Iced Vanilla Latte with Real Vanilla Bean Syrup

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

The iced vanilla latte most cafés make with pump syrup, rebuilt around a 10-minute vanilla bean syrup that actually tastes like vanilla — floral, a little caramelly, with visible flecks of seed. Espresso is pulled or brewed strong, chilled fast over a metal cup so it never turns bitter, then poured over cold milk and ice for that clean layered look. Two tall glasses, no espresso machine required.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise (or 2 tsp vanilla bean paste)
• 1 pinch fine sea salt
• 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

• 4 shots espresso (about 6 Tbsp / 3 oz total), or 3/4 cup very strong brewed coffee
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk, very cold
• 3 Tbsp vanilla bean syrup, from above (more to taste)
• 3 cups ice cubes
• scraped vanilla seeds or a strip of orange zest, for garnish (optional)

Instructions

1. Make the syrup: scrape the seeds from the split vanilla bean into a small saucepan, then add the pod, sugar, water, and salt. Warm over medium heat, stirring, just until the sugar dissolves and the liquid barely simmers, 3 to 4 minutes. Do not let it boil hard or it will thicken into a candy syrup.
2. Remove from the heat, cover, and steep 10 minutes. Stir in the vanilla extract, then pour into a heatproof jar (leave the pod in — it keeps infusing). Set the jar in a bowl of ice water and stir occasionally until fully cool, about 8 minutes. The syrup should be thin and pourable, roughly the consistency of maple syrup.
3. Brew the coffee: pull 4 espresso shots, or brew 3/4 cup coffee at double strength (2 rounded tablespoons ground coffee per 4 oz water in a moka pot, AeroPress, or small French press). Pour the hot coffee into a metal measuring cup or thin metal bowl set in ice water and stir for 60 to 90 seconds until it drops to room temperature or cooler — fast chilling keeps the flavor sweet instead of stewed.
4. Build the drinks: divide the cold milk between two 16-oz glasses. Add 1 1/2 tablespoons vanilla syrup to each and stir well until no syrup sits on the bottom, about 15 seconds.
5. Fill each glass to the top with ice, then slowly pour the chilled coffee over the ice so it cascades down in dark ribbons over the pale milk. Let it sit 5 seconds for the layers to settle.
6. Taste with a straw and adjust: another teaspoon of syrup for sweeter, a splash of milk for rounder. Garnish with a few scraped vanilla seeds or a strip of orange zest, then stir just before drinking.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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