Cafe au Lait: Overview, Steps to Make It, and How to Order It at Starbucks

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A simple drink with a French name, cafe au lait translates to “coffee with milk.” See how to make it at home and what it’s called at Starbucks.

Cafe au lait in a gray mug with saucer.

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What is a Cafe au Lait? 

  • “Cafe au lait” is French for “coffee with milk.” The drink originated in France and made with drip coffee (not espresso) and steamed milk.
  • It’s usually made with equal parts coffee and milk but there isn’t a set rule with the ratio of coffee to milk.
  • To order this drink at Starbucks, ask for a Caffè Misto.
  • Cafe au laits are one of the simplest coffee shop drinks to make at home, since no espresso is required.
  • A popular part of New Orleans culture, cafe au laits are sometimes made with chicory.

Looking for cafe-quality coffee drinks that are easy to make at home? Try my Iced Mexican Coffee, Iced Mocha, and Iced Coffee with Cream Froth recipes.

Difference Between Cafe au Lait and Latte

Espresso/Coffee
A cafe au lait is made with regular brewed coffee (any roast) and a latte is made with espresso.

Milk
There’s more milk in a latte than in a cafe au lait. A 12 ounce latte would have 10 ounces of milk but a 12 ounce cafe au lait would have 6 ounces of milk.

Drink size
Cafe au laits and lattes usually come in the same size cups, ranging from 8 ounces to 20 ounces.

Difference Between Cafe au Lait and Cappuccino

Espresso/Coffee
A cafe au lait is made with coffee from a drip coffee machine and a cappuccino is made with espresso.

Milk
The texture of the milk is important when it comes to making a Cappuccino but for a cafe au lait, it isn’t as important. As long as the milk is hot or steamed, it’ll work in a cafe au lait.

Drink size
Cappuccinos are traditionally served in 6 ounce cups but there’s no set size for a cafe au lait. As long as there’s brewed coffee and milk, it’s a cafe au lait.

Variations
Cafe au laits can sometimes be made with chicory. Cappuccinos can sometimes be made with shaved or powdered chocolate. 

Cafe au Lait at Starbucks

At Starbucks, the cafe au lait is called a Caffè Misto. It’s made with half brewed coffee and half steamed 2% milk.

Even if you don’t see cafe au lait or Caffè Misto on the menu, you can easily request one. It’s a simple drink most baristas will know how to make. 

Since it’s half drip coffee, you can ask for it to be made with any of their brewed coffees like Pike Place Roast or Blonde Roast.

If you don’t specify the milk, they’ll make it with 2% steamed milk.

If you’re looking for a caffeinated drink with steamed milk but don’t want to pay for a pricy latte, get a a Caffè Misto since it’ll be about half the price.

If you have 50 stars, you can get a Caffè Misto! Get any size brewed coffee and add steamed milk. The 50 stars includes both the brewed coffee and any customizations.

What You’ll Need

  • Coffee: Use your regular coffee machine and make coffee as usual. If you don’t have a coffee machine, you can brew coffee in a French press. Any kind of coffee can be used.
  • Milk: You can use any kind of milk you like.

For full ingredients and detailed instructions, please see the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

Barista’s Tip: Brew coffee fresh for the best flavor.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Milk poured into a cup with coffee.

Step 1: Brew coffee.


Grind coffee (or use pre-ground coffee) and brew in a coffee machine.

Pouring frothed milk into a cup.

Step 2: Froth milk. There are a few ways to froth milk at home if you don’t have an espresso machine. The two best ways are to use a French press or an electric milk frother. (See all frothing methods.)

Cafe au Lait in a cup.

Step 3: Pour coffee into a cup. Add frothed milk.

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Expert Tips 

  • There’s no one ratio for the perfect cafe au lait. The best way to figure out how much milk to add is by taste. Start with the one part milk to two parts coffee ratio. If you prefer more milk or more coffee, you can easily adjust.
  • You want to choose a coffee that is low in acid for a cafe au lait. High-acid coffees, like from Ethiopia, might get lost in the milk. A coffee from Brazil is a good starting point. 
  • Coffee shops will have their own ratio of coffee to milk. If you’re unsure of how much milk or coffee your barista is using, feel free to ask.
  • Some coffee shops use chicory to make “New Orleans” style drinks. If you see a New Orleans style cafe au lait, it’s probably made with chicory.
  • You can use any type of milk for a cafe au lait. 

Questions You May Have 

Is cafe au lait the same thing as a latte?

No, cafe au laits and lattes are two different drinks. Cafe au laits are made with drip coffee as their base and lattes use espresso. 

Can half and half be frothed? 

Yes. A drink with half and half is called a breve. If you want your cafe au lait with half and half, you can request a “breve cafe au lait.”

Is cafe au lait the same thing as white coffee?

Some may confuse cafe au laits with white coffee—the difference is that the milk is steamed in a cafe au lait but it’s cold in a white coffee.

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How to Make a Cafe au Lait

Author: Jee Choe
A simple drink with a French name, cafe au lait translates to “coffee with milk.”
4.8 from 9 votes
Prep Time 7 minutes
Total Time 7 minutes
Course Drinks
Yield1 serving

INGREDIENTS
 

  • 2 tablespoons coffee
  • cup water
  • cup milk

INSTRUCTIONS

  • Brew coffee.
    Grind coffee (or use pre-ground coffee) and brew in a coffee machine.
  • Froth milk.
    To froth milk using a French press, heat milk on the stovetop (simmer) or in a microwave then pour it into a French press. Use the plunger to pump warm milk until it doubles in volume.
    The quickest and best way to froth milk at home is to use an electric milk frother which heats and froths at the same time.
  • Pour coffee into a cup. Add frothed milk.
    The drink is equal parts coffee and milk but you can adjust it to your taste.

NUTRITION

Calories: 100 | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 16mg | Sodium: 78mg | Potassium: 215mg | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 264IU | Calcium: 184mg

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