed milk, pour the bottom 2/3 of the steamed milk from the steaming pitcher into the latte cup.

  8. Top the latte with the remaining bubbles. (You can spoon them onto your drink if desired.)

  9. If you'd like, feel free to add some latte art. Serve and enjoy!

Tips

  • If you're a habitual latte drinker, investing in a basic espresso maker and learning to make lattes can save you an enormous amount of money each year.
  • If using flavored syrup, try using a popular latte flavor, chocolate syrup, or chocolate powder mixed into a paste with a little hot water.

How It's Served

  • A latte is sometimes served in a bowl; in Europe, particularly Scandinavia, this is referred to as a café au lait.
  • Increasingly common in the United States and Europe, latte art has led to the stylization of coffee making, and the creation of what is now a popular art form. Created by pouring steaming, and mostly frothed, milk into the coffee, that liquid is introduced into the beverage in such a way that patterns are distinguishable on the top of the coffee. Popular patterns can include hearts, flowers, trees and other forms of simplistic representations of images and objects.
  • Iced latte is often served unstirred so that coffee appears to "float" on top of white milk in a glass cup.
  • A variation of the iced latte is an iced espresso ordered in a larger than normal cup filled up with free milk. 
  • In Asia and North America, lattes have been combined with Asian teas. Coffee and tea shops now offer hot or iced latte versions of chai, matcha, and Royal milk tea.
  • Other flavorings can be added to the latte to suit the taste of the drinker. Vanilla, chocolate, and caramel are all popular variants.
  • In South Africa, a red latte is made with rooibos tea.
  • An alternative version of latte can be prepared with soy milk or oat milk, as both have the ability to foam in the same way as cow milk, with soy milk versions being more prevalent. Such alternatives are popular among people with lactose intolerance and vegans.

More About Espresso

Espresso is coffee brewed by forcing a small amount of nearly boiling water under pressure through finely ground coffee beans. Espresso is generally thicker than coffee brewed by other methods, has a higher concentration of suspended and dissolved solids, and has crema on top (a foam with a creamy consistency). 

As a result of the pressurized brewing process, the flavors and chemicals in a typical cup of espresso are very concentrated. Espresso is also the base for other drinks such as a caffè latte, cappuccino, caffè macchiato, caffè mocha, flat white, or caffè Americano.

Espresso has more caffeine per unit volume than most coffee beverages, but because the usual serving size is much smaller, the total caffeine content is less than a mug of standard brewed coffee, contrary to a common belief.