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Gingerbread Latte
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This cozy gingerbread latte blends warm holiday spices, molasses, and rich espresso into a festive drink that tastes like Christmas in a mug. Made with an easy homemade gingerbread simple syrup, it’s the perfect way to bring coffee shop vibes home all season long. And if you love this latte, you might also enjoy sipping on my mint mojito iced coffee or this seasonal warm cinnamon caramel apple cider next.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Easy homemade syrup — Just simmer, strain, and you have gingerbread syrup all week long.
- Festive flavor in minutes — Espresso plus warm spices gives you a cozy holiday latte fast.
- Totally customizable — Use your favorite milk, adjust sweetness, or turn it into an iced latte.
Key Ingredients in This Recipe
- Simple syrup – Simple syrup is made by boiling equal parts sugar and water to form a sticky, smooth syrup that will mix easily into lattes or cocktails. This simple syrup is made with both brown sugar and granulated sugar as well as molasses and spices to give it the gingerbread flavor.
- Molasses – Molasses, also known as treacle, is a thick, dark syrup by-product made by refining sugarcane or sugar beets into sugar. There are three types of molasses – light, regular and dark, though I typically only use regular.
- Espresso – This latte is made with two shots of espresso. Espresso is a more highly concentrated coffee giving it a more intense flavor. The beans are typically roasted longer, with a finer grind.
- Milk – While I opt to make my lattes with whole milk it can easily be swapped with another dairy or non-dairy option like oat or pistachio milk. The milk can be frothed using a steamer or a simple hand frother like this one. When steaming the milk it should be heated between 139ºF – 149ºF.
A full ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Pro Tip
For the best café-style latte texture, heat your milk to 139ºF–149ºF—this sweet-spot range gives you silky foam without scorching.
Swaps and Substitutions
- Milk: Swap whole milk for oat, almond, soy, coconut, or lactose-free milk.
- Espresso: Use strong brewed coffee or cold brew concentrate if you don’t have an espresso machine.
- Sweetness level: Add more or less syrup depending on how sweet you prefer your latte.
- Spices: Add cardamom or allspice for extra warmth.
- Molasses: Light molasses works in place of regular if that’s what you have.
How to Make a Gingerbread Latte (Step-by-Step)
- Mix simple syrup. Add the sugars, molasses, cinnamon stick, cloves, ginger and 1 cup water to a medium saucepan over medium-high heat.
- Simmer simple syrup. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Continue to boil until a syrup forms, about 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and then let cool.
- Strain simple syrup. Strain or remove the cinnamon or cloves. The syrup can be also made and stored in the refrigerator for up to a month.
- Assemble the latte. Add 2 tablespoons of the syrup to a mug and then add steamed milk over the top followed by espresso shots. Top with whipped cream and grated nutmeg. Serve hot.
How to Serve a Gingerbread Latte
- Serve hot with whipped cream and freshly grated nutmeg.
- Add a gingerbread cookie on the rim for a festive touch.
- Make it iced by pouring syrup, chilled milk, and espresso over ice.
- Turn it into a latte bar by pairing with peppermint syrup, caramel syrup, or vanilla syrup.
How to Store a Gingerbread Latte
- Simple syrup: Store refrigerated in an airtight jar for 2 weeks.
- Prepared latte: Best enjoyed immediately—reheating will change the texture.
- Make-ahead: Prep the syrup in advance so lattes come together in under 2 minutes.
FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Strong brewed coffee or cold brew concentrate makes a great stand-in.
You can, but homemade gingerbread syrup gives the latte a richer, fresher spice flavor.
Add syrup to a glass of ice, then pour over cold milk and espresso. Stir and top with whipped cream.
Absolutely—oat milk froths beautifully and delivers the creamiest dairy-free results.
Yes! The syrup scales perfectly. Just keep the 1:1 sugar-to-water ratio and increase spices proportionally.
Other Recipes to Try
If you enjoyed this recipe, check out these seasonal favorites you’ll want to make during cozy season:
Thanks for cooking with me! If you made this recipe, leave a 🌟 rating and share your thoughts or tips below. I’d love to hear from you!
Gingerbread Latte
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Equipment:
Ingredients:
- ½ cup packed dark brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons molasses
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 whole cloves
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 cup milk, steamed or frothed
- 2 shots espresso
- Whipped cream for serving
- Freshly grated nutmeg
Instructions:
- Add the sugars, molasses, cinnamon stick, cloves, ginger and 1 cup water to a medium saucepan over medium-high heat.
- Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Continue to boil until a syrup forms, about 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and let cool.
- Strain or remove the cinnamon or cloves. The syrup can be made and stored in the refrigerator for up to a month.
- Add 2 tablespoons of the syrup to a mug and add steamed milk over the top followed by espresso shots. Top with whipped cream and grated nutmeg. Serve hot.
Notes:
Nutrition:
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