This Iced Gingerbread Latte is made with homemade gingerbread syrup and it can be made both hot and cold. This latte is the perfect drink to serve on Christmas Day or at any holiday brunch! It's easy to make, really delicious, and fully vegan!
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Why This Recipe Works
The ultimate Christmas latte - There are a lot of flavors of Christmas and you might argue that the best Christmas late would be a Peppermint Mocha, an Eggnog Mocha, or a Chestnut Praline Latte but a gingerbread latte will take the cake for me every time! I love a good chestnut praline latte and it might be my all-time favorite but nothing says Christmas more than gingerbread!
Homemade syrup - Nothing beats homemade syrup and this gingerbread syrup is super easy to make! All you need is dark brown sugar, water, and gingerbread spice. You can make your own spice mix or use store-bought. Using ground spices instead of whole spices speeds up the process and makes everything easier!
Cheaper than a cafe - Making your own coffee at home instead of at a cafe like Starbucks is easy and the lattes are often better and healthier because you know exactly what goes in. You do need an espresso machine but once you start making your own lattes at home, you'll be amazed how much money it actually saves you! Especially if you buy coffee every day.
Ingredients
- Espresso - Freshly brewed espresso made with an espresso maker is ideal for this latte and what most cafes use. If you don't have an espresso maker or a Nespresso, you can use cold-brew, strongly brewed coffee, or French press.
- Gingerbread Syrup - The syrup is made with dark brown sugar, water, and gingerbread spice. You can make your own spice mix or use store-bought.
- Oat milk - My go-to milk for lattes is oat milk but almond milk also works if you're trying to keep it dairy-free or you can use whole milk or any other milk you like the most! I don't recommend canned coconut milk because it's too thick.
Variations and Substitutions
- Store-bought syrup - If you want to skip the step of making your own syrup, you can totally use store-bought. My go-to syrup is Monin but Torani is also a very popular brand.
- Sugar-free - You can use a sugar-free substitute instead of dark brown sugar if you prefer. It may be hard to get that molasses flavor without it so keep in mind that the flavor of the syrup could change.
- No ginger - You can use this Christmas Spice Blend for the syrup instead of classic American gingerbread. This spice is a Czech version of gingerbread spice. It has all the other spices but no ginger. It's really delicious and goes really well with coffee! You can also use it in this Christmas Spiced Hot Chocolate.
- Make it hot - You can make this latte hot instead of iced by skipping the ice and steaming your milk. Add freshly brewed espresso and syrup to a mug and top with steamed milk.
Step-by-Step Instructions
If you're using homemade syrup, you'll first need to make the syrup and then the latte. I highly recommend making the syrup ahead of time. This way the actual latte only takes 5 minutes!
Gingerbread Syrup
- Add dark brown sugar, water, and gingerbread spice to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil stirring constantly until the sugar dissolves.
- Lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes stirring occasionally.
- Take the syrup off the heat and stir in vanilla extract.
- Pour into a glass jar and store in the fridge.
Iced Gingerbread Latte
- Fill a tall glass with ice.
- Add oat milk and gingerbread syrup. You can froth the oat milk if desired.
- Brew two shots of espresso and pour them over the milk.
- Stir the latte with a straw to combine and enjoy!
- Optionally, you can garnish the latte with whipped cream, a sprinkle of gingerbread spice, and a little gingerbread cookie.
Serving and Storing
You can serve the latte as is or you can top it with some whipped cream (I used coconut milk whipped cream) and a sprinkle of gingerbread spice. If you want to make it extra fancy, add a small gingerbread cookie on top too!
The latte is best served right away but you can store the syrup in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. The syrup recipe makes about 10 servings. If you don't think you'll use it all in time, you can either half the recipe or you can freeze the syrup in an ice cube tray.
FAQs
The Starbucks gingerbread latte has been discontinued since 2019 and I've sadly never tried it so I can't promise anything. It does have a true gingerbread flavor though and it's really delicious!
Yes! This latte can be made both hot and cold. Just steam your milk before adding it to the espresso and syrup.
More Christmas Drinks
Below is a list of various coffee or chocolate Christmas drinks for the holiday season if you're looking for more inspiration. If you need the caffeine, you can add espresso to any of these drinks. Each one can be made both hot and cold and they're all easy and delicious! Head to Christmas Recipes to see all the latest ones.
- Iced Gingerbread Oatmilk Chai Latte
- Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha
- Chestnut Praline Latte
- Eggnog Mocha
- Peppermint Hot Chocolate
- Christmas Spiced Hot Chocolate
📖 Recipe
Iced Gingerbread Latte
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 10 mins
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 1 1x
- Category: Coffee
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This Iced Gingerbread Latte is made with homemade gingerbread syrup and it can be made both hot and cold. The perfect drink to serve on Christmas Day!
Ingredients
Gingerbread Syrup
- 1 cup dark brown sugar
- 1 cup water
- 1 tbsp gingerbread spice
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Iced Gingerbread Latte
- Handful ice
- ½ cup oat milk
- 1-2 tablespoon gingerbread syrup
- 2 shots of espresso
- Garnish: whipped cream, gingerbread spice, gingerbread cookies (optional)
Instructions
Gingerbread Syrup
- Add dark brown sugar, water, and gingerbread spice to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil stirring constantly until the sugar dissolves.
- Lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes stirring occasionally.
- Take the syrup off the heat and stir in vanilla extract.
- Pour into a glass jar and store in the fridge.
Iced Gingerbread Latte
- Fill a tall glass with ice.
- Add oat milk and gingerbread syrup. You can froth the oat milk if desired.
- Brew two shots of espresso and pour them over the milk.
- Stir with a straw to combine and enjoy!
- Optionally, you can garnish the latte with whipped cream, a sprinkle of gingerbread spice, and a little gingerbread cookie.
Notes
The syrup will last for up to 2 weeks in an airtight jar in the fridge.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 91
- Sugar: 11.5 g
- Sodium: 51.2 mg
- Fat: 2.5 g
- Saturated Fat: 0.3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 16 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 1.6 g
Marta
This iced gingerbread latte is so comforting! I live in Texas where it's currently 90°F. I can't imagine drinking hot lattes, but this iced version gets me in the holiday spirit without sweating too much, LOL!
Bernice
I make all of my own coffee at home since I've been working at home. I felt like I was missing out on the holiday drinks but now I see I can make them at home. It's so easy!
Yu
I enjoy trying all kinds of holiday drinks; this recipe was as good as it looks! I followed the recipe and made one with a cold version; they are so yummy!
Elaine
Oh my, this was so delicious! I enjoyed it so much that I'll be making it year long, because I'm such a rebel. Great recipe!
Jessica
More delicious when made at home! And really enjoyed the idea of the coconut whipped cream. Great recipe :)
Leslie
I drink iced lattes all year round, even during the Holidays. So I love a good Holiday flavor to mix things up. This recipe is delightfully festive!
Loreto and Nicoletta
This would be just wonderful on Christmas day! Great that you have shared the gingerbread syrup. Such a wonderful thing!
Merry Christmas!
Jacqueline Debono
I'm addicted to this gingerbread latte. The flavours are out of this world and it's so easy to make! I've made both hot and cold versions and it's difficult to decide which I like more!
sean
This gingerbread latte is a special holiday treat especially on the weekends when I want a luscious coffee drink.
Kathryn
I love that I can make my favorite drink at home! This is so much better and love that I can save a few bucks too :)