Boozy gingerbread latte is what is not available in the average coffee shop. All those cosy and comforting flavours that are associated with this popular drink plus a little kick of alcohol. This spiced latte is bliss - you really should try it.
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Without a doubt, I love this drink. This boozy gingerbread latte is everything I crave in a coffee libation - milky, sweet, a not-so-subtle hint of robust coffee and a kick of alcohol. This homemade gingerbread latte is my idea of perfection... in a pretty glass.
But here's the truth: if I go to a coffee shop, you will usually find me ordering tea. I do all my coffee drinking at home. Partly because I know just how I like it. But also because coffee shops know how to charge for the fancier drinks. And it's not a spending habit I really want to get into.
I have labelled this drink as a boozy gingerbread latte, because that really is my favourite way to enjoy it. However, this seasonally spiced latte is still disarmingly tasty and pure comfort without any alcohol.
What is in a spiced latte?
A gingerbread latte is a milky coffee drink infused with the flavours of gingerbread. I've used a heavily spiced homemade gingerbread syrup to steep my coffee with those flavours. Included in this syrup are all the usual suspects associated with gingerbread:
- black treacle (molasses)
- dark muscovado sugar
- ginger
- cinnamon
- cloves
- allspice
Anything extra, such as whipped cream and sprinkles is entirely up to the whim of the drinker. Around the festive season it's often topped with mini gingerbread men or gingerbread men sprinkles and presented as a Christmas latte.
Incidentally, a boozy gingerbread latte is exactly as described above, but with the addition of a little alcohol. Double joy.
If you're in the mood for discovering more fun festive drinks be sure to take a look at my Chocolate Orange hot chocolate - guaranteed to be loved by kids and adults alike and it too can also be spiked with a little alcohol, just like this latte. Coffee cocktail lovers should also not overlook my gingerbread Black Russian.
Why you should make this diy recipe
There are three major reasons why a homemade gingerbread latte is a great idea:
- Let's be honest who really wants to spend £3+ at Starbucks or Costa whenever the urge to indulge in a gingerbread latte strikes. Making this drink at home is so much more purse-friendly
- Similarly, who really wants to have to drag themselves to their nearest Starbucks or Costa every time a craving hits. The diy spiced latte is yours for the taking, whenever you fancy one, once you've knocked up a batch of gingerbread syrup
- Coffee shops have a tendency to only serve this drink around the festive season, but the homemade version is available all year round . Unlike the coffee shops, a gingerbread Christmas latte never has to be off the menu if you make your own
Aside from those obvious reasons, let's not forget that this diy drink has plenty going for it taste-wise too. It is sweetly spiced and complements the coffee wonderfully. It's also smooth and creamy. And of course, you can make the coffee as strong or mild as you like and vary the amount of gingerbread syrup included to suit your own tastes exactly.
Ingredients
There are really just a couple of things to note about the ingredients for this spiced latte drink.
First of all, the type of coffee (and the strength of the coffee) you brew for this drink is entirely up to you. However, given that the flavour is being altered by the gingerbread syrup, arguably, you don't need to use the highest quality coffee around. I've made this drink using coffee granules and I've made it with freshly brewed espresso coffee. Both work very well.
I'd also suggest using this homemade gingerbread latte syrup. I developed this syrup with the intention of using it in this spiced Christmas latte, so you can be assured it has enough flavour to stand up against the coffee.
If using an alternative syrup (either homemade or store-bought) please be aware that you may need to use more/ less depending on how strong the flavour is. Clearly, if the syrup only has a mild flavour, significantly more would be needed and this could make the overall drink too sweet to be enjoyable.
Step-by-step instructions
- Heat the milk to scalding, then stir in the gingerbread syrup
- Brew the coffee and add to the milk
- Optional: blitz with a stick blender until frothy
- Add the alcohol (optional) to a heatproof mug or glass
- Top with the hot milky coffee mix
- Optional: garnish with whipped cream and toppings of choice
Tips
- The trick to achieving a luxurious drink is to use either espresso coffee or coffee granules diluted in just a small amount of water so that milk is the dominant liquid in the drink
- And I do recommend using whole (full-fat) milk for a truly sumptuous finish - it adds just the right level of creamy indulgence to this drink
- Vary the strenth of the coffee according to your own tastes, but remember that very strong coffee may mask the spice profile of the latte syrup
- If you are serving at a party then consider setting up a Christmas latte bar including a choice of alcohols (see below for suggestions), whipped cream, marshmallows, mini gingerbread men or 3D gingerbread houses, sprinkles, grated chocolate and cinnamon sticks. Guests will love assembling their own drinks (and it's one less thing for you to do whilst hosting)
Frequently asked questions
Technically yes you can make this gingerbread latte in a Crockpot, but I'm not quite sure why you would want to. It takes 5 minutes to make this recipe fresh but several hours in a slow cooker. If you were making this drink using whole spices then a slow cooker would be a good way to do it, to allow the spices to infuse, but not for this syrup-based recipe.
