Everyone loves a good taro bubble tea, but have you tried taro in coffee form? This iced taro latte is so easy to make and has a delicious creamy, nutty vanilla flavor. The espresso works perfectly with taro and is such a treat.

Best of all, this taro latte only requires 3 ingredients and less than 5 minutes to make.

Here’s how to make a creamy iced taro latte at home!

What is Taro?

Taro is one of my favorite root vegetables, and it is so versatile. It’s one of those foods that you can find in both savory and sweet dishes, including drinks!

Taro is a starchy root vegetable that is similar to a potato, and it’s a staple in many African, Oceanic, Southeast, and East Asian dishes. It’s also known as purple taro root because of its pinkish off-white color on the inside with streaks of purple.

While taro originated in Southeast Asia, it was brought over to Aotearoa (Maori for New Zealand) where early Polynesians adopted it into their food systems and, eventually, culture. The plant grows extremely well in tropical climates where there are large amounts of water, so it became a staple starch for Polynesian and Hawaiian diets. The word ‘taro’ is literally the Maori word for ‘bread’!

But taro is not just limited to one area of the world, as mentioned, it’s a staple food for many cultures. You have the important Hawaiian poi and luau, Chinese taro cake and puree, Carribean callaloo and akra, and more. One of my favorite ways to eat taro is fried taro chips!

What Does Taro Taste Like?

Now, the taro you’re probably thinking of is probably a taro milk tea which is sweet and purple, but actual taro tastes like a very muted down version of that. You can’t eat taro raw (it’s actually unsafe due to a chemical it produces called calcium oxalate), so you have to cook it by steaming or boiling.

Cooked taro has a mild, starchy flavor and tastes closest to a potato. However, it’s more creamy, earthy, and nutty than potatoes and has a slight crumbly texture on its own. But when creamed or mashed, taro has an incredible creamy texture.

Now, when you add sugar, taro takes on a whole other flavor! It’s similar to ube, where it has a nutty and vanilla flavor, and the sugar helps bring out. Because of this creamy flavor, it’s super popular for milk tea, where most people have their first experience with taro. However, since preparing taro is very laborious, most cafes use taro powder instead, which can taste very synthetic and artificial.

Are Taro and Ube the Same?

Contrary to popular belief, taro and ube are not the same thing. However, this is a common misconception because they’re both root vegetables, have a brown potato-like exterior, are purple in color, and have similar flavor profiles.

Ube is a purple yam that is sweet with a vanilla and creamy flavor. You’ll see ube mostly in desserts because of its strong vanilla scent, which is perfect for sweets. It’s also less starchy than taro, so it’s easier to prepare. Ube is also extremely deep purple in color.

On the other hand, taro is more starchy and savory than ube and you’ll find it mostly in entree or main dishes. It has an earthy, nutty, and creamy flavor on its own, but with sugar it has a creamy, vanilla-like flavor. Taro is also popular in desserts but takes more effort to prepare and you’ll see it as chewy taro balls or as a paste. Color-wise, taro leans more lilac and sometimes light brown when cooked and is mostly purple due to food coloring.

What is Taro Milk?

Taro milk is just taro-flavored milk and is the key foundation for this iced taro latte. You can easily make this using taro powder, water, and milk, which is convenient because it’s instant and pre-sweetened. The powder is also artificially dyed, so you’ll end up with a beautiful purple milk that is most similar to the taro milk teas you’ll see at boba shops.

You can also make this from scratch using real taro, but it’s definitely a process. First, you have to steam or cook the taro, then mash it into a paste and add sweeteners like condensed milk for flavor. Then, it’s ready to add to milk or milk tea for a creamy, nutty drink. However, you can also buy taro paste (might be a little harder to source) to mix it instantly.

However, for this drink, I used a store-bought taro milk from the Korean brand Binggrae, but you can use any you like.

What is a Taro Latte?

Usually, a taro latte means a taro-flavored iced latte (which has coffee), but some shops will use it to describe taro milk instead. However, this recipe uses the former meaning, which has espresso added to the milk for a delicious, creamy taro-flavored coffee drink.

As mentioned, the base of this drink is taro milk, which then has ice and espresso added on top. It’s ridiculously easy to make with premade milk or powder, and tastes just like the cafes!

What Does a Taro Latte Taste Like?

This iced taro latte is creamy, sweet, slightly vanilla-y, and nutty. If you make it sweet, it almost tastes like cookies and cream! It also tastes like purple sweet potato or yam without the espresso, but the coffee adds a nice earthiness and bitterness to the creamy milk.

The taro milk adds a nutty vanilla flavor to the latte, which works really well with the bold espresso. Depending on what kind of coffee you use, this drink can be more nutty and roasted, or fruity and floral.

How to Make a Taro Latte

Here’s what you’ll need to make a creamy taro latte at home:

• 1 cup taro milk (storebought or homemade with taro powder, water, and milk)
• 1 cup ice
• ¼ cup milk
• 1-2 shots of espresso

Taro Latte Recipe

1. Prepare Taro Milk. Buy or make taro milk at home! You can find taro milk in a carton or can. To make it at home, use taro powder, water, and milk until you get a smooth, purple milk.
2. Brew Espresso. Using your favorite method or machine, brew 1-2 shots of espresso. You can use an espresso machine, a moka pot, Aeropress, etc., as long as you get a strong, concentrated amount of coffee.
3. Assemble Drink. Add ice, taro milk, and regular milk into a glass, then top with your espresso.
4. Mix and Enjoy!

Other Taro Drinks to Try

Taro milk tea is one of my favorite childhood drinks for its vanilla and nutty flavor, so if you try this latte and love it, here are some other delicious taro drinks to try next:

• Taro milk tea
• Bubble taro tea
• Taro smoothie
• Taro matcha latte
• Sea cream taro latte
• Coconut taro milk tea
• Fresh taro milk tea

Tips:

Here are some tips for making a delicious taro latte at home!

• Use Canned or Bought Taro Milk: The easiest way to make this iced taro latte is by buying premade taro milk, either in a carton or canned. It’s probably the most accessible way to get taro-flavored milk for coffee compared to trying to get taro powder or even using fresh taro.
• Create Drink Layers: You can make pretty drink layers with the milks and espresso! Layer the liquids from most to least dense, starting with the sweetened taro milk, then the regular milk, and finishing with the espresso on top. The ice will help break the fall of your liquids so that they float on top of each other versus mixing.
• Add Ube or Vanilla: For a flavor bump, add a little bit of ube extract or vanilla syrup to make the taste stronger. Taro milk and powder already taste very similar to both these things, so adding a little more will add some color and flavor.
• Make it Decaf: If you want a non-caffeinated version, use decaf coffee or remove the espresso altogether! You’ll get a sweet and creamy beverage without wondering if you’ll be able to sleep at night.