How to Make a Homemade Latte on the Cheap

Foamy cup of Homemade Vanilla Latte With espresso and latte machines costing upwards of $50, I decided to try and make my own Starbucks style Vanilla Latte at home. This methods works pretty well and is much less expensive. All you need is hot milk, coffee, vanilla extract and a bit of sugar. The recipe assumes a 16oz. mug (2 cups).

  1. Start a double-strong batch of coffee. You only need about 3/4 of a cup.
  2. While the coffee is brewing, heat 1-1/4 cups of milk until it is almost boiling. (I put mine in the microwave for 3 minutes.)
  3. Depending on what equipment you have available, do the appropriate step to froth your milk:
    • If you have a milk frother, use it to froth the milk for about a minute.
    • If you have a blender, it will also do a good job frothing the milk. *
    • Otherwise, use an egg beater or a whisk to stir some air into the milk.
  4. Pour coffee into the mug first, then pour the milk in, layering the foam on top.
  5. Add vanilla extract and sugar to taste.
  6. It's as easy as that. Enjoy!

*Note: If you use instant coffee or want to make a Chai latte with the powered mix, you can use a full mug of hot milk and just put the instant coffee or Chai mix into the blender with it for similarly spectacular results.

Posted April 9, 2007