Coffee Drink

Café Con Leche: Recipe, Milk Ratio and How to Order

Name: Café con Leche
Total time: 5 min
Cuisine: Spanish
Ingredients: 60 ml (2 US fl oz) prepared espresso or strong coffee, measured as the finished brew; 60 ml (2 US fl oz) whole milk, measured cold; all of this portion is served; 4 g (1 US tsp) granulated sugar, optional

By Mara EllisonReviewed by Online Coffee Guide editorial teamPublished June 24, 2026Updated October 1, 20265 min read

Café con leche means coffee with milk. A common Spanish-style version combines strong coffee and hot milk in roughly equal volumes, with little foam and optional sugar. The name is also used across Latin American traditions, so the coffee base, proportions and sweetness vary.

Café con leche in a ceramic cup beside toasted bread and olive oil

Drink Snapshot

Caffeine: 126 mg referencePublished reference for 60 ml (2 US fl oz) espresso onlyMilk adds no caffeine.
Calories: About 45 kcal60 ml (2 US fl oz) espresso + 60 ml (2 US fl oz) whole milkRounded ingredient estimate; optional sugar excluded.

Serving, sugar and sources

Serving: 1 small drink; about 120 ml (4 US fl oz) before foam
Made with: Strong coffee + gently heated milk
Sugar: About 3 g total. Naturally present in whole milk; optional 4 g (1 US tsp) sugar raises the total to about 7 g.
Preparation: About 5 minutes with coffee prepared

The nutrition example uses the unsweetened espresso and whole-milk serving. Optional sugar is listed separately. See the full calculation or label comparison.

Key Takeaways

1Start with 60 ml (2 US fl oz) prepared coffee and 60 ml (2 US fl oz) whole milk; the ratio is by volume, not espresso extraction weight.
2Heat the milk gently with little foam. Scalding and an espresso machine are optional.
3The small espresso example has about 45 kcal without added sugar. Caffeine depends on which coffee you use.

On This Page11 Sections

How to Make Café Con Leche

Café Con Leche Ratio and Serving Size

Start with 60 ml (2 US fl oz) prepared coffee and 60 ml (2 US fl oz) milk: a 1:1 ratio by volume. This makes a small café con leche of about 120 ml (4 US fl oz) before foam. Use a 150–180 ml (5–6 US fl oz) cup to leave headroom.

Use the espresso brewing method for the espresso version.

Recipe

Café con Leche

Makes:: 1 serving (about 120 ml / 4 US fl oz before foam)
Time:: About 5 minutes with coffee prepared

Ingredients

60 ml (2 US fl oz) prepared espresso or strong coffee, measured as the finished brew
60 ml (2 US fl oz) whole milk, measured cold; all of this portion is served
4 g (1 US tsp) granulated sugar, optional

Equipment

Coffee brewer
measuring jug
small pan
milk thermometer
spoon
150–180 ml (5–6 US fl oz) cup

Method

Prepare the coffee. Brew espresso or strong coffee first, then measure 60 ml (2 US fl oz) of the finished coffee into a warmed 150–180 ml (5–6 US fl oz) cup. Use your brewer's usual recipe.
Heat the milk. Warm 60 ml (2 US fl oz) whole milk in a small pan, stirring, to about 60–65°C (140–149°F). Keep foam minimal; do not boil.
Combine. Pour all the warmed milk into the coffee and stir. The 1:1 ratio refers to the two liquid volumes before aeration.
Taste and serve. Try it plain, then add the optional 4 g (1 US tsp) sugar if wanted. Serve while comfortably hot.

Estimated nutrition per serving: 45 calories; total sugar 3 g. Serving: 1 serving with 60 ml (2 US fl oz) espresso and 60 ml (2 US fl oz) whole milk; optional sugar excluded.

Recipe notes

Measure 60 ml (2 US fl oz) finished coffee after brewing. The 1:1 ratio compares the coffee and milk volumes.

Nutrition for the unsweetened espresso example: about 45 kcal and 3 g sugar. Optional 4 g (1 US tsp) sugar gives about 60 kcal and 7 g sugar.

Estimated caffeine for the espresso version: 126 mg from 60 ml (2 US fl oz) espresso.

Milk being poured from a metal pitcher into a ceramic cup of coffee — Pour the warmed milk into the prepared coffee; a thick foam cap is unnecessary.

Without an espresso machine: use a moka pot or strong brewed coffee. Brew a moka pot at its intended capacity, then measure 60 ml (2 US fl oz) of the finished coffee; 60 ml is not the water charge or grounds dose. A larger breakfast serving can use 120 ml (4 US fl oz) coffee and 120 ml (4 US fl oz) milk.

Prefer a steam wand? Introduce little air. If 60 ml (2 US fl oz) is below your pitcher's workable fill, the small-pan method makes it easier to serve exactly the measured milk portion.

What Does Café Con Leche Taste Like?

Café con leche keeps the taste of coffee present in a smooth, milky cup. Espresso makes the 1:1 version more concentrated than the same volumes of ordinary filter coffee. Milk softens the impression of bitterness and adds its own sweetness; added sugar is optional.

I start near equal volumes, then let the coffee tell me whether I want all that milk. With a softer brew, I often prefer a slightly smaller milk portion so the café con leche still tastes clearly of coffee.

Scalded Milk vs. Steamed Milk

Scalding is not a requirement. It describes heating milk close to boiling, while steaming describes a method that can heat and aerate it. A steam wand can produce either lightly textured milk or a more substantial foam.

