The At-Home Latte Menu

Homemade syrups and cold foams for coffee and matcha, because not every coffee has to be $8 or more.

ANYWAY……

There’s a moment when the cold foam hits the iced latte and starts to melt into the espresso that makes me feel like I should be charging myself eight dollars. Then I remember I’m in my kitchen, still in my robe, and the barista is me.

Making your own coffee syrup sounds like the sort of thing you’d do on a Sunday when you have absolutely nowhere to be. In reality, it’s usually a few ingredients in a saucepan, a quick stir, and a little patience while it cools. This is where you can make your syrup on the weekend, keep in a container and use through the week. Cold foam is even easier. A splash of milk, a little cream, something to flavor it, and a handheld frother will get you most of the way there.

The best part of skipping the bottled syrups is getting to decide what goes into the glass. I can sweeten my coffee with maple syrup or honey, add a pinch of sea salt, or use a spoonful of cookie butter when I want the latte to taste like an actual cookie. Some mornings I want my coffee to taste like coffee with a little something extra. Other mornings I want a Honey Bun Latte. Both are on the menu at home.

I love that for me.

How I build an iced latte at home

I start with two (or three, or four) shots of espresso, ice, and whatever milk makes sense for the drink. Whole milk makes the Teddy Graham Latte especially creamy, and oat milk is my pick for the Honey Bun. If I’m using brown sugar, honey, or a thick sauce. The order is: Syrup, Espresso (so they can blend together), Milk, Ice, then Cold Foam.

Note: I stir it into the warm espresso first so it blends in before it hits the ice.

The Equipment I Use:

PHILIPS 5500 Series Fully Automatic Espresso Machine, LatteGo Milk System

Rechargeable Milk Frother Handheld, Electric Whisk

For a matcha latte, whisk your matcha separately and use it in place of the espresso. Ube and vanilla are two flavors I’d put on the matcha menu. Start with a little syrup, take a sip, and add more if you want it sweeter. Taste the drink with the foam, too. The first sip gets both.

Classic Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Foam 🤍

This is the one I’d make on repeat. It’s lightly sweet, full of vanilla, and soft enough to pour over an iced latte. I’d use it on the Salted Caramel Latte, but it’s just as good over matcha or a glass of cold brew.

Makes enough for one drink.

• 3 tablespoons cold heavy whipping cream
• 2 tablespoons cold whole milk
• 1 teaspoon maple syrup (or powdered sugar), or to taste
• ¼ teaspoon vanilla bean paste or pure vanilla extract

Add everything to a small glass or frothing pitcher. Froth with a handheld frother until the mixture is airy and thickened but still pourable, about 15 to 30 seconds. Pour it slowly over your iced drink and watch it swirl into the first few sips.

I love vanilla bean paste here for the little flecks you can see in the foam. Vanilla extract works beautifully, too.

Pumpkin Spice Latte 🎃

I want my pumpkin spice latte to taste like a slice of pumpkin pie with a double (or quad) shot. A little pumpkin purée gives the syrup body, brown sugar adds a caramel note, and vanilla rounds out the spices. Top it with vanilla sweet cream cold foam and a dusting of cinnamon.
Homemade Pumpkin Spice Syrup

• ½ cup water
• ½ cup packed light brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons plain pumpkin purée
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• Pinch of sea salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Combine the water, brown sugar, pumpkin purée, pumpkin pie spice, and salt in a small saucepan. Whisk over medium heat until the sugar dissolves.
2. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, whisking occasionally.
3. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla. For a smoother syrup, pour it through a fine-mesh strainer while it’s still warm.
4. Let it cool, then transfer it to a clean jar and refrigerate. Give it a shake before pouring since the pumpkin and spices can settle.
   
   To make the latte
   Stir 1 to 2 tablespoons of pumpkin spice syrup into 2 shots of warm espresso. Pour over ice, add ½ to ¾ cup of your favorite milk, and finish with Classic Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Foam and a sprinkle of cinnamon.

For a pumpkin spice matcha, stir the syrup into the milk, pour your whisked matcha over the ice, and finish with vanilla foam.

Cookie Butter Latte 🍪

This is the one for anyone who has ever opened a jar of cookie butter for “just a spoonful.” The syrup flavors the coffee, and a little more goes into the foam so you get that spiced-cookie flavor twice.

Cookie Butter Syrup

• ½ cup brown sugar
• 1 cup water
• ½ cup cookie butter

Warm the brown sugar and water in a small saucepan, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Reduce the heat and whisk in the cookie butter until smooth. Let it cool before using, and stir it again if it separates.

