In Italy, when you go to a coffee bar, you can choose between a myriad of coffee alternatives, including a latte macchiato.

HOW TO ORDER LATTE MACCHIATO

When you finally get a place at the bar, you must lift your hand, ticket at hand, and say out loud what you want: a cornetto – plain, with jam, Nutella, or honey – and a latte macchiato. Then put down the ticket on the bar, and place a coin or two from the change: a tip for the barista – and a way to speed up the service.

latte macchiato recipe

the last cookbooks

VENICE

The city of Opulence.

FLORENCE

The city of Renaissance.

MATERA

The city of Sassi.

The traditional Italian Latte Macchiato

“Macchiato” means stained: milk is spotted with a few tablespoons of coffee. This gives the drink a beige color and a delicate, both tint and flavor.

There is a little secret to getting a perfect Latte Macchiato at home, the one with foamed milk…

latte macchiato recipe served in a glass
latte macchiato recipe in a glass

latte macchiato recipe

Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Author Claudia Rinaldi

Ingredients

  • 2-3 tablespoons of espresso coffee
  • 3/4 cups of milk
  • sugar or honey

Instructions

  1. Make an espresso coffee.
  2. Heat the milk in a saucepan.
  3. Pour it into a mason jar, lid tightly, and shake - wrap it in a cloth if it's too hot - for a few seconds. You can also leave it in the pan and use a hand blender to foam the milk.

  4. Pour the milk into a tall glass and add a few tablespoons of espresso.

  5. Add sugar or honey to your taste, mix and enjoy.
latte macchiato recipe served in a glass cup with snowflakes decor
latte macchiato recipe with decorated sugar cubes

THE GINGERBREAD LATTE MACCHIATO

Italians would kill me for posting this recipe. A traditional Latte Macchiato should have nothing but milk, coffee, and a sweetener. 

But I love Christmassy stuff, so here’s a recipe for a make-ahead Gingerbread syrup.

Gingerbread Latte Macchiato Recipe

Course latte macchiato recipe
Cuisine Italian
Servings 2
Author Claudia Rinaldi | Gourmet Project

Ingredients

for the syrup

to finish the latte

  • 4 tablespoons espresso coffee
  • 2 cups milk I used hazelnut milk and it was delicious!

Instructions

  1. Place water and the rest of the syrup ingredients in a small pot, bring them to a boil on a high heat, lower the heat and let simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until you get a "syrup" consistency.
  2. Make an espresso and heat milk.
  3. Foam milk in a jar or with a hand blender.
  4. Pour milk in a tall glass or mug. Spot it with a few tablespoons of espresso.
  5. Add 1-2 tablespoons of the syrup, depending on how sweet you want your Latte.
  6. Mix and enjoy!

Enjoy your latte macchiato, traditional, or fancy!

Claudia