Iced Strawberry Latte (Strawberry Coffee)

Learn how to make a delicious strawberry latte right at home! It combines a homemade strawberry purée with creamy oat milk and strong coffee, plus it can be done in under 20 minutes. It is so easy to prepare and makes for such a delicious way to enjoy coffee!

Here is my new favorite drink: Strawberry Latte!

If you haven't tried a fruity coffee yet, then this is a sign to give this recipe a try 😀. It is so tasty, refreshing, satisfying and although a little less conventional, I am sure this recipe will become a favorite for you too!

This latte really is a treat and is made using real fresh (or frozen) strawberries, bold espresso coffee and plant-based oat milk, although you can also use your favorite milk as well, such as almond or soy milk. The natural sweetness and freshness from the strawberries is perfect here to contrast with the strong coffee and it also flavors the creamy milk with a bright and summery taste. 

I also highly recommend serving it as seen here in the pictures with distinct layers, which is ULTRA easy to make, but gives your drink such a catchy beautiful look. 

Plus, it is pretty quick to make too. Compare to making a regular iced latte, you will have to prepare an extra strawberry purée (or strawberry syrup), which should be ready within 20 minutes. You can also make the purée ahead and keep in the fridge so this recipe comes together in 5 minutes with you need a little coffee boost.

I'll also show you how to make this recipe without any fancy equipment required!

Let me know if you gave it a try! ❤️

Why you will love this recipe

• Easy recipe that bursts with amazing fresh flavors
• Requires only 4 simple ingredients to make it, including real strawberries!
• Amazing refreshment to enjoy on a hot day 
• Great way to make the most of the berry season
• Delicious fruity twist on coffee
• Beautiful beverage to serve for many special occasions, such as bridal shower, baby shower, brunch, Mother's Day, Valentine's Day, etc
• No refined white sugar, no preservatives, no artificial ingredients
• This version is fully vegan and dairy-free

What kind of coffee to use

Dark roast coffee works better for this recipe as it is less acidic and smoother in flavor. I find it also blends better with the sweet strawberry syrup used in this latte. 

If you don't want to have caffeine in your drink, then simply use a decaffeinated coffee for this recipe, which will work just the same and be as delicious.

Also, I am not usually a fan of flavored coffee, but I think vanilla-flavored coffee beans would be great to make a strawberry latte.

Ingredients you will need

• Strawberries: look for plump, bright red and sweet ripe strawberries if possible. That being said, if your berries are starting to get a little old, then cooking them into a strawberry purée for this recipe can be a good way to use them as well.
• Coffee: you will need 2 espresso shots or about ½ cup or 2 oz of strongly brewed coffee.
• Sweetener: I added maple syrup to the strawberry purée. You can also use agave nectar or even granulated sugar if that's all you have.
• Plant-based milk: I love oat milk for lattes or to make any drinks as it is super creamy and rich. If you don't have oat milk, then use your favorite kind of milk, such as soy milk or almond milk.

How to make a strawberry latte

This latte is easy to make, although you will need an extra 10-15 minutes to prepare the strawberry purée. If you can, make it ahead!

Make the fresh strawberry puree (or homemade strawberry syrup)

Start by cleaning the strawberries, then remove their stems. I like to also slice them to help measure them and also they will cook better and faster if not whole.

Transfer the strawberries to a small saucepan and then, add the maple syrup and water. Bring to a boil on medium-high heat and then, turn it down to medium heat and keep simmering uncovered for about 10-15 minutes. Use the back of a spoon or even a potato masher to crush the fruit as they cook to help them release their juice.

Once the strawberries are soft and turned into a chunky purée consistency, then you have a few options:

1- Strain

To have a consistency looking more like a thin syrup, then I recommend straining the cooked strawberries using a fine mesh colander (you will need the syrup that's falling through the colander, so be sure to strain over a large bowl). You can use the pieces of strawberries left in the colander for another meal, such as served on toasts in the morning just like jam, and keep the thin strawberry syrup that fell in your bowl as a thin syrup for making this latte recipe.

2- Blend

My favorite choice is to actually blend the strawberries into a thick but smooth purée. I like the idea of keeping all the nutrients from the fruit and it gives a thicker texture to the latte, which I enjoy. To make it that way, then you can transfer the mixture to a small stand blender and blend on high until smooth or you can also use a handheld immersion blender.

3- Serve as is

You don't need to do anything with the strawberry mixture and simply use as is! In that case, try to crush and break up the fruit as much as you can while they cook and serve with a wider straw to handle the small pieces of fruit. 

