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Café Noisette: Recipe, Milk Amount & Macchiato Comparison

Café noisette is espresso softened with a little milk, keeping the compact feel and coffee flavor of a short shot. In a French café, its hazelnut name describes the brown color rather than hazelnut flavoring.

By Mara EllisonReviewed by Online Coffee Guide editorial teamPublished Updated 5 min read
Small ivory demitasse of café noisette with a pale milk swirl in brown espresso, on a saucer with an espresso spoon
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Drink Snapshot

Caffeine
75 mg referenceDefined 36 g espresso portionThis home extraction has not been measured.
Calories
10 kcal estimatedDefined unsweetened whole-milk recipeSugar, cream or syrup would need a separate calculation.
Serving, sugar and sources
Serving
36 g prepared espresso + 10 g (2 US tsp) whole milk; no added sugar
Made with
Espresso + a small portion of whole milk
Sugar
0.5 g total estimated. Naturally present milk sugar; no added sweetener.
Preparation
About 5 minutes; espresso equipment ready

USDA SR28 whole-milk and prepared-espresso records, checked 26 September 2026. See the full calculation or label comparison.

Key Takeaways
  • Choose a noisette for espresso with just enough milk to soften the sip.
  • Its hazelnut name describes color; order a flavored latte if you want hazelnut sweetness.
  • Warm milk keeps the small coffee hotter; cold milk makes it easier to drink promptly.
On This Page9 Sections

What Does Café Noisette Taste Like?

A café noisette keeps the compact, concentrated feel of espresso. The small milk addition softens its bitter edge and adds a faint dairy sweetness. Roasted, nutty or fruity coffee notes still lead the sip, with only a light creamy finish.

I prefer warm milk in a noisette because it rounds the espresso without cooling such a small drink too quickly.

Cafe Noisette Recipe

Use an 80 ml (2.7 US fl oz) heatproof demitasse. Leave headroom.

Recipe

Measured Café Noisette

Makes:
1 serving
Time:
About 5 minutes; espresso equipment ready

Ingredients

  • 18 g coffee, ground for espresso, to yield 36 g brewed espresso
  • 10 g (2 US tsp) whole milk

Equipment

  • Espresso machine and grinder
  • Scale
  • Small heatproof ramekin, bowl, hot water and spoon
  • 80 ml (2.7 US fl oz) heatproof demitasse
  • Espresso basket suited to 18 g and tamper

Method

  1. Warm the milk. Put 10 g (2 US tsp) milk in a small heatproof ramekin. Stand it in a shallow bowl of hot water, keeping the water below the rim, and stir until warm.
  2. Brew. Brew 18 g ground coffee to 36 g espresso in the warmed demitasse.
  3. Add the milk. Lift the ramekin from the water and dry its outside. Pour the milk into the espresso, stir gently and serve.

Estimated nutrition: 10 kcal · 0.5 g total sugar. Per noisette, using whole milk and no added sugar.

Recipe notes

Contains milk.

There is no hazelnut syrup, cream or added sugar in this version. The espresso brewing guide covers preparing the coffee: 18 g is dry grounds input; 36 g is collected espresso output. Adjust the grind for your coffee and equipment.

Warming the Small Milk Portion

A shallow water bath warms this tiny milk portion without trying to immerse a steam wand in only 10 g (2 US tsp) of milk. Keep water out of the ramekin and dry its outside before pouring.

You can use milk warmed as part of another preparation instead: measure 10 g (2 US tsp) into this cup. A thin trace of foam is fine; the recipe does not need a cappuccino-style cap.

How Much Milk Goes in a Noisette?

Start with 10 g (2 US tsp) milk to keep the espresso prominent. This measured portion makes the preparation repeatable.

French roaster Lobodis describes a very small milk addition, while French Coffee Shop offers hot- and cold-milk versions.

With the same 36 g prepared espresso, these are useful home adjustments:

Adjust the milk while keeping the espresso fixedScrollable table
Adjust the milk while keeping the espresso fixed
Milk addedCombined ingredient massWhat the change does
5 g (1 US tsp)41 g (1.4 oz)Keeps the milk addition especially small
10 g (2 US tsp), this recipe46 g (1.6 oz)Gives a repeatable middle starting point
20 g (4 US tsp)56 g (2 oz)Makes a more milk-forward variation

More milk changes the balance but does not remove caffeine from the espresso already in the cup.