Cookie Butter Cold Foam

This recipe makes a batch.

• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 tablespoon milk
• 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons cookie butter syrup

Whisk everything together until smooth. Froth the portion you’re using until it thickens but still pours. This batch is cream-heavy, so add a splash more milk if you want a looser foam.

To make the latte, stir cookie butter syrup into a double shot of espresso to taste, pour it over ice and milk, and top with the cookie butter cold foam.

Teddy Graham Latte 🧸

Honey, brown sugar, and cinnamon give this one that little graham-cookie flavor. The pinch of salt brings it all together. It’s also a good place to start if you want a flavored latte without making a separate syrup.

• 2 shots espresso
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar, or to taste
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon, or to taste
• 1 tablespoon honey, or to taste
• Pinch of salt
• 1 cup milk of choice, preferably whole milk for a creamier latte
• Ice, if serving cold

Stir the brown sugar, cinnamon, honey, and salt into the warm espresso. Add the milk and serve over ice, or use warm milk for a hot latte. The cinnamon may settle a little, so give it a stir as you sip.

Honey Bun Latte 🍯

This one gets honey and white chocolate in the coffee and in the foam. The oat milk makes the whole thing taste like something you’d order alongside a pastry, even though the pastry is basically already in the glass.

Latte

• 2 shots espresso
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 tablespoon white chocolate sauce
• ½ cup oat milk
• Ice

Honey Bun Cold Foam

• 3 tablespoons heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons milk
• ½ tablespoon honey
• ½ tablespoon white chocolate sauce

Stir the honey and white chocolate sauce into the warm espresso. Pour over ice and add the oat milk. For the foam, stir the honey and white chocolate sauce into the milk first, then add the cream and froth until soft and pourable. Pour it slowly over the latte.

French Toast Latte 🍁

This tastes like the corner of French toast where the maple syrup pools. There’s vanilla and brown sugar in the espresso, cinnamon in the foam, and a pinch of sea salt to balance the sweetness.

Latte

• 2 shots espresso
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• ½ tablespoon brown sugar
• Dash of cinnamon
• Pinch of sea salt
• Milk of choice and ice, to serve

Maple Cold Foam

• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• Dash of cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• Splash of milk

Stir the vanilla, maple syrup, brown sugar, cinnamon, and sea salt into the espresso. Pour over ice and add milk to taste. Froth the cold foam ingredients together until airy, then spoon or pour the foam on top. If you like your coffee less sweet, start with a little foam and add more after the first sip.

Red Velvet Latte ❤️

The cocoa and vanilla give the syrup its red velvet flavor. The cream cheese foam is what makes it taste like cake with frosting.

Red Velvet Syrup

• ½ cup water
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 2½ teaspoons cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon butter extract, optional
• 4½ teaspoons sweetened condensed milk
• Red food coloring, to taste
• Pinch of salt

Warm the water and sugar in a saucepan until the sugar dissolves. Whisk in the cocoa and salt until smooth. Take the pan off the heat and whisk in the vanilla, optional butter extract, and sweetened condensed milk. Add food coloring a little at a time until you get the shade you want. Let the syrup cool before making the latte.

Cream Cheese Cold Foam

• ½ cup heavy whipping cream
• ⅓ cup softened cream cheese
• 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
• ½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract

Beat the softened cream cheese with the powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth. Gradually mix in the cold cream, then froth or whisk briefly. This one is thick enough to spoon over the latte. If you want to pour it, whisk in a splash of milk.

Latte

• 2 shots espresso
• 6 ounces whole, 2%, or oat milk
• Ice
• Red velvet syrup, to taste
• Cream cheese cold foam, to finish

Stir the red velvet syrup into the espresso, then pour over ice and add the milk. Finish with a spoonful of cream cheese cold foam.

A few more drinks on the menu

Latte	What goes in the glass
Ube Latte 💜	Ube syrup and ube cold foam. Try it with espresso or matcha.
Salted Caramel Latte	Salted caramel syrup topped with the Classic Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Foam above.
Salted Maple Latte	Salted maple syrup made with brown sugar, maple syrup, and flaky salt. Add maple cold foam if you want to lean into it.

The fun part is making the menu your own. Put vanilla foam on the Cookie Butter Latte, spoon maple foam over a plain cold brew, or try ube with matcha and admire the purple and green layers before you stir. You can start with one syrup and one foam and still have a different order tomorrow.

And yes, the coffee shop at my house is open to guests. Just give me a minute to find a matching glass.