Lavender Latte Recipe

Before you start

Lavender in coffee walks a fine line. Used lightly, it adds a floral, slightly herbal note that softens espresso and pairs beautifully with vanilla and honey. Used heavily or steeped too long, it releases harsh, camphor-like compounds that taste like soap or perfume. Almost every bad lavender latte comes from too much lavender or too much time.

This recipe controls both. The buds steep in a hot sugar syrup off the heat for no more than 10 minutes, then get strained out right away. Use culinary lavender, sold for cooking; buds sold for crafts or potpourri may be treated or too strong. A small amount of vanilla in the syrup rounds out the floral edge.

Ingredients

• Lavender syrup100 g (½ cup) granulated sugar
• 120 ml (4 oz) water
• 1 tbsp (about 2 g) dried culinary lavender buds
• ¼ tsp vanilla extract — optional
• Latte60 ml (2 oz) hot espresso
• 15 to 20 ml (1 to 1½ tbsp) lavender syrup
• 200 ml (6¾ oz) whole milk or oat milk
• few dried lavender buds — optional garnish

Method

1. Bring the water and sugar to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves completely.
2. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the lavender buds. Cover and steep for 8 to 10 minutes, no longer. Taste a drop at 8 minutes; it should smell gently floral, not sharp.
3. Strain the syrup through a fine-mesh strainer into a clean jar and press lightly on the buds. Stir in the vanilla if using. Let it cool for 15 to 20 minutes.
4. Pull a double espresso into a mug and stir in 15 ml of the lavender syrup.
5. Steam or froth the milk to 60 to 65°C (140 to 150°F), until it is glossy with a fine foam.
6. Pour the milk into the espresso. Taste and add up to 5 ml more syrup if you want a stronger floral note. Scatter two or three buds on the foam if you like.

Tips for success

• Start with less syrup than you think. Lavender builds as you drink, and the last sips taste stronger than the first.
• Lavender and honey are natural partners. Replace a quarter of the sugar in the syrup with honey for a softer, rounder flavor.
• A lighter, nutty espresso suits lavender better than a very dark, smoky roast, which clashes with the floral notes.

Substitutions

Dried lavender

Fresh culinary lavender works; use about 1½ tbsp of flower heads because they are less concentrated. Avoid lavender sprayed with garden chemicals.

Whole milk

Oat milk is a favorite with lavender because its mild sweetness complements the floral notes. Coconut milk adds a tropical edge that competes a little.

Espresso

Matcha makes a well-known lavender pairing: whisk 2 g matcha with 60 ml water at 75°C (167°F) in place of the espresso.

Variations

Iced lavender latte

Stir the syrup into espresso, pour over ice and top with cold oat milk.

Lavender cold foam

Froth 60 ml cold skim milk with 10 ml lavender syrup and float it on cold brew.

Troubleshooting

It tastes soapy or like perfume

The syrup steeped too long or too much was used. Dilute the syrup with plain simple syrup, use 10 ml per drink, and steep the next batch for 8 minutes at most.

The lavender is barely noticeable

Old buds lose their aroma. Use fresh-smelling culinary lavender and steep the full 10 minutes, then use a little more syrup.

The milk curdled

Rarely an issue with lavender itself; usually the oat or nut milk was overheated or the espresso very acidic. Keep the milk at 65°C or below.

Storage

Store lavender syrup in a sealed jar in the fridge for up to about 2 weeks. Discard if it turns cloudy or develops mold. Keep dried lavender in an airtight container away from light. Do not leave milk drinks out for more than 2 hours.