It’s been awhile since I shared a bevvie recipe with y’all, so please give a warm welcome to this Sweet and Spicy Almond Butter Date Latte. I’ve been drinking it at least twice a week for the last month, so I figured it was time to share it with you.
I don’t mean to toot my own horn so loudly, but this latte is truly life-changing. One sip and you’ll be taken to latte heaven, a place I didn’t even know existed until I tasted this sweet nectar. The almond butter and oat milk make the texture of this latte so creamy and lush, and the cinnamon-cayenne-vanilla-orange flavor combo is mindblowingly good.
And if you’re saying to yourself, “Okay, Nisha, calm down. I’ve had an almond latte before, it’s fine.” I understand your skepticism. But no, no no. This is not your standard plant milk latte.
you MUST try my creamy Vegan Hot Chocolate recipe!Why you’ll love this Almond Butter Date Latte
The most flavorful latte. Thanks to a powerful combination of cinnamon, cayenne, vanilla, and orange, the sweet-spicy-zingy flavors are a a straight-up party for your taste buds.
Fun vegan breakfast idea. If you’re tried of oatmeal and smoothies, give this date latte a try. There are a wide array of vegan breakfast recipes that most people don’t know about and this is one of my faves.
Texture on point. This latte is extremely creamy and frothy, and requires no fancy espresso machine. It is so creamy and indulgent that it tastes like dessert.
Wholesome. Despite being extremely creamy, this latte is made with good-for-you ingredients and sweetened exclusively with dates.
PS: If you’re thinking “I’m not a coffee person” or caffeine makes me jittery / gives me night sweats,” I’ve got two caffeine-alternatives for you in the recipe card!
Ingredient Rundown
Oat milk
I use oat milk because it is super creamy, which makes this latte as thick, frothy, and indulgent as a latte made with full-fat milk. But of course, this version is kinder to the environment, animals, and your digestive system!
If you can’t find oat milk (or have a sensitivity to oats), I recommend another similarly creamy plant-based milk, such as coconut drinking milk, cashew milk, soy milk, or macadamia milk. To keep this Paleo-friendly, use coconut, cashew or macadamia milk; to keep this soy-free, obviously, don’t use soy milk.
Medjool Dates
This latte is perfectly sweet (i.e., sweet but not sugary) thanks to Medjool dates. And you only need 2 of them.
These sweet and sticky gems are perfect in this recipe, but if you can’t find Medjool dates, you can use the smaller Deglet dates. Keep in mind they’re not very soft, so you might need to blend the latte longer, especially if you don’t have a powerful blender. Also, you’ll want to use more than two since they’re smaller in size.
Almond Butter
This is my absolute new favorite ingredient to add to a beverage. I mean, I love almond butter and eat it on the reg and even put it in my smoothies, but I was not prepared for how delicious it is in a latte. It’s very very very good.
You can use any brand of almond butter you like, but just stick to a smooth variety. Or, homemade almond butter is always a great idea. To see how easy it is to make almond butter (if you have a Vitamix), check out my winter meal prep video here (I make almond butter starting at 9:45).
Coffee
This is a latte, so we gotta add some coffee! I suggest a strongly brewed coffee, so that some of the coffee flavors shine through the sweet spiciness of the almond butter date milk. I used an Americano (espresso mixed with hot water), but if you brew coffee at home, just make it a bit strong.
If you’re sensitive to caffeine or don’t drink very much of it, (hi, that’s me!), just use decaf coffee or espresso (there’s a minuscule amount of caffeine in decaf). And if the taste of coffee just ain’t your thing, then try a hot black tea. English breakfast would be a great neutral flavor, but an Earl Gray would be insanely flavorful and uniquely delicious. And, of course, you can use regular or decaf tea.
Cinnamon, Cayenne Pepper, Orange Peel, Vanilla
If the oat milk and almond butter are what bring the rich creaminess and the dates are what bring the sweetness, then these final ingredients pack in all the flavor!
Cinnamon and vanilla extract are fairly obvious choices, as they could spruce up almost any latte flavor. But the cayenne pepper and orange peel are real game changers, so please don’t omit them!
First, the cayenne pepper. If you’ve ever had a spicy Mexican hot chocolate, you know what I’m talking about. The heat pairs sooo well with the sweet milkiness. You need just a pinch and it adds this subtle background heat that pairs so seductively well with the sweetness.
Which brings me to the next ingredient, the orange peel. If you’ve ever zested an orange (or lemon or lime), you know that there’s so much flavor concentrated in the peel. And when you simmer that peel for 10 minutes and then blend it up until everything is frothy, you are extracting all of the flavor and freshness out of that peel.
The result is a sweet, spicy, floral, zingy latte that is utterly and indescribably delicious. It’s bursting with warmth and love and coziness.
More delicious vegan breakfast recipes
- Classic diner-style Vegan Pancakes
- Really good Vegan French Toast
- The best eggy Tofu Scramble
- Epic vegan Breakfast Burritos
- Wholesome vegan Breakfast Cookies
Watch! How to make Almond Butter Date Latte
If you love this latte, please share your feedback and rate and review the recipe below!
Sweet and Spicy Almond Butter Date Latte
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups (360 mL) unsweetened oat milk*
- 2 tablespoons creamy almond butter
- 2 soft large(ish) Medjool dates, pitted and torn in half
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, extra for dusting the top
- A pinch of cayenne pepper
- 1 large strip of orange peel
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 - 1/2 cup (60 - 120 mL) strongly brewed hot coffee**
Instructions
- Add the oat milk, almond butter, dates, cinnamon, cayenne, orange peel, and vanilla to a small or medium saucepan. Bring to a rapid simmer and maintain it for 10 minutes, whisking occasionally.
