There are a lot of flavors for a latte, as it’s one of the most versatile coffee drinks out there. To make it easier to choose, we’ll be discussing 15 unique, different latte flavors you need to taste at least once.
Anyone remotely familiar with the coffee world knows about the creamy goodness of a latte. The drink gets better automatically if you mix any flavor into a latte.
What’s A Latte?
Also known as a caffè latte, it’s a type of coffee that’s two shots of espresso mixed with steamed milk. The final product also has a thin, silky layer of foamed milk floating on top.
Latte has a fantastic flavor, rich texture with aesthetic presence.
15 Different Latte Flavors To Try out
Here are the most popular 15 types of latte flavors that many coffee lovers favor, and they are sure to sweeten your day up. And the best thing is, you can make all of these at home.
Vanilla Latte
Starting with the most popular latte flavor to date, Vanilla latte has the right balance of sweetness and rich, natural flavors.
Vanilla latte is easy to make at home. You can either heat vanilla pods with sugar or water or infuse your vanilla pods with milk. Doing the latter gives your latte a luxurious and delicious taste profile.
A vanilla-flavored simple syrup is not as natural as they advertise, but you can find the right one when you look hard enough.
You’ll come across 2 different variations of vanilla syrup on the market:
- Regular Vanilla
- French Vanilla
Regular vanilla syrup is when you want the traditional vanilla latte experience. French vanilla is a sweeter variation of regular vanilla with a deeper taste and richer body, offering you a delicious drink.
Hazelnut Latte
This latte recipe has changed over the years. If you ordered a hazelnut latte a few years back, you would be served with a regular latte made of a double espresso shot, dairy milk, and hazelnut flavoring. But you had the freedom to swap the milk for almond if you wanted.
Fast forward to the present, and we have a lot of awesome companies that are creating plant-based milk, and of course, hazelnut milk. So, if you order a hazelnut latte in a coffee shop, chances are that’s what will be in your latte. But, of course, you can also choose almond milk.
The syrup depends on your preference. If you want a sweet cup of latte, any latte flavored syrup will do. However, if you want the hazelnut flavor covering your tongue with extra nuttiness, hazelnut milk is the way to go.
Caramel Latte
Caramel is so compatible with coffee it feels as if the caramel was created to be taken with coffee. So it’s only natural for a caramel latte to be almost as popular as a vanilla latte.
Caramel syrup has a rich body and sweet flavor that adds a buttery feel, almost as if you are drinking caramel candy in a liquid form.
Caramel latte is also easy to make at home with espresso and store-bought caramel syrup. If you want a more refined taste, you can make your own caramel sauce by heating up butter, sugar, and cream.
Cinnamon Latte
Yes, a cinnamon latte is here to take care of your health while giving you the authentic latte feel. So what’s a better combination to ask for, amirite?
Cinnamon has an earthy and rich flavor profile, and adding it to coffee creates a smooth drink with warmth yet spicy. In addition, cinnamon is sugar-free, so you don’t have to worry about a sugar overload.
You can make a cup of cinnamon latte at home by infusing cinnamon with milk. Though most cafes use flavor syrup, the homemade one gives you a more refined, intense taste.
Gingerbread Latte
Imagine Christmas and a perfect Christmas -themed coffee, and you have a gingerbread latte. So whether you are spending time with your family and loved ones or watching a movie by yourself, gingerbread latte can be your perfect companion.
Gingerbread latte can be made at home in less than 10 minutes, so you can easily brew up a big batch if you have family and friends coming over. The Best part is that gingerbread latte goes with any sort of dairy-free milk of your choice.
I recommend trying it out with soy milk or oat milk.
Smoky Butterscotch Latte
This one acts as more of a dessert or an after-meal treat. The taste of butterscotch can take you back to your childhood in a flash.
Smoky butterscotch latte is sweeter than most lattes, so anyone with a sweet tooth will find this one particularly enjoyable.
French Toast Latte
No, we aren’t talking about French toast AND latte (though that can work as an amazing combo as well); we’re talking about a latte that is flavored like French toast.
Don’t worry; you don’t have to stick your French toasts in a blender to get it done. French toast flavor syrups are available that you can use with your espresso to create French Toast Latte.
You can also spice it up with cinnamon and nutmeg to increase the taste.
French Toast Latte is the perfect breakfast drink with pancakes, waffles, and obviously, French Toast.
Mocha Latte
You can brew a fine cup of mocha latte with regular cocoa powder, white chocolate, or dark chocolate. Use dark chocolate if you want a sugar-free mocha latte.