Prepare your coffee

There are different ways you can brew coffee to make this latte. You don't need any special equipment to make it, all you need is a strongly brewed coffee for best flavor. Here are a few options on how to prepare it:

1- Espresso coffee

Best option to choose if you have an espresso machine as it will give that perfect strong and smooth taste that pairs well with the fruity milk. You will need 2 shots of espresso for this recipe or about 2 oz total. 

2- French press

I love making coffee using a French press! I find it gives a coffee that's somewhere in between an espresso and a regular drip coffee. Use a coffee that's ground specifically for French press if possible for best result. Check out my cardamom latte to see how I make it that way!

3- Regular coffee machine

In any case, even if you don't have an espresso machine or a French press, you can still make this recipe using coffee from a regular drip coffee machine. Try to make it stronger than usual and you might want to add more of it to your latte to boost the coffee flavor.

Serve the strawberry coffee

This strawberry latte is beautiful when served in layers as seen in the pictures. It gives it that strawberry dirty latte that's so appetizing. Here is how to make it that way:

• Add the strawberry purée to the bottom of a tall glass, about 2 tablespoons.
• Then, fill up your glass halfway with ice cubes. They help chill your latte, but also they make it easier to do a gentle pouring that keeps the bottom purée from mixing in with the milk right away.
• Pour the plant-based milk of choice slowly over the ice cubes.
• Top it off with the brewed or espresso coffee.
• Serve with a straw to stir in the latte and sip!

Helpful tips

• If you enjoy iced lattes at home regularly, then I recommend planning ahead and brewing a large batch of coffee to freeze in an ice cube tray. Then, you can swap regular ice cubes for these coffee ice cubes to help keep your coffee flavor strong as they melt.
• This recipe is great to use fresh strawberries that are starting to get older on your counter since you will cook them anyway.
• If you prefer a frothy latte, then feel free to froth the cold milk before serving! I like to use a handheld frother (easy to find online and cheap) so it does not warm up the milk while it whips it to a foamy texture.
• Try making the fruit purée and even brew the coffee ahead of time, even if just 30 minutes, so it has some time to chill before assembling the drink.

Favorite kind of dairy-free milk for making lattes

As mentioned above, my favorite milk for lattes and plant-based drinks is oat milk from Oatly. It is super creamy and rich in texture, plus oat milk is naturally a little sweet, which works well for this recipe.

Other great non-dairy milks to choose from are:

• soy milk to boost the drink with more plant-based protein
• almond milk to add a mild nutty flavor to your drink
• coconut milk to add more creaminess to your latte
• cashew milk for a thicker and calorie-rich result

In all cases, I recommend using unsweetened and unflavored milk so you can flavor your latte the way you want and not end up with a drink that's too sweet.

Serving suggestions

I like to serve this latte layered as seen in the pictures and garnish with more fresh strawberries. 

For a delicious coffee-based dessert drink, you can even top it off with vegan vanilla ice cream or coconut whipped cream at serving, then drizzle some chocolate syrup for a treat!

If serving as a snack in the afternoon, then this strawberry coffee pairs well with:

• Vegan scones
• Matcha cookies
• Easy banana brownies
• Strawberry muffins
• Vegan lemon cookies
• Vegan raw edible cookie dough bites
• 3-ingredient peanut butter cookies

Variation to the recipe

You can easily add extra flavoring ingredients to this latte recipe depending on what you like. For example, you can add some vanilla extract or a dash of cinnamon to the milk to add more flavor, which would go well with the strawberries.

You can also use store-bought cold brew coffee to make it for a quick and convenient recipe that's also bold in flavor. Make sure to use an unsweetened brand.

As for the strawberry purée, you can swap for a store-bought strawberry syrup, although those are usually packed with sugar.  Other options would be to use strawberry-flavored almond milk to make it or just as seen in my strawberry bubble tea recipe, you can spread some strawberry jam inside the walls of your glass before pouring the milk and coffee to add a mild strawberry flavor.

Storage tips

For obvious reasons, once you assembled the latte, then enjoy it right away. 

But, I highly encourage you to prepare the strawberry purée ahead of time, which will allow some time for the flavors to enhance and also make sure it has enough time to cool down. 

You can make a larger batch of the strawberry purée and keep it in an airtight container in the fridge for making lattes during the week, but also to spread over morning toasts, scoop over oatmeal, layer in overnight oats or use to garnish yogurt and granola bowls.

The brewed coffee can also be made up to 24 hours beforehand as well.

FAQ's

More plant-based latte recipes to try!

• Cardamom latte
• Creamy peanut butter latte
• Pink latte
• Matcha chai latte
• Iced blueberry matcha latte
• Butterfly pea flower latte
• Vanilla matcha latte
• Iced dirty chai latte

I hope you like this strawberry latte recipe as much as we do! If you try it, please leave a comment below and rate the recipe to let me know how it was. Your feedback is so helpful!

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