Rose Cardamom Latte
If you love a flavored latte, you’ll enjoy this Rose Cardamom Latte. All the flavor of a specialty coffee that can be made at home.
This recipe has been kitchen-tested to ensure consistent, reliable results.
What Is a Rose Cardamom Latte?
A Rose Cardamom Latte is a lightly floral espresso drink made with homemade rose cardamom simple syrup and steamed milk. It blends subtle rose notes with warm cardamom spice for a balanced, café-style coffee that feels elegant but simple to make at home.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Uses a homemade rose cardamom simple syrup, that can be used for countless other recipes.
- Can be turned into an iced latte on hot summer days
- Easy to customize (increase the intensity of rose flavor, or keep it subtle)
- Balanced; not overly sweet or perfumed, the cardamom latte adds warmth to regular espresso
- Easy to scale for guests
- Simple to turn into a rose tea latte or iced tea version
Can I Make This Rose Latte Without An Espresso Machine?
Yes. You can create a rose coffee recipe that emulates a latte by brewing very strong coffee at double strength and use it in place of espresso. Then follow the directions as listed.
To get that whipped rose latte look with the foam on top, microwave milk until bubbly and use a frother wand.
A Quick Story Behind This Latte
I first tried a version of this rose cardamom latte at a local bakery. I’m not normally a coffee drinker, but the combination of rose and cardamom (along with the pretty crushed rose petals sprinkled on top) made me curious enough to order it.
One sip and I understood the appeal. The rose aroma was beautiful, and the flavor was subtle; the cardamom added warmth, and the espresso grounded everything perfectly.
That experience inspired this homemade rose latte version, along with a gin cocktail and non-alcoholic variation built around my rose cardamom simple syrup.
Table of Contents
- What Is a Rose Cardamom Latte?
- Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Can I Make This Rose Latte Without An Espresso Machine?
- A Quick Story Behind This Latte
- Ingredients Needed For A Cardamom Rose Latte
- How to Make A Rose Cardamom Latte
- Substitutions & Variations
- More Ways to Use Remaining Rose Cardamom Syrup
- Expert Tips
- Make Ahead and Storage Info
- Rose Latte FAQs
- Delicious Starts Here
Ingredients Needed For A Cardamom Rose Latte
- Espresso: double shot (2 ounces) per serving
- Rose Cardamom Simple Syrup: is the base for this drink. Recipe here.
- Milk: choose any milk you like to steam, and create that light foamy top
- Dried Rose Petals: don’t use flowers from the florist; only food-grade rose petals or buds.
Refer to the printable recipe card below for ingredient quantities and detailed instructions.
How to Make A Rose Cardamom Latte
1. Add rose cardamom simple syrup to an insulated glass.
2. Pour freshly brewed espresso into the glass.
3. Top with steamed milk and light foam.
4. Sprinkle with crushed food-grade rose petals, if desired.
Substitutions & Variations
- Iced Rose Latte: Pour espresso and syrup over ice, then top with cold milk and stir well.
- Cardamom Tea Latte: Replace espresso with strong black tea for a softer, tea-based variation.
- Cardamom Vanilla Latte: Add a small splash of vanilla extract for a more complex version.
- Whipped Rose Latte: Top with lightly sweetened whipped cream for a dessert-style finish.
- Rose Water Latte: If you don’t have syrup, dissolve sugar in rose water to taste.
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More Ways to Use Remaining Rose Cardamom Syrup
If you’re making the Rose Cardamom Syrup for this Latté, you can use the remaining syrup in my Rose Cardamom Cocktail or the Non-Alcoholic version, too! Each drink starts with the same floral-spiced syrup, so you can easily move from coffee to cocktail using one simple base.
Expert Tips
- Start with 2 tablespoons of simple syrup and adjust the taste, adding more as needed.
- For stronger espresso flavor, reduce milk to 6 ounces. (I used 7 ounces of milk because I prefer a lighter taste). The standard ratio of espresso to milk is 1:3.
- Use food-grade rose petals, those from the florist are usually treated with chemicals.
- Tiny little crystals tend to form in the syrup after a few weeks’ time. This doesn’t mean the syrup has spoiled; these are simply sugar crystals and will dissolve in the latte.
Make Ahead and Storage Info
You will have extra simple syrup left over, which you can use for a variety of drinks, such as in cocktails or tea lattes.
Refrigerator: Store the simple syrup in a sealed glass jar in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks; shake before using.
Freezer: You can freeze the simple syrup for up to 2 months and bring it back to room temperature on the counter before using. Do not microwave the syrup to defrost, as the heat could affect the delicate flavor of the rose.
Rose Latte FAQs
No, you can make this latte using a regular coffee machine. Simply brew 4 ounces of strong coffee as a substitute for the double shot of espresso and follow the instructions as you would when making it with espresso. To replicate the steamed milk, heat milk it in the microwave until hot and use a frother wand to achieve a foamy topping.
Delicious Starts Here
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Rose Cardamom Latte
Ingredients
- 2 ounces double shot espresso *see note about making this with a coffee machine
- 2-3 tablespoons homemade rose cardamom simple syrup
- 7 ounces steamed milk
- food-grade rose petals
Instructions
- Add 2 tablespoons of simple syrup to a 12-14-ounce insulated glass or cup.
- Brew a double shot of espresso and pour it into the glass.
- Top with steamed milk and light foam. Add the extra tablespoon of simple syrup if you would like it sweeter and more rose forward.
- Crush rose petals and sprinkle them on top (about 1 teaspoon), if desired.
Notes:
Nutrition
If you love floral drinks, start with this Rose Cardamom Latte, and then try my Rose Cardamom cocktail or the non-alcoholic version made with the same syrup. One simple syrup; three distinct drinks.
This recipe has made a coffee lover out of me!
Rose and cardamom are my all-time favorite flavor pairing so I knew I needed to try this! It was so delicious and so perfect! Definitely my new go-to coffee drink 🙂
So glad you love the rose-cardamom combo! It’s a nice floral flavor and quite unexpected in a coffee drink…but it works 🙂
Latte’s are my favourite and I love the flavor of rose and cardamom here!
Thank you so much! Rose and cardamom are such a beautiful combination, I’m glad that stood out to you.
This sounds so unique and cozy. I love the idea of floral rose paired with warm cardamom in a latte.
Thank you!! “Cozy” is the perfect word for it—that rose + cardamom combo is so warm and comforting!
I can not believe how good this coffee is! I made the simple syrup which was surprisingly easy, but it took my morning coffee from great to heavenly! I don’t have an espresso machine, but I followed your instructions with double strength coffee and a wand frother and it worked like a charm. Sadly I didn’t have any dried rose petals – next time.
Thank you! I’m glad you were able to use the double-strength coffee workaround without the espresso machine (and you’re absolutely right to not worry about the rose petals); the rose cardamom simple syrup really carries the flavor, so you still get that floral note even without them. Thanks for sharing how you made it. This is so helpful for others, too!
This was so comforting and delish. Thank you for sharing! I’m making my fiance make this for me again this morning!
Oh wow, lucky to have your very own ‘personal barista’ making you the delicious drink 🙂 I’m glad you enjoyed it!