How to Make a Latte (Cafe Latte)

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Here’s how to make a latte at home! This cafe latte has the best creamy body and frothy milk, and tastes better than a coffee shop. As home barista experts, this is our tried and true method.

Coffee lovers! Did you know you can make a barista-quality cafe latte in the comfort of your own home? All you need is a few key tools and you can make drinks that rival your favorite coffeeshop.

This espresso drink is a staple in our Home Barista Series, where we teach you how to make all your favorite coffee drinks in your own home. This latte comes out perfectly creamy and topped with frothy foam. How to make a latte at home? We’ve tested this recipe repeatedly so it comes out perfect every time.

What is a latte?

A latte is a coffee drink with espresso, steamed milk, and a layer of foam on top. The difference between a latte and a cappuccino? A cappuccino has equal parts espresso, steamed milk and foam (⅓ each). A latte has ⅓ espresso and 2/3 steamed milk, with a thin layer of foam on top. (Here’s a handy chart that breaks it down.)

One special thing to note about a latte is the type of foam you want to get. You want the milk to get to an almost “wet-paint” like texture, which baristas call microfoam. It can be tricky to get to that texture without a steamer, so we’ll show you how to approximate it with some various tools you might have on hand.

How to make a latte at home (overview)

Once you’ve got your espresso and your tools, you can get to the good stuff! The most important skill to learn is frothing the milk: outside of that, it’s a breeze. Here’s how to make a latte at home (or go to the recipe):

Make 2 oz espresso using an espresso machine, espresso maker, French press, or Moka pot.
Steam ½ cup milk (espresso machine method): Use the notes in the section above to steam the milk and create microfoam.
Alternatively, froth the milk. Heat the milk to a temperature of 150°F, where the milk is hot to the touch but not simmering. Then froth using your desired method until the milk is frothed into small, even bubbles. Wait for 30 seconds to 1 minute to allow the foam to incorporate a bit into the milk so that the drink is creamy enough.
Experiment to find the method that’s right for you. Everyone has different equipment and different desires for their latte. Play with the method until you find what’s right for you!

For the espresso

Espresso is required for a latte: simply strong coffee will not do! This means you’ll need the following two things:

Espresso roast coffee: The roast is important to get the right dark, bitter flavor. Make sure to use a fine grind on the espresso when you make it.
Espresso machine, manual espresso maker, French press, or Moka pot: There are several ways to make espresso. We use a countertop espresso machine. A few other options: try a small manual espresso maker: it’s cheaper and portable! Or, make French press espresso or even Moka Pot coffee in a Bialetti.

Milk to use for cafe latte

The best milk to use for a cafe latte is whole milk. Whole milk froths the best because it has the highest milk fat. You can also use 2% milk, but it loses a bit of the richness in flavor. The most important part about the milk: make sure it’s as fresh as possible! Milk that’s getting closer to its expiration date does not foam as well.

The best non-dairy milk for a latte is oat milk: it froths up the best and has great flavor. See our tutorial How to Froth Milk for some particulars of working with non-dairy milk.

How to steam milk with an espresso machine

Steaming the milk (espresso machine)

The tool you need to steam milk is an espresso machine with a steamer! This makes the best micro-foam with the creamy “wet-paint” like texture that you need for a latte. Steaming the milk also adds a sweet creaminess to the flavor. However, espresso machines can be pricey (here’s the espresso machine we use). If you don’t have one, you can make a latte by frothing milk (keep reading). Here’s how to steam milk for a latte with an espresso machine:

Hold the steaming wand just below the surface of the milk until it doubles in size. This makes foamy froth.
Move the wand lower near the side of the pitcher to create a spiral vortex. This makes the silky smooth microfoam bubbles and wet-paint texture that’s characteristic of a latte.
Steam until the milk reaches 150°F: Use a thermometer or judge by when your hand can’t hold the pitcher for more than a few seconds. Go to How to Steam Milk for more details.

