Bring a little holiday cheer to your morning routine with this gingerbread cafe au lait recipe! This easy winter coffee recipe is perfect for those who love all those fancy Christmas coffee drinks.
This gingerbread coffee recipe is the perfect coffee for the holiday season. Filled with warm winter spices, this easy coffee recipe is sure to make you smile.
CAFE AU LAIT VS LATTE
‘Cafe au lait’ is the French way to say ‘coffee with milk’. A cafe au lait is made with strong brewed coffee and steamed milk, and most often served with equal parts coffee to milk (there is no hard and fast rule on this ratio though).
A latte on the other hand is made with espresso, steamed milk, and topped with foamed milk. A latte will generally contain 1-2 ounces of espresso and 8+ ounces of milk.
TELL ME ABOUT THIS WINTER COFFEE RECIPE
Level of difficulty: Easy.
Flavor: Coffee accented with warm winter spices, reminiscent of a gingerbread cookie
Time: It will take you less than 5 minutes prepare your gingerbread latte
INGREDIENTS NEEDED
Hot, Strong Brewed Coffee: put your morning coffee on to brew as usual
Gingerbread Simple Syrup: this homemade gingerbread syrup is great for all kinds of holiday drinks – get the recipe here
Milk: you can use whatever milk you prefer (dairy or non-dairy) in this winter coffee recipe. I recommend using 2% or whole dairy milk.
Ground Cinnamon: for adding a little dusting on top
OVERVIEW: HOW TO MAKE GINGERBREAD COFFEE AT HOME
- Brew your morning coffee as usual
- Pour milk into a liquid measuring cup and heat in the microwave for 30-45 seconds to warm it up
- Froth warmed milk with a handheld milk frother
- While the milk is warming up, add gingerbread syrup and coffee into your mug. Fill your mug about ⅔ full with coffee
- Top with frothed milk and a few dashes of cinnamon
- Sip and enjoy!
EXPERT TIPS
Want to reduce the number of dishes you use? Warm and froth the milk mixture in the mug you plan to use. If you don’t care too much about the amount of frothy milk on top of your gingerbread coffee, warm and froth the milk mixture in the mug you plan to use. Then add the gingerbread syrup and coffee, stir, and top with a few dashes of cinnamon.
What is the best milk to use for a cafe au lait? You can use any type of milk you like to make this winter coffee recipe.
- Dairy milk: 2% or whole milk are both great options. Note: the higher the fat content is in your milk, the better it will froth.
- Non-dairy milk: oat milk or almond milk are both good alternatives to dairy milk. If you have another non-dairy milk preference, go for it!
Prefer a decaf gingerbread latte? Use your favorite decaf coffee when making this recipe. Want to enjoy one of these in the evening but not be up all night? Swap in your favorite decaf roast and enjoy!
Want a boost of nutrition? Try adding a scoop of collagen to your gingerbread coffee! If you want to add some nutrition and protein to your morning coffee, adding a scoop of collagen to your warmed milk before frothing it is a great option! I like and use this collagen.
Top with whipped cream for an extra special treat! Top your gingerbread flavored coffee drink with whipped cream for next level holiday merriment.
HELPFUL EQUIPMENT:
LOVE THIS RECIPE? YOU MAY ALSO ENJOY:
- Boozy Christmas Coffee
- Maple Cinnamon Coffee with Collagen
- Chocolate Covered Strawberry Coffee
- Homemade Cold Brew Coffee
Gingerbread Coffee
Ingredients
- 1/3 C milk of choice I use whole or 2% dairy milk
- 2-3 Tbsp gingerbread syrup see directions below
- Up to 1 C of hot strongly brewed coffee
- Ground cinnamon for dusting
Instructions
- Brew your morning coffee as usual
- Pour milk into a liquid measuring cup and heat in the microwave for 30-45 seconds to warm it up
- Froth warmed milk with a handheld milk frother
- While the milk is warming up, add gingerbread syrup and coffee into your mug. Fill your mug about ⅔ full with coffee
- Top with frothed milk and a few dashes of cinnamon
- Sip and enjoy!
Holy flipping moly! This stuff is ridiculously fantastic. I made some so my husband and I could enjoy it on Christmas morning and I’m thinking I’ll be making it quite often! He raved about how good it was. One cup of coffee is usually enough for me, but with this homemade gingerbread syrup in it… I may have had two cups. Don’t tell. Lol
I’m so glad you both loved it, and that it will be added to your normal rotation! Thank you so much for making my recipe