A pretty uncommon latte that uses powders and not syrups. You can also use chocolate syrups, but Mocha latte tastes better with cocoa powder.
If you want to amplify the taste of your mocha latte, add your powder to the milk before steaming. When you steam the combination of milk and chocolate powder together, your milk has a richer body that tastes heavenly paired with a double shot espresso.
Pumpkin Spice Latte
Another themed latte drink, and this time, with a spooooooooky theme. Yes, it’s your Halloween special cult classic, pumpkin spice latte.
In this cult classic, we use a couple of standard latte ingredients; steamed milk and espresso.
Pumpkin spice latte can be a bit complicated to make if you are taking the route for the most authentic, homemade flavor. You can mix in cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, or go one step further and add actual pumpkin.
But let’s say you’re in a hurry, and there’s an option for that too, that is pumpkin spice flavor mix.
Havind fun to read different latte flavors? Check out our piece on strongest coffee in the world.
Sweet Potato Latte
We are slowly going into unconventional territory with these flavors. But I know you love it, so let’s keep going!
Sweet potato latte is a Korean latte flavor. The name comes from using Asian sweet potatoes as the main ingredient. Asian sweet potatoes are much sweeter than you may think.
It’s sweet enough to be used for desserts and various sweet drinks. However, if you are keen to have a taste from a different culture altogether, You HAVE to try this out.
Coconut Latte
The combination of coffee and coconut is a bit odd but can produce great results if done right.
Though reading the title can already get you to think about coconut syrup for your latte, in this case, coconut milk is better.
The reason is coconut syrups taste artificial no matter how high-quality it is. For a more natural creamy-sweet taste, you need coconut milk for your latte.
Coconut milk balances out the flavor of coconut with the latte without making it taste more coconut and less latte. And also, there are dairy-free coconut milk versions as well!
Pistachio Latte
Pistachio is a nut, making pistachio latte another nut flavored latte.
A latte that started as a limited-time exclusive at Starbucks has become a treat for the taste buds of avid coffee drinkers.
Making pistachio latte at home is pretty easy too. You don’t need actual pistachios to get the recipe going; you can pick up sugar-free syrup that is pistachio flavored.
A pistachio latte can work as a fine alternative to a hazelnut latte for those who like the nutty flavor with high amounts of sweetness. The nutty flavor present in pistachio latte is much milder than hazelnut latte.
Pistachio latte also has a vegan variation that you can achieve by switching out a couple of ingredients.
White Chocolate Latte
Though there are other recipes where you can use white chocolate as an additive, a white chocolate latte can be a separate thing in itself.
You can find white chocolate coffee sauces or syrups in any local shop, so this latte recipe is highly accessible.
All you need is a basic latte, mixed a dash of white chocolate sauce or syrup, stir the mix, and you’re good to go!
Lavender Latte
This is another latte flavor that started as a trend. But believe me when I say that this is a trend that’ll be around for a while.
In a world that can be easily overwhelming, the calming scent of lavender can be a welcome gift. So what better than a drink that is flavored with all the peace and quiet?
Lavender works best with any type of iced latte by giving it a gorgeous color, making the looks go along with the taste.
If you are trying to hold most of the natural lavender flavor, I suggest working with almond or oat milk.
Ghetto Latte
This is the most financially efficient latte option on the list while being a “many in one” option.
I’m not kidding when I say that it’s a “many in one” since ghetto lattes are not any specific type of latte. Instead, they come in many different forms.
All you need to do is go into a coffee shop, order a few espresso shots with ice, and then put in your additives yourself from the condiment stand. Usually, the pitcher of milk is free.
It’s like build-a-bear, but with coffee.
Had fun reading different latte flavors? You’ll love to read our piece on reasons why you need a coffee scale.
Bottom Line
Though we can’t include every single latte flavor that’s out in the wild, we made sure to add enough options for you to either completely ignore one or pick your new favorite.
May your latte adventure be sweet and delicious.
Cheers!
FAQs
A ghetto latte is many lattes in one since you take the base of the latte and mix it with your choice of additives to create a custom latte experience.
The Caramel Macchiato is considered to be the sweetest latte that is available at Starbucks.
A grand iced latte from Starbucks uses a maximum of three shots of espresso as the base drink. Other variations use a single or double-shot espresso as well.
You get a flavored latte when you mix in certain additives of flavor components to a basic latte drink.
A skinny latte refers to a latte drink that is really low on sugar and made with low-fat milk to keep calorie intake in control while enjoying a latte.
