How to Make a Latte at Home | Bye-Bye Spendy Starbucks!
Ever wondered how to make a latte drink just like the fancy coffee shops? Read our tips!
Tired of paying for Starbucks coffee?
I know, I know, I agree coffee is LIFE! I was spending about $6 a few times a week grabbing a coffee shop latte and that adds up quickly, to the tune of over $312 per year. 😳
Learning how to make a latte at home is a great way to save and also up your coffee-making skills. I am by no means a barista, but I do enjoy learning how to brew quality coffee drinks in my own kitchen.
What is a cafe latte?
A latte is one shot of espresso mixed with 6 to 8 ounces of steamed milk, then topped with foam. The correct ratio is about 1 part espresso to 3 parts milk for a latte. It has Italian origins and can also be flavored and sweetened with various syrups to taste. A warm creamy vanilla latte with steamed milk is one of my favorite drinks ever!
There are so many ways to make a latte and cater to your needs and price point.
I personally make mine using a Diavillito espresso pod with my Breville Nespresso machine poured with warm steamed milk from the frother that came with it. At around $250, my Nespresso has been one of the best investments as I rarely stop at Starbucks or specialty coffee shops anymore, and have used mine every day for several years!
I know many prefer to use espresso grounds with a dedicated espresso maker, which is always amazing to have on hand as well!
Let’s talk about what ingredients are needed to make an amazing frothy latte:
Start with brewed espresso from espresso beans.
The first element and must-have ingredient to a latte is brewed espresso from espresso beans, which is much bolder tasting than traditional American coffee. Brewing can be done using a French press, an espresso machine, or of course using a Nespresso as I do. Even a Keurig using an espresso k-cup could work too.
In a pinch, strongly brewed coffee can work if you brew using less water in a drip machine. It may not have that bold coffee flavor espresso has, however.
Looking for an espresso machine?! Many Hip2Save teammates own this Breville Barista Express espresso maker and think it’s the BEST EVER, including Collin!
Now let’s talk about steamed milk.
You can use whichever type of milk you prefer here according to taste and dietary needs. I use the Nespresso milk steamer that came with my machine and skim milk. Here is a highly-rated milk frother via Amazon.com that looks similar. Whole milk would yield a thicker creamier latte, it’s all up to you. Non-dairy oat milk and almond milk are also popular choices!
Iced Latte Tip: My steamer can froth cold milk for an iced latte experience as well if cold drinks are your jam! Just add some ice after pouring both the espresso and cold-frothed milk into a taller cup for an iced latte.
If you want an even less expensive option than a frother, consider warming milk and then incorporating it to the espresso using one of these handheld frothers! Our team loves and recommends this Zulay brand frother via Amazon.
Feel free to add any flavored coffee syrup as desired to finish your latte. You could also add a touch of sugar or your favorite sweetener instead.
Caffe Latte
yield: 1 SERVINGS
prep time: 5 MINUTES
total time: 5 MINUTES
Here's how to brew the perfect hot latte to enjoy at home.
Ingredients
- 1 shot brewed espresso (1-2 ounces)
- 6-8 ounces milk (use desired milk)
- Optional: flavored syrup such as Torani or sweetener to taste
Directions
1
Start by brewing 1-2 ounces of espresso.
2
Steam 6-9 ounces of your favorite milk.
3
Pour it on top of the espresso and top your drink with the foam.
4
Stir in a teaspoon (or more) of your favorite flavored syrup to taste as an optional step, or add your desired sweetener. Enjoy!
I LOVE my frothy homemade coffee drink a latte! 😉
Honestly, this does taste super similar to a Starbucks latte with the deep espresso flavor and foamy milk. Adding a little vanilla syrup is very yummy and makes your latte similar to one you might order in an expensive coffee shop!
Do you make your lattes at home too? Share your tips with us in the comments!
Here’s how to make a copycat Starbucks Chai latte at home too!
It’s really good (and easy) if you put your sweetened creamer in the frother. Add some milk or half and half to dial back the sweetness and add a creamier texture.
Yes agree!! That’s a great tip. 🙂 I am currently loving the Chobani sweet cream, it’s so good!
I don’t like Starbucks anyway. The only place I drink them is on the plane because I have to. LOL They are not sweet enough. I always have to add lots of sugar. LOL
They arent sweet enough? What drink were you getting?if it was something with a bunch if espresso then that statement could be true but Starbucks is extremely sickiningly sweet… And thats from someone who loves any type of chocolate or cookie or cake etc… They have A TON of sugar in them. One grande drink from them (not even venti just grande) has about 53 grams of sugar in it …the recommended daily intake of sugar should not he more tham 50 grams… Hello diabetes and obesity…please take care of yourself you only have one body and life.
I thoughts too
I don’t think Starbucks flavored coffee drinks are sweet enough either lol. I always have to ask for extra pumps of syrup which, of course, raises the price. I only go to Starbucks if I am given a gift card though.
Thank you so much for this recipe as I was thinking to buy the Cafe Bustelo brand since I would like an espresso shot in my home made coffee
Oh perfect! Enjoy!
I love Starbucks but my budget doesn’t! My regular coffee maker has a “strong” setting so I brew 3/4 cup of espresso using 3/4 cup of water added to the machine and 2 tbsp of espresso using a regular coffee filter. I then nuk about 1 1/4 cup of milk in the microwave for 1 minute in a tall mug. I then froth up the milk with my handheld frother and then pour in the coffee and sugar. Tastes just like Starbucks 🙂
That’s so great to hear!
Self-described coffee snob here. Espresso is a method of brewing coffee. Any beans can be used to make espresso. Grind is very important. For espresso, it should be like table salt.
My bf has a Nespresso and I love it. At first when I saw it all I thought was that is alot of pods to go thru. But he told me that Nespresso recycles their aluminum pods at no cost to the consumer. They give you prepaid postage bags to send the empty pods back. Such a cool concept and delish too. I made an iced coconut latte the other day and was surprised how good it was. BTW, that amazon frother is out of this world awesome! Thanks H2S for saving my latte addiction!
Oh yay so fun to hear! Yes, love the Nespresso recycling envelopes also!