Vanilla Bean Latte
I’m a “routines” type of gal and lately, my afternoon routine has been treating myself to a homemade vanilla bean latte. It’s the perfect pick-me-up and I love that I have something to look forward mid-day. It gives me just the spurt of energy I need to re-focus on my work and I’ve become fully obsessed!
I’ve basically been posting non-stop about said latte in my Instagram stories so I want to share the super easy recipe with you (you can decide if it’s worth the hype, lol). Let me know if you end up incorporating these into your daily routine!
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT + INGREDIENTS
First, I want to share some of the special equipment + ingredients I use for this latte. You definitely don’t need these exact pieces of equipment — the one thing that I really do recommend is the vanilla bean paste. It gives the lattes a subtle sweetness and you get those nice vanilla bean flecks in your drink!
Vanilla bean paste is the star of the show in this recipe! I recommend Nielsen-Massey. It’s such high quality and adds the best vanilla flavor to the latte (plus those nice vanilla bean flecks!). It’s a little on the pricey side but one jar will make a TON of lattes, plus it’s amazing in baked goods — you can substitute it 1:1 with regular vanilla extract. I use it in recipes where the vanilla flavor is front in center (i.e. I’d use it in a short bread recipe but not a chocolate cake recipe).
This Nespresso milk frother is a work horse and I love it for this recipe because it has a cold froth setting where my normal espresso machine just froths warm. You don’t absolutely need to froth on a cold setting, but if you’re making this latte iced, I like it because it cools down the drink and prevents diluting with the ice cubes.
I use the Breville espresso maker that I’ve linked below (I’m obsessed with it!) but any espresso maker will work. If you don’t have one, you can use espresso powder mixed with hot water - I like this one best!
Makes 1 drink.
INGREDIENTS
2/3 cup oat milk (or milk of choice)
1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste
1 shot brewed espresso
METHOD
Using a milk frother, froth together the oat milk and vanilla bean paste. If you’re making an iced latte, froth on cold setting if you have.
Pour the frothed milk + vanilla bean mixture into your cup with the brewed espresso and mix with a spoon. If making an iced drink, drop in a few ice cubes in and stir once more. If you like your lattes on the sweeter side, you can add sweetener of choice, to taste. Enjoy!