Cafe con Leche is a creamy hot coffee drink typically made with espresso and milk. While I enjoy mine lightly sweetened, many people prefer it unsweetened.
It’s easier to make than you might think and you don’t need a fancy countertop espresso machine to make it.
Cafe con Leche
A few years ago, my sister Jenny vacationed in Spain with her husband. They both returned home with a love for Spanish Cafe con Leche.
They shared their love of this creamy coffee drink with us when we visited them and I was hooked from that first sip.
I had never before been a coffee drinker, but that changed as soon as I tasted Cafe con Leche. The very next morning after we returned from visiting them, I ordered my own stovetop espresso pot and a milk frother.
For the past 10 years, I have been brewing my own cafe con leche almost every morning. I love it.
I have served this to friends and family numerous times and it has been much loved. I have a couple of friends that joke about coming back to visit and staying longer, just to enjoy this every morning.
This is not merely an at-home substitute for fancy coffee-shop lattes, this drink puts those coffees to shame.
What is Cafe con Leche?
Cafe con Leche is Spanish for coffee with milk. It is a hot coffee drink made with espresso and scalded milk in approximately a 1:1 ratio.
Sugar is added according to taste. I like mine fairly sweet and my sister prefers hers barely sweetened at all.
Things You’ll Need To Make Cafe con Leche
Equipment:
6 cup Bialetti Moka Express stovetop espresso maker or 3 cup Bialleti Moka Express stovetop espresso maker (recipe directions are for the 3 cup size, double the ingredients for the 6 cup size) *
1 milk frother, I use this simple battery operated frother
* Please note that this is an espresso maker, not a regular coffee pot. The “3 cup” size produces only 6 ounces of espresso, enough for 1 large or 2 small cups of cafe con leche.
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon good quality espresso, I use Lavazza
- 1-3 teaspoons sugar (If I have it on hand, I use this homemade vanilla sugar or raw sugar.)
- 2/3 cup milk
Cafe con Leche Recipe
Fill the bottom portion of the 3 cup espresso pot with water, to just below the valve. (If using a 6 cup pot, double the ingredients.) Place the filter into the pot and scoop 1 tablespoon of espresso into the pot.
Screw the top half of the espresso make onto the bottom half and then place the filled pot on a stove burner. Place it with the handle facing off the side of the burner, so that it doesn’t get too hot. (You will still need a hot pad!)
Set the burner to medium (medium high on my current stove, but I used medium on my other stove). Within about 10 minutes, the espresso will have pushed through the filter and filled the top of the pot. Remove it from the heat as soon as the pot is full, do not let the espresso boil or it will burn.
While the espresso is heating, place the sugar in a large cup or divide it between two small cups.
Pour the milk into a large 2 cup measuring cup and warm it for about 90 seconds in the microwave. Or if you are using the stovetop to scald the milk, start it on low when you start the espresso.
When the espresso is finished, pour it over the sugar and stir for a few moments to dissolve the sugar. Froth the milk until it has doubled in size and then pour the foamy milk over the coffee. Stir to combine. Serve hot.
For more homemade drinks that are better than the coffee shop, try Homemade Chai Tea or the London Fog.
Italian Cream Liqueur is a favorite around the holidays and I often make it and gift it to friends. This Peppermint Mocha Latte and this Butterscotch Caramel Coffee are on my list to try soon.
You can make Vanilla Coffee Syrup at home, using just a few common ingredients and no preservatives or artificial flavors. It takes less than 5 minutes to stir together this syrup and it tastes better than any store-bought options.
Brown sugar and a dash of cinnamon provide terrific depth of flavor for this yummy Iced Brown Sugar Espresso.
Kitchen Tip: I use this stovetop espresso maker and this milk frother to make this recipe.
Cafe con Leche
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon good quality espresso
- 1-3 teaspoons sugar
- ⅔ cup milk
Instructions
- Fill the bottom portion of the 3 cup espresso pot with water, to just below the valve. (If using a 6 cup pot, double the ingredients.) Place the filter into the pot and scoop 1 tablespoon of espresso into the pot. Screw the top half of the espresso make onto the bottom half and then place the filled pot onto a stove burner. Place it with the handle facing off the side of the burner, so that it doesn’t get too hot. (You will still need a hot pad!)
- Set the burner to medium (medium high on my current stove, but I used medium on my other stove). Within about 10 minutes, the espresso will have pushed through the filter and filled the top of the pot. Remove it from the heat as soon as the pot is full, do not let the espresso boil or it will burn.
- While the espresso is heating, place the sugar in a large cup or divide it between two small cups. Pour the milk into a large 2 cup measuring cup and warm it for about 90 seconds in the microwave. Or if you are using the stovetop to scald the milk, start it on low when you start the espresso.
- When the espresso is finished, pour it over the sugar and stir for a few moments to dissolve the sugar. Froth the milk until it has doubled in size and then pour the foamy milk over the coffee. Stir to combine. Serve hot and Enjoy!
Notes
6 cup Bialetti Moka Express stovetop espresso maker or 3 cup Bialleti Moka Express stovetop espresso maker (recipe directions are for the 3 cup size, double the ingredients for the 6 cup size)
1 milk frother, I use this simple battery operated frother * Please note that this is an espresso maker, not a regular coffee pot. The “3 cup” size produces only 6 ounces of espresso, enough for 1 large or 2 small cups of cafe con leche.
Nutrition
{originally published 12/4/12 – recipe notes and photos updated 2/1/22}
Magnolia Verandah says
Love this type of coffee and have a selection of pots to make "real coffee" ours is Italian. Its addictive isn't it.
