How to Make Cafe Con Leche

Making the Coffee

Pour water into a pot. You will need two cups of water to make enough café con leche for four servings. If you just want to make enough for two people, then you can halve this amount and just add one cup of water to the pot. If you have an espresso maker, then you can make your coffee in the espresso maker instead.

Add coffee. Add 2/3 of a cup of coffee to the pot, or add 1/3 of a cup if you are just making enough for two people. You can use any kind of coffee you like, but an espresso roast coffee works best. As you pour the coffee into the water stir it around enough to combine the coffee and water.

Heat until coffee comes to a boil. Turn the heat onto medium-high and begin warming the coffee and water until it comes to a boil. Then, turn down the heat and let it simmer for about five minutes. Make sure that you stir the coffee occasionally. If the coffee starts to boil over, then remove it from the heat right away.

Strain the coffee. The coffee will be ready to use in about five minutes. When the coffee is ready, remove it from the heat and pour it through a fine sieve or a cheese cloth to strain out the coffee grounds. Use a large mug or heat proof measuring cup to gather the liquid.

Adding the Milk

Pour two cups of milk into a medium sized pot.You can use any kind of milk that you like. Choose whole milk for a richer tasting café con leche, or go for skim milk for a lighter version. Or, if you are not a fan of dairy, then go for a milk alternative, such as coconut milk, soy milk, or almond milk. Measure two cups of milk and pour it into the pot. If you are just making enough for two people, then only pour one cup of milk into the pot.

Turn the heat on medium. Start heating the milk on medium until it comes to a low boil and then reduce it to low and let it simmer for a minute or two. Stir the milk occasionally to keep it from forming a skin. If you have a milk frother, then you can use it to make the milk foamy. Use the frother on the milk until it is twice its normal size.

Remove the milk from the heat. After the milk is warm, remove it from the heat and add the coffee to the pot. Stir the coffee and milk together to ensure that they are well-combined. Leave the cafe con leche in the pot so that you can add your sweetener. If you do not want to sweeten your café con leche, then you can just divide it into mugs and serve. You will have enough for four cups.

Sweetening Your Coffee

Add some sweetened creamer. One easy way to sweeten your café con leche is to pour in about ½ cup of pre-sweetened creamer. This will sweeten your café con leche and give it a richer taste. You can even choose a sweetened creamer that is flavored, such as hazelnut, vanilla, or chocolate. Measure out ½ cup (or ¼ cup for just two people) of sweetened creamer and add it to the pot. Use less if you do not want to be too sweet. Then stir the ingredients until well combined. The creamer may cool the café con leche slightly, so you can heat it on low to medium heat for a few more minutes if you like.

Pour in some sugar. Adding sugar is another option. You can add as much sugar as you like to sweeten your coffee. Sweetening your café con leche this way will allow you to adjust the sweetness to your taste and it will also not add any more fat to the recipe. Try starting with just a couple of spoonfuls and stir them into the café con leche. Taste the café con leche and then add more sugar if desired. You can also try using honey, agave syrup, maple syrup, or brown sugar for a slightly different kind of sweetness. Start with a couple of spoonfuls and then adjust as desired.

Use a sugar alternative. If you do not want to add real sugar, but you like your café con leche a little on the sweet side, then you can also use a sugar alternative, such as stevia or Equal. Choose a sugar alternative that you like and start by adding a small amount, such as ¼ teaspoon or one packet. Then, taste the café con leche and add more if desired.