A small café noisette: espresso softened with a little milk, with a note that the name refers to color.
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A small milk addition softens the espresso and gives noisette its hazelnut-brown color.

If the Result Is Too Milky or Too Cool

For a coffee-forward result, reduce the milk next time rather than making the espresso larger merely to fill the cup. A small drink will look lost in a full-size latte mug even when its proportions are right.

If it is cooler than you want, warm the cup and milk first. Adding fridge-cold milk is a legitimate service choice, but it cools a small espresso. If the coffee itself tastes harsh, check its extraction before using extra milk or sugar to cover the problem.

Noisette vs. Macchiato, Cortado and Hazelnut Latte

Espresso macchiato is the closest comparison. Both can be short espresso drinks with a little milk.

Nearby drinks and the difference that matters when orderingScrollable table
Nearby drinks and the difference that matters when ordering
DrinkUsual ideaWhat to clarify
Café noisetteEspresso with a small addition of milkHot or cold milk, and how much
Espresso macchiatoEspresso marked with milk, often including foamA small espresso drink, not a large flavored latte macchiato
CortadoEspresso with a more substantial warm-milk portion, often near equal partsThe café's serving size and ratio
Café crèmeFrench usage: a milkier coffee; Swiss usage: a longer black coffeeWhich regional version is served, and whether milk or cream is included
Café au laitBrewed coffee with hot milkA brewed base and a larger milk portion instead of a short espresso with a dash of milk
Hazelnut latteEspresso, a latte-sized milk portion and hazelnut flavoringWhich syrup or ingredient supplies the flavor and sweetness

A noisette adds a little milk; an allongé gives you a longer black coffee. Allongé can mean a longer extraction or coffee extended with hot water, so ask how the café makes it. If you want a longer coffee with a little milk, request both features rather than expecting the names to be interchangeable.

Choose noisette for a short espresso with a little milk, or café au lait for a larger brewed-coffee-and-milk drink. French café crème is generally milkier than noisette. In Switzerland, the name can mean a longer black coffee with cream offered separately.

How to Order a Noisette in France

Ask for “un noisette” or “un café noisette.” If the milk temperature matters, add “avec un peu de lait chaud” for a little warm milk, or “avec un peu de lait froid” for a little cold milk.

The word noisette also means hazelnut. In this café order it describes the lightened brown color, as French Coffee Shop explains. For actual hazelnut flavor, check for syrup or another named hazelnut ingredient on the menu.

Cafe Noisette Calories, Sugar and Caffeine

The defined espresso-and-milk serving has an estimated 10 kcal, 0.5 g total sugar and 75 mg reference caffeine. Its sugar comes from the milk; no sweetener is added. Milk is an allergen in this recipe.

Serving calculation and source assumptions

USDA whole milk, NDB 01077, supplies 61 kcal and 5.05 g total sugar per 100 g. A 10 g portion contributes 6.1 kcal and 0.505 g sugar. Prepared espresso, NDB 14210, supplies 9 kcal and 212 mg caffeine per 100 g; a 36 g portion contributes 3.24 kcal and 76.32 mg caffeine.

The combined reference total is 9.34 kcal and 0.505 g sugar, rounded to 10 kcal and 0.5 g. The generic caffeine reference rounds to 75 mg.

The reference uses the measured milk actually added, not the full amount warmed in a larger pitcher.

Common Questions

Does café noisette contain hazelnuts?
The espresso-and-milk recipe on this page does not. The French café name refers to color. A flavored product or a café variation may use other ingredients, so check its description and allergen information.
Is a noisette the same as a macchiato?
They can overlap: both may be espresso with a little milk. A macchiato often emphasizes a milk or foam mark.
Can I use cold milk in café noisette?
Yes. Some French cafés offer that choice. Add the same measured milk portion directly, expecting a cooler cup.
Can I make café noisette without an espresso machine?
Yes. Brew a moka pot at its normal capacity, then use 36 g (1.3 oz) prepared coffee with 10 g (2 US tsp) warm milk in the 80 ml (2.7 US fl oz) cup. This is a home variation; the espresso caffeine reference does not apply.
Can I make café noisette with a plant drink or decaf?
Yes, if you enjoy that variation. Check the plant drink's ingredients and label, and use a separate caffeine reference for decaf rather than assuming it is caffeine-free.

For the alternative coffee base, follow the moka-pot brewing guide rather than trying to copy an espresso-machine extraction.

Editor's Take

Sources and Further Reading

View 8 references