Frothing the milk (frother or French press)

You don’t need an espresso maker with steamer to make a great latte at home! You can simply heat and froth the milk, which makes it nearly as good. There are a few different handheld tools you can use to froth milk for a latte. We cover these in detail in the tutorial How to Froth Milk, which we recommend reading before you start. Here are a few great tools for the home barista for frothing milk:

Handheld milk frother. A handheld milk frother is inexpensive and works well. It gets the milk extremely frothy, so it’s easy to make a macchiato or cappuccino. It’s a little trickier to make a great latte with a frother, but you can follow the tips below to get a great drink.
French press. If you have a French press for making coffee, it’s also great for making foam! It makes a nice frothy foam with bubbles a little larger than the frother.
Whisk. A whisk works too! This handy tool whips up the milk pretty well. However, it is a bit looser foam with larger bubbles, and this method generates a little less foam than the frother or French press.

A latte cup is helpful

A latte cup is nice for making lattes at home. Why? This cup is designed to hold exactly the right volume of espresso and foam! Here’s the 6 ounce latte cup that we have. (It’s also very cute and can be used for treats like mug cakes, which is a plus!).

Latte art basics

Want to make latte art? You can actually learn how to make some simple designs on the top of your lattes at home. Note that it does require an espresso machine. Here’s our tutorial on Latte Art Basics!

Latte flavors

You can also add flavorings and use different milks to make variations on the latte! Here are a few options:

Use lavender syrup for a Lavender Latte.
Use vanilla syrup for a Vanilla Latte.
Add spices for a Pumpkin Spice Latte or Gingerbread Latte.
Add ice for a Iced Latte.
Use non-dairy milk for an Oat Milk Latte or Almond Milk Latte.
Add chai tea for a Dirty Chai Latte.

And that’s it! Everything you need to know about how to make a latte at home. Let us know what questions you have in the comments below…and let’s get brewing!

Dietary notes

This latte recipe is vegetarian and gluten-free.

How to Make a Latte (Cafe Latte)

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Here’s how to make a latte at home! This cafe latte has the best creamy body and frothy milk, and tastes better than a coffee shop.

Author: Sonja Overhiser
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Yield: 1 drink 1x
Category: Drink
Method: Espresso
Cuisine: Coffee
Diet: Vegetarian

Ingredients

Scale

2 espresso shots (2 ounces)
4 ounces (½ cup) fresh whole milk*

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Make the espresso: Use an espresso machine or manual espresso maker to make two shots of espresso and pour it into a mug (or try our Aeropress Espresso).
Steaming method (espresso machine): Place the milk in a pitcher. Hold the steaming wand just below the surface of the milk until it doubles in size. This makes foamy froth. Then, move the steaming wand lower and near the side of the pitcher to create a spiral vortex. This makes the silky smooth microfoam bubbles and wet-paint texture that’s characteristic of a latte. Steam until the milk reaches 150 degrees Fahrenheit (use a thermometer or judge by when your hand can’t hold the pitcher for more than a few seconds).
OR, heat the milk to scalding and foam it (without espresso machine): Heat the milk to 150 degrees Fahrenheit, which is hot to the touch but not simmering. Measure with a food thermometer, or you can approximate by testing with your finger. Use a milk frother, French press or whisk to froth milk into small, even bubbles. For a latte you’ll want small bubbles and lightly thickened milk (if you’re using a milk frother, don’t go too far: you want the milk to mix in with the coffee so you don’t need too much froth). For the French press method, note that it’s useful to have at least 1 cup to have more milk to work with: this makes enough for 2 drinks. We highly recommend reading How to Froth Milk if this is your first time frothing. Wait 30 seconds to 1 minute to get the foam to incorporate into the milk and separate slightly (exact timing depends on your foaming method).
Serve: Tap the milk container on counter and swirl it to break down any large bubbles. Pour milk into center of the espresso, ending with light foam.

Notes

*Whole milk works best; milk that is a few weeks old may not froth. You can also use oat milk for a vegan latte. The milk frother works well; for the French press pump vigorously until frothy, about 25 times. Do not overwhip, as the foam will deflate!