Coffee Drink & Latte Syrup Recipes
Ratios and methods for classic drinks, plus simple syrups you can batch at home or behind a counter. Adjust to taste once you've got the baseline down.
Espresso & Brew Basics
Cortado
1 shot espresso · 1–2 oz steamed milk (equal parts, roughly)
Steam milk to a silky microfoam with minimal air. You're not going for the volume of a cappuccino, just enough to soften the espresso.
Affogato
1 scoop vanilla gelato or ice cream · 1 shot hot espresso, poured over
Pour the espresso over the gelato right at the table. Half the appeal is watching it melt as you eat it.
Cold Brew Concentrate
1 cup coarse-ground coffee · 4 cups cold water
Steep 12 to 18 hours at room temp or in the fridge, then strain through a fine filter or cheesecloth. Dilute the concentrate roughly 1:1 with water or milk to serve.
Classic Pour-Over
22g medium-ground coffee · 350g water (~1:16), 205°F
Bloom with about 50g water for 30 to 45 seconds, then pour the rest in slow circles over a 2:30 to 3:00 total brew time.
Spiced Latte, No Syrup
1–2 shots espresso · 6 oz steamed milk · pinch each cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger
Whisk the spices into the milk before steaming so they distribute evenly instead of clumping on top.
Iced Vanilla Oat Latte
2 shots espresso · 1 oz vanilla syrup (recipe below) · 5 oz cold oat milk · ice
Pour espresso over the syrup first and stir before adding milk and ice, so the syrup doesn't just sink to the bottom.
Latte Syrups: Base Method
Every syrup below starts from the same simple syrup base. Learn the base once, then flavor it a dozen different ways, organized here by year-round staples and by season, the way most coffee shops actually rotate their menu.
Base Simple Syrup
1 cup water · 1 cup granulated sugar (or 1.25 cups for a thicker, shop-style syrup)
Heat water and sugar together in a small saucepan just until the sugar fully dissolves. Don't let it boil hard. Cool before bottling. Keeps refrigerated for about 2 to 3 weeks in a sealed bottle.
Year-Round Staples
Vanilla Syrup
Add 2 tbsp vanilla extract (or split and scrape 1 vanilla bean into the pot) while the syrup is still warm. Stir well before bottling.
Brown Sugar Syrup
Swap the granulated sugar for packed brown sugar in the base recipe. Good iced, pairs well with oat milk.
Caramel Syrup
Make the base with brown sugar, then stir in 1 tbsp of butter and a pinch of salt while still warm for a rounder, more caramel-like flavor.
Honey Syrup
Replace half the sugar with honey, added after the water and remaining sugar come off the heat, so the honey flavor doesn't cook off.
Hazelnut Syrup
Toast 1/2 cup raw hazelnuts, then steep them crushed in the hot syrup for 20 minutes before straining. More work than extract, noticeably better flavor.
Mocha (Chocolate) Syrup
Whisk 3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder into the syrup while hot until fully dissolved, no clumps. Works as a mocha base or drizzled on top for presentation.
Spring
Strawberry Syrup
Simmer 1 cup chopped fresh or frozen strawberries into the syrup for 8 to 10 minutes, mash lightly, then strain for a clear syrup or leave it rustic for a shop-style pink drink base.
Lavender Syrup
Steep 2 tbsp dried culinary lavender in the hot syrup for 10 minutes, then strain before bottling. Start light. It gets soapy-tasting fast if overdone.
Summer
Coconut Syrup
Replace half the water in the base with canned coconut milk, and add 1 tsp coconut extract once off heat. Excellent iced with oat milk.
Key Lime Syrup
Add 3 tbsp fresh key lime juice and the zest of one lime once the syrup is off heat, straining out the zest before bottling. Pairs surprisingly well with a cold brew, not just lemonade.
Fall
Pumpkin Spice Syrup
Whisk 2 tbsp real pumpkin puree into the syrup while hot, along with a pinch each of cinnamon, ginger, clove, and nutmeg. Strain if you want it clear.
Maple Syrup
Replace the sugar entirely with real maple syrup, added off heat. Pairs especially well with oat milk and a light dusting of cinnamon on top.
Winter
Peppermint Syrup
Steep 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves (or 1 tsp peppermint extract, added after cooking) in the hot syrup for 15 minutes, then strain. Good in a mocha, not just plain lattes.
Gingerbread Syrup
Simmer 1 tbsp molasses with a pinch each of ginger, cinnamon, and clove into the syrup for 8 minutes. The molasses is what makes it taste like gingerbread rather than plain spice syrup.
Eggnog Syrup
Simmer a pinch each of nutmeg and cinnamon with 1/2 tsp rum extract into the syrup, then finish with a small splash of heavy cream once bottled for a richer, eggnog-like body.
Standard ratio for a 12oz latte: 0.5 to 1 oz of syrup, adjust to taste. Shops typically standardize on one pump size (usually 0.25oz) to keep drinks consistent across baristas.
Use our ratio calculator in Tools to scale any of these up or down by exact gram weight.
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