This past week was a big week for coffee lovers everywhere! Here in the United States, September 29 was National Coffee Day, and just a few days after, on October 1, the world celebrated International Coffee Day!
Whatever your preference – macchiato, espresso, cappuccino, latte, or just a regular coffee, International Coffee Day is a day to “embrace the coffee bean!” all around the world! So today, I couldn’t think of a more appropriate time to share a recipe for my favorite latte.
For a long time, I have been a huge fan of Starbucks. However, there’s something about the menu at local cafes for which Starbucks doesn’t compare. The inspiration for this recipe is a local café in my old Brooklyn, NY neighborhood. Every time I took a sip of this beverage, I started to think about the next opportunity I would have to order another. And so, I decided to create my version to enjoy it anytime I wanted.
While lattes traditionally call for espresso, I wanted this latte to incorporate ingredients from Jamaica and Italy. My spin on this recipe uses one of the best coffee beans in the world – straight from the Blue Mountains of Jamaica, and Nutella – a chocolate hazelnut spread from Italy. This recipe is giving “it doesn’t get any better than this” vibes with a smooth texture of steamed oat milk infused with the perfect balance of coffee, chocolate hazelnut, and almond nut butter.
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Serving size: 1
Yield: 16 oz
Ingredients:
2 cups – oat milk (barista blend)
4 ounces Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee (brewed strong)*
1 ½ tablespoon Nutella
1 ½ tablespoon unsweetened, unsalted almond nut butter
* if using espresso, substitute 2 ounces
Instructions:
- Place oat milk into a large jar/bottle and shake until you’ve gotten a decent froth. Use a large jar/bottle as milk will roughly double in volume while shaking and may foam up more while heating.
- Pour oat milk into a small saucepan and place over low to medium heat, for approximately 10 – 15 minutes, being careful it doesn’t simmer or boil
- Place Nutella and almond butter into your favorite mug
- Pour freshly brewed coffee (or espresso) over Nutella and almond butter and mix with a spoon until ingredients are thoroughly combined
- Once oat milk is heated through (you’ll see steam rising), remove the saucepan from the heat and pour over the mixture in step 4 above
- Give it a gentle stir and enjoy!
As the weather gets cooler, why not take some time to try this recipe, have a sip, and enjoy the moment!
TIP:
If you have a milk frother, you should heat milk before frothing it. Here’s a great post on How To Froth Milk, using a milk frother or other kithen tools.
