A cold brew latte is smooth cold brew poured over ice and cold milk. It’s what we reach for the moment the weather turns hot. It’s mellow, it takes two minutes once your batch is ready, and it costs far less than the cafe version.
New to cold brew? Read our cold brew coffee guide first, then come back.
What Is a Cold Brew Latte?
It is cold brew coffee mixed with cold milk. There’s no espresso and no steaming. Cold brew is coffee steeped in cold water for 12-18 hours. Thus, giving a smoother and a lot less bitter cup.
So yes, you can turn plain cold brew into a cold brew coffee latte by just adding milk. Only one thing that changes is how much milk you pour, and that’s totally dependent on how strong your brew is.
How Strong Is a Cold Brew Latte?
Is cold brew stronger than coffee? Usually, ounce for ounce, yes. It uses more grounds per cup of water and steeps for hours. One 2022 study found concentrate had up to 30% more caffeine than hot drip. It isn’t guaranteed though, since beans and grind size change the result.
Cold Brew Latte Recipe (One Tall Glass)
To make a cold brew latte, pour 6oz of cold brew over 4oz of cold milk and ice, then stir. It takes about 2 minutes and your cold brew is ready:
Ingredients
- 6 oz cold brew (or 3 oz concentrate, see the table below)
- 4 oz cold milk
- A handful of ice
- Sweetener, if you like
Steps
- Fill a glass with ice
- Pour in the milk
- Add the cold brew slowly; it swirls into the milk, which looks lovely
- Stir, sweeten and sip
Most recipes never tell you which cold brew they mean, and strength changes everything:
| Your cold brew | Coffee | Milk |
|---|---|---|
| Ready to drink (1:8) | 6 oz | 4 oz |
| Concentrate (1:4) | 3 oz | 6 oz |
Our first batch used thin cold brew and tasted like coffee-flavoured milk. Now we use concentrate, because it doesn’t go watery as the ice melts. Our cold brew concentrate guide has the exact ratio.
Is a cold brew healthier than a latte?
Black cold brew and a plain espresso shot both have almost no calories. It’s the milk and sugar that change the numbers. A cold brew latte can still end up lighter if you pour less milk than you would in a latte.
Cold brew also has fewer acidic compounds, according to a 2022 study, and some people find that easier on their stomach.
Cold Brew Latte vs Iced Latte: Which Is Better?
It comes down to taste and how much time you have:
| Cold brew latte | Iced latte | |
|---|---|---|
| Coffee base | Cold brew | Espresso shots |
| Taste | Smooth, sweet, low bitterness | Bolder, roasty |
| Prep | Brew 12 to 18 hours ahead, then 2 minutes | A few minutes with a machine |
| Milk | Often less | Usually mostly milk |
We pick cold brew for slow mornings and an iced latte when we forgot to prep. If you want the full comparison with regular chilled coffee, read our cold brew vs iced coffee post. To use cold brew in place of a shot, try our cold brew espresso.
Homemade Cold Brew Latte Calories Breakdown
Black cold brew is close to zero calories. Everything else comes from what you add. A typical 12oz homemade glass:
| Ingredient | Amount | Calories (approx.) |
|---|---|---|
| Cold brew | 6 oz | Under 5 |
| Whole milk | 4 oz | About 75 |
| Sugar | 2 tsp | ~30 |
| Total | ~110 |
The milk number comes from the USDA FoodData Central entry for whole milk. They list about 149 calories per cup. We halved it for 4 oz.
- Skip the sugar and you’re around 75-80
- Switch to skim and the milk drops to roughly 40
The gap between whole, skim is almost entirely fat. One more thing, plant milks vary a lot by brand, so always read the carton.
These are just estimates which can be shifted by your pour size and brands, so if you track calories for health reasons, weigh your ingredients and go by the labels.
Why Does My Cold Brew Latte Taste Weak?
Usually it’s one of these:
- Thin cold brew: switch to concentrate
- Melting ice: freeze leftover cold brew into cubes
- Too much milk: start with the ratios above then adjust
Roast matters too. Medium-dark roasts give chocolatey notes that are perfect against milk. Our best roast for cold brew guide explains more.
Cold Brew Latte Questions
Can I turn a cold brew into a latte?
Yes, just pour it over ice then add cold milk, make sure to use 6 oz of cold brew to 4 oz of milk.
Can I make cold brew latte hot?
Yes, you can make it hot just by heating the milk and stirring in the concentrate.
How long does it last?
Cold brew keeps up to 2 weeks in the fridge. Add the milk right before drinking.
Which milk is best?
Whole milk is the creamiest, but we also like oat milk as a close second.
Conclusion
Once you’ve made a cold brew latte at home a few times, the cafe version starts to feel like a bit of a rip-off. It’s a jar of coffee, some milk and ice. That’s the whole drink.
You can start with the ratio table in this post, use the concentrate if your cold brew tends to taste thin, and pour the milk first so the coffee swirls through it.
Not sweet enough? Add a little sugar or syrup. Too strong? Pour in more milk. It took us a few glasses to land on our own mix, and yours will probably end up different.
Keep a jar of cold brew in the fridge this week and make your first cold brew latte tomorrow morning.
