Skip to content
FriendsPantry

Spanish

Café con leche

Vegetarian

The Spanish breakfast coffee: strong espresso or moka coffee topped up with an equal amount of hot, lightly frothy milk, often in a glass.

Café con leche is a Spanish hot drink from Spain, ready in about 6 minutes and made with espresso and milk. It serves 1 and is rated beginner to cook.

Start cooking
A stylish latte served in a glass mug with a glass of milk and coffee beans on the table in a cozy cafe setting.
Photo: 23 Audiovisual / Pexels · Pexels License
Prep
1 min
Cook
5 min
Total
6 min
Serves
1
Level
Beginner
Calories
81

Ingredients

1 cup

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Brew the coffee in a moka pot (opens in a new tab) over medium-low heat (or an espresso (opens in a new tab) machine) until the pot gurgles.

  2. Step 2

    Meanwhile heat the milk (opens in a new tab) in a small pan over medium heat until steaming with small bubbles at the edge (about 65–70 °C); do not boil. Whisk (opens in a new tab) briskly for a light froth, or steam it.

    Eggs being whisked in a bowl
    How it looks · Photo: Kampus Production on Pexels

  3. Step 3

    Pour the coffee into a cup or glass, top with the hot milk (opens in a new tab) and sweeten to taste.

    About this dish

    Origin
    Spain · Well documentedCoffee with hot milk is also everyday across Latin America and in Portugal (galão, meia de leite).Also popular in Cuba, Puerto Rico, Mexico, PhilippinesMore food from Spain
    Dish
    Breakfast · Hot drinks
    Cooking method
    Simmered
    Taste
    creamy, bitter, mild
    Diet
    Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · No gluten ingredients · No nut ingredients · Low-carb
    All labelsVegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · No gluten ingredients · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Low-carb · Low-fat · Low-sodium
    Without the optional extras: Whole-food focused, No added sugarWith the listed swaps: Vegan, Plant-based, Ovo-vegetarian, Dairy-freeWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
    Good for
    Everyday · Budget-friendly
    Cook more with
    Espresso · Milk
    Techniques
    Simmering · Steaming

    Allergens

    • Contains, can be adapted: Milkfrom milk

    Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

    Nutrition

    81 kcal per serving

    Calculated

    1 serving ≈ 184 g · recipe makes 1

    Where the energy comes from

    • Protein 20%
    • Carbohydrate 34%
    • Fat 46%
    Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
    NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
    Energy81 kcal44 kcal
    Protein4 g2.2 g
    Carbohydrate6.9 g3.8 g
    Net carbohydrate6.9 g3.8 g
    Sugars6.2 g3.4 g
    Added sugars0 g0 g
    Fibre0 g0 g
    Fat4.1 g2.2 g
    Saturated fat2.4 g1.3 g
    Trans fat——
    Cholesterol12 mg7 mg
    Sodium62 mg34 mg
    Salt equivalent0.2 g0.1 g
    Vitamins & minerals per serving
    Potassium
    232 mg
    Calcium
    141 mg
    Iron
    0.1 mg
    Magnesium
    60 mg
    Vitamin A (RAE)
    57 µg
    Vitamin C
    0 mg
    Vitamin D
    1.6 µg
    Vitamin B12
    0.6 µg
    Folate (DFE)
    7 µg

    How these numbers were made

    • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
    • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
    • Optional ingredients are not included: sugar.
    • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
    • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

    Good to know

    Tips

    • Warm the glass or cup with hot water first so the drink stays hot.

    Common mistakes

    • Boiling the milk — it develops a cooked taste and a skin; take it off at the first bubbles.

    Serve with

    • With tostada con tomate, magdalenas or churros.

    Storage

    • Make to order and drink straight away.

    Variations

    • Manchado (Spain): Mostly hot milk 'stained' with a little coffee.
    • Café bombón (Spain): Espresso layered over sweetened condensed milk, from Valencia.

    Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

    Recipe DNA

    How this dish is built

    Customise in Sip & Blend

    Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

    What the dish is built around

    Main ingredient

    Used in step 2

    Less sweet, dairy-free, caffeine-free or for more people — the original stays as it is.

    Customise in Sip & Blend

    Reviews & corrections

    Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

    You might also like