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I have had my share of coffeehouse lattés in my time, and they are good. But, at around $7-$10 each for a vanilla latté, it’s not something I want to spend money on regularly. I can make these copycat lattés at home, for about 25¢ each! This is a savings of more than 95%.
These lattés I make at home for a fraction of the price are also teenager-approved and requested! The nice thing about making them at home is you can be creative in what to add to them. I made these last night using peppermint mocha coffee, and added a leftover Christmas candy cane.
At many coffeehouses, they use those yummy syrups for flavoring, but they can be expensive.
Alternative to pricey syrups: I used those in the past, until I hit upon a different, less expensive approach. My frugal solution is to use flavored coffee. It imparts the “special” flavor without the price. I usually buy whole, flavored beans and grind them myself. Although, I’ve found I can also use pre-ground, then grind it finer (espresso grind) in my coffee grinder. This is a good trick if you find flavored ground coffee at a good price!
Here’s my basic approach and ingredients:
Ingredients:
Milk: I use vanilla sweetened almond, oat or soy milk. Any of your favorite plant-based milks will work! You can also use unsweetened milks. I prefer the taste of using sweetened milk, and consider this my occasional sugar treat. 🙂 I used Lucerne Almond Milk for the ones in the picture. I often use Costco brand soy milk. I have found soy milk to froth better than almond milk.
Update: I’ve recently started experimenting with Barista Milks. There are lots of new varieties in the market. You may like these too.
Sweetener: You may or may not want extra sweetener, I sometimes use 1-2 packets of Splenda for a large mug. A splash of coffee creamer is nice to add at the end, too. I often find these on sale at Grocery Outlet.
Coffee: I usually buy vanilla whole bean flavored coffee at Grocery Outlet for $5.99/lb. Sprouts often has sales, too.
Optional Syrups: These can be pricey, I discovered that using a flavored coffee was a good cheap alternative for a similar taste. This eliminates the syrup altogether.
If you’d like to use syrups: a local warehouse store, US Chef’Store carries large bottles of Torani syrup for about $7. Safeway has the smaller bottles for this same price, so twice the price.
Note: My $.25 price doesn’t include the syrup.
Some of the Torani Syrups are sometimes on a good Amazon deal in the 4-packs:
Topping: I sprinkle cinnamon sugar on top.
Equipment:
Espresso Maker: I recently upgraded to a one-touch espresso maker. Total game changer! Check out my Facebook vid below for all the details.
Cheaper Espresso Makers:
I used an inexpensive espresso maker, for many years before I upgraded. I’ve even been known to bring it to hotels! Going out for coffee in a group adds up to big bucks. Instead, you can buy an espresso maker for about the price of taking a family of 5 out for Starbucks! This is a frugal alternative, and I enjoy having my latté in my room before heading out.
Coffee Grinder: We recently upgraded to this one, after using a small grinder for a long time. Smaller, cheaper ones are also available, and work just fine!
Tamper: Santa brought me a coffee tamper this year! Before that, I would just press the coffee down with the back of a coffee scoop.
There are also lots of videos online that show how to use the espresso maker you end up purchasing to make lattés. Once you use the latté maker a few times, you will be a pro! Be prepared for your family and friends to start requesting these!
Happy Saving! 🙂
