Coffee Drink
Nous Nous Coffee: Morocco’s Half-Coffee, Half-Milk Drink
Nous nous is Moroccan coffee with warm milk in roughly equal proportions, usually served in a small glass. It keeps the coffee prominent while softening its bitterness, making it a familiar choice for someone who enjoys a cortado.
Drink Snapshot
- Caffeine
- 125 mg referenceTwo 30 ml espresso reference portionsCoffee and extraction vary; milk does not remove caffeine.
- Calories
- Estimated 45 kcalOne serving with the named whole milkSugar served alongside the glass is not included.
Serving, sugar and sources
- Serving
- 60 ml (2 US fl oz) prepared espresso + 60 ml (2 US fl oz) whole milk; no added sugar
- Made with
- Equal liquid volumes of espresso and whole milk
- Sugar
- Estimated 2.8 g total. Naturally occurring milk sugar; this base recipe has no added sweetener.
- Preparation
- About 5 minutes with espresso prepared
Organic Valley whole-milk label, USDA espresso household measure and Mayo Clinic caffeine reference, checked 26 September 2026. See the full calculation or label comparison.
Key Takeaways
- If you enjoy a cortado, nous nous offers a familiar close balance of coffee and warm milk in a Moroccan café setting.
- Lightly froth the milk for a softer first sip, or leave it unfrothed for a more uniform texture.
- Moka-pot coffee is a practical home alternative when you do not have an espresso machine.
On This Page10 Sections
What Does Half-and-Half Mean in Nous Nous?
For nous nous, half-and-half means coffee and milk in roughly equal proportions. It does not ask for the US dairy product called half-and-half, which combines milk and cream. Adding that product would make a richer variation with a different calorie total.
Amanda Mouttaki's MarocMama recipe describes the Moroccan drink with equal parts espresso and milk, warming and frothing the milk before adding coffee. Our measured serving turns that general balance into 60 ml (2 US fl oz) prepared espresso plus 60 ml (2 US fl oz) liquid milk. The measured ingredients total 120 ml (4.1 US fl oz) before frothing.
Milk foam occupies more space than liquid milk. Measure the milk before frothing, and let the espresso's crema settle before reading its volume. The finished glass can look fuller without changing the amount of either ingredient.
Nous Nous Recipe
Use a 150 ml (5.1 US fl oz) heatproof glass for a little headroom above the 120 ml (4.1 US fl oz) of measured ingredients.
Recipe
Moroccan Nous Nous Coffee
- Makes:
- 1 serving
- Time:
- About 5 minutes; espresso prepared
Ingredients
- 60 ml (2 US fl oz) freshly prepared espresso, measured after the crema settles briefly
- 60 ml (2 US fl oz) cold Organic Valley Whole Milk, measured before frothing
Equipment
- Graduated measure
- Small saucepan
- Thermometer
- Handheld frother, optional
- Spoon
- 150 ml (5.1 US fl oz) heatproof glass
Method
- Measure 60 ml (2 US fl oz) prepared espresso and 60 ml (2 US fl oz) cold whole milk separately.
- Warm the milk gently in a small pan to 60–65°C (140–149°F). Lightly froth with a handheld frother if desired.
- Pour all the warm milk into a prewarmed 150 ml (5.1 US fl oz) heatproof glass.
- Slowly add the prepared espresso, stir and serve promptly.
Estimated nutrition: 45 kcal · 2.8 g total sugar. Per glass, using the named whole milk and no added sugar.
Recipe notes
Brew espresso normally, then measure; do not overextract a puck to reach 60 ml (2 US fl oz).
The named milk supplies the nutrition reference. Another whole milk works, but use its own serving label for recalculation. No sweetener is included in the base recipe.
Prepare the coffee with your normal espresso recipe, then measure the amount for this drink. Depending on your usual extraction, you may need more than one small shot. Keep unused coffee separate rather than changing the ratio unintentionally.
A pan and handheld frother suit the small milk portion. If using a machine or electric frother, respect its minimum fill and measure only the milk actually served.
What Does Nous Nous Taste Like?
Nous nous keeps espresso easy to taste beneath the milk’s gentle sweetness. With roughly equal parts, the coffee leaves a more concentrated finish than in a milkier latte, while whole milk softens its bitterness and gives the small glass a creamy feel. Nutty or cocoa-like espresso can make that combination especially rounded.
