A hazelnut latte is a regular latte flavored with hazelnut: a double shot of espresso, 6 to 8 ounces of steamed milk and about 1 to 2 tablespoons of hazelnut syrup. You can swap the syrup for homemade syrup, hazelnut milk or a spoonful of hazelnut spread, and serve it hot or iced.
It is one of the easiest flavored lattes to make at home: the only extra step is adding the hazelnut before the milk. Below are amounts, hot and iced recipes, four ways to add the flavor and sourced calorie estimates. If you’ve never made the base drink, our guide on how to make a latte at home walks through steaming milk step by step.
The short answer
| Hot hazelnut latte | Iced hazelnut latte | |
|---|---|---|
| Espresso | Double shot, about 2 oz (60 ml) | Double shot, about 2 oz (60 ml) |
| Hazelnut syrup | 1–2 tbsp (15–30 ml) | 1–2 tbsp (15–30 ml) |
| Milk | 6–8 oz, steamed to 60–65 °C (140–150 °F) | 6 oz, cold |
| Ice | None | Fill a 12–16 oz glass |
| Cup | 10–12 oz | 12–16 oz glass |
These are typical home and café-style amounts, not an official recipe. Sweetness is personal, so start with 1 tablespoon.
What is a hazelnut latte?
A hazelnut latte is espresso and steamed milk with a thin layer of foam, flavored with hazelnut. In most cafés the flavor comes from a sweet hazelnut syrup, but some use a powder or sauce. The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, for example, describes its version as espresso with hazelnut powder, steamed nonfat milk and thick foam.
The drink keeps a latte’s usual proportions of about one part espresso to three to five parts milk. Our guide to the latte milk ratio explains how that ratio changes body and strength.
Hazelnut latte ingredients: four ways to add the flavor
You can add the hazelnut flavor in four ways: store-bought syrup, homemade syrup, hazelnut milk or a chocolate-hazelnut spread. Each changes the sweetness and body of the drink.
| Hazelnut source | Amount per drink | Flavor | Sweetness |
|---|---|---|---|
| Store-bought hazelnut syrup | 1–2 tbsp | Strong, sweet, consistent | Sweet |
| Homemade hazelnut syrup | 1–2 tbsp | Roasted, nutty, less candy-like | Adjustable |
| Hazelnut milk (replaces dairy milk) | 6–8 oz | Light, subtle nuttiness | Depends on the carton; unsweetened options exist |
| Chocolate-hazelnut spread | 1–2 tsp | Rich, chocolate-forward | Sweet |
- Syrup is the café standard and the easiest. Most are sugar, water and flavoring; sugar-free versions exist.
- Homemade syrup uses real toasted hazelnuts, so the flavor is deeper and you control the sugar.
- Hazelnut milk gives the mildest flavor. Pair it with a little syrup if you want it to taste clearly of hazelnut.
- Spread makes a thicker drink that sits between a latte and a mocha. For the difference between those two drinks, see our mocha vs latte comparison.
How to make a hazelnut latte (hot)
To make a hot hazelnut latte, stir 1–2 tablespoons of hazelnut syrup into a double shot of espresso, then top it with 6–8 oz of steamed milk.
- Warm the cup. Rinse a 10–12 oz cup with hot water.
- Add the hazelnut. Put 1–2 tablespoons of hazelnut syrup, or 1–2 teaspoons of spread, in the bottom of the cup.
- Pull the espresso on top. Brew a double shot directly into the cup and stir until the syrup or spread is fully mixed. Hot espresso dissolves spread far better than milk does.
- Steam the milk. Steam 6–8 oz of cold milk to 60–65 °C (140–150 °F), the range Breville gives for milk in its espresso machine manual, with a thin layer of microfoam. Our guide on how to steam milk walks through the wand technique.
- Pour and taste. Pour the milk into the center of the cup, then taste. Add more syrup a teaspoon at a time if needed.
No espresso machine? Brew about 2 oz of strong coffee in a moka pot using our guide on how to use a moka pot, and foam the milk with a frother or French press.
How to make an iced hazelnut latte
An iced hazelnut latte is the same drink served cold: sweetened espresso poured over about 6 oz of cold milk in a 12–16 oz glass of ice.
- Mix the flavor into the espresso. Stir 1–2 tablespoons of hazelnut syrup into a freshly pulled double shot. Syrup mixes easily into cold milk too, but spread does not, so always melt spread in hot espresso first.
- Fill a glass with ice. Use a 12–16 oz glass.
- Add the milk. Pour in about 6 oz of cold milk or hazelnut milk.
- Pour the espresso on top. Pour the sweetened espresso slowly over the milk, then stir before drinking.
If the drink tastes watery, the hot espresso melted too much ice. Let the shot cool for a minute first, or use coffee ice cubes.
How to make hazelnut syrup at home
Homemade syrup is a standard simple syrup infused with toasted nuts. The amounts below are a common starting point, not a fixed formula.
