An iced strawberry latte is pretty in pink and tastes amazing, especially with the homemade strawberry sauce. This strawberry coffee is super easy to make at home with just 5 ingredients, and doesn’t break the bank!

Strawberry and coffee are a great flavor pairing, so make sure to try it out! I’ll show you how to make this drink using different methods and with whatever ingredients you have at home.

Here’s how to make a great strawberry latte at home!

What is a Strawberry Latte?

This iced strawberry latte is a sweet and creamy treat made with homemade strawberry syrup, ice, milk, and espresso. It’s a popular combination in cafes, especially in Asia.

The strawberry syrup is super easy to make at home and only needs 3 ingredients! Once you mix the syrup with milk, you get a pretty pink color that makes this strawberry latte perfect for Valentine’s Day!

You could even make a strawberry cold foam that makes this latte super creamy.

Do Strawberry and Coffee Go Together?

Coffee actually comes from a fruit (the coffee cherry), and if you’ve ever tried a light roast coffee, you’ll taste juicy, fruity, and jammy notes. Because of its tart and sometimes fruit taste, coffee pairs really nicely with many fruits, including strawberries.

Both coffee and strawberry share similar tastes, like being tart, fresh, and sometimes earthy or floral. These subtle notes make a big difference and help the flavors blend nicely together.

With the addition of sugar and milk, the tartness balances out and you’re left with a refreshing tartness that is addicting with sweet and creamy.

What Does a Strawberry Latte Taste Like?

As mentioned, strawberry and coffee go great together!

In a latte, it tastes like biting into a strawberry with a slight, chocolatey bitterness from the coffee. You could say it tastes like a chocolate-covered strawberry, almost!

The tart flavors contrast nicely with the bitter, making the latte taste less bitter. Sometimes sour masks our bitter taste receptors, which makes any coffee drink that much better.

Does a Strawberry Latte Have Caffeine?

This strawberry latte does have caffeine in it, and the amount varies depending on if you add one or two shots of espresso.

However, there is another strawberry latte out there that refers to a fancy strawberry milk (see: Korean strawberry latte) that does not have caffeine in it.

So, if you see it on a cafe menu and you’re not sure if the strawberry latte is caffeinated, you can double-check by either asking the cashier or looking to see what section it is on the menu. Usually, the section is labeled by coffee and non-coffee items.

How to Add Strawberry to Coffee

My favorite way to add strawberry flavor to coffee is by adding homemade strawberry syrup or sauce. This way, you get a concentrated strawberry flavor that isn’t overpowered by sugar (like store-bought syrups). Plus, you can make a batch of strawberry syrup to use for multiple drinks!

You could also blend strawberries directly into milk to make fast strawberry milk, which is super convenient. Depending on how sweet your strawberries are, you can add more sugar. Make sure to strain it after blending for smooth milk!

For concentrated, strong strawberry milk, add freeze-dried strawberry powder to milk! It makes it super creamy without needing to strain or cook jam. The powder can be more expensive than getting regular strawberries.

A great hack is to use strawberry jam to flavor your drinks! The downside is that strawberry jam tends to be super sweet, and won’t give you the best strawberry flavor.

Do I Need Espresso?

Ideally, you’ll use brewed espresso for this iced latte, but if you don’t have an espresso machine you can also use other strongly brewed coffee as a replacement!

You can use coffee or cold brew concentrate as an easy substitute and it tastes pretty smooth in a latte. It will be a little more watery compared to espresso, but does the job!

I like using a moka pot as an espresso substitute because it’s a little stronger and the closest thing to espresso I’ve found. You can also use instant espresso powder, or double the amount of instant coffee in a small amount of water as espresso.

A Nespresso or other instant espresso machine also works! You can use whatever is available to you.

How to Make Strawberry Syrup

Homemade strawberry syrup is super easy to make and great to make large batches of for drinks, desserts, yogurt bowls, smoothies, and the list goes on. All you need is 3 ingredients: strawberries, water, and sugar.

Add your strawberries, water, and sugar to a small pot and heat until the sugar dissolves completely. Bring it up to a simmer and reduce the syrup to your desired consistency. Mash the strawberries with a fork or potato masher to release more juices.

Add a splash of vanilla extract if you want! Then, let it cool before use or pouring into an airtight container to store in the fridge. The syrup should keep fresh for 2-4 weeks.

How to Make an Iced Strawberry Latte

Here’s what you’ll need to make an iced strawberry latte at home:

• Strawberry Syrup
  • 1 cup fresh or frozen strawberries
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/2 – 1 tbsp sugar
  • 1 tsp lemon juice (optional)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)
• Iced Strawberry Latte
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 cup ice
  • 1-2 shots espresso
  • 1 tbsp strawberry syrup

Strawberry Latte Recipe

1. Make Strawberry Syrup: Add strawberries, water, and sugar to a small pot. simmer on medium heat until the sugar dissolves and the strawberries leak juice. Mash strawberries using a potato masher to get more juice, and reduce until you get the desired consistency. Let cool before use and store in an airtight container.
2. Brew Espresso: Brew 1-2 shots of espresso or a strong coffee equivalent.
3. Assemble Strawberry Latte: Add ice, strawberry syrup, and milk to a tall glass (you can mix it here if desired). Then top it with your espresso or coffee.
4. Mix and Enjoy! Garnish with a strawberry slice (optional).

Strawberry Latte Variations

While a plain iced strawberry latte is simple and classic, you can also customize it to your taste or diet. Here are some great strawberry latte variations:

• Vegan: Use plant-based milk like oat or almond milk.
• Boba: Add soft and chewy boba to your latte for a fun drink! (Here’s my soft and chewy boba recipe).
• Frappuccino: Blend with extra ice for a frothy treat.
• Hot: Make this hot with steamed milk.
• Rose: Add a splash of rose syrup or rosewater for a strawberry rose latte.
• Spiced: Add a pinch of cinnamon or other spice like cardamom for a spiced, fruity drink.
• Cold foam: Make this with a homemade strawberry cream that is smooth and creamy.

Tips:

Here are some tips for making this classic strawberry latte at home!

• Add Vanilla: You can add a few drops of vanilla to your syrup or latte for extra flavor. It helps balance the tartness of the fruit.
• Use Strawberry Juice for Syrup: My favorite hack for making coffee syrups is using juice. Instead of fresh strawberries, you can boil strawberry juice until it reduces down into a thicker syrup you can use for your drinks.
• Make it Pink: Add some red or pink food coloring into your strawberry syrup or milk to make it extra pink. Strawberries by themselves make your milk light pink, but for a bright color, you’ll need to add extra food coloring.