Café con leche or Puerto Rican coffee with milk is a creamy, delicious blend of espresso, steamed milk, and sugar. It is easy to make and comes together in 10 minutes or less. In Puerto Rico, café con leche is enjoyed at any time of day, but especially in the morning along with pan con mantequilla (bread with butter). Even kids get a cup of coffee to enjoy. For some reason, there are no age restrictions when it comes to coffee on the island, haha! Café con leche also pairs well with pastries or desserts like pan de mallorca, budin de pan, or pastelillo de guayaba.
Truth be told, I am not a coffee drinker. I prefer tea and my favorite drink in the morning is fresh-squeezed orange juice. My husband on the other hand, is a coffee connoisseur. He enjoys his cafecito every morning and often makes another cup in the afternoon. Sometimes he’ll even enjoy an espresso in the evening, after dinner!
Café con leche ingredients:
Espresso
- finely ground coffee
- water
Café con leche
- espresso
- steamed milk whole or half & half
- sugar
- ground cinnamon, optional
How to make café con leche?
Add coffee and water to the espresso maker, according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Place on the stove over high heat. In a small saucepan over low heat, pour the milk and heat gently until it steams and there are small bubbles around the edges. Stir occasionally and don’t let it come to a boil.
Pour the espresso into a mug, filling it halfway. Add sugar to taste. Pour the steamed milk over the espresso and stir. Dust the top with ground cinnamon, if desired. ¡Buen provecho!
How to make cold foam?
I love adding cold foam over my drinks for a creamy finish. It’s easy to make at home with heavy whipping cream, confectioner’s sugar, vanilla extract, and a milk frother. Combine 3 tablespoons of cold heavy cream, 2 tablespoons of milk, 1 tsp vanilla extract, and sugar to taste. Froth until it’s thick and creamy.
Café con leche with Kahlúa
If you want to take your cafecito to the next level, add a shot of Kahlúa to your cup! It’s like an espresso martini and hot latte and in one. If you enjoy a coffee-flavored cocktail, this one is definitely for you.
Please leave me a star rating or review!
If you enjoy this Puerto Rican coffee with milk recipe, please leave me a 5 star review and also comment at the bottom of this blog post! Your feedback makes me so HAPPY! It also makes it easier to find my recipes on Google. THANK YOU in advance!
If you’d like my recipes sent straight to your inbox, subscribe to my email list here. Remember to tag me @madewithsazon in any photos of this recipe you post on social media. I love seeing your posts, it really makes my day!
Follow me on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and Pinterest!
Café con Leche (Puerto Rican Coffee with Milk)
Equipment
- 1 Greca (espresso maker) See notes for link
Ingredients
Espresso
- 2 tbsp finely ground coffee
- 1/2 cup water
Café con leche
- 3 1/2 oz espresso
- 1/2 cup steamed milk whole or half & half
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- ground cinnamon, for garnish optional
Cold foam
- 3 tbsp heavy whipping cream cold
- 2 tbsp milk cold
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- confectioner's sugar to taste
Instructions
Café con leche
- Add coffee and water to the espresso maker, according to the manufacturer's instructions. Place on the stove over high heat.
- In a small saucepan over low heat, pour the milk and heat gently until it steams and there are small bubbles around the edges. Stir occasionally and don't let it come to a boil.
- Pour the espresso into a mug, filling it halfway. Add sugar to taste.
- Pour the steamed milk over the espresso and stir. Dust the top with ground cinnamon, if desired. ¡Buen provecho!
Cold foam
- Combine cream, milk, vanilla, and sugar. Use a milk frother to froth the milk until it thickens into a soft and creamy foam.
Check out my other sweet recipes!
Arroz con Dulce (Rice Pudding)
English 
Spanish 
