There’s nothing like enjoying a coffee shop quality latte in the comfort of your own home. I absolutely love making homemade coffee drinks – whether it’s our most popular cold brew coffee or a delectably sweet piping hot caramel latte.
This DIY almond latte is topping the charts as our #1 now, with its subtly sweet, nutty, warm flavors that compliment rich, dark espresso and are enhanced by a creamy almond milk base. If you’re a fan of sweet marzipan flavor, like in our Almond Cardamom Cake, you’re gonna love this drink.
It can be made hot, with steamed milk, or over ice when you need a refresh, so you can enjoy it no matter the time, place, or weather conditions! Let’s get to it.
Ingredient Spotlight
A homemade latte, whether hot or iced, consists of two ingredients. Three if you’re adding flavor, as we are here. You’ll need espresso (or strongly brewed coffee), milk, and in this case almond syrup.
For an in-depth look, check out my how-to guide for making lattes at home.
Espresso
Now, if you do have an espresso machine, or a Nespresso, of course, you should go ahead and use it for espresso drinks. But if you don’t, you can still enjoy homemade lattes!
If you don’t have a machine, the key is to simply use very strong coffee in place of shots of espresso. You can use cold brew concentrate if making an iced latte. For hot (or cold, too), brew coffee using a strong ratio of 15:1 water to coffee, and use a dark roast for the strongest flavor. You can also use a Moka pot to make espresso on the stovetop, or simply use Instant Espresso.
Consider this: if you are using strongly brewed coffee instead of espresso, use more coffee (or less milk) for a more authentic latte flavor.
Almond Milk
When making a homemade latte, you can easily switch out the type of milk depending on what you have and your preferences. Almond milk works well in this almond latte recipe because it compliments the almond syrup and provides a creamy, nutty essence.
Almond Simple Syrup
Our third and final ingredient for this almond latte is syrup! I highly recommend making your own almond syrup. Not only is it super easy to make in less than 5 minutes using almond extract, but it’s more cost-effective than store-bought and in my humble opinion, tastes way better. Plus, you can keep it for weeks and make lattes in minutes!
To make the syrup, simmer granulated sugar and water together until dissolved, and stir in the almond extract at the end. Be sure to see the full details in the recipe post for more information.
How to Make an Almond Latte
It’s really easy to make a latte at home, and whether it’s hot or iced, the steps are quite similar. The only difference is how the milk is prepared for a hot latte. I’ll walk you through the step-by-step process for making both hot and cold versions.
Make it a Hot Almond Latte
If you have a milk frother or frothing wand at home, heat the milk accordingly and froth. But without a milk frother, my favorite way to froth milk at home is to heat milk in a mason jar.
Add the milk to the jar and heat it in the microwave without the lid until hot. Add the almond syrup, then top the jar with a lid and shake it vigorously (while dancing…because happiness makes better lattes) until it’s doubled in size and foamy.
I will note, that almond milk does not foam as well as whole milk does, so the result may differ depending on the milk you’re using.
Please keep these tips in mind when you use the mason jar method for frothing milk:
- Do not microwave the lid. It’s metal and cannot go in the microwave.
- Carefully remove the jar from the microwave, and use a towel or potholders to prevent burning your hands, as needed.
- Carefully remove the lid from the jar, removing it slowly in case any pressure has accumulated. I like to use a towel to remove it, just in case there is any splatter or excess heat.
If you don’t have a lid for your jar, heat the milk in a small saucepan, then use a whisk to froth the milk, vigorously whisking until foamy.
With the milk ready, all that’s left to do is pour it into the espresso in your favorite mug. If you didn’t add the syrup to the milk, pour it into the espresso (either way works great). Top the latte with the foam, and if you’re really feeling fancy add some homemade whipped cream.
Iced Almond Latte
Making an iced almond milk latte is actually even easier because there’s no frothing required. Since it’s a cold drink, the milk is kept cold so the ice doesn’t milk.
First, brew your espresso or hot coffee and it into a tall glass. Add the almond syrup, and stir them together to make sure they’re combined. Add the ice, and top it all off with almond milk, stirring it all together. Since there’s something about drinking iced coffee with a straw, I use my go-to reusable straws to do the stirring for me.
Recipe Variations
It’s easy to mix and match latte recipes, especially if you have more homemade latte syrups on hand.
- One popular almond latte request is the sugar cookie almond milk latte from Starbucks. My dupe for that recipe is to use half vanilla syrup and half almond syrup, along with almond milk in both hot and iced lattes. Try it out and let me know what you think!
- Try almond syrup paired with blueberry syrup or even blackberry; the fruity almond combination is incredible (and why blueberry almond crisp is one of my favs).
- Pair it with autumn spice syrup in the fall for a cozy, comforting drink.
- Go the herb route and make an almond rosemary latte with rosemary syrup.
MORE COFFEE DRINK RECIPES
Did you make this recipe? Please leave a star rating and review in the form below. I appreciate your feedback, and it helps others, too!
Get the Recipe Homemade Almond Latte (Hot or Iced)
Ingredients
Almond Syrup
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup water
- ½ Tablespoon almond extract
Latte
- 4-6 ounces almond milk, or milk of choice
- 2 Tablespoons almond syrup
- 3 ounces espresso (2 shots), or ½ cup strong coffee
- Ice, for iced latte
Equipment
- Handheld Frother Wand optional
Instructions
- Almond Syrup: In a small saucepan, combine the sugar and water over medium heat. Bring to a simmer until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and stir in almond extract. Use immediately or let cool and store in a jar in the fridge until ready to use.½ cup granulated sugar, ½ cup water, ½ Tablespoon almond extract
- For either hot or iced coffee, brew espresso or strong coffee in your preferred method.
- Hot Latte: Pour milk into a mason jar and microwave for 1 ½ minutes. Depending on your microwave, you may need to continue heating in 30-second increments for up to another minute. You want the milk hot, but not boiling.4-6 ounces almond milk, 2 Tablespoons almond syrup
- Carefully remove the jar of milk from the microwave; you may need to use a towel or potholder as it will be hot. Add 2 tablespoons of almond syrup. Put the lid on the mason jar, and shake vigorously for 30 seconds to 1 minute. See notes below for additional frothing methods.
- Continuing to use a towel or potholder, remove the lid carefully, being aware of any pressure that may have built up in the jar. Pour the milk over the espresso, topping with any foam that remains in the jar. Serve immediately with whipped cream if desired.3 ounces espresso (2 shots)
- Iced Latte: Add the espresso (or cold brew concentrate) to a drinking glass. Stir in the almond syrup and fill the glass with ice. Top with milk and stir to combine.Ice
Notes
- Use caution when shaking and opening the mason jar! Make sure the lid is on tight, use a towel or pot-holder to hold the jar as needed, and open the lid carefully (I again, use a towel in hand).
- Additional frothing methods:
- Use a milk frother wand
- Shake the jar of milk before microwaving. Make sure the milk doubles in size before microwaving, then once heated, immediately pour it into your espresso.
- Heat milk in a saucepan on the stovetop (or again in the microwave) then use a whisk to froth the milk.
- Strong Coffee: if using strongly brewed coffee instead of espresso, consider using more coffee/less milk for a more latte-like coffee-forward flavor.
- Syrup Serving: the syrup yields about 3/4 cup, or approximately 6 servings when using 2 TBSP per drink. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
