This post may include affiliate links.
A café au lait is the easiest way to have a French morning: it’s equal parts strong coffee and warm, foamy milk. Here’s how to make one in 5 minutes!
What’s better than a creamy, steaming cup of cafe au lait? This French method of serving coffee is smooth and satisfying, with the perfect ratio of rich milk to bitter coffee.
After enjoying a café au lait while in Paris, I’m a 100% fan of this coffee drink, and it’s perfect for pairing with a croissant or muffin. After some experimenting, I’ve found the method is simple to make at home; it’s even easier to achieve than the perfect latte!
What Is a Café au Lait?
Café au lait (“coffee with milk” in French) is a coffee drink made of strong coffee and hot or steamed milk. The drink originated in France, and uses equal parts coffee and milk. It’s similar to a traditional Italian cafe latte, but it uses strong coffee instead of espresso. The drink is popularly served in New Orleans using scalded milk instead of steamed milk. Here’s what you’ll need to make a great cup of cafe au lait:
- Strong coffee
- Whole milk
The cafe au lait ratio is typically equal parts coffee and milk. In contrast, a latte is 2 parts milk to 1 part coffee. I prefer the 1 to 1 ratio, which I find is easier to drink and not as rich. So I always pick cafe au lait over a latte!
Café au Lait vs. Latte (and Cappuccino)
The differences come down to the coffee base and the ratio:
- A latte is an espresso drink that is one third espresso and two thirds steamed milk, with a thin foam.
- A cappuccino has equal parts espresso, steamed milk, and foam (⅓ each).
- A café au lait skips espresso and uses brewed coffee, and the milk and coffee are equal parts with just a little foam.
The Best Coffee for a Cafe au Lait
What’s the best coffee for a cafe au lait? Strong coffee. The coffee in Fance is much stronger than American coffee. The Moka Pot (aka Bialetti) is the best bet for the strength of coffee you can get in country. We like using Moka Pot here because it’s closest to the flavor we remember from our travels to Paris.
Of course, you can use your preferred coffee method and just make strong coffee. Either way, we recommend using dark roast beans here. Here are the best coffee methods for this drink:
- Moka Pot: Go to Moka Pot Coffee for how to make coffee using a Bialetti coffee maker
- French press: Go to French Press Coffee
- Pour over: Go to Pour Over Coffee
- Aeropress: Go to Aeropress Coffee
Choosing Your Milk
The best milk for cafe au lait? Whole milk. It’s the ideal richness for pairing with the bitter coffee. It also gets the best foam when it’s steamed. If you prefer, you can use 2% and it still has good flavor.
Want to make vegan cafe au lait? Oat milk is your best bet. This dairy-free milk froths better than any other type of vegan milk. It’s not quite the same as dairy milk, but it’s a nice option.
Steaming Vs Frothing The Milk
Another advantage of cafe au lait over a latte, other than tasting better? It’s easier to make. The steamed milk for a latte is a little touchy: it requires just the right microfoam texture to make a perfect latte (especially if you’re making latte art). Cafe au lait is a little more free form, and just needs foamy milk! Here are our top methods:
- Froth the milk with a hand-held frother, French press, or whisk. The frother is a great investment if you often froth milk (you can even use it to make Cold Foam). Go to How to Froth Milk.
- Steam the milk using an espresso machine. Use the instructions for stretching the milk to 20 to 25% in height. Go to How to Steam Milk.
How to Serve a Café au Lait
If you’re making cafe au lait for company with a brunch, you’ll want to vary the method a little bit. A Moka Pot makes 2 cups at a time, so you may want to make a few pots in advance and store in a thermos. A large Chemex can make up to 4 cups. Then, make a big batch of frothed milk (the frothing tool is best for a large batch, but any work).
Topping it with a sprinkling of cinnamon is nice too! Here are a few great brunch items to pair:
- Fresh croissants
- Scones like blueberry scones or vegan scones
- Muffins like chocolate banana muffins or apple streusel muffins
Frequently Asked Questions
Say it as “ka-fay oh lay,” where the “t” at the end stays silent.
It translates directly from French as “coffee with milk.” (“Lait” means “milk.”)
Yes, though it’s mostly a home-and-breakfast drink in France. Ordering a milky coffee after 11:00 PM is usually not done. In cafés you can order a “café crème” which has espresso like a latte or cappuccino but liquid milk (not foam).
No, the closest is brewed coffee with an equal amount of steamed milk.
Cafe Au Lait
A café au lait is the easiest way to have a French morning: it’s equal parts strong coffee and warm, foamy milk. Here’s how to make one in 5 minutes!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 1 drink 1x
- Category: Drink
- Method: Coffee
- Cuisine: Coffee
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 4 ounces (½ cup) strong dark roast coffee (like Moka Pot)
- 4 ounces (½ cup) steamed whole milk (or oat milk for dairy free)
Instructions
- Make coffee using a Moka Pot, or strong dark roast coffee using your method of choice (French press, Chemex, Aeropress, or other).
- Steam the milk with an espresso machine (stretching the milk to 20 to 25% in height), or froth the milk with a frother, French press or whisk.
- Pour the coffee in a cup. Add the steamed milk and serve immediately.
More Coffee Drinks To Try
Make all the best coffee drinks at home! Here are a few top drinks to try:
- Spanish Cafe con leche is similar, but sweetened!
- Grab an espresso drink like an Americano, Macchiato, Cappuccino, Flat White, Mocha, Iced Latte, or Iced Vanilla Latte
- Try a Ristretto, Breve or Lungo
- Brew tasty Cold Brew Coffee or French Press Cold Brew
Whats the best coffee brand do you think is best to use with the Moka pot?
We’d recommend Illy!
Let us know if you have any questions!