Let's get cozy with this homemade gingerbread latte! Featuring a rich, perfectly spiced gingerbread simple syrup, this holiday latte is full of festive flavors and just as tasty as anything you'd get at an overpriced coffee shop.

Two mugs of this homemade gingerbread latte with cinnamon sticks to the side and Christmas decor in the background.

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Why You Need to Make This Recipe
Ingredients
Step-by-Step Instructions
Expert Tips and FAQs
Perfect Pairing
Looking for More Holiday Recipes?
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Why You Need to Make This Recipe

When the holidays hit, I give Starbucks entirely too much money and buy all the seasonal lattes as frequently as possible. I love them all — peppermint mocha, eggnog, crime brûlée, pumpkin spice — I just can’t stop. But in 2019, I noticed one of my favorite flavors was missing: the Starbucks gingerbread latte.

Starbucks retired this classic holiday latte. Was it a mistake? Absolutely. But I’ve found peace with it because this gingerbread latte recipe is just as delicious, we can make it from the comfort of our own kitchen, and we can enjoy it any time of year.

Bonus: If you love this Christmas latte, you'll also enjoy my maple latte and eggnog latte!

A straight-on shot of the gingerbread latte on a festive towel.

Ingredients

Here’s a list of ingredients we need to make this homemade gingerbread latte.

Espresso: Espresso is the classic latte ingredient. If you don’t have an espresso machine, you can use instant espresso or brew a strong cup of coffee.
Milk: Use your favorite type.
Gingerbread simple syrup: While you can buy this in the store or online, I highly recommend my homemade gingerbread simple syrup instead. It’s so much more flavorful than any store-bought variety.
Whipped cream: Technically, this is an optional ingredient, but it’s the holidays. I say we indulge and add a big dollop every time. We deserve it.
Kitchen tools: An espresso machine is standard, but as we discussed, you can also use a coffee maker if need be. To froth the milk, we can use a fancy milk frother or keep it simple with a saucepan and a whisk.

All the ingredients of the gingerbread latte with labeling.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Let’s review how to make this Christmas latte on the stove without fancy equipment. If you have a milk frother and espresso machine, you can simply use the proportions listed in the recipe card with your equipment.

We begin by heating our milk in a small saucepan over medium heat. As the milk heats, we prepare our espresso or strong coffee and add it to a mug with the gingerbread syrup.

A cup of espresso sitting on a Nespresso machine.

The espresso and gingerbread simple syrup in a large latte mug.

After a few minutes, the milk will start to slightly steam. As it gets warmer, more steam will rise off the liquid and small bubbles will form on the edge just as it starts to simmer. We turn off the heat and whisk like our arm might fall off until the mixture turns frothy.

A collage of steaming the milk and then whisking until it's frothy.

Now we pour the steamed milk into our mug with the espresso and gingerbread simple syrup and give it a gentle stir. For a decadent finishing touch, we top with whipped cream and sip away. Bonus points if a fireplace is involved.

Expert Tips and FAQs

Love an iced latte? Allow the espresso to cool, add all the ingredients to a glass with a handful of ice and stir. Voila! For an iced gingerbread latte, there’s no need to froth the milk.
For a boozy brunch, feel free to add a shot of Kahlua to your latte. Baileys Irish Cream is another delicious option.
Keep the heat to medium and don’t let the milk boil. When milk boils, it can separate.
With the espresso, milk, gingerbread latte syrup, foam and whipped cream, we need a mug that can hold a little under 2 cups of liquid, which is close to the Grande size from Starbucks. Latte mugs are a great choice.

Perfect Pairing

What’s better with a holiday latte than gingerbread waffles? Sounds pretty perfect to me. You’ll also love this festive latte with a carrot cake muffin, sweet potato muffin or slice of maple-bourbon banana bread.

Or maybe you'd like to serve this as an after-dinner drink. You can't go wrong with my gingerbread tiramisu or gingerbread pudding.

When you need a cozy, festive holiday coffee, I hope you try this homemade gingerbread latte recipe. It's sure to put you in the holiday spirit.

Cheers!

Looking for More Holiday Recipes?

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