Averie @ Averie Cooks says
I could drink this all day long! Super creamy coffee is the best – and this is great looking!
Sue/the view from great island says
I am so into coffee and milk drinks, and I've never made this one. Your vanilla sugar sounds incredible, I need to make some of that, too. And the frother is my new favorite gadget, I'm using it to froth hot chocolate!
Blond Duck says
I read a book where the character drank these every day!
sonja says
Do you have to use a stovetop maker, or would my little espresso maker work?
Mary says
Any espresso maker will work fine, Sonja! enjoy!
Bonnie says
I have an electric one that has a streamer on the side love it. Years ago I had a stove top one, that also had a streamer on the side.
Wore it out.
When I make these at home we use beer mugs to drink them out.
Nancy says
I come from a very big Italian family. Espresso was always brewing at our house. I recently purchased an espresso/cappuccino machine and I LOVE it! We have cappuccino every night after dinner. I have finally got the frothing down pat! This sounds just like cappuccino, however, I like adding a bit of cinnamon ontop of the frothing. Can you tell me how to make vanilla sugar? That sounds awesome in my morning coffee!
Mary says
Here's the link for the vanilla sugar: https://barefeetinthekitchen.com/2012/10/homemade-vanilla-extract-and-vanilla.html Enjoy!
Anonymous says
The moka pot is the only one I use..divine.
Anonymous says
This is cappuccino
Judith says
Have you tried Chai Latte yet?
Mary says
Yes, I love them! I have a recipe for homemade chai lattes here on the blog as well. Enjoy!
Traci H says
We lived is Spain for three years. I lived off of cafe con leche! I would commit very dirty acts for one right about now! Oh, and Tinto! Tinto……
Anonymous says
I hear so much about this beverage on the Camino forums. I've read through your post and I'm unclear as to how this differs from a latte? I make my own lattes at home with an espresso machine.
Mary says
Cafe con Leche is simply "coffee and milk," basically a Spanish latte. I prefer it because it isn't as rich as a coffeeshop latte and when made with espresso it tends to have a deeper flavor. I'd love to hear your opinion on the difference (vs your latte with an espresso machine) if you try it!
C. Cody Anderson says
The big difference is the amount of milk. While a latte has a lot of milk piled onto the espresso (usually something like 1:4 or more), you'll never get anything larger than a 6 oz cup in Spain (so a 1:1 or 1:2 ratio of coffee to milk). This makes a stronger drink that isn't as "thick" as a latte or cappuccino. Because of the strength (or the palate or most Spanish people), sugar is also very commonly added.
When I make these at home, I typically use raw sugar to deepen the flavour somewhat and bring the drink closer to what I experienced in Spain. I found the milk in Spain (which is sold shelf stable by the way) to be sweeter than in Canada, and their espresso tends to have a stronger caramel taste to it, at least in the coffee shops I went to.
Sysy says
This is an italian cappuccino and sorry, but the moka is italian too.
The spanish Cafe con leche is just coffee with milk withoit foam. Because they don’t know foaming the milk and are using defated milk…
Mary says
While I can not speak to the lattes in Italy, this is most certainly how a Cafe con Leche is made. And yes, they certainly do froth the milk in Spain and Mexico for this drink. Isn’t it interesting how similar things are though?
Cherylynn says
Mary,
This seemed like a bit of a snarky comeback to someone’s comment.
I’m sure she meant no offense and nor do I. Keep in mind your sister was a
tourist who spent little time in Spain. My ex-husband is from Spain.
I too spent quite a bit of time there and where tapas bars and other trendy
tourist spots or those catering to current food trends may froth their cafe con leche,
it is not normally made in this manner in the Spanish homes or for the locals.
Nothing wrong with changing up a recipe to make it more palatable for those
back home or in keeping up with current trends. I think she just meant to say
that it wasn’t customary in Spain for the locals to serve it this way.
Hope you understand the point I’m trying to make and that I am in no way criticizing you.
Mary Younkin says
My intent was not snark, Cherylynn. (My snark is crystal clear when it’s intended.) Thank you for so politely clarifying your experience with the coffee options in Spain. As she saw in the places they visited (likely tourist spots) this is how the drink was made in Spain everywhere they visited. However, as with so many other foods that we enjoy, it is clearly not the only way. Over many years of sharing recipes here on the website, I am forever being “corrected” both politely and oh so rudely. (It’s just the way this industry works because food opinions are a dime a dozen and we all have them.) At this point? I simply say that I’m glad we can all make things our own way. That’s the beauty of sharing recipes as we all love them best, right? Thanks again for taking the time to share your opinion here.
Vanessa W. says
Thank you for the recipe! I think someone mentioned that this is the traditional Italian cappuccino, and they are right. I am Dominican and PR. My grandfather always did things the Spanish way. He would heat up his milk in a pot, not to full boil while stirring. He would pour expresso over sugar than the scalded milk. It was thick from being heated, but no froth. I never saw froth in my home when drinking cafe con leche. Oddly, he preferred the milk a little burnt as well. Of course, Spain and Italy share a lot of things in common being that they are near each other so I am sure there is some borrowing goin on and newer adaptations. Either way, this is delicious. I tried it using pure cream instead of milk.
Mary Younkin says
I’m glad you liked it, Vanessa!
VHawk says
Mary, Do you use the 3-cup or 6-cup? Which size would you recommend?
Mary Younkin says
I use the 6 cup.