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Cafe Con Leche

By chef Henry

Cafe con leche is a Spanish coffee drink of strong coffee and steamed milk in equal parts. Here’s how to make it at home in 5 minutes.

Cafe Con Leche

Love a good cup of café con leche? This Spanish drink is popular in Spain and Latin America, and the blend of bittersweet coffee and rich milk is true perfection.

When I was a university student in Madrid, I used to order these on the regular. The intensely strong coffee was always served in a glass and aggressively sweetened. This recipe is just like the cafe con leche I remember, and it’s incredibly easy to to make at home!

What Is Cafe con Leche?

Cafe con leche (“coffee with milk” in Spanish) is a coffee drink made of strong coffee or espresso and steamed milk. The drink originated in Spain and is popular in Latin America, and uses equal parts coffee and milk. It’s similar to the French cafe au lait, but it’s usually served sweetened.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Here’s what you’ll need to make cafe con leche:

  • Strong coffee or espresso: Spanish coffee is usually darker than standard American drip, so I use dark roast beans here for the most authentic flavor. I like Moka pot coffee, which makes it closest to what I remember. Espresso works well too, as does French press espresso.
  • Whole milk. It’s the ideal richness for pairing with the bittersweet coffee. Of course, American milk tastes a little different than Spanish milk, in a way I can’t quite describe. Want to make dairy free cafe con leche? Oat milk is your best bet. It’s the dairy-free milk that froths the best. It won’t taste quite the same, but it’s still delicious.
  • Sugar. This is traditional; see below for more about how to sweeten cafe con leche.
Moka pot

How to Make Cafe con Leche

  1. Brew the coffee. Make ½ cup (4 oz) of strong dark roast coffee in a Moka pot, or pull a double shot of espresso.
  2. Heat and froth the milk. Steam ½ cup (4 oz) whole milk using an espresso machine, using the instructions for stretching the milk to 20 to 25% in height: see How to Steam Milk. Or, froth the milk with a hand-held frother, French press, or whisk. The best tool is a frother if you have it, but a French press also works great. A whisk makes very large bubbles in the foam, but it works for cafe con leche: go to How to Froth Milk.
  3. Sweeten and combine. Stir the sugar into the hot coffee first so it dissolves completely, then pour in the milk and serve right away.

Love espresso? You can also try more of my espresso drinks, like a Latte, Americano, Macchiato, Cappuccino, Flat White, Mocha, Iced Latte or Iced Vanilla Latte

How to froth milk with a milk frother

The Cafe con Leche Ratio

The standard cafe con leche ratio is 1:1: equal parts coffee and milk. That ratio keeps the coffee flavor strong with the milk to soften the finish. Bars and cafes in Spain pour it differently, so you can adjust the ratio to your liking.

How to Sweeten Cafe con Leche

You can sweeten cafe con leche to taste, depending on your preference! The cafe con leche I got in Spain was always pretty sweet, to balance the strength of the coffee. But go with your gut! Here’s a rule of thumb:

  • 2 teaspoons sugar has the most traditional flavor; it’s pretty sweet and a nice balance with the bitter coffee
  • 1 teaspoon sugar is subtly sweet and still provides a nice balanced flavor

Feel free to sweeten based on your tastes! If you want to use a natural sweetener, try honey, maple syrup or agave.

Cafe Con Leche

What to Serve With Cafe con Leche

In Spain this is breakfast food, not an afternoon indulgence. A few pairings I return to:

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Cafe con Leche

Cafe con leche
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Cafe con leche is a delicious Spanish coffee drink that mixes equal parts strong coffee and milk! Here’s how to make it at home.

  • Author: Sonja Overhiser
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Total Time: 5 minutes
  • Yield: 1 drink 1x
  • Category: Drink
  • Method: Coffee
  • Cuisine: Spanish
  • Diet: Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Ingredients

  • 4 ounces (½ cup) strong coffee or espresso
  • 4 ounces (½ cup) steamed or frothed whole milk (or oat milk for dairy free)
  • 1 to 2 teaspoons sugar*

Instructions

  1. Make the coffee using a Moka Pot, or make the espresso (using any of the listed methods).
  2. Steam the milk with an espresso machine (stretching the milk to 20 to 25% in height), or froth the milk with a frother, French press or whisk.
  3. Pour the coffee in a cup and stir in the sugar. Add the steamed milk and serve immediately.

Notes

*2 teaspoons tastes closest to Spanish cafe con leche; 1 teaspoon is subtly sweet.

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