Skip the long lines and high prices at the coffee shop and make your own homemade vanilla latte. This delicious coffee drink is so easy to make at home with a simple homemade vanilla syrup.
Starting the day off with a cup of coffee is a daily ritual I look forward to. There’s nothing better than snuggling up on a comfy chair and sipping on a hot cup of coffee on a lazy morning – especially when that coffee is a delicious latte.
There is no need to get out of your PJs to go to the coffee shop. You can make a super delicious drink at home with this Vanilla Latte recipe! Just 3 components go into the perfect drink – espresso (or strong brewed coffee), milk, and a delicious Vanilla Simple Syrup. I highly recommend making lots of extra syrup – it is incredibly easy to make and you can stock it in your fridge and make lattes all week long!
While an espresso machine and milk frother are helpful, you can even make lattes without any fancy equipment (see below for how to froth milk sans frother).
If you are a latte lover like me, be sure to also check out my Gingerbread Latte Recipe and Cinnamon Dolce Latte Recipe.
Why we love this recipe
- Homemade lattes are so easy to make at home.
- The simple vanilla syrup makes enough for multiple lattes so you can enjoy multiple cups for less than the price of a single latte from an expensive coffee shop.
- You can make lattes without any fancy equipment – though a milk frother does help, a whisk can get the job done!
- This vanilla latte recipe is super delicious!
Ingredients in this Vanilla Latte Recipe
- Sugar: white granulated sugar is used to make the vanilla simple syrup.
- Vanilla extract: The vanilla flavor in this vanilla latte.
- Coffee: Espresso is the base of the latte drink, however if you don’t have an espresso maker at home, strong brewed coffee can be used instead. If you are using strong-brewed coffee, you may need to play around with the ratio of coffee to milk depending on how strong your coffee is brewed.
- Milk: Similar to your options at a coffee shop, you can substitute pretty much any type of milk you like to make your coffee. Whole milk will give you the best results and ideal frothiness but 2%, skim, and even plant based milks can be used.
- Ground cinnamon: for garnish. Optional, but I like the added flavor.
**Note: Ingredient quantities and full instructions are in the recipe card at the end of this post.**
How to make Vanilla Latte
1. Make the vanilla simple syrup. In a small saucepan over medium heat, add all of the syrup ingredients except the vanilla extract. Simmer together for 5-7 minutes, whisking often. Remove from heat and whisk in the vanilla. Let it cool.
2. Mix syrup and espresso/strong coffee together. Add 2 tablespoons of vanilla simple syrup* and the espresso/hot coffee to a mug. Stir together.
3. Froth milk. In a milk frother (or in a mug using a handheld milk frother), froth and heat the milk (if your frother does not warm the milk, warm the milk first on the stove top). Pour the frothed milk over the coffee and syrup mixture.
4. Garnish. Top with a sprinkle of cinnamon. Enjoy!
Latte without any special equipment
Even if you do not have an espresso machine or a milk frother at home, you can still make a delicious latte.
As mentioned in the recipe, if you do not have espresso, strong-brewed coffee can be used instead. Another option is to use an instant espresso powder.
If you don’t have a milk frother, you can add the milk to a saucepan and whisk it while warming it up. Whisking it while its warming with help it froth up and you can then add this foamy milk to your latte. You can also skip frothing the milk and just add it the warm milk to your latte.
Can you prep the simple vanilla latte in advance?
The beautiful thing about simple syrups is that they can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge for 1-2 weeks. Simply let the vanilla syrup cool completely and then transfer it to a glass mason jar or similar container with a secure lid and pop it in the fridge.
If you love lattes, I highly recommend doubling the recipe for the simple syrup so that you can make multiple lattes for days!
Looking for more flavored coffee recipes to enjoy at home? Check out:
Cinnamon Dolce Latte Recipe
Gingerbread Latte
Peppermint Mocha
Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew
Caramel Frappuccino
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Vanilla Latte Recipe
Ingredients
For the Vanilla Simple Syrup (makes enough for 4 lattes):
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup white granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
To make a vanilla latte:
- 2 tablespoons vanilla simple syrup*
- 1/3 cup strong-brewed coffee or 2 shots espresso
- 1 cup milk
- ground cinnamon for garnish, optional
Instructions
To make the vanilla simple syrup:
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, add all of the syrup ingredients except the vanilla extract. Simmer together for 5-7 minutes, whisking often. Remove from heat and whisk in the vanilla. Let it cool.
To make one latte:
- Add 2 tablespoons of vanilla simple syrup* and the espresso/hot coffee to a mug. Stir together.
- In a milk frother (or in a mug using a handheld milk frother), froth and heat the milk (if your frother does not warm the milk, warm the milk first on the stove top). Pour the frothed milk over the coffee and syrup mixture.
- Top with a sprinkle of cinnamon. Enjoy!
Notes
- Adjust the amount of syrup to suit your preferences.
- Note: nutritional information is approximate and does not include the garnishes.
Note: Metric ingredient measurements are provided as a courtesy using a third-party calculator and are rounded to the nearest unit. The recipes provided on this site have not been tested with metric measurements and their accuracy cannot be verified.
Nutrition
The nutritional information provided is based on third-party calculations and is an estimate only. Accurate nutritional facts will vary based on the particular brands used, portion sizes, measurement accuracy and more.
