Cacao Latte Recipe: Hot, Iced and Oat Milk (With or Without Coffee)
A cacao latte is 100% cacao melted into a little hot water, then topped with frothed milk. It's warm, creamy and rich like a latte, without coffee. Add a shot of espresso and it becomes a "dirty" cacao latte.
It's what we drink in the afternoon when we want something warm that isn't another coffee. Cacao naturally contains some caffeine, less than a typical cup of coffee.
Ingredients (1 mug)
- 15–20 g of 100% cacao, about a fifth of a 100 g bar. Ours: 100% cacao for coffee and lattes.
- 2 oz (¼ cup) of hot water
- 6–8 oz of milk: oat, whole, almond or coconut
- Optional: 1–2 tsp maple syrup, honey or brown sugar; a pinch of salt; cinnamon or vanilla
How to make a hot cacao latte
- Chop the cacao into small pieces.
- Melt it in hot water. Put the cacao in a mug or small pan with 2 oz of hot (not boiling) water. Stir or whisk for about 30 seconds until it's a smooth, glossy paste.
- Sweeten now, if you like. Add sweetener and a pinch of salt while it's hot.
- Froth the milk. Steam it, use a handheld frother, or heat it in a pan and whisk hard.
- Pour the milk over the cacao and stir. Spoon the foam on top.
Even easier: heat everything in a small pan together, then froth it for 10 seconds with a handheld frother or blend it for 5 seconds.
How to make an iced cacao latte
Cacao butter firms up in cold liquid, so melt the cacao first.
- Melt 15–20 g of cacao into 2 oz of hot water until smooth. Stir in any sweetener.
- Let it cool for a minute.
- Fill a glass with ice and pour the cacao over it.
- Add 6–8 oz of cold milk and stir, or shake it all in a jar with ice.
Oat milk cacao latte
Oat milk is the best dairy-free choice: it froths well, it's naturally creamy, and its mild sweetness balances the deep flavor of 100% cacao. Use a "barista" oat milk if you want café-style foam.
Dirty cacao latte (with espresso)
Melt the cacao into a hot shot of espresso instead of the water, then add frothed milk. This is basically a cacao mocha. If you want it coffee-first, use half the cacao.
Questions people ask
What does a cacao latte taste like?
Like a rich, dark hot chocolate with less sweetness and more depth. 100% cacao has no sugar, so the sweetness comes only from the milk and anything you add.
Is a cacao latte a good coffee alternative?
If you want a warm, creamy drink that isn't coffee, yes. It has the ritual and body of a latte. Cacao naturally contains some caffeine, less than a typical cup of coffee.
Can I make a cacao latte with cocoa powder?
You can, but whole cacao melts into a creamier drink because it keeps all its cacao butter. Powder has most of the butter pressed out.
How much cacao should I use?
15–20 g for a standard mug. Our Chuncho cacao is strong, so start at 10–15 g if you're new to 100% cacao.
Make it with Chuncho cacao
Our bars are 100% Chuncho cacao from the La Convención valley in Cusco, Peru: one ingredient, never alkalized, and lab tested. A Starter Pack makes about 20 to 30 lattes, with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
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