Starbucks Gingerbread Latte
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Hot drinks are a must as we’re well into winter! What better way to warm up than to make a wonderful coffee-shop favourite at home?
That’s where the magic of making your own coffee beverages can come in! With some creativity and a little bit of time, you can make your favourites at home with all-natural ingredients! I’ll show you how to make every element of this Gingerbread Latte so that you’ve got no artificial flavours, and you can make your latte without stepping out of your house, or any time of year!
Don’t forget to watch the video at the bottom of this post to follow along as we prepare our Starbucks favourite Gingerbread Latte recipe from start to finish! Please subscribe to my YouTube channel if you haven’t already, and don’t forget to press the bell button to be notified when all of my video recipes go live! Let’s get brewing!
What Is a Starbucks Gingerbread Latte?
The Gingerbread Latte is a drink that’s available for the winter menu. It first launched in 2000, which makes it even older than the Pumpkin Spice Latte, which launched in 2003!
Unfortunately, 2019 was a sad year for gingerbread latte lovers, when the beloved drink did not appear on the menu. Boo! To be fair, I would have loved to order a gingerbread latte for all these years, but I even went out to other shops.
Now, as of winter 2023, the Gingerbread Latte has returned to Starbucks and everyone (including me!) is rejoicing.
I always start these Starbucks copycat recipes with the official definition of a drink, so let’s get to it.
Sweet and delicately spicy gingerbread flavours mingle—with our Starbucks Blonde® Espresso and steamed milk, topped with whipped cream and a pumpkin spice blend—for the perfect holiday touch.
source: Starbucks.com
I agree that this drink is wonderful for the holidays! Now, let’s see the ingredient list.
What Goes in a gingerbread Latte?
MILK, BREWED ESPRESSO, GINGERBREAD FLAVORED SYRUP [WATER, SUGAR, NATURAL FLAVOR, CITRIC ACID, SODIUM BENZOATE (PRESERVATIVE)], WHIPPED CREAM [CREAM (CREAM, MONO AND DIGLYCERIDES, CARRAGEENAN), VANILLA SYRUP (SUGAR, WATER, NATURAL FLAVORS, POTASSIUM SORBATE, CITRIC ACID)], PUMPKIN SPICE TOPPING [CINNAMON, GINGER, NUTMEG, AND CLOVES]
source: Starbucks.com
To be fair, I’ve seen longer ingredient lists in Starbucks recipes, so I find this one quite small. Nonetheless, our homemade Gingerbread Latte will have an even smaller ingredient list!
What’s a Latte?
Let’s get specific to what a latte actually is. A latte is a coffee drink that can be either hot or cold. The ratio of espresso to milk is 1/3 part espresso and 2/3 parts milk. You can add sweetener, if desired. Our Gingerbread Latte blueprint will be having the sweetener being the gingerbread syrup, then our coffee or espresso, milk, and a wonderful whipped cream topping for garnish!
The Gingerbread Latte is available in hot or cold at Starbucks. The “iced” version is exactly this formula but served over ice!
What Does the Gingerbread Latte Taste Like?
To be totally honest with you I’m from India and did experience the nostalgia of gingerbread cookies at Christmas like North Americans do. Despite this, I can say with confidence that a Gingerbread Latte does indeed pack in holiday goodness in a cup! I love the intense coffee flavour of the drink, infused with the warmth of the molasses. The fragrance of the gingerbread spice on the top works magic with the senses on your tastebuds, and makes you think there’s peppery-ness that’s soothing to your throat. It sure is a very cozy drink that will keep you warm on a cold day!
If you want to celebrate National Gingerbread Latte Day, which is on December 15th, then put your heart on a cup and brew this latte up as part of your Live to Cook one-month challenge! To get started on your cooking journey today for free, then be sure to sign up to my email newsletter, plus all of my latest recipes will be sent straight to your inbox!
Why You Need to Make this GingerBread Latte Recipe!
Wallet-friendly: Purchasing the grande to compare side-by-side with my drink cost $6.25 CAD, for a total of $7.06 CAD with tax! While I love getting my coffee from coffee shops, the prices really are sky-rocketing! Your gingerbread syrup will last for so many servings, along with homemade whipped cream and the homemade spice blend! It should cost a dollar at most per glass of your homemade drink!
Simple: Regardless of what equipment you may or may not have, the process of making your own Gingerbread Latte is quite easy, especially if you have the components prepped! Personally, I’m using my Ninja DualBrew Pro coffee maker and this made the process even smoother than when I had a French press and handheld frother.
