How To Make An Easy Homemade Latte (Step By Step)

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This simple homemade latte recipe is so good and is really easy to make! Homemade lattes taste great and are a lot healthier than the store bought kind. Learn how to make a latte in the simple steps here!

homemade peppermint mocha latte in a white mug with a black spoon

This posts has been updated from it’s original publish date of August, 2017. It has been updated to provide better photos, additional helpful information and step by step instructions.

How to make homemade lattes

Learn how to make homemade lattes at home easily, without breaking the budget.

Um yes, please!

And in this post I have a few variations to make delicious flavored lattes at home. And don’t worry if you don’t have an espresso machine!

Can’t make it to your favorite coffee shops for a latte or beloved cup of coffee? Try this delicious latte recipe instead!

You don’t need fancy equipment to make your own homemade latte! A simple frother (is that even a word?) or an immersion blender is all that is needed to get the milk to foam up perfectly.

I mean, an espresso machine would be awesome, but that’s just not in the budget!

I’m a regular coffee addict, because mom life.

Plus, I’m a work at home/homeschool teaching mama too. So…I pretty much need this habit in my life.

For even more awesome, try to roast your own coffee beans at home! Seriously, you won’t even be sorry.

homemade coffee on kitchen countertop

Ingredients

For a very basic latte, you only need two ingredients.

I’ll also share a few variations so you can make your own vanilla latte, honey latte, peppermint mocha, pumpkin spice latte, and also substitutions for non dairy versions.

Let’s start off with a very basic latte recipe. All it requires is for you to brew some extra strong coffee and heat up some milk.

This will also be the base of all of the other latte recipes in this post.

  • 4 oz of super strongly brewed coffee
  • 1 cup of milk (or fill it 1/3 of the way full)

But this will also vary depending on the size of your coffee cup. You’ll want to make sure the cup is about 1/3 of the way full of milk.

Instructions

Heat up your milk in either a microwave or over the stove top to “steam” milk.

Froth the milk with a milk frother or an immersion blender. Be super careful!

Whisk the coffee and the steamed milk together. Or add the frothed milk over top of the coffee, spoon the milk foam over top.

Then you can stir in any added in flavored syrups for a decadent treat. See below for several delicious flavorful latte recipes!

Making a latte with a Ninja Specialty Coffee Maker

For years, I’ve been making my homemade latte with an immersion blender or sometimes with my regular blender.

But my husband recently surprised me with this super cool Ninja Coffee Maker.

Holy smokes, you guys. This thing is gold!

It has a swing out frother. And you can brew 4 oz of super dark shots of espresso for these homemade lattes without measuring them out!

Single brew without adding the waste of those single k cup pods! I also like that it has options for making a homemade cappuccino, and iced coffee drinks too.

I just love this thing! If you have the opportunity to pick one up, do so! It makes life so much more easy.

This post is not sponsored by Ninja. We bought this with our own money and are absolutely obsessed with this product!

Latte Stir in Additions to Try

After you make the basic cafe latte recipe, you may want to try to add in more flavoring or sweeteners.

Here are a few of my favorites additions.

You could also try flavored coffee instead of regular for an extra kick of flavor!

lady in neutral sweater with a white cup of homemade latte

Honey Latte

Follow the below instructions for the homemade latte recipe, except stir in 1 tablespoon of real honey in with the coffee.

Slowly add the brewed coffee with the frothed milk and sprinkle a little bit of cinnamon to the top of the latte. Cinnamon makes all the difference to this latte!

Pumpkin Spice Latte

Following the basic recipe, stir in 1 tablespoon of canned pure pumpkin , 1/2 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice and 1/2 to 1 tablespoon of real honey (depending on how sweet you want it) to the brewed coffee.

Slowly add in to the frothed milk. Add whipped cream and a dash of pumpkin pie spice on top.

Healthy Peppermint Mocha

White Chocolate Latte

We also really love this easy to make healthy hot chocolate.

Make your latte non-dairy

You can alter this recipe to make it vegan friendly!

Replace the dairy milk with your favorite non-dairy option for a vegan latte option. Almond milk has been my favorite for making a creamy and frothy non-dairy option. Soy and coconut milk are also great options.

Skip the honey and sweeten with desired and vegan sweetener of choice.

How to make a homemade iced latte

Brew a shot of espresso or about 4 ounces of strongly brewed coffee.

Pour the espresso or strongly brewed coffee into a large glass (16 oz) over ice, add desired liquid sweetener to the glass, fill milk to the top and combine together.

FAQ (frequently asked questions)

How do I make lattes at home?

It is super simple to make a latte at home. Without fancy equipment, all you’ll need is espresso or strong brewed coffee, heating up milk, frothing up “steamed” milk, and combining or pouring the coffee over the milk. You can stir in flavor combinations for an extra treat.

How do you make a homemade iced latte?

Fill a large glass with ice. Pour espresso or strongly brewed coffee over the ice, add desired liquid sweetener to the glass, pour milk over top and combine together.

want more recipes?

Check out the recipe index where you can discover more homemade recipes from my homestead!

lady in neutral sweater with a white cup of homemade latte

Homemade Latte Recipe

This easy to follow recipe makes the perfect foamy homemade latte. And it takes less than 10 minutes!
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 2 minutes
Total Time 7 minutes
Serving Size 1

Ingredients

  • 4 oz espresso or strong brewed coffee
  • 1 cup whole milk or 1/3 of the mug full
  • 1 tbsp honey

Instructions

  • Brew 4 oz strong coffee per each latte that you’ll be making.
  • On the stove top, heat up the coffee cup of milk for each latte that you’ll be making. You want to heat it up slowly, but not allowing the milk to boil or scald. You can also use a microwave if your prefer.
  • Next, very carefully using your stick blender, froth the milk. The more air you allow into the mixture, the bigger the froth. It’s totally a preference thing here. If you don’t have a stick blender, very carefully pour the heated milk into a regular blender and blend until frothy.
  • Add the brewed coffee to a coffee cup and slowly stir in the frothed milk.
  • Serve and enjoy as is or stir in extras for a sweet or flavored treat! (see note for ideas)

Notes

Latte stir in ideas…
Honey Latte: Stir in up to 1 tablespoon of real honey, drizzle a bit of honey on top and sprinkle it with cinnamon for a super special treat. This is my favorite…its so good!
Pumpkin Spice Latte: Following the basic recipe, stir in 1 tablespoon of canned pure pumpkin , 1/2 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice and 1/2 to 1 tablespoon of real honey (depending on how sweet you want it) to the brewed coffee. Slowly add in to the frothed milk. Add whipped cream and a dash of pumpkin pie spice on top.
Mocha Latte: For this variation, you will mix in a packet of hot cocoa to the coffee and then add in the frothed milk. Add whipped cream to the top. For a peppermint mocha variation, add in a couple of drops of peppermint extract to the coffee mixture.
Salted Caramel Latte: Stir in up to 1 tablespoon of caramel syrup to sweeten, add whipped cream to the top of the latte and drizzle with more caramel syrup. Sprinkle with a little sea salt.

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