Turn your kitchen into your very own coffee shop with this homemade maple latte! Made with real maple syrup for a rich, decadent flavor, this fall latte comes together with just three ingredients, and you don't need any fancy equipment. In only minutes, you can have a delicious latte that tastes like it came from a barista.
Get excited, fellow coffee lovers. This is the fall-inspired latte you'll want to sip on all season long.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Skip the overpriced coffees and lines. Don't get me wrong -- I love the atmosphere and people watching that comes with hanging out at a coffee shop, but it's much more relaxing and easier on your wallet to make your lattes at home.
- Elevates an at-home brunch party. Sure, you can serve coffee, but can you imagine how impressive it is to offer your guests a homemade latte? After one sip, watch your guests swoon.
- All you need is a stove and a whisk to make a homemade latte. While you are certainly welcome to use a milk frother tool or machine, it's not necessary. We'll walk through how to make a homemade latte without a milk frother, and we'll chat about espresso options that don't require a machine.
- Full of cozy fall flavor! Nothing says fall like spending a chilly morning sipping on a hot seasonal latte, and the maple flavor offers the perfect rich flavor for this time of year.
Bonus: If you’d like to make more homemade lattes, try my Baileys latte, eggnog latte or gingerbread latte with gingerbread simple syrup.
Ingredients
And that's it! All you need are these three maple latte ingredients, and you're ready to start your own at-home coffee shop.
Please do me a favor, though, and make sure you use real maple syrup, not pancake syrup. The two are not the same. Real maple syrup is much richer with a deeper, more complex flavor.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Let's walk through the process for making a hot maple latte. You can also make an iced maple latte with a similar process that doesn't use heat, and you can find instructions for the cold version in the recipe card.
Step 1: We begin by adding our milk to a small saucepan and gently warming it over medium heat (photo 1).
Step 2: While our milk warms, we make our espresso (photo 2) and stir together the espresso and maple syrup in a mug (photo 3).
Step 3: Once the milk creates steam and small bubbles form on the surface, we turn off the heat and vigorously whisk the milk to create that frothy topping we all love (photo 4).
Step 4: Now we pour our frothy milk into the mug with our espresso mixture and give it a gentle stir to combine (photo 5).
If you want to get extra festive, top your maple latte with whipped cream and cinnamon, but this is completely optional. It's just as good without it. All that's left is to get cozy and sip away!
Recipe FAQs
Lattes are traditionally made with espresso, but if you don't have an espresso machine, brew a cup of coffee with double the amount of coffee grind. I also like French-press coffee as an espresso substitute because it's so strong, or you could even use an instant espresso.
P.S. If you're interested in getting an espresso machine, I'm a big fan of our Nespresso, and it comes in a range of price points.
While you are welcome to use any milk for your lattes, including nondairy alternatives, whole milk is my favorite. Not only does whole milk give the creamiest, most luxurious texture with the richest flavor but it makes for a thicker, more stable frothy topping.
Considering that our mug needs to accomodate the espresso, milk, maple syrup, foam and an optional whipped cream topping, we need a mug that can hold just under 2 cups of liquid, which is close to the Grande size from Starbucks. A big, wide-mouth latte mug works perfectly.
Expert Tips
- If you have a milk frother tool or machine, you can use that instead of the stove-top method. The recipe proportions for the latte are the same. This stove-top option just ensures everyone can enjoy their own homemade maple latte.
- Be gentle as you pour the milk so that the liquid goes into the mug, and you'll be left with foam to pour on top.
- Feel free to tweak this recipe to suite your taste. To me, the balance of espresso, milk and sweetener in this recipe isn't quite as sweet as a Starbucks latte. You can add another tablespoon or two of maple syrup if you prefer your latte on the sweeter side.
- Want to make a spiced maple latte? Add a teeny-tiny pinch of ground cinnamon to the maple and espresso. A little bit goes a long way, so you don't need much -- I'm talking less than ⅛ teaspoon.
- You can also turn this into a mocha-maple latte by adding 1-2 tablespoons of chocolate syrup to the milk when cold and stir to combine. Then, proceed with the rest of the directions.
Perfect Pairing
This fall latte calls for a seasonal brunch treat on the side, and I especially love these delicious options: apple cinnamon rolls with maple glaze and pumpkin crullers with caramelized maple glaze. Along with that topping, these brunch treats show off warm fall spices that are perfect with our rich maple and espresso.
For the coziest fall brunch, I hope you enjoy this homemade maple latte. It's sure to put you in a festive mood, and you'll love skipping the lines and overpriced drinks at the coffee shop.
Cheers!
Need More Holiday Brunch Recipes?
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📖 Recipe
Maple Latte (Hot or Iced)
Equipment
- Small saucepan
- Whisk
- Latte mug
Ingredients
- 1 cup milk preferably whole milk
- ½ cup espresso substitute strong coffee if espresso isn't available
- 2 tablespoons real maple syrup
- Whipped cream for garnish, optional
- Pinch of ground cinnamon for garnish, optional
Instructions
Hot Maple Latte
- In a small saucepan, heat the milk over medium heat. Do not boil.
- Meanwhile, make the espresso and pour it along with the maple syrup into a large mug. Stir to combine.
- When the milk steams and bubbles start to form, turn off the heat. Whisk until frothy. Pour over the espresso and maple syrup. Gently stir to combine. If desired, top with whipped cream and ground cinnamon. Enjoy!
Iced Maple Latte
- Prepare the espresso and give it a few minutes to cool.
- Fill a large glass with ice. Pour in the espresso and maple syrup and stir to combine.
- Pour the milk in a large measuring cup and whisk until the milk turns frothy. Alternatively, you can add the milk to a mason jar, screw on the top and shake until the froth forms.
- Pour the milk into the espresso mixture and gently stir to combine. Enjoy!
Notes
- If you don't have an espresso machine, you can substitute double-strength coffee or French press coffee, or you could use instant espresso.
- If you have a milk frother tool or machine, you can use that instead of the stove-top method. The proportions for the latte are the same. This stove-top option just ensures everyone can enjoy their own homemade maple latte.
- Be gentle as you pour the milk so that the liquid goes into the mug, and you'll be left with foam to pour on top.
- Feel free to tweak this recipe to suite your taste. To me, the balance of espresso, milk and sweetener in this recipe isn't quite as sweet as a Starbucks latte. You can add another tablespoon or two of maple syrup if you prefer your latte on the sweeter side.
- Want to make a spiced maple latte? Add a teeny-tiny pinch of ground cinnamon to the maple and espresso. A little bit goes a long way, so you don't need much -- I'm talking less than ⅛ teaspoon.
- You can also turn this into a mocha-maple latte by adding 1-2 tablespoons of chocolate syrup to the milk when cold and stirring to combine. Then, proceed with the rest of the directions.
- Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Laura Sedor says
Absolutely delicious! Our mugs didn’t have quite enough room for the full amount of milk (we split it into two drinks), but it was still delicious. We added a dollop of foam on top and sifted some cinnamon on top.
Amanda McGrory-Dixon says
Glad you enjoyed, Laura! Perfect for this time of year. Happy holidays!
Audrey says
This was perfect on a cold morning!