Espresso over cold milk with rich hazelnut syrup and ice, a nutty, sweet cold coffee drink that is genuinely as good as anything a coffee shop charges five pounds for.
Introduction
The hazelnut latte is one of the most enduringly popular flavoured coffee drinks in the world, its combination of the roasted, chocolatey notes of espresso with the warm, sweet nuttiness of hazelnut producing a flavour that is simultaneously familiar and genuinely distinctive. In its iced form it becomes one of the most refreshing and most craveable cold coffee drinks available.
Hazelnut and coffee are natural flavour partners because they share similar roasted, warm aromatic compounds. The roasting process that transforms raw coffee beans and raw hazelnuts into their respective finished forms creates similar flavour families in each, meaning that when combined they reinforce rather than compete. A good hazelnut syrup in a coffee drink makes the coffee taste more like itself while also tasting of hazelnut.
Making the hazelnut syrup from scratch rather than buying a commercial version produces a noticeably better result. Real hazelnut flavour comes from toasted hazelnuts steeped in a simple sugar syrup, which extracts genuine nut oils and flavour compounds that no artificial hazelnut flavouring can replicate. The syrup takes ten minutes to make, keeps for two weeks, and transforms every drink it appears in.
History and Background
Hazelnut as a flavouring in coffee became widespread through the American flavoured coffee trend of the 1980s and 1990s, when flavoured coffee syrups produced by companies including Monin and Torani became standard equipment in American coffee shops. Hazelnut, alongside vanilla and caramel, became one of the three defining flavours of the American flavoured coffee era.
The international spread of flavoured coffee drinks through chains like Starbucks and Coffee Bean in the 1990s and 2000s established hazelnut latte as a globally recognised drink format. It became one of the most ordered coffee drinks internationally, particularly popular among those transitioning from sweet, milky drinks toward coffee as a primary beverage.
The craft coffee movement subsequently pushed back against artificial syrups and the hazelnut latte fell slightly out of fashion in specialty coffee circles, but its genuine popularity with consumers and the emergence of higher quality natural syrups has maintained its relevance across all levels of coffee culture.
Iced Hazelnut Latte
Course: Cold Coffee1
servings5
minutes8
minutes190
kcalIngredients
2 shots espresso
150ml cold whole milk or oat milk
Lots of ice
For hazelnut syrup: 100g white sugar, 100ml water, 60g toasted hazelnuts roughly chopped
Optional: whipped cream and crushed hazelnuts to top
Directions
- Make hazelnut syrup: toast hazelnuts in a dry pan for 4 minutes until golden.
- Combine sugar, water, and toasted hazelnuts in a small pan. Simmer 5 minutes.
- Remove from heat. Steep for 10 minutes. Strain and cool. Refrigerate.
- Pull 2 shots of espresso.
- Fill a tall glass with ice.
- Add 2 tablespoons of hazelnut syrup to the glass.
- Pour cold milk over the ice and syrup.
- Pour espresso over the milk.
- Stir gently. Top with whipped cream and crushed hazelnuts if using.
- Serve immediately.
Tips
- Toast the hazelnuts properly until genuinely golden and fragrant. Under-toasted hazelnuts produce a weak, slightly green-tasting syrup. Well-toasted nuts produce rich, deep hazelnut flavour.
Steep the hazelnuts in the syrup for at least 10 minutes after removing from heat for maximum flavour extraction.
Strain the syrup through a fine sieve to remove all nut particles. A clean, clear syrup produces a more professional looking drink.
Two tablespoons of syrup per drink is a starting point. Adjust based on sweetness preference.
The syrup keeps refrigerated for 2 weeks. Make a generous batch at the start of the week.
Crushed toasted hazelnuts scattered over whipped cream on top of the drink is the garnish that most enhances both the flavour and the visual of this drink.
Using oat milk instead of dairy milk produces a slightly different but equally delicious result and is popular with the health-conscious audience that also tends to order hazelnut lattes.
Variations
Add a tablespoon of chocolate sauce for a chocolate hazelnut latte that tastes like Nutella in coffee form. Replace hazelnut syrup with Frangelico hazelnut liqueur for an adult version. Make a hazelnut cold brew latte using cold brew concentrate instead of espresso. Add a shot of caramel syrup alongside the hazelnut for a hazelnut caramel latte. Make a hazelnut matcha latte by replacing the espresso with matcha paste for a completely different but equally excellent hazelnut drink.
Storage and Serving
Serve immediately in a tall glass with a straw. The hazelnut syrup keeps refrigerated for 2 weeks. The assembled drink does not keep. The crushed hazelnut garnish should be added immediately before serving as it becomes soggy quickly on whipped cream.
FAQs
Q: Can I use commercial hazelnut syrup instead of making it?
A: Yes, Monin and Torani hazelnut syrups are widely available and convenient. Homemade syrup has better flavour but commercial works well.
Q: How do I toast hazelnuts without burning them?
A: Use a dry pan over medium heat and shake or stir constantly. They go from raw to perfectly toasted to burnt very quickly. Watch closely and remove when golden.
Q: Can I use hazelnut milk instead of regular milk?
A: Yes, hazelnut milk doubles up on the hazelnut flavour and creates a more intensely nutty drink. It is a popular choice among those seeking dairy-free options.
Q: Why does my syrup taste thin and not very nutty?
A: The hazelnuts were not toasted enough or the steeping time was too short. Toast until deeply golden and steep for at least 15 minutes for maximum flavour.
Q: Can I freeze the hazelnut syrup?
A: Yes, hazelnut syrup freezes well for up to 3 months. Freeze in ice cube trays for convenient single-serving portions.
