Tips to Make Lattes at Home

Did you know it is simple to make lattes at home? It requires just a few steps with ingredients you most likely have sitting around your house already.

The best part is that you can also easily make lattes at home without a machine. You can choose from hot or iced lattes. You can also add some flavor to make a mocha, peppermint, or vanilla flavored latte.

Five Steps to Make a Standard Latte

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup organic Coast Roast espresso (or strongly brewed coffee)
• 2/3 cup milk (any variety you like)

Directions

1. Brew a serving of your favorite coffee. (strongly brewed is best)
2. While coffee brews, add the amount of milk you prefer in your coffee to a mason jar.  If amount of milk is unknown, start with 2/3 cup.
3. Add lid to the mason jar and shake well until it increases in volume. ALTERNATIVE METHOD: If you prefer, instead of shaking you can use a whisk AFTER you've heated the milk. Vigorously whisk back and forth for 15-30 seconds until the hot milk becomes frothy.
4. Remove lid and microwave milk for 30-45 seconds.
5. Pour coffee into your favorite mug and add your freshly steamed milk.  Spoon the remaining froth on top of your latte.

That’s it! You can easily make the steamed milk as you are waiting for your coffee to brew.

I love to add the steamed milk to my cup first and then add in the coffee. I do not know why, but it always tastes better to me.

Additional Flavors

This is where you can add a touch of creativity.

Mocha Latte

To add some chocolate flavor to your latte, simply add some cocoa or hot chocolate. You will want to add one to two tablespoons of flavor to the milk before you shake or heat it.

I will also sometimes stir a little cinnamon into the mix for a slightly different flavor.

Peppermint Latte

If you want a rich peppermint flavor, you can add peppermint syrup or extract. You will get more flavor from the syrup, but the extract is a good substitute as most people have it available in their house for baking.

Add the peppermint to the latte after you have combined the steamed milk and coffee. Stir for a more balanced flavor.

Peppermint Mocha Latte

You can also combine the steps above to create a tasty peppermint mocha latte.

Vanilla Latte

You can follow the same process as with the peppermint but add vanilla extract instead. This will give you a tasty Vanilla Latte morning treat.

How to Make Iced Lattes

It is also easy to make iced lattes from home. You will follow the process to create a standard latte above, but you will pour your espresso over ice once it is brewed and you do not have to steam your milk. Before you pour your espresso over ice, let it cool down for about 10 to 15 minutes. This way the ice won’t melt right away.

Here are the steps.

1. Brew your espresso
2. Add about a cup of ice into a tall glass
3. Add your espresso to the glass of ice
4. Add your milk to a mason jar and shake
5. Pour your milk (or half and half) into the tall glass
6. Enjoy!

If you want to add some chocolate, make sure to add that to the milk in the mason jar. You can also add peppermint, vanilla, or other flavors after you have combined all the ingredients.

Additional Thoughts

As you get more familiar with the process, you can design your own unique creations. You might like more or less of one ingredient. You might also like the extract better than the syrup.

To add a little sweetness, add as much sugar or sugar substitute as you like once you combine all the other ingredients.

Making lattes at home is easy and a fun way to start your day with the perfect cup of coffee.