A quick and easy caramel latte made at home without an espresso machine! Coffee lovers, rejoice!
Is it just me or is the price of a coffeehouse latte a little ridiculous? Don't get me wrong, I love the taste of a freshly made latte with two shots of strongly brewed espresso as much as the next person. This is my version of a caramel latte the regular "Joe" can make at home without needing an espresso machine (I promise I'll try to keep the coffee jokes to a minimum.)
My senior year of college, my housemate had an espresso machine that she let us use, provided that we bought our own espresso powder and cleaned it out once we were done with it. Let me just say, that was a very productive year...the espresso never let me sleep!
Cleaning the machine was also a little bit of a pain in the butt. You had to wait for the espresso to cool down before you could scrub out the burnt smelling espresso from the pod/handle part. And the milk steamer would always have this very unappealing residue once you used it. It was a bit high maintenance. Delicious, but not always worth the work.
Although I'll always be a caramel macchiato girl at heart, I do get the craving for a latte once in awhile. In efforts to save a little bit of money (still keeping up with my resolutions!) I chose to recreate this latte with what I had at home already.
Say you're paying $4.65 for a medium sized latte at Starbucks...sounds about right, yes? $4.65 x 3 lattes per week = $13.95. If you're diligent about your thrice a week Starbucks habit, that'll run you $725.40 over the course of a year. Wait, WHAT?! I don't know about you, but I'd rather spend that money on a weeklong cruise or a trip to Disney World!
Here's how you can make your own makeshift latte without an espresso machine.
Caramel Latte, without spending a latte.
Brew either 4 or 6 ounces of strong coffee. We have a Keurig 2.0 with different brew size options. There's also an option for a "strong" cup of coffee. If you have that option, check that button. If you're like my mom and still love your old drip coffee machine, add in a few extra grinds to your usual amount of water that'll yield you 6 ounces of coffee.
"Steam" your milk and caramel flavoring. I microwaved the milk for a minute and a half, and poured in about ¾ worth in with the strong coffee. I was out of caramel syrup that day, but did happen to have caramel coffee creamer on hand. It works all the same.
Since I also didn't have a steamer (or frother...) at the time, I did what I could by improvising. I'd like to think of myself as the coffee MacGyver. I never watched an episode of that show, (since it stopped airing when I was two) but I think I got the reference right.
To "froth" the milk without a frother, aerate the remaining hot milk in a single serve blender cup by blending it for 10-15 seconds. I never said this was glamorous, but I did say that this would make you a delicious latte-inspired beverage for a fraction of the price. Definitely save up all that latte money and use it on a trip or something you really want instead!
Pour the froth over the milk and add sweetener if that's your style. I like a packet of stevia. Sip away, my friends!
No-Espresso-Machine Caramel Latte
A quick and easy caramel latte made at home without an espresso machine! Coffee lovers, rejoice!
Ingredients
- 6 ounces strongly brewed coffee
- ¾ cup milk
- 2 tablespoon caramel coffee creamer
- sweetener to taste
- cinnamon, optional
Instructions
- Brew 4-6 ounces of strong hot coffee into a mug.
- In a separate microwavable dish, heat milk and creamer for 90 seconds or until desired temperature.
- Pour ¾ of milk mixture over hot coffee.
- With remaining ¼ milk, blend in single-serve blender cup for around 10 seconds, or until foamy.
- Pour foamed milk over coffee and milk.
- Add sweetener to taste and ground cinnamon if desired.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 1 Serving Size: 1 gramsAmount Per Serving: Calories: 226Unsaturated Fat: 0g
This recipe was inspired by an infographic on the anatomy of Starbucks beverages.
What would you do with an extra $725.40? What's your favorite coffee drink?
Love coffee? You may also love these recipes:
Starbucks Copycat Iced Caramel Macchiato
Tasty treats to go with your latte:
Peanut Butter, Banana & Oatmeal Muffins
Caramel Macchiato Baked Donuts
Melanie
I'm a barista and I can't believe how much money people spend on their coffee! I had someone order a $7 drink yesterday! Crazy!! That can really up without people explicitly noticing.
I'm working on my at-home coffee making skills. I'm on a barista salary after all...While I love my espresso machine, I totally agree with you that they can be a pain to clean and maintain. Using a blender is such a great idea to get the creamy texture of lattes without the hassle! Much easier to clean that than all the little pieces on the espresso machine. And most people already have one on hand. At least more often than a milk frother! Plus sweetening yourself keeps it much healthy than all the sugary syrups 🙂
Jessica
I worked at a bar/restaurant for 3 years so I totally feel for all the baristas out there! People are so grumpy (especially in the mornings or when they think they're being "overcharged" for something...don't get me started, lol) and I really respect all the guys and gals who help fuel the world with caffeine! I love these "lattes" when it's cold, and recently I've been making my own cold brew. You should share some of your best coffee secrets!!
Shantel
Oh yeah I'm trying this one for sure!!!! I always get this from Starbucks
Jessica
Me too!! That and the caramel macchiato are my two all time favorites. Let me know if you try it!
Megan - The Emotional Baker
I love making coffee drinks at home! I haven't tried caramel yet, but in sure I'll try it soon 🙂
Jessica
Let me know if you do! I can't wait until warmer weather is here so I can try out some frappuccino-style drinks 🙂
Ivanna
Yummy what a great idea. I will try this.
Jessica
Thanks, Ivanna! Let me know if you try it 🙂
Jasmine Peace
Where has this post been all my life? Pinned it to help others who don't want to spend "a latte". Thanks for posting
Jessica
Thanks, Jasmine! I hope my coffee jokes weren't too corny 🙂 And thank you for the pin! I followed you on Pinterest.
Megan @ A Dash of Megnut
I LOVE doing this in my Vitamix with coconut oil but had never thought of using caramel creamer! Such a great idea!!
Jessica
Thanks, Megan! I've been meaning to try bulletproof coffee--hopefully soon!
Adri
This is terrific! I am with you about how the Starbucks habit can really just ruin a budget. Thanks!
Jessica
Thanks, Adri!! It really can add up fast!
demeter | beaming baker
Jess, I totally LOL'd when you said it was a productive year! 😉 No kidding though, coffeehouse coffee prices are definitely stretching my budget. Great idea for a more cost-effective choice. P.S. I'm a caramel macchiato type of gal too!
Jessica
Caramel macchiatos are the best! I'll give new drinks a try every once in awhile but I always come back to old faithful 🙂