For my birthday, I convinced my parents to split the cost of a Nespresso. I believe it is a good purchase because now I am spending about a dollar on a latte rather than seven dollars at a coffee shop. I was pulled more towards purchasing a Nespresso than a Keurig because I enjoy drinking iced coffee all year round. It can be 2℉ outside and I still will be drinking iced coffee. Additionally, I did some research and learned that Nespresso recycles their pods while Keurig does not. This was a big deciding factor for me because, with a Nespresso, I will not feel as bad using single-serve plastic pods. So, I am now the owner of a Nespresso Vertuo Next Machine and am learning to make coffee drinks that I enjoy at coffee shops! Here is how I make them!
- Lavender Latte
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There are a few coffee shops that have started offering lavender syrup as one of the syrup options for your coffee. For example, every time I visit the Filling Station Coffee Shop, I usually order an iced lavender latte. I am a big fan of lavender coffee syrup because it does not make my coffee overly sweet and keeps some of the bitter taste of the espresso palatable. Unfortunately, I cannot always go to Filling Station, so I made my own lavender coffee syrup!
Ingredients:
Syrup: 1 tablespoon of culinary lavender (I got mine from the River Market), 1 cup of water, 1 cup of sugar
Latte: shot of espresso, milk (I like using whole milk!), ice
How to Make the Syrup:
- Add the water, sugar and lavender into a saucepan and bring it to a boil.
- Keeping stirring the mixture until all the sugar dissolves and let it simmer for a minute.
- After one minute, turn off the heat and let the mixture steep for 30 minutes.
- Pour syrup into a glass jar and use a strainer to strain out all the lavender blossoms.
Latte Recipe:
- Fill a glass with ice and then pour in the shot of espresso.
- Add about an ounce of lavender.
- Add six ounces of milk.
- Stir and enjoy!
- Dirty Chai
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I have become a big fan of dirty chais over this past year. Dirty chais are a chai latte with a shot of espresso added into it and they are very easy to make! There are a few coffee shops that have the perfect balance of sweetness and spice in their chai concentrate. One of my favorites is Dollop Coffee, which I visited during my trip to Chicago over the summer!
Ingredients:
Chai concentrate, milk, shot of espresso, ice
Dirty Chai Recipe:
- Fill your glass with ice and add six ounces of chai concentrate.
- Add six ounces of milk.
- Pour your shot of espresso on top.
- Stir and enjoy!
Note: I like having a one-to-one ratio with my chai concentrate and milk. However, you can adjust this recipe according to your own liking!
- Sugar Cookie Almond Milk Latte
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The Sugar Cookie Latte from Starbucks was one of my holiday favorites. However, since it was a holiday drink, Starbucks does not carry it anymore, so I have tried to figure out how to make it at home! After exploring the internet, I found out all you need to make a simple syrup and add sprinkles on top!
Ingredients:
Syrup: ¼ cup of water, 2 tablespoons of brown sugar, ¼ cup of granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, ¼ teaspoon of almond extract
Latte: ¾ cup of almond milk, shot of espresso (I prefer using a blonde espresso shot with this recipe!), sprinkles, ice
Syrup Recipe:
- In a saucepan over medium heat, add the water, brown sugar, granulated sugar, vanilla extract and almond extract.
- Heat until the sugar dissolves.
- After sugar dissolves, turn off the heat and let it cool.
- After cooling, store syrup in a glass jar.
Latte Recipe:
- Fill your glass with ice and add the sugar cookie syrup.
- Top your glass with almond milk and espresso.
- Stir and add some sprinkles on top and enjoy!
I am very biased towards iced drinks, however, all these drinks can be enjoyed both hot or iced! When I buy myself a cup of coffee from a coffee shop, I label it as self-care. Obviously, if I am making my favorite drinks at home, I will not get the same sense of satisfaction from purchasing a latte. However, I have learned that the sense of accomplishment I get when I make it myself is different and motivating. I have learned that adding garnishes and making the latte in a cute cup also help set the vibes. Hopefully, you find success in these recipes as I have! Enjoy!