I prefer only a light froth on nous nous. It softens the first sip while keeping the milk and espresso together as a small, creamy coffee, rather than putting a large layer of foam between me and the drink.
Is Nous Nous Strong?
It has less milk per part of coffee than many lattes, but strength has more than one meaning. Coffee flavor depends on the coffee-to-milk balance and the espresso itself. Caffeine depends on how much caffeine the prepared coffee contains, not the drink's color or whether it has a foam cap.
Adding 60 ml (2 US fl oz) milk to 60 ml (2 US fl oz) espresso dilutes the coffee's concentration without removing its caffeine. A smaller nous nous can contain less caffeine if it uses less coffee; a weak-looking large serving can contain more. Ask about the coffee portion when ordering instead of relying on the name alone.
For a home alternative without espresso equipment, combine 60 ml (2 US fl oz) prepared moka-pot coffee with 60 ml (2 US fl oz) warm milk. That changes the coffee base, so the espresso caffeine estimate below no longer applies. Ordinary weak filter coffee will produce a different balance at the same 1:1 ratio.
Nous Nous vs. Cortado and Other Milk Coffees
Swipe to see all columnsScroll to see all columns
| Drink | Usual idea | Useful distinction |
|---|---|---|
| Nous nous | Roughly equal coffee and warm milk | Moroccan name and serving context; this version uses espresso |
| Cortado | Espresso with roughly equal warm milk | Can overlap closely in proportions; café preparation matters |
| Café au lait | Brewed coffee with warm milk | The brewed-coffee base is the main difference from this espresso example |
| Breve | Espresso with US half-and-half dairy | Uses a milk-and-cream ingredient, not just equal coffee and milk |
Nous nous and a cortado can be close relatives in portion and foam. Their names and café traditions are useful context, but a menu description or the barista's recipe tells you more about the actual serving.
Choose café au lait when your starting point is brewed coffee. Choose breve when you specifically want the richer US half-and-half ingredient.
Ordering, Sugar and Milk Choices
For Amanda Mouttaki, writing at MarocMama, ordering coffee in Morocco means taking a seat and staying a while. Her nous nous is served in a glass with sugar alongside, ready to sweeten to taste. That café setting gives the familiar coffee-and-milk proportions a local identity, even when the finished drink resembles a cortado.
The name also appears in English transliterations such as noss noss or nos nos. Ask for the café's coffee-and-milk preparation and clarify whether you want sugar.
I put sugar alongside when sharing nous nous. We can start with the same base, but I like leaving each person to decide whether the milk's sweetness is enough for their cup.
The recipe above is unsweetened. If you add 4 g (1 US tsp) granulated sugar, the serving has an estimated 60 kcal and 6.7 g total sugar. A sugar cube is not a universal 4 g measure, so weigh it or use the package if you want that comparison to apply.
The whole-milk version contains milk. For a plant-milk version, replace the whole milk with 60 ml (2 US fl oz) of your chosen plant drink and warm it according to its heating guidance. Use its label to update the sugar and calorie estimate.
Nous Nous Calories, Sugar and Caffeine
One unsweetened serving has an estimated 45 kcal and 2.8 g total sugar, with 125 mg reference caffeine. These values describe the 60 ml (2 US fl oz) espresso plus 60 ml (2 US fl oz) whole-milk example.
Volume-based serving calculation and sources
Organic Valley's current Whole Milk label lists 150 kcal and 11 g total sugar per 240 ml. A 60 ml portion is one quarter of that serving: 37.5 kcal and 2.75 g sugar.
For coffee energy, USDA prepared espresso, NDB 14210, lists 3 kcal for its 1 fluid ounce household measure, approximately 30 ml. Two reference portions add 6 kcal, giving 43.5 kcal for the drink. This uses the published household measure; it does not assume that 60 ml espresso weighs 60 g. Displayed energy is rounded to the nearest 5 kcal and sugar to one decimal place.
Mayo Clinic lists 63 mg caffeine per 30 ml espresso. Doubling that reference gives 126 mg, displayed as 125 mg. Actual beans, dry coffee dose and extraction can make a substantial difference; this is not a laboratory result for a prepared serving.
USDA granulated sugar, NDB 19335, supplies 387 kcal and 99.8 g sugar per 100 g. Adding 4 g contributes 15.48 kcal and 3.992 g sugar, giving 58.98 kcal and 6.742 g total sugar, displayed as 60 kcal and 6.7 g. No added sugar is counted in the base recipe or its printable nutrition.