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Italian

Cappuccino

Vegetarian

Espresso topped with hot milk steamed into a deep, velvety foam — about a third coffee, a third milk and a third foam in a 150–180 ml cup.

Cappuccino is an Italian hot drink from Italy, ready in about 4 minutes and made with espresso and milk. It serves 1 and is rated intermediate to cook.

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Warm cup of cappuccino with biscotti on saucer, perfect for coffee lovers.
Photo: Pangea / Pexels · Pexels License
Prep
2 min
Cook
2 min
Total
4 min
Serves
1
Level
Intermediate
Calories
79

Ingredients

1 cup

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Fill a small stainless steel jug no more than a third full with the cold milk (opens in a new tab).

  2. Step 2

    Purge the steam wand, then put the tip just below the milk (opens in a new tab) surface and open it fully. Keep the tip near the surface so you hear a gentle 'tss' as air goes in, until the milk has grown by about a third.

    Food safety: Steam wands and freshly steamed milk are scalding: purge the wand away from your hand and wipe it straight after use.

  3. Step 3

    Lower the tip slightly to spin the milk (opens in a new tab) into a whirlpool and heat it to 60–65 °C, when the jug is just too hot to hold. Stop, tap the jug on the counter and swirl until glossy.

    Above 70 °C milk loses sweetness and the foam goes dry.

  4. Step 4

    Pull the espresso (opens in a new tab) into a warmed 150–180 ml cup, then pour the milk (opens in a new tab) in steadily from a little height, dropping close at the end so the foam rises into a thick, domed cap.

  5. Step 5

    Dust with cocoa if you like and serve.

    About this dish

    Origin
    Italy · Well documentedThe modern foamed-milk cappuccino is Italian; similar coffee-and-milk drinks were drunk earlier in Vienna.Also popular in United Kingdom, United States, Australia, GermanyMore food from Italy
    Dish
    Breakfast · Brunch · Hot drinks
    Cooking method
    Steamed
    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 · Whole-food focused · No gluten ingredients · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Low-carb · Low-fat · Low-sodium
    With the listed swaps: Vegan, Plant-based, Ovo-vegetarian, Dairy-freeWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
    Good for
    Everyday
    Cook more with
    Espresso · Milk
    Techniques
    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

    79 kcal per serving

    Calculated

    1 serving ≈ 160 g · recipe makes 1

    Where the energy comes from

    • Protein 20%
    • Carbohydrate 33%
    • Fat 47%
    Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
    NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
    Energy79 kcal49 kcal
    Protein3.9 g2.5 g
    Carbohydrate6.5 g4.1 g
    Net carbohydrate6.5 g4.1 g
    Sugars6.2 g3.9 g
    Added sugars0 g0 g
    Fibre0 g0 g
    Fat4.1 g2.6 g
    Saturated fat2.3 g1.5 g
    Trans fat——
    Cholesterol12 mg8 mg
    Sodium58 mg36 mg
    Salt equivalent0.1 g0.1 g
    Vitamins & minerals per serving
    Potassium
    205 mg
    Calcium
    140 mg
    Iron
    0.1 mg
    Magnesium
    41 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: cocoa powder.
    • “—” 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

    • No steam wand: heat the milk to 65 °C and pump a French press plunger 15–20 times, or use a handheld frother.

    Common mistakes

    • Steaming milk twice — reheated milk will not foam well.
    • Letting foamed milk sit, so the foam separates from the liquid.

    Serve with

    • In Italy it is a morning drink, with a cornetto.

    Storage

    • Make to order and drink straight away; the milk foam collapses and the coffee loses its aroma within minutes.

    Variations

    • Cappuccino scuro / chiaro (Italy): Ordered darker (less milk) or lighter (more milk) in Italian bars.

    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

    • Milk, cold, straight from the fridge120 ml · 124 g
    Used in step 1

    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.

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