Fast: I know it seems like a lot of work to make your own syrup and whipped cream in addition to brewing the coffee. However, if you have a whipped cream dispenser or you’re using an aerosol can, then this can be ready in advance. Furthermore, you can also prepare the gingerbread syrup and gingerbread spice any time you want.
Fresh ingredients: Every part of this drink is going to be homemade with ingredients that you can pronounce! No preservatives or artificial flavours added to this recipe! We’ve got amazing warm gingerbread flavours and some nice natural sweetness that comes from the gingerbread sauce.
Available WHENEVER: As discussed earlier, the Gingerbread Latte was off of the Starbucks menu for 4 years! Isn’t that crazy! When you know how to make your own coffee shop favourite drinks, then you don’t need to rely on these shops to have your favourite beverages. Furthermore, you can make your favourite drinks any time of year, and not only when the seasonal menu is out. I describe in my free motivational guide to explore your potential in the kitchen, Make Cooking Fun!, how getting inspiration from your favourite restaurants and/or take-out places can spark creativity. This is a perfect occasion to apply that concept!
Unique to you: I do love the fact that you can have a lot of customization to drinks in the Starbucks app by mixing and matching different flavours and topping combinations. However, nothing beats the customization power of your own hand, where you can really see and execute the drink recipe in your own personal ways. Check out variations later on in this post!
Holiday goodness: This sure is a satisfying drink! You’ve got so much caramel goodness, and I just love the nice cream on top and the combination of butterscotch and toffee chips! Guaranteed some cozy winter vibes right here to make you feel warm on even the coldest days!
Can I make A Latte without an Espresso Machine?
Of course you can, and that’s what I’ve always done! It is indeed true that lattes are typically made with an espresso machine (if you’re lucky enough to have it then please use it!), missing this piece of equipment shouldn’t stop you!
There are plenty of ways to still make espresso-like coffee without an espresso machine. Your first choice is a French press, and I’ve used one for many of the coffee recipes on the blog. This gives you a rich flavour because of the time the coffee is steeping in the machine. However, now I have a coffee maker that can brew “specialty” coffee that will be concentrated and strong, and this can be even more or less depending on the type of ground coffee you’re using.
If nothing else, then you can use a standard coffee maker - it’ll do the basic job you need!
How to Froth Milk at Home Without a Steam Wand
While the coffee shops use a fancy steam wand to create that incredible milk foam we all love, that doesn’t need to stop you from having your own milk foam! Here are some ideas to foam milk easily at home, depending on your budget:
French Press: You can steam your milk in the microwave or over the stove. Then, pour the milk into the French press pump the plunger up and down a couple of times to froth up the milk. You can pick one up for as little $10 CAD.
Electric or Handheld Frother: Handheld frothers are easily accessible and super affordable, plus they’re easy to use. A handheld frother can be as cheap as $10 CAD. On the other hand, electric frothers are able to not only froth the milk, but steam milk, and effectively froth cold milk. These are a bit more pricier at around $100 CAD.
Steam Wand: This is the ultimate investment if you are really serious about your coffee. These can range from $100 to $1000 depending on the features of the model.
Whisk: If nothing else, you can just pour the steamed milk into a small bowl and whisk vigorously! It’ll take some work, but you’ll get pretty decent results!
Equipment Needed to Make Gingerbread Latte
French press and frother: Use this combination if you don’t have a coffee maker with a frother or an espresso machine.
Ingredients for Starbucks Gingerbread Latte
The FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE CARD is at the bottom of this post, so be sure to scroll down down or press the “Jump to Recipe” button to save it for later and to see the full ingredient quantities. You can also scale the recipe based on how many lattes you’re looking to make. This recipe yields one grande (16 fluid ounce or 473 mL) cup by default.
For the Gingerbread Syrup
Water
Gingerbread spice
For the Gingerbread Spice
For the Gingerbread Latte
Milk: My preference is to use full fat cow’s milk as you get the creamiest latte. However, you can use whatever milk you feel like.
Espresso or strong coffee: Use whatever you have on hand. For wintery flavours, I think a maple, cinnamon, or caramel-flavoured coffee will pair perfectly.
Water: Needed to brew the coffee or espresso.
Gingerbread syrup: This is our sweetener for this latte recipe, and it will be added at the bottom of the cup. If you really don’t want to make your own, you can buy a store-bought one. I’ll quickly go over how to make it here, but for more details and tips and tricks for the best homemade holiday syrup, be sure to read the complete recipe here.
Whipped cream: My recommendation is to make your very own homemade whipped cream recipe! My whipped cream dispenser is one of the best kitchen tools I’ve invested in, and it will really give you coffee-shop vibes to your drinks. For assistance in picking the right whipped cream dispenser to you and how to use one, then be sure to check out my guide on whipped cream dispensers! If you don’t want to make your own whipped cream, then simply use the whipped cream from an aerosol can.
