Gingerbread Latte Recipe

This gingerbread latte is a shot of espresso or ½ cup strong coffee, ¾ cup steamed milk and 2 tablespoons of homemade gingerbread syrup made from molasses, brown sugar, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. The first one takes about 15 minutes because you cook the syrup. After that the jar sits in the fridge and every latte is a 5 minute job.

The one thing that matters: stir the syrup into the hot coffee before the milk goes in. Molasses is heavy, and if you add it last it sinks to the bottom of the mug. I have made this for my own Christmas brunch table many times.

What Goes Into a Gingerbread Latte

• Syrup: ¼ cup molasses, ¼ cup brown sugar, ½ cup water, ½ teaspoon each ginger and cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon nutmeg, ⅛ teaspoon cloves, ½ teaspoon vanilla
• One latte: 2 tablespoons syrup, ½ cup strong coffee or 1 to 2 espresso shots, ¾ cup milk
• One jar of syrup: roughly ¾ cup, enough for about 6 lattes
• Time: 10 minutes prep and 5 minutes simmering for the syrup, about 5 minutes per latte after that
• Keeps: syrup up to 2 weeks in the fridge
• Toppings: whipped cream, a dusting of cinnamon or nutmeg, caramel drizzle, all optional

The Syrup: Molasses, Brown Sugar and Four Spices

Warm the molasses, brown sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium heat and stir until the sugar has dissolved and the edges start to bubble. Then add the ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves and let it simmer gently for 4 to 5 minutes. Take it off the heat while it still pours like thin maple syrup. It thickens a lot as it cools, and if you reduce it longer it turns sticky in the fridge and refuses to mix into milk. Stir in the vanilla last, off the heat, so it keeps its smell.

Use unsulphured molasses, the regular mild or robust kind from the baking aisle. The card says not blackstrap for a reason. Blackstrap is the darkest and least sweet molasses, and in a drink it tastes bitter and almost burnt. Brown sugar adds the caramel note, and the cloves stay at ⅛ teaspoon because more takes over the mug.

I also drizzle this syrup over pancakes on cold mornings, and it is the same spice idea that runs through my gingerbread loaf. For a plain vanilla version to keep next to it, see my homemade coffee syrup.

Espresso or Strong Coffee?

I have brewed this with both. Espresso gives a concentrated coffee taste that stands up to the molasses and spices, so one or two shots are enough. Strong brewed coffee makes a smoother, milder drink that is easier to sip slowly, and it is what I use for a crowd: one pot, a jar of syrup and a pan of milk on the stove.

Make the coffee stronger than you would drink it black. With ¾ cup milk on top, regular strength coffee disappears and the latte tastes like sweet spiced milk. My pumpkin spice latte follows the same rule.

Milk, Heat and Foam

Whole milk gives the creamiest latte. Oat milk is my own favorite here because it foams well and feels rich without being heavy. Almond milk is lighter and slightly nutty, with a thinner foam.

Heat the milk in a small saucepan or the microwave until it steams and tiny bubbles form around the edge, about 150°F if you have a thermometer. Do not let it boil. Boiled milk tastes cooked and the foam falls flat within a minute. Froth it with a milk frother, a whisk, or shake it in a sealed jar that is only half full, holding the lid with a towel.

Putting the Latte Together

Pour the hot coffee or espresso into a mug and stir in 2 tablespoons of syrup until it disappears. Pour the steamed milk over it, holding back the foam with a spoon, then spoon the foam on top. Taste before the toppings go on. Add another teaspoon of syrup if you want it sweeter, or start with 1 tablespoon next time.

Finish with whipped cream, a dusting of cinnamon or nutmeg, and caramel if you like a dessert style mug. On one December morning I set a tiny gingerbread cookie on the rim, and now it is the garnish everyone asks for; a cookie from my gingerbread man cookies batch fits right on the edge of a glass mug.

Christmas Latte Variations From One Jar

Once the syrup is made, it turns into several Christmas lattes. For a gingerbread chai latte, use strong brewed chai tea in place of the coffee and keep everything else the same. For dairy-free, oat or coconut milk are the two that foam best. For a decaf evening version, use decaf espresso; the spices carry the flavor anyway.

Iced Gingerbread Latte

Stir the syrup into the coffee while it is still warm, then let it cool. Cold molasses syrup will not dissolve in cold milk and ends up as a sticky layer on the ice. Pour the sweetened coffee over a glass of ice and top with cold milk.

Keeping the Syrup for December

Cool the syrup and store it in a clean glass jar or bottle with a tight lid in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. The ground spices settle to the bottom, which is normal, so shake or stir the jar before every latte. Straight from the fridge it is thick; stir it into the hot coffee and it loosens right away.

I often make a double batch at the start of December. After about two weeks the spices start to taste dull, so a fresh small batch is better than one big jar that lasts all month. Leftover syrup goes into homemade hot chocolate or over pancakes.

Quick Answers

What does a gingerbread latte taste like?

Like a soft gingerbread cookie dunked in milky coffee: molasses and brown sugar first, then warm ginger and cinnamon, with a little clove at the end.

How sweet is it?

With 2 tablespoons of syrup it is about as sweet as a coffee shop latte. Use 1 tablespoon for a lightly sweet drink and add more to taste.

Can I make it without an espresso machine?

Yes. Use ½ cup of strongly brewed coffee from a drip machine, French press or moka pot, and froth the milk in a jar or with a whisk.

For more holiday coffee bakes, the gingerbread latte mousse domes use the same flavors as a dessert, and butterscotch latte fudge is a good jar to give away next to a bottle of this syrup. Tell me in the comments which milk you used.

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