- Toast the nuts. Toast about 1/2 cup of whole hazelnuts in a dry pan over medium heat, stirring, until fragrant. Rub off loose skins in a towel and chop roughly.
- Make the syrup. Heat 1 cup of water and 1 cup of sugar in a small pan, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
- Steep. Add the chopped hazelnuts, simmer gently for a few minutes, then take the pan off the heat and let it steep until cool.
- Strain and store. Strain through a fine sieve into a clean, airtight bottle and keep it in the fridge.
For a quicker version, stir a few drops of hazelnut extract into plain simple syrup.
Dairy-free hazelnut latte
Swap the milk for hazelnut milk, oat milk or another plant milk. Hazelnut milk doubles as the flavor, so you may need little or no syrup.
Plant milks labeled “barista” are made for coffee and usually steam into a smoother foam than regular cartons. Check the labels on syrups and spreads too, because some chocolate-hazelnut spreads contain milk.
Hazelnut latte calories and sugar
Calories come mostly from the milk and the hazelnut source. Here is an estimate for a hot hazelnut latte with 2 tablespoons of syrup, using the syrup’s label and USDA FoodData Central values:
| Ingredient | Amount | Calories | Sugar |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hazelnut syrup (Torani label: 80 kcal, 19 g sugar per 2 tbsp) | 2 tbsp (30 ml) | about 80 kcal | about 19 g |
| Whole milk (USDA: 61 kcal, 5.05 g sugar per 100 g) | 180 g (about 6 oz) | about 110 kcal | about 9 g |
| Espresso (USDA: 9 kcal per 100 g) | 60 g | about 5 kcal | 0 g |
| Total | about 195 kcal | about 28 g |
Using 1 tablespoon of syrup instead cuts about 40 kcal and 9.5 g of sugar. With 8 oz of milk (about 240 g), add roughly 37 kcal and 3 g of sugar.
Spread version (estimate): Nutella’s US label lists 200 kcal and 21 g sugar per 2 tablespoons (37 g). One tablespoon, about half that serving, adds roughly 100 kcal and 10.5 g of sugar, for a total of about 215 kcal and 20 g of sugar with the same milk and espresso.
Low-sugar option: Dunkin’ says its flavor shots, including hazelnut, are unsweetened and sugar-free and add 5–10 calories to a medium drink. At home, a sugar-free syrup or unsweetened hazelnut milk does the same job.
Café versions are often larger and vary by chain, so check the chain’s own nutrition page for exact numbers.
Hazelnut latte variations
The easiest hazelnut latte variations add vanilla, chocolate or a pinch of salt, or shrink the drink into a stronger cortado.
- Vanilla hazelnut latte: use 1 tablespoon each of hazelnut and vanilla syrup.
- Hazelnut mocha: add 1 tablespoon of chocolate sauce, or use spread instead of syrup.
- Hazelnut cortado: a smaller, stronger version with a double shot, 2 oz of milk and 1–2 teaspoons of syrup.
- Salted hazelnut latte: add a small pinch of flaky salt to the syrup before the espresso.
For more syrup and spice ideas beyond hazelnut, see our guide to latte flavors. For a different sweet latte built on condensed milk instead of syrup, try our Spanish latte recipe. A hazelnut latte has the same caffeine as a plain latte made with the same shots; our guide to latte caffeine covers the numbers.
Tips for a better hazelnut latte
A better hazelnut latte starts with a medium or dark roast, syrup stirred into the espresso rather than the milk, and milk that is never overheated.
- Choose a medium or dark roast. Chocolatey, nutty coffees match hazelnut better than bright, fruity ones. Our guide to espresso beans helps you pick a bag.
- Add syrup to the espresso, not the milk. It mixes evenly and you won’t find a sweet layer at the bottom.
- Don’t overheat the milk. Stay in the 60–65 °C (140–150 °F) range; scalded milk tastes flat and cooked, and the hazelnut gets lost.
The bottom line
A hazelnut latte is a regular latte with hazelnut flavor: a double shot, 6 to 8 ounces of milk and 1 to 2 tablespoons of syrup, served hot or over ice. Homemade syrup gives a more roasted taste, hazelnut milk makes it dairy-free, and spread turns it into something close to a mocha. Start with one tablespoon of syrup, taste, and adjust.
Sources
- Torani: Classic Hazelnut Syrup (80 kcal, 19 g added sugar, 39% DV per 2 tbsp)
- Ferrero Food Service: Nutella nutrition facts (200 kcal, 21 g sugar per 2 tbsp / 37 g)
- USDA FoodData Central: Milk, whole, 3.25% milkfat (61 kcal, 5.05 g sugar per 100 g) and Coffee, brewed, espresso (9 kcal per 100 g)
- Dunkin’: Flavor Shot vs. Flavor Swirl (flavor shots unsweetened, sugar-free, 5–10 kcal in a medium)
- Breville: Barista Express BES870 instruction book (milk temperature 60–65 °C)