For this recipe, follow Breville's 60–65°C (140–149°F) dairy-steaming guidance and keep foam light. Spanish cafés may offer hot, warm or cold milk, so milk temperature is also an ordering preference.

Café Con Leche vs. Latte, Café Au Lait and Cortado

This café con leche uses equal volumes of coffee and milk; a latte usually has a larger milk portion around its espresso. Choose by the coffee base and milk balance, then check the serving size.

Café con Leche vs. Latte, Café au Lait and Cortado

Café con Leche vs. Latte, Café au Lait and Cortado
Drink	Coffee and milk	What to expect
Café con leche	Strong coffee and hot milk; this example uses equal volumes	A clear coffee presence with little foam
Latte	Espresso with a larger milk portion	A milkier drink with fine microfoam
Café au lait	Commonly brewed coffee and hot milk	A different coffee base; regional meanings vary
Cortado	Small espresso with milk	A compact serving; Spanish and specialty-café ratios differ

Café con leche example with 60 ml coffee and 60 ml milk compared with a latte's larger milk portion, plus Spanish milk-temperature terms — Equal 60 ml coffee and milk portions are one Spanish-style home example; café recipes vary, and cups are not to scale.

A small café con leche can overlap with a specialty café's cortado. Compare the coffee base, milk portion and serving size.

Spanish Coffee Ordering Terms

Use these Spanish ordering terms to ask for your preferred coffee-and-milk balance and milk temperature.

Spanish coffee ordering terms

Spanish coffee ordering terms
Ask for	Meaning
Café solo	Black espresso-style coffee
Cortado	A small coffee with a little milk
Café con leche	Coffee with a fuller milk portion
Más leche / menos leche	More milk / less milk
Leche manchada	Mostly milk with a little coffee
Leche caliente / templada / fría	Hot / warm / cold milk
Sin azúcar	Without added sugar

For an easy pronunciation, try kah-FEH kohn LEH-cheh. The phrase literally means “coffee with milk.” For the separate-ice tradition, see café del tiempo.

Café Con Leche Calories and Caffeine

For the 60 ml (2 US fl oz) espresso + 60 ml (2 US fl oz) whole-milk example, allow about 45 kcal and 3 g total sugar without added sweetener. The sugar comes from the milk. Adding the optional 4 g (1 US tsp) sugar gives about 60 kcal and 7 g total sugar.

Café con Leche Calories and Caffeine

Café con Leche Calories and Caffeine
Serving	Calories, estimated	Total sugar, estimated
60 ml (2 US fl oz) espresso + 60 ml (2 US fl oz) whole milk	About 45 kcal	About 3 g
Same drink + 4 g (1 US tsp) sugar	About 60 kcal	About 7 g
Larger café con leche: 120 ml (4 US fl oz) espresso + 120 ml (4 US fl oz) whole milk	About 85 kcal	About 6 g

Calorie and sugar calculation

These are rounded ingredient calculations using USDA espresso and whole-milk records and their household-serving weights. Using 29.6 g espresso and 30.5 g milk per US fl oz, the small unsweetened drink calculates to 43.2 kcal and 3.1 g sugar; the larger serving gives 86.3 kcal and 6.2 g sugar before rounding. The optional sugar adds roughly 16 kcal using the general carbohydrate energy factor.

The published caffeine reference is 126 mg for the small café con leche with 60 ml (2 US fl oz) espresso, or 252 mg for the larger version with 120 ml (4 US fl oz) espresso. These are not measurements of the home drinks and do not describe moka or filter coffee.

Caffeine reference and serving assumptions

Mayo Clinic lists 63 mg per 30 ml espresso; doubling that reference portion gives 126 mg; four portions give 252 mg. A modern espresso weighed at 36 g is not automatically a 60 ml serving.

Dialing in and Troubleshooting

Dialing In and Troubleshooting

Dialing In and Troubleshooting
Problem	Change one thing first
Milk hides the coffee	Reduce milk or use a more concentrated coffee base
Harsh or bitter finish	Taste the coffee alone; adjust the brew before adding more sugar
Cooked-milk flavor	Heat less and stir the pan
Too much foam	Add less air, or use the pan method
Balanced but too small	Scale both liquids together; count the larger serving in nutrition estimates

History of Café Con Leche

Café con leche is an everyday Spanish breakfast coffee and also appears in Latin American traditions.

Devour describes a Spanish equal-parts order; Café Bustelo's own café con leche recipe uses moka-style coffee, milk and sugar worked with the first brewed coffee.

For that different sweetened tradition, see Cuban café con leche. Ordinary milk is used here; sweetened condensed milk makes a different variation.

Common Questions

Is café con leche stronger than a latte?

It can taste more coffee-forward when it contains less milk around the same coffee portion. Caffeine depends on the coffee dose and extraction, not the drink's name or milkiness.

Does café con leche need condensed milk?

No. This Spanish-style recipe uses ordinary whole milk. Sugar is optional.

Can I make café con leche without an espresso machine?

Yes. Measure 60 ml (2 US fl oz) finished moka-pot or strong brewed coffee and combine with 60 ml (2 US fl oz) hot milk.

Is café con leche a Cuban or Spanish drink?

The name is used in both traditions and elsewhere. Spanish café service and sweetened Cuban-style preparations can differ.

Can I make café con leche with oat milk or decaf?

Yes. Use a plant drink you enjoy and recalculate nutrition from its label. Decaf coffee usually still contains a little caffeine.