A latte to rival the quintessential fall PSL – introducing the super easy Caramel Apple Latte! Channel your inner basic bitch with a cozy drink that celebrates the season with sweet caramel and the warming spices of apple butter. Plus espresso and steamed milk, of course. Don’t forget some whipped cream and extra caramel drizzle to make it indulgent if you’d like!
This ridiculously simple latte comes together in no time with just a few ingredients you probably already have hanging around the house this time of year. But hey, if apple butter isn’t a fall staple in your house, go grab a jar on your next apple picking adventure or trip to the farmer’s market. I also always see it at my regular grocery store near the jams and jellies.
macro-friendly
Iced Coffee Drinks
This guide will help you make high protein, low carb coffee drinks and Starbucks dupes at home! Includes my reviews of a bunch of different milks and milk alternatives.
Can I Make This Without an Espresso Machine?
Absolutely! Two of the main ingredients of this drink are traditionally made with an espresso machine – the espresso of course, but also the steamed milk. But don’t worry – they’re super easy to recreate without an espresso machine too! For the espresso, a strong brewed coffee or instant espresso will work just fine.
As for the steamed milk, you would normally just use the steam wand of an espresso machine to both heat the milk and build the volume of the milk by creating a microfoam (the one where the milk looks glossy). When you’re in Starbucks, this is the part of the process where you hear that really high pitched gurgling/whistling noise. If you don’t have an espresso machine, all you have to do instead is heat the milk in the microwave to just before boiling, then use a milk frother to add volume. You want to increase the volume by about 30-50%, so that the 2/3 cup of milk you start with will turn into about a full cup of steamed or frothed milk. There are also some really great standalone milk steamers on the market for around $30 that will give you that same gorgeous microfoam you’d get from the steam wand of an espresso maker.
If you’re new to steaming milk with an espresso machine, check out this video or this blog post for tips. If you’re frothing the milk with a hand frother, check out this video or this blog post for tips.
Ingredients and Substitutions
Here’s what you’ll need to make this Caramel Apple Latte at home:
- Espresso – A full-bodied, fresh brewed espresso works great in this recipe, but if you can get your hands on a blonde espresso, go for that instead. It’ll help make sure the apple flavor is able to shine through. And if you don’t have an espresso maker, a strong brewed coffee will work too!
- Steamed or frothed milk – For this recipe, you need to use a milk that is capable of steaming or frothing up to build volume (preferably in the form of microfoam). Regular dairy milk is a safe bet, but if you’re dairy free, there are plenty of non-dairy options that will work. Soy and oat milk are usually pretty reliable, but check out my notes on the testing I did on a bunch of different brands/types of milk here. If in doubt, anything marked “barista” should work well.
- Apple butter – This is where the apple flavor comes from in this latte. It’s subtle, but those cinnamon and apple flavors do come through. If you want a more concentrated caramel apple flavor, try a coffee syrup like this.
- Caramel sauce – I opted for one of those easy, squeezable bottles of caramel sauce that you can find in the coffee, baking, or ice cream section of the store.
- Maple extract – This is an optional ingredient, but I love the addition because it reinforces those yummy fall flavors.
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Recipe
Caramel Apple Latte
Ingredients
- 4 oz Fairlife Milk Ultra-Filtered Fat Free Milk
- 1 shot espresso
- 1 tbsp apple butter
- 1 tbsp caramel sauce
- 1/2 tsp maple extract
Instructions
- Add apple butter, caramel sauce, and maple extract to the bottom of a coffee mug. Top with freshly brewed espresso.
- Steam milk, then pour over the espresso mixture and stir well. If desired, sprinkle with apple pie spice before serving.
Tips & Tricks
Nutrition Information
More Coffee & Tea Recipes
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