I love ordering lavender lattes at coffee shops. Recently, I performed a quick Google search for a healthy make-at-home version and had a tough time locating one that wasn’t made with simple syrup. While I’m sure this method is delicious (and is likely what I’ve had at coffee shops) I wanted to make a healthier version in my own kitchen. So here it is! This recipe makes two delicious mugs.
An important note before we get into the recipe: you do not need any fancy equipment to whip this up. No espresso maker, milk frother, or steamer required! But….if you happen to have them, feel free to use them. Just sub the strongly brewed coffee for 2-4 total espresso shots, depending on how strong you’d like the lattes to be. And if you have a milk frother, you can simply froth the milk after straining off the lavender, rather than throwing the milk into the blender for a froth.
I used unsweetened almond milk for this latte, but you can use any milk or milk alternative that you’d like. Just be careful not to overheat the milk when you’re steeping the lavender. You don’t want it to curdle!
As far as sweetener, you can omit the honey altogether if you’d like. If you’re on Whole30, you’ll need to omit. Otherwise, you can add more or less to taste. Just sample a spoonful of the almond milk once you’ve whisked the lavender in and go from there. As fate would have it, the only honey I had in my pantry was a lavender raw honey from Savannah Bee Co. It’s really a delicious honey. It’s not flavored with lavender as you might first assume. Instead, it’s actually harvested from an area in Spain where bees collect nectar from lavender plants! Ooh la la.
Lastly, the lavender itself. I had personally not purchased lavender for cooking prior to this recipe. I looked at a few options online, and decided to go with this one by Kate Naturals. Now that I have a bag in my pantry, I’m thinking of making some lavender shortbreads soon. Maybe some lavender cocktails? What other ideas do you have for me on ways to use lavender? I’d love to hear them.
I hope you’ll enjoy this cozy, coffeehouse-style latte as much as I did on a Saturday morning. It’s a wonderful way to start the day, especially with this new fall chill in the air! If you give the recipe a try, be sure to tag us on instagram @fridgetofork, and let us know how it turned out in the comments below!
[tasty-recipe id=”2364″]
