Homemade Gingerbread Latte

Sarah and I are known gingerbread fanatics – we will make gingerbread anything given the chance. Whether it be cupcakes, Gingerbread Cider Bundt Cakes or Gingerbread Waffles, if it can be done with gingerbread, we are going for it. That is why I felt Sarah’s pain when she kept telling me how bad her Gingerbread Lattes from Starbucks were. Each one she bought was not turning out right. Then I thought, we can make a Homemade Gingerbread Latte! How hard can it be? Not hard at all, and there are a million recipes out there. I think this Homemade Gingerbread Latte may even be better than what you can buy at the store!

Strong Coffee or Espresso

First thing, you have to brew some coffee or espresso. I didn’t have any espresso at home, so I used my Bonavita and brewed a fresh batch of very strong coffee. I used 12 scoops for 4 cups. Ideally I would have used a dark roast, but all I had was medium, and it still tasted great. For this recipe, you only need about quarter cup of coffee per serving – lattes are mostly steamed milk.

Gingerbread Ingredients

The spicy gingerbread flavor is made from just a few ingredients: Molasses (the darker the better), ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and ground cloves. For a little added sweetness, I took advice from the blog Wholefully and added a tablespoon of maple syrup. Keep in mind, this is still much less sweet than your typical coffee house latte, so make adjustments if necessary. To make your latte, add these ingredients to a bowl with your hot, strong coffee or espresso and whisk to combine. This concoction is MAGICAL.

Frothy Milk

I don’t have a milk frother at home, but apparently it is more popular than I thought. If you have one, great. Heat up your milk in a saucepan or microwave and froth away. If you are like me and do not have one, heat up your milk in a saucepan or microwave, then shake in a jar or whisk until frothy. I personally heated the milk up in a saucepan to about 170 degrees, and I used a whisk to froth and the results were fantastic. I literally said “WOW!” when I was finished. Use a back and forth motion to get it right. The Pioneer Woman has a great post on several ways to froth milk at home. I know Sarah uses her Nespresso Machine’s frother – lucky duck.

Also, feel free to use any milk you like – coconut or almond would make this vegan. We happen to be whole milk drinkers at our house, which is what I made my latte with. Pour the frothy milk of your choice over your coffee, sprinkle some cinnamon and nutmeg on top, and voila! Homemade Gingerbread Latte!

To Whip Cream, or to not Whip Cream

I do not normally get whipped cream on my coffee, and if you are wanting to watch your calories you will want to leave it out. But I am making this for Sarah, who always whipped cream on her coffee. I am a firm believer in making your own – it is too easy and too delicious not to. For this Homemade Gingerbread Latte, I made a special, spiced whipped cream by adding a little cinnamon and nutmeg.

The Verdict

Forget Starbucks, I am Really Into This Homemade Gingerbread Latte! I love anything I can make at home rather than buying at a store, and this was easy and much more delicious than I expected. The great part about making it homemade is you can adjust it to your own taste – make it super sweet if you like! Add more spices if that is more your style. Just make it! This Homemade Gingerbread Latte is sure to get you into the holiday spirit.

If you’re looking for another warm weather drink, be sure to check out my Snow Bunny Cocktail & Hot Apple Cider with Rum. They are perefect around the holidays.