Gingerbread Latte | Stay home and make your own cafe-worthy gingerbread latte with homemade gingerbread syrup, espresso, or strong coffee and frothed milk. Sprinkle nutmeg or cinnamon on top for a festive flair.
I am a coffee lover. I love strong black coffee. I drink either a black Americano or a pour-over coffee every morning. In the summer I love an iced coffee and a caramel iced latte.
BUT.
When that time of year rolls around, festive time, and I'm thinking about making warming soups, cozy pasta casseroles and, gingerbread cinnamon rolls, biscotti, basically cinnamon flavored everything, that is when I crave specialty coffees.
Like a gingerbread latte.
And who wants to go out every time they crave a coffee. Not me. Not me putting on boots, a parka, mitts, and a hat to scrape the snow and ice combo off the car and order a Starbucks Gingerbread Latte.
So we'll make homemade gingerbread lattes! First, go to my Gingerbread Syrup recipe and make that. It really only takes like 10 minutes and then you'll have plenty of syrup for a week or two of delicious coffees.
Then come right back here and follow the instructions for building a beautiful, festive, delicious, cozy coffee – maybe the coziest of all coffees - the Gingerbread latte.
Ingredients
About the ingredients for this recipe. See the recipe card below for exact amounts.
- Gingerbread Syrup – You need this. It's what gives this the gingerbread flavor. It takes only a few ingredients and 5-10 minutes from start to finish.
- Coffee – You can use a shot of espresso, some strong brewed coffee, or even instant coffee if that's what you prefer or have on hand.
- Milk – Use whichever milk you can froth. I like cashew milk, but oat milk works. I'm allergic to soy but soy milk can froth according to Nespresso. Dairy milk froths.
Note: My homemade gingerbread syrup for coffee is a combination of molasses, festive spices like ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, and ground ginger, and good vanilla extract.
Instructions
Gather everything together as you'll want to assemble quickly once your coffee is hot and ready, especially if you're using espresso. Espresso shots can get bitter when they sit.
How to froth milk
In a microwave-safe glass, microwave the milk. I put mine in a mason jar and set it for about a minute or two until the milk is quite warm.
Froth the hot milk. I use a handheld frother to do this. I've linked one similar to mine and included a photo in the equipment section of this post so you can see exactly what it is. Mine is battery-operated.
Hold the frother at the top of the surface of the milk, at an angle, and let it froth the milk. Move it around gently, move into the milk every now and then.
Be careful not to lift the frother out of the milk or you'll have milk splattering everywhere. This process only takes a minute or two.
Prep the coffee
Meanwhile, make the coffee. Try to time it so that your coffee is ready at the same time the milk is warmed. Frothing only takes a minute or so.
So for instance, you may need to boil the kettle for instant coffee or for a pour-over coffee, so that it can drip while the milk warms.
How to make the latte
Add a tablespoon of gingerbread syrup to your coffee mug. Stir together to combine the syrup and coffee.
Now carefully pour the frothed milk into the coffee mug, tilting both cups and letting the liquid milk pour into the mug first. The froth should enter the cup last and you may need a spoon to get it all out.
Now sprinkle cinnamon or nutmeg on top and serve immediately.
Substitutions + Variations
✔ Make this recipe dairy-free and vegan by using plant-based milk like oat milk.
✔ Take it over the top and serve with fresh whipped cream on top!
Equipment
I use either a shot of espresso made with my Mr. Coffee espresso machine or pour-over coffee with my Bodum pour-over coffee maker. I prefer a battery-operated milk frother to the one on my espresso machine because the machine is a bit older.
Recipe Tips
EXPERT TIP: Warm the milk before frothing it to achieve a successful froth.
Recipes FAQs
The ingredients for a gingerbread latte are hot coffee and frothed milk to make the latte and a gingerbread flavoring like my gingerbread syrup. You can top it with whipped cream and a sprinkling of cinnamon or nutmeg.
Recipe
Gingerbread Latte
Ingredients
For the Gingerbread Syrup
- ½ cup brown sugar packed
- ½ cup water
- ¼ cup unsulphured molasses
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Coffee
- 1 shot of espresso or ¼ cup strong coffee
- ½ cup milk heated and frothed
- nutmeg or cinnamon to sprinkle on top optional
Instructions
For the Gingerbread Syrup
- Combine all ingredients in a small skillet or saucepan. Bring to a boil and then turn the heat down to a simmer. Simmer for 5 minutes.
- Let cool. Store in the fridge in a container with a lid. Lasts for about a week or two in the fridge.
For the Coffee
- Pour the hot coffee into your serving mug.
- Add 1 tablespoon of the gingerbread syrup and stir together with the hot coffee to dissolve together.
- Heat the milk of your choice and froth with a milk frother or a whisk.
- Pour frothed milk into the coffee mug. Pour carefully to allow the unfrothed milk into the cup first. The froth naturally moves over when you pour. Finish with the frothy foam.
- Sprinkle with extra nutmeg or cinnamon.
Notes
Nutritional information is an estimate. Values vary based on products used. Read our full Nutrition Disclaimer.
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to purchase through my link, at no extra cost to you.
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Did you make this recipe? Let me know!