Hola Amigas,

let me just start by saying that lattes are just a luxury and a treat rather than a nutritional necessity. I make mine nutritious and low in calories so I am not just drinking empty fat and sugar calories. They are hydrating and a way to warm up and bring flavor and excitement to my day. I do use nutritious additives so they are healthy but again you do not need them in your life – you can enjoy them but you can certainly be healthy without!

I have been meaning to share my tips on frothed drinks with you for quite some time. About 4 years ago I went to Urth Cafe in LA which I totally recommend for their boba drinks and vegan lattes and I tried my first sip of cappuccino. Yep, I have never tried cappuccino in my life before that! How sad!

Anyways, I went home and immediately researched the best frothers on the market as I was sure I want to have that daily in my life. Greedy much?

Now, I am VERY SPECIFIC about my coffee. I only have it black with absolutely nothing in it. Good quality coffee is like wine. It tastes like nothing else in this world. It’s complex, fermented, unique, satisfying and so much more… but for my non-coffee lattes I am all about the frothed drinks!

I ordered the Breville Frother and although I thought a bit pricey I can say that I have used it about 5 times a day ever since. It also warms the lattes and drinks so I am not using pans and pots and kettles for my lattes.

(the pictured kettle is also amazing for pour-over coffees and for teas- you set the temperature for whatever you are brewing so you don’t burn your tea, cocoa or coffee- its the Bonavita Digital Kettle.  It also keeps it at that temperature for an hour. I saw the Coffee Commissary in LA using it and they make absolutely the best coffees ever so I ordered it based on how amazing that coffee shop is- specifically the Glendale Location if you live in the LA area. Did you know that white, green, oolong and black tea are brewed at a specific temperature for best results? Same goes for coffee – I do 202 F for mine).

Back to the frothers. A friend of mine got a cheaper one and it seems to be good but I cannot comment on its longevity or quality – the Capresso Frother. 

Either way, these machines do a really good job making coffee shop quality drinks and mine has lasted me a long time. I do hope it keeps going. I almost killed it during the move to Texas but it snapped back to life.

Let’s talk plant milks!

First of all I needed to edit this article because I have a brand new discovery. Homemade soy milk froths better than anything EVER!

Here is the proof:

the foam is tight and thick and although I haven’t experimented much with it it seems like adding water to the fresh milk helps with creating even more foam. I added my whole tofu and soymilk experimentation on IG and I made it a permanent story on top if you need to reference it later on. Here is the link to the story line . LOOK at this foam!

Homemade almond milk can also work.

Now onto store-bought milks.

As far as I know cow milk froths but I have never tested that. Thank goodness I quit cow milk a long time ago and that has to be one of the best moves in my life so I do feel that if you can plant milks are your best bet.

Not all plant milks froth!!!

The almond breeze coconut almond is my favorite- it froths and it has that amazing coconut flavor.

I think the silk coconut almond does a good job as well.

Many soy milks would do ok too.

Coffee itself froths really well even without milks.

I love my DandyBlend Coffee Substitute – its instant dandelion chicory blend. It also froths with just water but I do use milk with it. It is organic and sold in 2 lb bags which can last you a WHILE!

I am also slightly addicted… ok “very much into” peanut lattes. I use the NorCal Organic PB Powder  with no additives and tested for aflatoxin (important and rare because most peanuts tend to have mold on them).

I use stevia as a sweetener but Maple Syrup would rock as well.

I like this stevia. 

It is pure with no additives and again it lasts a really long time.Even with heavy use. I know stevia has been up for debate but I started using it 15 years ago – green leaf and pure extract both with no negative side effects whatsoever. It is my preferred choice of sweetener. I love honey too but it is better not to heat it or the enzymes are destroyed.

I also use stevia for baking by adding it to Coconut Blossom Sugar so that the sweetness is boosted but not the refined sugar content.

Lattes overall are a great way to hydrate. I use it for my matchas as well. The same goes for my hot cocoa drinks which I adore- cocoa is high in magnesium so it is a good nutrient booster.

Beet lattes are a good nitric oxide booster pre-workout. They look pretty but they do taste a bit like beets which is OK. I use beet powder  and although beet lattes is not high on my favorites list it is a good drink.

Mushroom blends are also good for these lattes- reishi, cordiceps, aswaghanda, astragalus, etc.

The list goe son and on.

Carob lattes are also on my rotation. Moringa lattes.

Do I need to keep going?

You get my point.

I think my top favorites are cocoa and PB lattes and the PB powder I use is top-notch. I have ordered it 4-5 times so far. I cannot order other ones anymore. It is very high in Protein! 11 grams per serving so it is a protein latte really!

I hope this gives you ideas on how to make professional drinks at home.

I have saved quite a bit of money throughout the years by making most of my lattes at home… around 99.9% of them 🙂

Cheers!