Bring the coffeehouse to your house with this homemade Lavender Latte recipe! You’ll be surprised and delighted at how easy it is to make your own delicious lavender coffee at home.
☕Make Lavender Coffee at Home
I’m a millennial, so according to conventional Twitter wisdom, I must spend all my discretionary money buying avocado toast and overpriced fancy coffees. I can neither confirm nor deny my avocado toast consumption (okay, I eat it a lot) but I can deny spending oodles on fancy coffee — because I like to make my own at home!
Lattes, with their creamy texture and lush milk foam on top, may seem like something best left to the magicians at Starbucks, but they are surprisingly easy to whip up in your own kitchen. And the best part about making your own lattes? Getting to completely customize the flavors! You don’t have to stick to standard vanilla–you can use a variety of simple syrups to flavor your coffee with fruits, herbs, or–as in this case–fresh flowers.
Looking for more ways to lavender your life? You’ll love my all inclusive Guide to Baking with Lavender where I explain everything you need to know about culinary lavender.
❔What’s in a Lavender Latte?
Regular lattes are typically made with shots of espresso and steamed milk. To make this sweetly scented lavender version, we’re also adding lavender simple syrup, which is an easy-to-make sugar syrup infused with real lavender flavor. Like making your own flavored syrups? Don’t forget to try out my Cinnamon Syrup!
Skeptics, don’t worry–this drink recipe doesn’t taste like a flower garden, or your grandma’s soap. The lavender flavor isn’t overwhelming. It’s just a light floral undertone that gives this coffee a sophisticated, complex depth of flavor. A little extra sumthin’ sumthin’, if you will.
I think you’ll love this cozy, comforting drink. And if you’re looking for more hot drinks to warm you up, don’t miss our Peppermint Hot Chocolate, Slow Cooker Hot Chocolate, and –of course!!– Lavender Hot Chocolate!
Table of Contents
🧾 What You’ll Need
Ingredients
Here’s the ingredients and equipment you’ll need to gather to make this lavender latte. (Links are affiliate links and I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases.)
- Espresso or coffee: Espresso is traditionally used in lattes, so if you have the ability to make espresso, that’s definitely preferred. Failing that, strong coffee is a great substitute.
- Milk: If you drink dairy, milk with some fat in it (like 2% or whole) works best and froths beautifully. For non-dairy milk options, oat milk is a great substitute. Almond milk also works well!
- Lavender simple syrup: To flavor and sweeten the latte, you’ll want a small amount of lavender simple syrup. Having this prepped requires a little advanced planning, but once you’ve made a batch, it keeps in the refrigerator for several weeks, so you can enjoy a daily latte with minimal work!
Equipment
- Espresso or coffee maker: You have a lot of options for making the espresso in this recipe! If you’re looking to get started on a budget, this countertop espresso machine is a great, affordable choice. You can also make delicious espresso in a French press!
- Milk frother: If you have a fancy espresso or coffee machine, you might already have a milk frothing attachment. But if you don’t, no worries – milk frothers can be very inexpensive. I’ve been using this type of milk frother for several years and it’s still going strong!
Here’s a breakdown of how to make each latte component, and instructions for putting it all together. Printable instructions are included in the recipe card down below.
1. Make the Lavender Simple Syrup
Lavender syrup is the key to turning a regular latte into a lavender latte. You’ll want to make the syrup first, since it takes time to infuse the sugar syrup with lavender flavor. It can be made in advance–even on a different day!–and stored in the refrigerator for about 2 weeks, and one batch will provide enough for two dozen lattes.
Here’s the quick and dirty lavender syrup procedure, but you can find much more information and full instructions in our lavender syrup recipe here.
- Combine lavender buds, water, and sugar in a saucepan.
- Heat on medium-low heat, stirring regularly, until it comes to a simmer. Continue to simmer for 6-8 minutes to thicken the syrup.
- Take it off the heat and let it sit for an hour to really absorb the flavor.
- Strain the lavender buds out of the syrup and transfer to a storage container.
Lavender syrup shortcut:
Not up for making your own lavender syrup? This Monin Lavender Syrup is a delicious, high-quality substitute.
2. Make the Espresso (or Coffee)
You have several options for making the espresso in this recipe:
- Use a home espresso maker
- Make espresso with a French press and espresso beans
- Use powdered espresso
- Brew double-strength coffee
- Failing all that, you can buy a few shots of espresso from your favorite local coffee shop!
3. Steam & Froth the Milk
- Heat the milk until hot but not boiling.
- Use a frother (I like this $10 version), insert it in the milk, not too close to the surface, and froth the milk until it doubles in size.
- If you don’t have a frother, you can heat the milk in a saucepan and whisk vigorously while it heats up, and this will produce a similar effect.
4. Put it All Together!
- Make the espresso and pour it into a latte cup.
- Add the lavender syrup and stir.
- Steam the milk and froth the milk.
- Slowly pour the milk in the center of the espresso – the foam will come out last.
- Garnish with a sprinkling of lavender buds, and enjoy!
💜 More Lavender Recipes
Love Lavender? Try one of these lavender desserts!
🔥 More Drink Recipes
Baby, when it’s cold outside, try one of these hot drinks to keep you warm.
Lavender Simple Syrup
Lavender Sugar
Leave a Review!
If you make this recipe, let us know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating on the recipe below, and leave a comment, take a photo and tag me on Instagram @elabau, or use #sugarhero on IG!
Don’t miss the step-by-step tutorial showing how to make Lavender Lattes – check out the web story here!
Lavender Latte
Ingredients
- 1 double shot espresso, (2 ounces)
- 4 fl oz milk, (1/2 cup), dairy, oat, or almond milk
- 1 TBSP lavender syrup
- 1 tsp lavender buds, to garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Make the espresso and pour it into a latte cup.
- Add the lavender syrup and stir.
- Heat and froth the milk.
- Slowly pour the milk in the center of the espresso – the foam will come out last.
- Garnish with a sprinkling of lavender buds, and enjoy!
Measuring Tips
Our recipes are developed using weight measurements, and we highly recommend using a kitchen scale for baking whenever possible. However, if you prefer to use cups, volume measurements are provided as well. PLEASE NOTE: the adage “8 oz = 1 cup” is NOT true when speaking about weight, so don’t be concerned if the measurements don’t fit this formula.
Want to learn more about baking measurements and conversion?
I just make the cut on being a millenial so I get the avocado toast and fancy coffee thing haha but I also love making my own at home too. I can’t wait to try this lavender latte…looks creamy and delicious!
Hi Heather! There is something magical about making things at home. Mmmm.
This was so beautifully flavored. Floral, but not perfumy! And so so calming 🙂
Thanks Dana!! I love the soft delicacy of this syrup.
My daughter is a coffee drinker. She tried this recipe and liked it.
Hi Gina! I’m so glad she enjoyed it!
I love all things lavender but for some reason never thought to add it to my lattes. Really lovely subtle flavor! The simple syrup is so easy to make, and now I can add it to my hot chocolate, too!
Hi Maryanne! It’s funny how some combinations evade us for a time and then it’s like magic when they come together. So glad you enjoyed the syrup . . . and I promise you will love it in your cocoa!
I never would have thought to put lavender in coffee, but it’s really amazing and adds just a hint of delicate flavor!
Hi Michelle! It is such a beautiful flavor. Pairs nicely with so many things. Thanks for trying the recipe!