How to Make a Vanilla Latte at Home: Hot or Iced

A vanilla latte combines rich espresso, creamy milk and the smooth, sweet flavour of vanilla. It's one of the simplest café-style coffees to recreate at home, and you only need three main ingredients.

Whether you prefer a comforting hot vanilla latte or a refreshing iced vanilla latte, the secret is balancing good coffee with milk and just enough vanilla syrup.

Using Essenza Vanilla Coffee Syrup makes it easy to prepare both versions without making homemade vanilla syrup.

Easy Vanilla Latte Recipe

Preparation time: Approximately 5 minutes
Servings: 1 vanilla latte

Ingredients

• 1 double espresso, approximately 60 ml
• 180 ml milk or your preferred milk alternative
• 15 ml Essenza Vanilla Coffee Syrup, adjusted to taste

Optional: A little milk foam or ground cinnamon for serving.

How to Make a Hot Vanilla Latte

Step 1: Brew the espresso

Prepare a double espresso using your coffee machine or preferred espresso-making method.

Freshly brewed espresso gives a vanilla latte its distinctive coffee flavour.

Choose Your Coffee Beans

If you grind your own beans, explore our Gran Miscela Espresso Coffee Beans, Florita Espresso Coffee Beans or Brio Espresso Coffee Beans for your vanilla latte.

Prefer Ground Coffee?

If you prefer ground coffee, choose from our 100% Arabica Ground Coffee, Oro Ground Coffee or Decaf Ground Coffee. Use a preparation method suited to the grind.

Step 2: Add vanilla coffee syrup

Pour the vanilla syrup into your serving cup and add the espresso.

Stir gently to combine the vanilla flavour with the coffee.

Step 3: Steam the milk

Heat and froth your milk using a steam wand or milk frother until it is smooth and lightly textured.

If you don't have a milk frother, warm the milk gently and whisk until you have a little foam.

Step 4: Combine and serve

Slowly pour the steamed milk into the vanilla espresso, finishing with a small amount of foam.

Taste your latte and adjust the vanilla syrup to your preference.

Your homemade vanilla latte is ready.

How to Make an Iced Vanilla Latte

Prefer your vanilla latte iced? You can use the same ingredients with cold milk and ice instead of steamed milk.

For one iced vanilla latte, you'll need:

• 1 double espresso, approximately 60 ml
• 150–180 ml cold milk
• 15 ml Essenza Vanilla Coffee Syrup
• Ice cubes

To prepare: Brew the espresso and stir in the vanilla syrup. Fill a tall glass with ice, add the flavoured espresso and pour in the cold milk.

Stir before drinking, or enjoy the layered appearance of the milk and coffee.

The result is a creamy iced vanilla latte with a smooth vanilla flavour.

How Much Vanilla Syrup Should You Put in a Latte?

The ideal amount depends on the size of your drink and how sweet you like your coffee.

For a standard homemade vanilla latte, 15 ml is a useful starting point. Use less if you prefer the coffee flavour to dominate, or add a little more for a sweeter vanilla latte.

If you're using a larger cup or preparing an iced drink with additional milk, adjust the syrup to taste.

Concentrated vanilla syrup allows you to change the flavour without needing to prepare a separate vanilla mixture.

Making a Vanilla Latte Without an Espresso Machine

You can still prepare a vanilla-flavoured coffee drink if you don't have an espresso machine.

Use a small quantity of strong coffee prepared with a moka pot, AeroPress or another suitable coffee maker.

Combine the coffee with Essenza Vanilla Syrup and heated or cold milk, depending on whether you're making a hot or iced drink.

The flavour and texture will differ from an espresso-based latte, but you can still enjoy a creamy vanilla coffee at home.

More Ways to Use Vanilla Syrup for Coffee

Vanilla pairs well with espresso, caramel, hazelnut and chocolate, making it a versatile flavour for hot and iced coffee recipes.

Try adding vanilla coffee syrup to a cappuccino, a coffee frappé, hot chocolate or a milkshake. It can also be combined with caramel syrup to create your own flavoured latte combinations.

For more advice on choosing a suitable syrup, read our guide to vanilla syrup for coffee.

Buy Vanilla Coffee Syrup in Ireland

Want to make vanilla lattes at home whenever you like?

Buy Essenza Vanilla Coffee Syrup from Fzin Coffee.

Our palm-oil-free vanilla syrup comes in a recyclable 1-litre glass bottle, available individually or in a box of eight.

Discover more flavours in our coffee syrups collection and experiment with different homemade coffee drinks.