Like most college students, I’m broke. When I came to UF, I had to say goodbye to my $9 Starbucks order (an iced white chocolate mocha with oat milk and strawberry cold foam, for those who were wondering). However, my newfound financial situation forced me to get creative – I started making coffees at home.
The cool thing about becoming your own barista is that you don’t get charged an arm and a leg for customizing a drink. I’m lactose (slightly) intolerant, so I always switch out my milk for a dairy-free option; I love a good, sweet cold foam; and I have a major sweet tooth, so it’s easy to adjust the sugar level to my liking.
The method is simple: brew your favorite coffee (I prefer lattes, so I’ll do one or two shots of espresso), mix in your milk (or creamer), then add ice (or leave it hot if you’d like). For a cold foam topping, I use a cheap frother from Amazon, and mix a splash of milk, heavy cream and my flavor of choice.
I still catch myself going to Starbucks here and there, but making lattes at home has definitely saved me hundreds – if not thousands. Yes, I am a fiend.
For those of you that want some inspiration, here are some of my favorite recipes (following the method above):
Blueberry Iced Latte
- Homemade blueberry syrup*
- 1-2 shots of espresso
- Milk of choice
- Heavy cream (for the foam, optional)
- Ice
To make the syrup:
Put one cup of water, sugar and blueberries in a pot, and bring it to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 20-30 minutes. Strain the mixture, then transfer to an airtight container and allow it to cool before using.
White Chocolate Raspberry Iced Latte
- Chobani White Chocolate Raspberry Creamer (I use this to make cold foam)
- 1-2 shots of espresso
- Milk of choice
- Ice
Cookie Butter Latte
- 1 teaspoon Trader Joe’s Cookie Butter (brew your coffee over this so they melt together)
- 1-2 shots of espresso
- Milk of choice
- Ice
- Heavy cream with cinnamon (for cold foam, optional)
Coming from someone who has a hard time following directions, these recipes are pretty foolproof – at least I hope they are. So, if you’re feeling like Martha Stewart one day, give them a try. Hopefully you enjoy them as much as I do!