Quick Cozy Cardamom Latte

This cardamom latte has a creamy body and frothy milk touched with notes of cardamom and sweetened with sugar. It’s the perfect warm beverage to cozy up to.

My recipe infuses the milk with cardamom powder giving an amazing cardamom flavor.  I’ve never had it at Starbucks as I grew up making cardamom coffee at home, but I read they make it a similar way there.

This simple recipe can be made at home better than in a coffee shop! You don’t need an espresso machine or fancy equipment. You can use a strong cup of coffee as well.

Cardamom is an Indian spice that provides delightful floral and earthy notes.  It is versatile and can be used in  savory dishes and sweet Indian dishes.

It is a key ingredient is Chai Masala Powder. Sometimes I make Cardamom Chai with it!  Besides chai, I love using it to make drinks such as Coconut Cardamom Hot Chocolate and Iced Cardamom Coffee.

Ingredient Notes

All you need is 4 main ingredients to make this wonderful treat.  A coffee beverage known as a latte consists of espresso, steamed milk, and a layer of frothed milk on the surface.

Below are ingredient notes. Full ingredients and directions are in the printable recipe card at the end of the post. 

Cardamom: You can either use whole cardamom pods or ground cardamom powder.  Green cardamom is used not black cardamom.

If you are using pods, peel them open and crush the seeds inside with a mortar and pestle or in a spice grinder.

There aren’t any good substitutes for cardamom in this recipe.

Espresso: No latte is complete without it!  Make in an espresso maker or use espresso powder.

Milk:  Whole milk will give you the best froth for a latte due to its fat content. Instead of the standard 4 oz (½ cup) milk used in a single serving of latte, I use 6 oz (¾ cup).  This is because some of the milk evaporates when bringing it to a boil to infuse the cardamom.

Sugar:  A little sugar is needed but the amount can vary depending on how sweet your strawberries are and your preference for sweetener.

In place of sugar, use your favorite sweetener. Brown sugar makes a delicious brown sugar latte. Other options include maple syrup and agave syrup.

Vegan Cardamom Latte

This can be made vegan by substituting dairy milk used in the cardamom milk for vegan alternatives.  

I recommend creamy oat milk (I use Planet Oat if you are US based).  It is best for making a frothy top!

You can of course use other alternatives such as soy milk, almond milk, coconut milk, etc. 

Variations including Rose Cardamom Latte

You can change up the base of this lassi by adding a little additional flavor. Some ideas are below.

Starbucks Cardamom Latte Copycat: Starbucks similarly makes this.  They infuse the milk with cardamom as I do here.  They also top off the drink with a little of their fall spice blend.  You could sprinkle a little pumpkin spice.

Vanilla: Add a teaspoon of vanilla extract for a delicious vanilla cardamom latte!

Rose water:  Rose Cardamom Latte are a delight together! It adds a light floral taste like in Rose Coffee.  Start with one–two teaspoons and taste and adjust.  Some rose water brands are stronger than others. 

Cinnamon: Add one or two pinches of cinnamon powder for more warmth.

Orange zest:  This plus honey gives a delicious twist!

Saffron: Adding saffron strands gives a slightly different taste.  Be sure to give the saffron time to bloom for the best taste.

Making It

1.Make the espresso: I use a double shot of espresso or use ½ cup of very strong coffee.

2.Make cardamom milk: Place milk in a small saucepan stovetop. Add cardamom powder and sugar to combine the milk mixture.

3.Froth it:  Froth milk using a hand-held milk frother

4.Serve: To a coffee cup, add coffee or espresso. Top with cardamom-infused steamed milk.

Optionally sprinkle with a small bit of cardamom powder, rose petals, or your favorite fall spice blend.

Quick method: If you don’t have time to infuse the milk or just want a quicker option, you can simply add cardamom and sugar to a mug.  Then, add espresso and steamed milk.  Stir to combine.

Options For Making it Frothy

If you don’t have an espresso machine with a steamer, no worries! Here are some options:

1. Milk Frother – Simply place the frothing wand into the mug just below the milk and whip up the milk until about double in size.

2. Sealed container – Find a bottle or mason jar that holds at least double the volume of the milk.  Pour milk into it and close.  Shake the jar for 30 seconds at least vigorously to get a good amount of foam.

3. Hand whisk –  This will take a little more time but you can surely get froth by whisking by hand.

4. Immersion blender or blender – Another quick option!

5. French press –  Pour some milk into a French press, and remove the lid cover, leaving only the whisk plunger. Then, pump vigorously until frothy.

 

Have you tried this Cardamom Latte? If so, I would greatly appreciate it if you could take a moment to leave a comment and rate it with stars. It would mean a lot to me to hear how it turned out. If you’re on Instagram, please tag me so I can see your creation. Thank you for your support!