A hazelnut latte is espresso and steamed milk sweetened with hazelnut syrup — nutty, warm, and slightly sweet. It’s one of the easiest flavored lattes to make at home, and with homemade hazelnut syrup, it tastes significantly better than most coffee shop versions.

Here’s the full recipe: hazelnut syrup from scratch, the hot latte method, and the iced hazelnut latte.

What Is a Hazelnut Latte?

A hazelnut latte = espresso + steamed milk + hazelnut syrup. The hazelnut flavor comes entirely from the syrup — not from actual hazelnuts in your cup (though you can garnish with them).

The flavor is warm, nutty, slightly sweet, and rounds out espresso beautifully. It pairs especially well with medium or dark roast espresso, where the roasted hazelnut notes in the beans complement the syrup.

Ingredients

Homemade Hazelnut Syrup (makes ~1 cup, about 16 servings):

  • 1 cup (200g) granulated white sugar
  • 1 cup (240ml) water
  • 2 tablespoons hazelnut extract (find at baking supply stores or online)
  • Optional: ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

No hazelnut extract? Use 2 tablespoons of hazelnut liqueur (Frangelico) instead — it adds authentic roasted hazelnut flavor with a slight spirit note. Or use store-bought syrup (see below).

For One Hot Hazelnut Latte:

  • 2 shots espresso (about 2oz / 60ml)
  • 6oz (180ml) whole milk
  • 1–2 tablespoons hazelnut syrup

For One Iced Hazelnut Latte:

  • 2 shots espresso (about 2oz / 60ml)
  • 6oz (180ml) cold milk
  • 1–2 tablespoons hazelnut syrup
  • Large handful of ice

Make the Hazelnut Syrup (5 minutes + cooling)

  1. Combine sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium heat
  2. Stir until the sugar fully dissolves — about 2–3 minutes. Don’t let it boil heavily.
  3. Remove from heat and let cool for 5 minutes
  4. Stir in hazelnut extract (and vanilla extract if using)
  5. Cool completely, then store in a sealed jar or bottle in the refrigerator

Shelf life: 3–4 weeks refrigerated. If it crystallizes, briefly warm it and stir.

Flavor note: Hazelnut extract varies in intensity by brand. Start with 2 tablespoons, taste, and add more if you want a stronger hazelnut flavor. Some extracts are more potent than others.

Hot Hazelnut Latte Recipe

Time: ~5 minutes

  1. Pull 2 shots of espresso into your cup (see espresso ratio guide)
  2. Add 1–2 tablespoons of hazelnut syrup to the cup — stir to combine with the hot espresso
  3. Steam 6oz of milk to 140–150°F (60–65°C) until it has a smooth, velvety microfoam texture (see milk steaming guide)
  4. Pour steamed milk over the espresso in a steady stream
  5. Optionally spoon a thin layer of foam on top
  6. Optional garnish: a few crushed hazelnuts or a dusting of cocoa powder on the foam

Tip: The heat of the espresso fully dissolves and integrates the syrup. Stirring right after adding syrup ensures even distribution before the milk dilutes it.

Iced Hazelnut Latte Recipe

Time: ~5 minutes

  1. Fill a 12–16oz glass with ice
  2. Add 1–2 tablespoons hazelnut syrup to the glass
  3. Pour 6oz cold milk over the ice — stir briefly to blend with the syrup
  4. Pull 2 shots of espresso
  5. Pour the hot espresso over the cold milk and ice
  6. Optional: stir gently and garnish with a few crushed hazelnuts

The “over ice” pour: Pouring hot espresso over cold milk and ice creates a pleasant temperature contrast and a layered visual effect. The ice cools the espresso quickly so the drink is immediately cold and refreshing.

Hazelnut Latte Ratio Guide

Drink SizeEspressoMilkHazelnut Syrup
Small (8oz)1 shot~5oz1 tbsp
Medium (12oz)2 shots~8oz1.5 tbsp
Large (16oz)2–3 shots~11oz2 tbsp

Adjust syrup to your sweetness preference — start with less and add more. The hazelnut flavor in the syrup is strong; 1 tablespoon is plenty for lighter palates.

Hazelnut Latte Variations

Chocolate Hazelnut Latte

Add 1 tablespoon of chocolate syrup (or 1 teaspoon cocoa powder dissolved in the espresso) alongside the hazelnut syrup. The combination mirrors Nutella in your cup. Garnish with cocoa powder.

Iced Hazelnut Oat Milk Latte

Use barista-edition oat milk instead of dairy. The creamy oat milk pairs especially well with hazelnut flavor — the natural sweetness of oat milk complements the hazelnut syrup without making the drink overly sweet.

Hazelnut Vanilla Latte

Use half hazelnut syrup and half vanilla syrup (¾ tablespoon each). The vanilla rounds out the nuttiness and adds warmth — very similar to Starbucks’ hazelnut-vanilla flavoring.

Hazelnut Cold Brew

Stir hazelnut syrup into cold brew concentrate (see cold brew recipe) with cold milk over ice. No espresso needed — the cold brew’s low-acid, chocolatey base makes hazelnut syrup sing.

Toasted Hazelnut Latte

For a more complex, authentic hazelnut flavor: lightly toast 2 tablespoons of raw hazelnuts in a dry pan until fragrant, roughly chop, and steep them in your hot sugar syrup for 20 minutes before straining. More work, dramatically better flavor.

Best Hazelnut Syrups to Buy

If you prefer to buy rather than make:

  • Torani Hazelnut Syrup — the standard in most coffee shops, sweet with clean hazelnut flavor
  • Monin Hazelnut Syrup — slightly more roasted/complex hazelnut note than Torani, excellent quality
  • DaVinci Gourmet Hazelnut Syrup — rich, dessert-forward hazelnut
  • Jordan’s Skinny Hazelnut Syrup — sugar-free option with 0 calories; surprisingly good flavor

All of these work in hot or iced lattes. Store-bought syrups are a convenient shortcut — especially Torani and Monin, which are available at many grocery stores and online.

What Coffee Works Best in a Hazelnut Latte?

Medium roast is the best match for hazelnut syrup. Medium roast espresso has natural caramel and nut notes that complement and amplify the hazelnut syrup — you get a layered nutty flavor rather than a one-dimensional sweetness.

Dark roast works well too — the smoky, bitter notes of a dark espresso contrast with the sweet hazelnut syrup, creating a “roasted hazelnut” flavor profile.

Light roast tends to clash slightly — the fruity, acidic notes of light roast can compete with the hazelnut rather than complement it.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is in a hazelnut latte? Espresso, steamed milk, and hazelnut syrup. The syrup is a simple sugar syrup flavored with hazelnut extract. Variations may add vanilla. The drink has no actual whole hazelnuts in it — the flavor comes entirely from the syrup.

How is a hazelnut latte made? Espresso is pulled and combined with hazelnut syrup, then steamed milk is added. For an iced version, cold milk and ice are prepared first, then hot espresso is poured over. Full instructions above.

Are hazelnut lattes healthy? A homemade hazelnut latte with 1 tablespoon of homemade syrup (whole milk, 12oz) has approximately 200–230 calories and 20–25g of sugar. Using less syrup or a sugar-free syrup (like Jordan’s Skinny) reduces the sugar significantly.

Does a hazelnut latte have coffee in it? Yes — it contains espresso. A 12oz hazelnut latte with 2 espresso shots has approximately 150mg of caffeine. You can use decaf espresso for the same hazelnut latte taste without caffeine.