Last Updated on May 23, 2022 by John Moretti
Are you looking for a delicious coffee you can make at home to enjoy with your breakfast? Try doing as the Spaniards do and start your day with a delicious Spanish Latté. You will be surprised at how easily you can master this drink in your kitchen.
Spanish Latté consists of equal parts espresso and scalded milk. Ice Cubes and frothed milk are used in the Iced Spanish Latté version. Condensed milk or sugar is added according to taste. The Spanish Latté, also known as a Café Con Leche, is somewhat sweeter and creamier than a regular Latté.
The Spanish Latté makes a delightful addition to your at-home coffee-making skills. Impress friends and family with a homemade Spanish Latté and watch it become a firm favorite! Let’s learn how to make both the hot and iced versions of this drink.
Café Con Leche Or Spanish Latte At Home
Spanish Latté, also known as a Café Con Leche, is the favored beverage to enjoy with breakfast for many a Spaniard, but you can enjoy this drink at home without ordering it from a menu.
You will need three basic components to make your Spanish Latte:
- Water
- Espresso
- Milk
Try using your favorite bottled Spring water or filtered tap water.
Next, you would need a shot of Espresso. When making this drink at home, you would have different ways to prepare your Espresso:
- Moka Pot
- Espresso machine
- or if you don’t have either, an AeroPress or shot of instant coffee could also work.
Preparing Espresso In A Moka Pot
Moka Pots are great to use at home as they are simple to use and much more affordable than buying a fancy Coffee Machine. You can grind your blend of coffee beans or buy your favorite brand of ground coffee to use in your Moka Pot.
- Fill the bottom section (or base) of your Moka Pot with water, ensuring that your water level stays below the valve.
- Then fill the filter with your ground coffee. You will need finely ground coffee for your Espresso. Make sure you fill it to the top, cleaning up any left-over grinds. Fit the coffee filter section back into the base of the Moka Pot.
- Now, you need to assemble the top part of the Moka Pot to its base, which is already filled with water.
- Place the Moka Pot on your gas or electric stovetop, ensuring that the base and the burner are about the same size. This will also prevent the handle of the Moka Pot from heating up too much.
It is best to select a lower heat setting to avoid burning your brew. Good coffee takes time.
Preparing Your Espresso In An Espresso Machine
Using an Espresso Machine is probably the fastest way to prepare your Espresso. Select a coffee pod with a stronger flavor if using a pod machine. Finely ground coffee beans are best to use in your traditional espresso machine.
Directions To Make Hot Spanish Latté
If you don’t have access to these methods at home, you could prepare your favorite instant coffee. Choose a good brand with a robust flavor. A dark roast would be a good choice.
Decide which size you wish your latte to be.
Remember, the ratio for Spanish Latté is 1 part espresso to 1 part milk. A single espresso is typically 1 to 1.25 oz. So, if you wish to have two shots of Espresso, you would need to keep in mind that you would need to add 2 to 2.50 oz milk.
The Spanish use normal full cream milk for this latté, but you could select 2 % milk or non-dairy to suit your taste. Heat the milk in a saucepan, scalding it just a little.
Choose which cup you would like to serve your Spanish Latté in and add your Espresso. Once the milk has heated up, pour the correct amount of milk on the Espresso. The cup should be exactly half Espresso and half milk.
Spanish Latté’s are generally sweeter than regular lattés, but when making this at home, you can have it as is or sweeten it with honey, condensed milk, sugar, or sugar substitutes.
Iced Spanish Coffee Variation
When the summer months arrive, you may want to switch to an iced version of the Spanish Latté. The basics stay the same, but you need to use cold milk froth instead of the scalded milk used in the hot latté version.
The ratio of Espresso to milk stays the same: one part espresso to one part milk.
So if you take one 1 oz shot of Espresso, add in 1 oz of milk, etc. The strength of your latté is completely up to you as long as you maintain the correct ratio.
You would need the following ingredients:
- 1 to 2 shots of Espresso
- ice cubes
- preferred milk
- sweeteners of choice, such as honey, condensed milk, or sugar.
Should you prefer sugar in your latté, it is recommended that you prepare a simple syrup instead of adding in raw sugar.
Simple Sugar Recipe For Iced Spanish Latté
You will need to make the correct amount of simple syrup for the amount of Iced Spanish Lattés you wish to make.
Roughly 120 grams of granulated white sugar will make enough simple syrup for 6 to 8 Iced Spanish Lattés.
The simple syrup has two ingredients: Sugar and water. Simple, right?
Directions To Make Simple Sugar
- On your stovetop, boil half a cup of water in a saucepan and gradually add in 120 grams of granulated white sugar (you can also use brown sugar or any other sugar of your choice)
- Heat the saucepan on a stovetop at medium heat, stirring with the spoon until the sugar becomes properly dissolved.
- Be careful not to burn the mixture!
- You will be left with a smooth syrup once all the sugar has been dissolved.
- Leave the syrup to cool down.
Directions To Make Iced Spanish Lattés At Home
- Brew your Espresso or make the correct amount of regular coffee and then add a few ice cubes to cool it down.
- While you wait for your brew, you can start frothing your milk. You have the option of adding in the milk without frothing it. I enjoy the frothed version as it adds texture, but you can still get a great latté if you prefer not to froth the milk.
- Select the correct sized glass or cup for your drink and add in your choice of sweetener such as condensed milk, or if you prefer sugar, add in the simple syrup as made beforehand.
- Now you can add in your Espresso or coffee brew.
Conclusion
Brewing your coffee at home allows you to experiment with different variations of the same drink and learn exactly how you prefer your brew, and the Spanish Latté makes a great addition to your repertoire.
