BREWED FAMILY
Café au Lait
A cafe au lait is brewed coffee combined with an equal amount of steamed milk. Unlike a latte, which starts from espresso, it uses drip or French-press coffee, giving a lighter cup that is milky but still clearly coffee.
- Cup size
- 8 oz
- Served
- Hot
- Strength
- 3 / 5 (concentration, not caffeine)
- Caffeine
- ~47 mg typical
WHERE IT SITS
- Café au Lait
- Latte
In the cup
What's in a Café au Lait
A cafe au lait is one of the simplest milk coffees there is: hot brewed coffee and hot milk, poured together in roughly equal measure. Because it starts from drip or French-press coffee rather than espresso, it tastes lighter and rounder than a latte, without the concentrated punch of a shot underneath. The milk smooths it out, but the everyday, easy-drinking character of brewed coffee stays front and center.
There is no foam art or careful layering here. The two are simply combined, which makes the cafe au lait a homey, unfussy drink rather than a cafe showpiece. In France it is a breakfast staple, traditionally served in a wide bowl big enough to dip bread or a pastry, and in New Orleans it is famously brewed with chicory for a deeper, slightly bittersweet edge.
- START HERECafé au Lait
- Latte
If a latte feels too strong or too rich for the morning, a cafe au lait is the gentler alternative: comforting, milky, and light on its feet, but still unmistakably a cup of coffee.
How it's built
- 4 oz brewed coffee
- + 4 oz steamed milk
- Café au Lait8 oz
Ordering a Café au Lait
At the counter
A cafe au lait is a homey, unfussy drink rather than a cafe showpiece: hot brewed coffee and hot milk poured together in equal measure, with no foam art or careful layering. It drinks lighter than a latte. In New Orleans you will find it brewed with chicory for a deeper, slightly bittersweet edge, so ask if that is what you are after.
- Cup size
- 8 oz
- Served
- Hot
Make it at home
Making a Café au Lait at home
- Brew a strong pot of drip or French-press coffee.
- Warm an equal amount of milk until it is hot but not boiling.
- Pour the coffee and the hot milk into a wide cup or bowl together, in roughly equal measure.
- In New Orleans it is brewed with chicory for a deeper, bittersweet edge, if you want to try it.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
What is a Café au Lait?
A cafe au lait is brewed coffee mixed with an equal amount of steamed milk. It uses drip or French-press coffee rather than espresso, so it is lighter and more everyday than a latte, while still tasting clearly of coffee under the milk.
What's in a Café au Lait / what's the ratio?
A Café au Lait is 4 oz brewed coffee, 4 oz steamed milk in an 8 oz cup - equal parts brewed coffee and steamed milk, no foam.
Is a Café au Lait strong?
On our concentration scale, a Café au Lait rates 3/5. Strength here means how concentrated the coffee tastes - not how much caffeine is in the cup.
How is a Café au Lait different from a Latte?
A latte is built on espresso, so it has a stronger, more concentrated coffee base under a large amount of milk. A cafe au lait uses ordinary brewed coffee instead, which makes it lighter and rounder. Both are milky, but the latte hits harder while the cafe au lait stays gentle.
Is a Café au Lait hot or iced?
Traditionally hot. A Café au Lait is served warm, not over ice.
How much caffeine is in a Café au Lait?
Around 47 mg is typical for a Café au Lait, scaled from USDA's measured figure for brewed coffee rather than measured in the cup. It is approximate - the real amount shifts with the beans, the roast, and the grind.