The latte is probably the most popular type of coffee drink on the planet.
All good lattes start with one thing – espresso. An espresso is a concentrated shot of coffee made by forcing highly pressurized water through finely-ground coffee beans. The result is a 1.5-ounce shot of highly concentrated coffee topped with a caramel-colored creamy foam called crema.
"The best coffee pod I've ever tasted"
Yes, we mean that. Finally, specialty coffee for your KCup machine, roasted fresh to your order by our friends at Atlas Coffee in Austin, TX! Get 50% OFF to try it with code ROASTYPODS
A traditional latte is a mix of basic ingredients: espresso, steamed milk, and milk foam. Typically, a latte has a 1-to-2 espresso to steamed milk ratio, but lattes are highly customizable. They come in a variety of flavors, like vanilla, caramel, mocha, or even lavender. Whatever flavor you’re craving, you’re sure to find a latte perfect for the occasion.
Homemade lattes are also incredibly easy to make once you have the shot of espresso. While a Keurig isn’t an espresso machine and is not capable of making an authentic espresso shot, you can still use your Keurig coffee machine to make a latte.
How do I make an iced latte with a Keurig machine?
An iced latte starts like a hot latte does – with an espresso shot.
I mentioned above a Keurig is not an espresso coffee maker. It can’t create an authentic espresso shot, but it can still make a concentrated shot of regular coffee. You can do this in two ways.
First, if your Keurig has a “shot” button, use this to brew a coffee shot. If your Keurig doesn’t, choose to brew a cup with the smallest cup size on your machine. A coffee shot can be brewed with any Keurig K-Cup, but to get a shot closest to an espresso, choose a K-Cup with dark roasted coffee grounds.
After you’ve brewed your coffee base, it’s time to froth your milk. Since you’re making an iced latte, make sure you’re using cold milk. Pour the milk into your milk frother up to the LATTE line and press the cold button before pressing start.
Once your milk is frothed, pour it into a cup filled with ice. Pour your coffee shot over the top, and you have an iced latte.
How do I make an iced chai tea latte with a Keurig machine?
Chai tea is a type of black tea infused with cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, and star anise. A chai tea latte is made by mixing chai tea with steamed milk and milk foam.
To make a delicious chai latte, you need chai tea Keurig K-Cup pods. You can brew your chai tea using the “shot” button or choose the smallest cup option on your machine.
You’ll then prepare your milk the same way you would for an iced latte. Pour chilled milk into your milk frother up to the LATTE line and press the cold button before pressing start.
Once your milk is frothed, pour it into a cup filled with ice. Pour your chai tea shot over the top, and you have an iced chai tea latte.
How do I make an iced vanilla latte with a Keurig machine?
To make an iced vanilla latte, you’ll first need to brew a coffee shot. You cannot brew an authentic espresso shot with a Keurig, but you can brew a concentrated shot that emulates an espresso shot.
You can do this in two ways. First, if your Keurig has a “shot” button, use this to brew a coffee shot. If your Keurig doesn’t, choose to brew a cup with the smallest cup option on your machine.
A coffee shot can be brewed with any Keurig K-Cup, but to get a shot closest to an espresso shot, choose a K-Cup with dark roasted coffee grounds.
After you’ve brewed your cup of coffee, it’s time to prepare your milk. Since you’re making an iced latte, you’ll want to start with chilled milk. Pour your chilled milk into your milk frother up to the LATTE line and press the cold button before pressing start.
Once your milk is frothed, pour it into a cup filled with ice. To turn your iced latte into an iced vanilla latte, you need to add 2-4 tablespoons of vanilla syrup.
After you’ve mixed the syrup into your milk, pour your coffee shot over the top, and you have an iced vanilla latte.
How do I make a flavored latte with a Keurig machine?
You have two options for making a flavored latte with your Keurig machine. First, you can use any flavored Keurig K-Cup to brew your coffee shot. If you want a vanilla latte but don’t have vanilla syrup, use a vanilla-flavored K-Cup.
The second way you can make a flavored latte is with flavored syrup. Brew a coffee shot using your favorite Keurig K-Cup pod and froth your milk to create a basic latte. You can now add any flavor syrup you desire to make as many flavors of latte as you can imagine.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need special Keurig K-Cups to make a latte?
Technically no. If your Keurig machine has the “shot” button, it’s compatible with any Keurig K-Cup. However, I wouldn’t recommend you use just any regular coffee K-Cup.
Since Keurig cannot make an authentic espresso, using the “shot” button only creates a concentrated shot of black coffee that resembles an espresso.
Authentic espresso is made with a dark roast coffee blend, so you’ll want a K-Cup full of dark roasted coffee grinds to make your coffee shot. Brewing a coffee shot with a weak K-Cup will produce an even weaker latte.
Additionally, Keurig makes K-Cups with dark roasted espresso beans. While these aren’t required for a Keurig coffee shot, they are still a good choice.
How do I make a foam latte with a Keurig?
To make milk foam for a latte, you’ll need a milk frother.
If you’re in the market for a new Keurig and plan on making a lot of lattes, you’ll want to get a Keurig from the K-Cafe line. These Keurigs offer the “shot” button and have a built-in milk frother.
If you already have a Keurig and it’s not a K-Cafe machine, you can still make the lattes of your dreams. Simply purchase a milk frother separately from Keurig’s website.
Using the milk frother is incredibly easy. Simply fill the milk reservoir with your fresh milk of choice up to either the LATTE or CAPP line. Then, replace the lid, choose the hot or cold setting depending on the drink you’re making, and press the start button.
You can use any milk you choose in your milk frother, but some milk works better than others. The best milk to use is fresh whole milk because it creates the richest and most consistent foam. Fat-free, skim, and 2% milk all froth easily, but they create lighter and less sturdy foam.
Non-dairy milks, like almond milk, can also be used in your Keurig milk frother, but they tend to lose their consistency fast.
Finally, we don’t recommend using lactose-free milk to create milk foam because it can be unpredictable.
Do Keurig chai lattes have caffeine?
You might think that since there’s no coffee in a chai latte, there’s also no caffeine, but that’s not totally true.
Chai lattes are made with chai tea, which contains caffeine. The amount of caffeine in your chai latte depends on the Keurig K-Cup you choose to use, but on average, chai lattes contain around 70 milligrams of caffeine.
Lattes are incredibly popular coffee beverages; lucky for you, they’re also incredibly easy to make. Once you learn how to make a basic latte recipe, you can customize it to any flavor you like.
You can even go a little crazy and add an extra coffee shot or two on those mornings when you need a little extra kick to get your day started.
Happy Caffeinating!
Latte With Keurig
Latte is a delicious coffee drink that has a base of espresso, a layer of steamed milk, and is topped with foam. See how to make your favorite latte with this easy recipe using a Keurig.
Ingredients
- Milk
- A K-cup coffee pod
- The Keurig K-Cafe coffee machine
- Milk Frother
- A latte mug
Instructions
- Brew the espresso K-Cup by pressing the button with the Shot option.
- Froth your milk using a milk frother or whisk.
- Pour the espresso into a coffee mug and then add the frothed milk.
- Add your favorite syrup or sweetener to your drink!