However, pouring a large batch of this drink into a slow cooker to keep it warm during a party is a good option. In this instance, I'd leave out the alcohol and let guests add their own at the point of serving since not everybody will welcome that nip of booze in their Christmas latte.
Of course! I've never bought gingerbread syrup myself, but I know that Starbucks sell their own version and that Costa use Monin syrups. The exact amount needed to flavour your drink may vary from the measure listed in the recipe (my homemade version has quite a punchy flavour). Start by adding a little (say 1 tablespoon), tasting and adjusting upwards from there.
Yes, you can. Simply multiple the ingredients by however many servings needed and mix the cold milk, brewed coffee and syrup together in a jug. Don't heat it up at this point, simply store it all in the fridge and pour out a serving as required, heating as instructed. Be sure to give everything a good stir before pouring out a serving to ensure the syrup hasn't settled on the bottom of the jug.
Tip: It's a good idea to leave the alcohol out of a large batch, so you don't accidentally pour yourself a boozy coffee at an inappropriate time.
What other alcohol can I add to it?
I used Tia Maria coffee liqueur in my spiked gingerbread latte as I did not want to detract from the coffee & gingerbread profile of this drink. Similarly, Kahlua would also work well.
But what if you fancy the boozy version of this Christmas latte but you're out of coffee liqueur? No worries - just try any of the following alternatives:
- Baileys Irish Cream
- Amarula
- Spiced rum
- Dark rum
- Bourbon
- Vanilla vodka
Whatever you decide to use, don't overdo it. A small measure (20ml) is sufficient to add a gentle buzz of alcohol without going over the top.
Variations
There are so many variations to the gingerbread latte that can easily be made at home. Just grab yourself some latte syrup and get creating:
- Gingerbread tea latte (aka gingerbread chai latte) - use this latte syrup in the place of masala chai syrup for a speedy gingerbread infused version of masala chai
- Decaf gingerbread latte - cut the caffeine by using decaffeinated coffee
- Gingerbread mocha latte - make your favourite mocha (coffee and chocolate) then add the gingerbread latte syrup (you may want to leave out the sugar from the base mocha recipe as the syrup will sweeten the drink)
- Skinny gingerbread latte - use semi-skimmed or skimmed milk and omit whipped cream and sprinkles to make a slightly healthier version of this drink
- Vegan gingerbread latte - use either almond milk or oat milk in place of the dairy milk. I've heard that oat milk makes a particularly tasty addition to coffee drinks
- Gingerbread iced latte - make the coffee and pour into a large glass filled with ice. Add the syrup and top with milk
- Without coffee - pour steamed milk over the gingerbread syrup for a coffee-free, caffeine-free sweet milky treat
More cosy drinks to try
Have you made this gingerbread latte recipe? How did you get along? What did you make with it? Feel free to leave a rating and/or comment below to let me know.
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Gingerbread Latte (with Optional Alcohol)
Ingredients
For the Boozy Gingerbread Latte
- 1 teaspoon Coffee granules dissolved in 30ml off-the-boil water or 30ml strong espresso coffee
- 40 ml Gingerbread syrup
- 180 ml Whole (full fat) milk
- 20 ml Coffee liqueur optional
Optional Garnishes
- Whipped Cream
- Gingerbread sprinkles
- Ground cinnamon/ nutmeg
- grated chocolate
Instructions
Make the Boozy Gingerbread Latte
- Heat the milk to scalding, then stir in the gingerbread syrup
- Optional: blitz with a stick blender until frothy
- Add the alcohol of choice (optional) to a heatproof mug or glass
- Pour the hot coffee into the mug/ glass
- Top with the hot gingerbread milk
- Optional: garnish with whipped cream and toppings of choice
Make the Gingerbread Milk Steamer
- Heat the milk to scalding, then stir in the gingerbread syrup and blitz with a stick blender until frothy
- Pour into a heatproof glass
- Serve
Notes
- The trick to achieving a luxurious drink is to use either espresso coffee or coffee granules diluted in just a small amount of water so that milk is the dominant liquid in the drink
- And I do recommend using whole (full-fat) milk for a truly sumptuous finish - it adds just the right level of creamy indulgence to this drink
- Vary the strenth of the coffee according to your own tastes, but remember that very strong coffee may mask the spice profile of the latte syrup
- If you are serving at a party then consider setting up a Christmas latte bar including a choice of alcohols (see below), whipped cream, marshmallows, mini gingerbread men or 3D gingerbread houses, sprinkles, grated chocolate and cinnamon sticks. Guests will love assembling their own drinks (and it's one less thing for you to do whilst hosting)
- Use a slow cooker to keep a large batch of this drink warm during a party. In this instance, I'd leave out the alcohol and let guests add their own at the point of serving since not everybody will welcome that nip of booze in their Christmas latte
Jo
As somebody who can't stand coffee, but often wishes I did like it, I feel this might be a drink to try!
Jane Saunders
Ahh.... if you are anything like me you may well enjoy this coffee since it is sweet and milky - a far cry from a shot of espresso!