- Remove the milk from the heat and transfer it to a high-powered blender. Remove the center cap of the blender and cover with a dish towel to allow steam to escape. Blend on high until the mixture is very smooth and creamy, and all of the dates and orange peel are pulverized. Taste and adjust flavors as necessary.
- Divide the hot coffee into two coffee mugs and then pour the almond butter date milk into each mug. Sprinkle with cinnamon and enjoy!
Notes
This was extremely delicious! I made this for my mom and I and she loved this coffee drink. Definitely don’t skip the orange peel and cayenne!
Thanks for sharing, Rica!
This was DELIGHTFUL. I was a little skeptical of the orange peel, but it was so good and just added a little note of brightness. Will absolutely be making this again and again.
Awesome, Carol. Thanks for your comment and for taking the time to review!
Soo good!!!I drank a hot latte and the morning and drank the second one as an iced latte. It sort of reminded me of this pan de muerto
Thanks for the lovely feedback, Gabby!
Take it from someone who hates latte or any coffee with milk: it’s fantastic recipe!!!! Unfortunately I haven’t got some ingredients, so instead of medjools I used figs, I got grapefruit peel, agave syrup (instead vanilla) and coconut milk. Thank you so much ☺️ 🙏
Thanks for sharing, Agata!
This latte is AMAZING!! I have made it with the full fat oat milk and with the unsweetened cashew milk for a low carb alternative and they are both 100% fabulous!! Both my mom and brother love it too! I definitely want to try to make a batch to use during the week like another user mentioned. Would I just reheat the mixture when I want to use again? Any thoughts?
Thanks for this!! It’s fabulous!
Hi Nikki, wonderful to hear everyone loved the latte! Yes, when you’re ready to drink any leftovers, just make sure to shake and/or stir the mixture well before reheating!
I am BLOWN away by how delicious this is! The oatmilk mixture becomes so creamy as it cooks down and the orange peel gives it so much depth–definitely do not skip it. I also love the heat from the cayanne! I’m so glad this randomly appeared on my FB feed today!
Awesome, Jessica. Thanks for your comment and for taking the time to review! :)
Can I use almond milk? I saw cashew milk so hoping I can use almond as a substitute.
Hi Sonu, yes any plant milk will do!
it was very very very good. Thank You
That’s so great to hear, Linda! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating alongside your review? Star ratings are big help to readers who are thinking of making the recipe. Thanks!
I just made this and it was insanely good! Next time I will make it when my husband is home. This is exactly the type of coffee he likes to order. Now I can make him something more healthy than what you find in the typical coffee bar.
I tried already quite some recipes from you and so far I loved it all. Healthy ingredients, but still I can indulge myself.
Thanks a lot for your content! Cheers from Germany
Thanks for the lovely feedback, Lieselot!
Guess what I’m drinking tomorrow morning? It sounds wonderful! Thanks for all your great recipes and I love your InstantPot cookbook!
Enjoy, Robyn! You are so welcome for all the recipes!
I just made this today and then made another batch so that we can have some tomorrow. It is very good. I like that I can adjust the sweetness and use whatever milk I have on hand. I just used orange zest at then end and I really like the cayenne and orange flavor- don’t skip it like Nisha said! Excellent recipe, thanks!
That’s so great to hear, Jody! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating alongside your review? Star ratings are big help to readers who are thinking of making the recipe. Thanks!
Hey Jody, can you say how it turned out reheated in the next day batch?
The latte sounds so delish and yummy!! I can’t wait to make it. Also, I too think of cookies for breakfast because I love a bakery type item with my coffee in the mornings. These nutritious cookies are the perfect remedy. Thank you so much for both of these recipes which will be staples for me. I also love your YouTube channel and all your scrumptious ways to eat healthy (not to mention letting animals be).
Thank you for the kind words, Nancy! We are incredibly happy to hear you’ve been loving the recipes!
This latte is my go-to if I want coffee. So delicious and balanced in flavor. I don’t get coffees or lattes from anywhere else because no one serves this one. It trumps every coffee shop in my area. Thanks for yet another amazing recipe.
Aww, thanks for sharing! So lovely you enjoy the recipe that much, Rubaab :)
Great tasting coffee and full of good stuff! Will be making again. Thanks!
Thanks for the lovely feedback, Iris!
Oh wow! This is so good. I have been wanting something hot other than hot chocolate and this is perfect. I used date paste that I had in the fridge so I skipped the blender and made it all in one pot. However it would probably have been more frothy had I blended in the Vitamix. Or maybe I should have used the immersion blender but I couldn’t wait to drink it. Thanks for the recipe.
So glad you loved the latte, Wanda! Thank you for the wonderful review :)
This is one of my favorite drinks! I make it just as the recipe is written and it is delicious. Or sometimes I sub the coffee with hot chocolate. 🔥 🍊
Thanks for the lovely feedback, Nicola!
Extremely good! This recipe makes me really look forward to drinking coffee. I prepare a huge batch that lasts a week.
Awesome, Mary. Thanks for your comment and for taking the time to review!
How about using peanut butter?
That works as well, Nicole!
I love the subtle sweetness and spice in this recipe. I used orange extract (as opposed to the vanilla) and a blood orange peel.So moreish!
So tasty! Thanks for sharing your experience, Diana!
The flavors in this latte were perfect! I used almond milk and maple syrup instead of oat milk and dates because that is what I had on hand and I added some vegan dark chocolate. Blended it with ice for a frappucino and it was so tasty! Will be making this frequently! Thanks for the recipe :)
Blending it with ice sounds like a great idea, Katherine! We are so glad you enjoyed the latte. Thanks for taking the time to review!