Spanish Latte: What Is It & How to Make This Latte at Home?

Ever wonder what makes a Spanish latte different from your usual coffee shop order?

This creamy, espresso-based drink—also known as Café con Leche—is a staple in Spanish breakfast culture. Traditionally made with bold espresso and scalded milk, it’s rich, simple, and incredibly satisfying.

I put a lot of effort into researching how Spanish lattes are made across Spain and tested both the hot and iced Spanish latte versions, so you get the most accurate and helpful version of the recipe.

Quick Answer: What is a Spanish latte?

A Spanish latte is a coffee drink made with espresso and scalded milk, typically using a 1:1 ratio. It’s slightly sweeter and creamier than a traditional latte and often served with sugar.

Also known as Café con Leche, it’s a common part of breakfast in Spain and other Spanish-speaking countries.

Why you will love this recipe:

• Authentic flavor – Based on traditional Spanish methods, tested with both dairy and plant-based milk.
• Hot or iced options – Includes both versions so you can enjoy it year-round.
• Simple ingredients – All you need is espresso, milk, and optional sugar.
• Quicker than going to a café – Ready in under 10 minutes with tools you already own.
• Perfect for mornings or mid-day breaks – Creamy, smooth, and energizing.

Ready to bring a taste of Spain to your coffee routine?

Let’s begin!

What is the Spanish latte (& How is it different than a normal latte?)

A Spanish latte, or Café con Leche, is an espresso-based drink with normal milk and condensed milk. It’s slightly sweeter than a normal latte but not as sweet as a latte with flavored syrup.

The Spaniards usually enjoy the Spanish latte with breakfast. It differs from other lattes because it’s made by combining strong coffee (usually espresso) with scalded milk. Other forms of lattes usually use steamed or foamed milk.

Another thing that sets it apart from other lattes is that a Spanish latte is often sweeter than a normal latte by adding some sugar.

How to make a Spanish latte at home

Before we get started with the Spanish latte recipe, you will need to know what you will need to make this latte at home. I will go over everything below:

• Water. Yes, this might be the most obvious one, but one of the basics of a great-tasting espresso is having great-tasting water.
  
  Do you have tap water with a high concentration of minerals or just a strange taste in general? Then you can use filtered or bottled water for your espresso instead. You can click here to learn how to make the best water for your coffee.
  
  Or you can use something like Third Wave Water to make the process of creating awesome water even simpler.

• Espresso. The next thing you will need is an espresso machine or some way to create espresso, for example, with the Moka pot (a stove-top espresso maker). The best Spanish lattes are, of course, made with Spanish espresso!
  • Or coffee. If you currently don’t have access to espresso, then you can also use normal coffee. It’s best to use a high-quality, freshly and finely ground dark roast or some other type of coffee that gives a strong taste.

• Milk. The Spaniards usually tend to use whole milk for this latte, but you can also use 2% milk. If you want (or need), then you can even make it dairy-free.

To heat your milk. You will need something to heat the milk. Some examples are putting a cup of milk in the microwave, or you can heat it up on the stove. Another easy way to heat the milk is by using a coffee machine with a steam nozzle. Make sure only to scald your milk; don’t let it boil.

• Milk frother. Froth your milk with a frother to give it some texture. (You can learn here how)
  
  I am using a milk frother from my Nespresso machine, which does the job perfectly for this recipe. I frothed the milk for this recipe, which is optional.

Here’s the recipe!

Don’t forget to save this recipe for later so you can enjoy this homemade coffee anytime:

And here is a great infographic about how to make a Spanish latte to print out:

How to make an iced Spanish latte at home

After you saw that awesome Spanish latte recipe, you’re probably wondering if you can make an iced version of this as well, right?

Well, don’t worry. You can enjoy your Spanish latte even during the warm summer months!

You will use the same ingredients as the above recipe, but you will do these things differently to make it an iced version:

1. Place ice in your glass, and then pour coffee on top. Note: if you have a really cold glass, make sure you are not pouring the coffee straight into the glass, as it could shatter.
2. Then add the sugar (or condensed milk).
3. After that, simply top it off with milk.

Tip: For more information, you can check out the full recipe for an iced Spanish latte here. Or check out the cold brew Spanish latte version here!

What does a Spanish latte taste like?

The Spanish latte has a really creamy and sweet texture. The sweetness comes from the added sugar, so you can dial this down (or use more to your liking).

I made the Spanish latte for this recipe with frothed milk, as I like the texture better than adding scalded milk.

The flavors of the Spanish latte are almost the same as those of a regular latte, except for the higher doses of added milk.

A regular latte uses less milk for its recipe; the one-to-one ratio of the Spanish latte makes it a bit more accessible for most coffee drinkers out there.

How many calories are in a Spanish latte?

Normally, a Spanish latte with whole milk and no added sweetener is around 62 calories. The definite number of calories does depend on a few factors:

• Do you use any sweeteners?
• And what kind of milk do you use?

If you know these factors, then you can easily calculate how many calories your Spanish latte has. I have listed the most commonly used milk and milk alternatives in the calorie table below:

Milk Type	Calories
Whole Milk	62
2% Milk	51
Nonfat Milk	38
Oat Milk	33
Coconut Milk	20
Almond Milk	25
Soy Milk	46

If you want to add some condensed milk or sugar to your coffee, the number of calories will change:

• Adding one tablespoon (15 ml) of condensed milk will add 62 calories.
• Adding one tablespoon (13 grams) of sugar will add 48 calories to your coffee.

You can easily add this to the number of calories listed in the table above.

How much caffeine is in a Spanish latte?

You now know that a Spanish latte contains one or two espresso shots. Now you can easily calculate the caffeine inside your Spanish latte.

One ounce (around 30ml) of espresso contains around 63mg of caffeine per shot. (Source)

So now it depends on how many shots of espresso you put into your latte:

• A Spanish latte with one espresso shot: 63mg of caffeine.
• A Spanish latte with two espresso shots: 126mg of caffeine.

FAQs about Spanish lattes

Before I close off this article, let’s quickly go over a few common questions about Spanish lattes.

Who knows, maybe this will answer one of the questions you had as well!

Conclusion

If you’re looking to switch up your daily coffee routine, the Spanish latte is a delicious, smooth, and slightly sweet option that’s easy to make at home.

Whether you like it hot or iced, with dairy or non-dairy milk—this recipe is flexible enough to make it your own.

Tried it? I’d love to know!

Leave a comment below and tell me how your Spanish latte turned out.

More coffee recipes to try

Ready to try different kinds of coffee? Check out my other recipes below:

• Café Con Miel Recipe: Make Spanish Coffee With Honey at Home
• White Chocolate Mocha Recipe: A Homemade Chocolate Delight
• Proffee (Protein Coffee): What Is It & How to Make It (2025)