Caffè Leccese Recipe: Iced Espresso with Almond Syrup

Caffe Leccese Recipe

Makes one small iced coffee in about 3 minutes with the espresso equipment ready. Use a 150 ml heatproof glass. The liquid yield changes as the ice melts; glass capacity is not a measured drink volume.

Ingredients

• 18 g coffee, ground for espresso
• 20 ml Fabbri Sciroppo Latte di Mandorla, undiluted
• 60 g ice cubes

This named Italian almond concentrate fixes the ingredient and label basis. The syrup is already sweetened, and it contains almonds. No dairy milk or extra sugar is required.

Equipment and Preparation

Have a scale, ml measure, spoon, glass and espresso equipment ready. Brew into a separate heatproof cup so you can weigh the coffee before it reaches the ice. The espresso brewing guide explains the setup: 18 g is dry grounds input; 36 g is collected espresso output, not 36 ml.

The 20 ml syrup portion and assembly order follow Fabbri's caffè leccese recipe. We define the espresso and ice by weight to make this home version repeatable; they are not a claim about every Salento café's recipe.

Method

1. Shake the almond-syrup bottle as its label directs. Measure 20 ml into a 150 ml heatproof glass and add 60 g ice cubes.
2. Brew 18 g ground coffee to 36 g prepared espresso in a separate heatproof cup.
3. Pour the fresh espresso over the ice and syrup. Stir from the bottom until combined and serve promptly.

Choose solid cubes that fit comfortably in the glass and measure their combined mass. Three cubes do not have one universal weight. Pouring coffee over ice begins the chilling and dilution; stirring brings the syrup up from the base of the glass.

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Which Latte Di Mandorla Should You Use?

For this recipe, use a sweet almond concentrate intended for dilution or coffee preparation. The words latte di mandorla alone do not tell you whether the bottle contains that concentrate or a beverage already ready to drink.

The Fabbri label gives separate nutrition columns for syrup and a beverage made by adding six parts water. Our recipe uses the syrup column. Diluting it first would add water and change both the sugar concentration and the almond contribution of a 20 ml portion.

Check the bottle rather than choosing only by the English phrase “almond milk.” If you want espresso with a substantial unsweetened almond beverage portion, use the proportions of an iced latte and treat it as a different drink.

Adjust the Syrup Without Changing the Coffee

For less sweetness, reduce the syrup to 15 ml or 10 ml. Keep the 36 g espresso and 60 g ice the same while deciding which amount suits you. The change also reduces the almond ingredient; it does not selectively remove sugar while preserving identical flavor.

The following is our calculation from the named label, with the espresso portion held fixed:

Reducing the syrup from 20 ml to 10 ml removes 37.2 kcal and 8.4 g sugar from this recipe. The same coffee remains in the glass, so its reference caffeine is unchanged. These are ingredient calculations, not taste-test results.

Fix a Sweet Bottom Layer or a Watery Finish

• Sweetness is concentrated at the bottom: stir all the way to the base before taking the first sip. Distinct layers make an attractive illustration but are not a reason to leave the syrup unmixed.
• The drink becomes watery: serve promptly and avoid adding unmeasured water. Melting ice changes concentration; it does not remove the sugar or caffeine already added.
• The almond flavor is too faint: first check whether you bought a ready-to-drink beverage. Increasing that liquid is not the same adjustment as increasing a concentrate.
• The syrup is too sweet at a useful almond intensity: consider another almond concentrate with a different formulation. Recalculate its serving rather than assuming the same nutrition.

Caffe Leccese, Iced Espresso and Shakerato

The defining addition here is sweet almond syrup. Plain iced espresso does not need it. A caffè shakerato uses shaking to chill and aerate the coffee, usually before straining; it does not automatically contain almond syrup.

Our Leccese recipe is stirred and served over its ice. There is no need to foam milk or shake the drink to make that version. If a café offers a soffiato or a shaken variation, ask how it is prepared rather than expecting the same texture as this simple glass.

Can You Use a Moka Pot?

Yes, as a separate home variation. Italia.it includes both espresso and moka coffee, and Lavazza gives a 50 ml moka-coffee example. Follow the moka-pot brewing guide, then measure the prepared coffee you add. Its concentration and caffeine differ from our espresso reference; the 18 g-to-36 g espresso formula is not a moka instruction.

Why It Is Associated with Lecce and Salento

Italy's official tourism site describes coffee with ice and almond milk among Lecce's local specialties. You may also encounter caffè alla salentina or the descriptive order caffè in ghiaccio con latte di mandorla.

Origin stories need more care than the recipe. Lavazza recounts several accounts, including one crediting local roaster Antonio Quarta with iced-coffee service. We treat that as an attributed account, not proof of a single inventor or date for every almond-syrup version.

Caffe Leccese Calories, Sugar and Caffeine

The defined serving has about 80 kcal, 16.8 g total sugar and 75 mg reference caffeine. The named syrup contains almonds. No dairy ingredient is added in this recipe, but check your actual bottle and preparation environment when an allergy or dietary requirement matters.

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