How to Order Café con Leche at Starbucks

You’d think it should be as easy as “a big latte, please.” well, it’s not that simple. starbucks does not include a latte on its menu.

but wait, not all hope is lost!

Reading: Cafe con leche starbucks

Let’s take a closer look at what you can order to finish with a latte at Starbucks!

how do you make a latte?

café con leche is a popular Spanish and Latin American drink consisting of espresso and milk. It is usually served in a tall glass. the name translates as “coffee with milk”. Although often confused with latte macchiato, lattes contain equal parts scalded milk and espresso.

The most common way to make coffee with milk is to prepare a shot (or better two) of espresso or strong coffee. the Cuban café con leche uses Cuban espresso, while the Spanish version is sometimes made with strong coffee instead of espresso. It’s not that difficult to make latte at home.

Heat the milk in a saucepan until it comes to a boil. you can also simply heat the milk in the microwave. make sure it is not boiling hot. milk heated to just below boiling point is scalded milk, which is used for a latte.

add some sugar to the hot milk and then pour some coffee or espresso into it. blend the milk and espresso until you finish with your favorite ratio. traditionally, milk and coffee should be equal amounts, but that might end up being too strong for you. if you want it sweeter, just add more sugar.

does starbucks have lattes on the menu?

Café con leche is not a drink you would find on the starbucks menu. At least not in the US or Canada. you may have a chance to find this delicious espresso drink in south america or starbucks in spain.

however, there are some espresso drinks that come close that you might consider:

espresso and milk

latte macchiato

This variation of latte uses steamed milk instead of regular milk. ask for additional shots to get the coffee flavor you like!

cappuccino

A cappuccino is similar to a latte macchiato, except that it usually contains foam. a cappuccino is made by adding steamed milk to espresso. then a small amount of foamed milk is added to the espresso. finally, the sugar is stirred into the frothed milk.

so, in general, there is no latte on the menu at starbucks and you have to be creative to get one.

how to order latte at starbucks?

Café con leche is one of those drinks that people either love or hate. in fact, it has existed since the 19th century. but did you know that there are thousands of different ways to do it? there are even cafes that serve a variety of different types of lattes depending on the region they serve in.

this variety makes it even more difficult to figure out how to order a latte at starbucks. It sure doesn’t help that it’s not on the menu either.

so what to do?

You won’t get a perfect latte at starbucks. period! The closest thing you can get is to order a macchiato with steamed milk and no foam or a flat white also without foam. add espresso shots to your liking for a strong coffee flavor and not just steamed milk.

You’ll have to live with steamed milk which you can ask for to heat it up more. starbucks does not provide scalded milk, and in that case, the closest you can get is non-frothed steamed extra hot milk.

however, while you may not get a perfect traditionally brewed latte, you can get a delicious blend of espresso and steamed milk that will taste just the same!

let’s see the differences between latte and latte

the latte is rich and creamy like a latte, but it’s lighter and less sweet. In Colombia, coffee with milk is traditionally served hot, while in Argentina it is usually cold. Brazilians prefer theirs with milk, while Mexicans love theirs without or at least with much less.

A latte typically has a ratio of one part espresso to three parts steamed milk. Latte is mixed in a flat 1-to-1 ratio of espresso to milk. it is easy to see and understand that a latte tastes much smoother while latte has a strong coffee aroma. there are more similarities between a cortado and a café con leche since both use the same proportion of coffee and milk.

what the hell is scalded milk?

Hearing “scalded milk” and having no idea what it could be? don’t worry, you’re in good company. most people don’t know exactly what it is.

technically, it’s pretty simple. scalded milk is heated slightly below the temperature at which it begins to boil. That doesn’t sound too difficult, does it?

again, that’s the theory and the simple technical aspect. actually, it’s not that easy. when you heat milk in a saucepan on the stove, it’s like this constant question of is the milk hot enough. and then? well, then it boils over and you end up with a big mess…

However, it’s not that difficult either. just start heating a stainless steel skillet with your milk over medium heat. keep an eye on it and when you see the first bubbles begin to appear, remove the milk. it’s even easier when you have a thermometer to use. keep the milk below 181 degrees f and you’ll get the perfect scalded milk.

If you don’t want to use a stove, you can also microwave the milk or use a steam wand from your espresso machine. just make sure you don’t create too much foam!

final thoughts on ordering lattes at starbucks

While you won’t be able to find a latte on the menu at Starbucks (or other specialty coffee shops), you can come pretty close. In the end, café con leche is nothing more than half coffee (or espresso) and half hot milk.

so it’s closely related to a cortado that you also struggle to get at starbucks. however, a short latte with an extra shot (or two) and no foam, an espresso macchiato with some hot milk, or a short flat white with an extra shot and no foam will get you close. It’s not perfect, but you’ll enjoy your delicious espresso drink!