Gingerbread spice: For garnish.
How to Make A better than Starbucks Gingerbread Latte
For the Gingerbread spice
Mix all the spices together in a plate or shake the ingredients together in an airtight jar.
For the gingerbread syrup
In a saucepan, add the water and brown sugar and turn on the heat. Whisk well and warm the mixture until the brown sugar has completely dissolved.
Once dissolved, add the molasses and gently warm for 1-2 minutes.
Add the vanilla extract, turn off the heat and pour out the gingerbread syrup into a mason jar for storage.
Turn off the heat and pour out the gingerbread syrup into a mason jar for storage. Allow to cool before using.
For the gingerbread Latte
If using Ninja Dual Brew, add ground coffee to the machine and select "specialty" brew style. Set the amount to 4 oz.
If using French Press, pour 4 Tbsp of ground coffee (2 servings) to the jug and then add boiling hot water to the french press. Cover the french press with the included lid and allow the coffee to steep for 4 minutes
If using an espresso maker, make a strong shot of espresso for each serving.
Add the gingerbread syrup to the cup and then brew/pour the coffee directly in the prepared cup.
Steam the milk in the microwave for 30 seconds-1 minute and then use a frother to froth the milk.
Stir the coffee with the sweeteners, then pour the steamed milk into your coffee.
Top with whipped cream, and sprinkle a pinch of gingerbread spice over the whipped cream.
Serve hot and enjoy!
Variations of Gingerbread Latte
Milk: If you want to make the drink plant-based, then oat milk is a popular substitute to have a creamy coffee. Personally, I actually don’t like it since I find the “oat” taste too prominent, and it distracts from the main flavour I’m looking for in my latte. For more neutral flavours but to keep the creaminess, my recommendations would be coconut milk and soy milk. However, almond milk is a high-calcium and low-calorie choice. The caveat is that your drink is likely to be much thinner than desired. To truly keep everything here made from scratch, perhaps try making your own almond milk!
Coffee: Try different flavoured coffees to enhance the holiday flavours. I recommend hazelnut, maple, or dulce de leche.
Caramel: Gingerbread and caramel are two incredible winter favourites. You can line the cup and/or garnish with caramel sauce to get the best of both worlds!
Garnish: You may have noticed from the Starbucks ingredient list that the default topping for the Gingerbread Latte there is Pumpkin Spice, which is quite interesting! I’ve used my gingerbread spice for garnish as that made more sense to me, but if you want to truly copy the Starbucks drink, then feel free to garnish with Pumpkin Spice, or perhaps even Apple Pie Spice!
Tips For A wholesome cup of gingerbread Latte
What’s great about making your own Gingerbread Latte at home is that you can adjust the strength of the coffee, the amount of sweetness, and the amount of toppings. Feel free to add more or less gingerbread syrup and gingerbread spice for garnish depending on your preference.
Steaming the milk is enough to froth, so you don’t need to bring it to a boil If heating your milk in the microwave, look for steam coming out.
Regardless if you heat your milk in the microwave or over the stove, be sure to closely monitor it so it won’t boil over!
If frothing milk by hand, make sure you do not froth the surface, otherwise it will cause a big splatter and mess! Place the frother down the middle and then froth until the milk is foaming.
What if I don’t Want the Coffee?
That’s no problem at all! As of 2023, Starbucks has launched the Gingerbread Oat Chai Latte, which has a black tea base instead of a coffee base. I’ve shared a recipe for the iced version here, but I also give instructions on how to make it hot, so be sure to check that out!
However, if you still want the coffee flavour but without the caffeine (perhaps you’re craving this in the evening!), then simply substitute your espresso or coffee with decaf.
Can I make this Starbucks Gingerbread Latte Iced?
Yes, you definitely can! To make an Iced Gingerbread Latte, all you need to do is follow the step of adding the gingerbread syrup at the bottom of the cup. Then, add ice, followed by brewing your espresso into the cup. Once the espresso is in the cup, proceed with the rest of the instructions as described!
How Long with the Gingerbread Syrup Last?
Because your gingerbread syrup is essentially just made of sugar, water, and molasses, you can keep your gingerbread syrup in the fridge for about six months, as this is the lifetime of molasses when it has been opened and refrigerated. That means you can make plenty of drinks with your gingerbread syrup, or even use it to sweeten other recipes, such as oatmeal (overnight oats or stovetop oats), smoothies, or any dessert you want a gingerbread flavour to!
More Comforting Starbucks Drinks At Home Recipes!
Watch How to Make Starbucks gingerbread Latte here:
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