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Spanish

Cortado

Vegetarian

Café cortado

An espresso 'cut' with a roughly equal splash of warm, barely foamed milk — smaller than a flat white and smoother than a straight shot.

Cortado is a Spanish hot drink from Spain, ready in about 3 minutes and made with espresso and milk. It serves 1 and is rated easy to cook.

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Prep
1 min
Cook
2 min
Total
3 min
Serves
1
Level
Easy
Calories
28

Ingredients

1 small glass

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Pull the espresso (opens in a new tab) into a small (about 120 ml) glass.

  2. Step 2

    Steam the milk (opens in a new tab) with almost no air to about 60 °C, so it is warm and silky rather than foamy.

    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

    Pour about the same volume of milk (opens in a new tab) as coffee into the glass. Sweeten if you like.

    About this dish

    Origin
    Spain · Well documentedAlso popular in Portugal, Argentina, United StatesMore food from Spain
    Dish
    Breakfast · Snack · Hot drinks
    Cooking method
    Steamed
    Taste
    bitter, creamy, balanced
    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
    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

    28 kcal per serving

    Calculated

    1 serving ≈ 76 g · recipe makes 1

    Where the energy comes from

    • Protein 19%
    • Carbohydrate 36%
    • Fat 45%
    Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
    NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
    Energy28 kcal36 kcal
    Protein1.3 g1.7 g
    Carbohydrate2.5 g3.3 g
    Net carbohydrate2.5 g3.3 g
    Sugars2 g2.7 g
    Added sugars0 g0 g
    Fibre0 g0 g
    Fat1.4 g1.8 g
    Saturated fat0.8 g1 g
    Trans fat——
    Cholesterol4 mg5 mg
    Sodium22 mg29 mg
    Salt equivalent0.1 g0.1 g
    Vitamins & minerals per serving
    Potassium
    94 mg
    Calcium
    46 mg
    Iron
    0.1 mg
    Magnesium
    33 mg
    Vitamin A (RAE)
    18 µg
    Vitamin C
    0 mg
    Vitamin D
    0.5 µg
    Vitamin B12
    0.2 µg
    Folate (DFE)
    2 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

    • Serve it in a small glass — the 1:1 ratio is the point, so measure the milk by eye against the coffee.

    Common mistakes

    • Foaming the milk heavily, which turns it into a small cappuccino.

    Storage

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

    Variations

    • Cortado condensada (Spain): Made with condensed milk instead of fresh milk, as in the Canary Islands (barraquito adds more layers).

    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.

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