One of the simplest breakfasts in the Dominican Republic is a steaming cup of Café con leche (Dominican latte) served with bread. Although it's very easy to make -- and takes just a few minutes -- here's how to prepare one that will get your mornings off to a great start.
By - Reviewed: . Original: Jun 20, 2016
Why we ❤️ it
The simplest and quickest Dominican breakfast is definitely a cup of hot Dominican coffee with bread. The second quickest and easiest is probably a cup of coffee with milk and bread, which can be made and enjoyed in the blink of an eye.
What's cafe con leche?
Café con leche is the Dominican latte-a strong coffee mixed with whole milk and sweetened. In the Dominican Republic, if you order café con leche, something like this recipe is what you'll be served, but it's not the only type of coffee to which milk is traditionally added.
We also have the Cortadito, which is a tiny cup of strong espresso with just a splash of milk added. Another is the Medio pollo, which is prepared the same way as the Cortadito, but with more milk.
In Café con leche, the coffee is a little less strong, and milk (never cream) is added in a 50/50 ratio (but really depend on personal preference).
Dominican latte (café con leche).
Serving suggestions
We serve café con leche at breakfast, never at dinner. It's usually served with Dominican bread (such as Pan de agua or Pan sobao), some Galletas de manteca (Dominican crackers), or, if you're lucky, a slice of Dominican arepa.
You can also serve it to accompany a heartier breakfast, such as Puré de yautía (malanga purée), Mazamorra (pumpkin purée), or Mangú served with Revoltillo (Dominican scrambled eggs), or Los Tres Golpes.
Top tips
- Milk: For café con leche, always use milk, never cream. The type of milk you use depends on personal preference. For a thicker café con leche, some people use evaporated milk; whole milk is the traditional choice, but you can use skim or lactose-free milk if your diet requires it.
- Preheat the milk: Heat the milk before adding it to the coffee so it doesn't cool it down and fat droplets don't form if you're using whole milk.
- Coffee: The traditional coffee for café con leche is café de greca, made with a stovetop espresso maker, or café de colador (using a cotton fabric filter). You can use coffee from an electric drip coffee maker or a French press.
If you use very strong coffee, you'll need to add a little more milk, but in that case, try not to use evaporated milk because it would taste too much like milk. - Ratio: I'd be lying if I told you there's a "correct" ratio of coffee to milk -it really depends on the type of coffee you use, the type of milk, and personal taste. In my case, I prefer Italian-style coffee or slightly strong filter coffee (but not espresso) with an equal amount of milk (in my case, lactose-free).
Experiment to find the balance you like. - Spices: My mom used to add grated nutmeg to the coffee, and it's a little touch I love, so go ahead and try it too and see if you like it.
- ⚠️ Warning ⚠️: Never put milk in the greca. Not only will it damage the mechanism, but it will also clog the pressure valve and could cause an explosion.
About this recipe
More nutritious than plain coffee, this drink is more filling and just as comforting. At home, we're split between my daughter, who doesn't drink coffee; me, who prefers black coffee; and my husband, who only drinks coffee with milk.
This is going to sound terrible to many of us modern parents, but I was already being served café con leche when I was a little girl. My grandmother roasted her own coffee because she thought store-bought "café de sobrecito" was too weak, and she brewed it in her traditional colador (cotton filter coffee maker).
When I visited my grandmother in the countryside, she'd give me my little tin cup of hot, sweet coffee in the mornings and send me to my grandfather to have him milk a goat (I'm linera) right into the jarrito. The result was a frothy, very tasty latte with raw goat milk. And as they say on TV: Don't try this at home. 😅
If you have another way of making your coffee with milk, we'd love for you to share it in the comments.
Video
Recipe
This awesome free recipe contains Amazon affiliate links, we receive a small commission from any purchase you make at no extra cost to you. Thanks for your support!
Cafe con Leche [Video+Recipe] Dominican Latte
Equipment
- Greca (stovetop italian espresso maker) for 8 cups
Ingredients
- ¾ cup ground Dominican coffee, [44 grams]
- 1 pinch ground nutmeg, (optional)
- 2 cups whole milk, hot [475 milliliters]
- 4 teaspoons brown sugar, or white sugar (or to taste)
Instructions
1. Preparation
In a large greca (Italian espresso coffee maker large enough for 8 cups of espresso), fill the water reservoir with water just below the valve.Add the coffee to the coffee filter basket, pressing down if necessary to ensure an even layer. Add the nutmeg (optional) and press down to level it.⚠️ If your coffee maker is smaller, you’ll need to make as many cups of coffee as you need (half a cup per serving).
2. Boil
- Assemble the greca, screwing the top on tightly.Place it on a stable burner and boil over medium heat until the coffee stops rising (when it stops making noise).Remove from heat immediately.
3. Serve
Pour the coffee into four large cups to the middle mark.Add milk to fill a cup, or to taste.Sweeten with sugar to taste.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is calculated automatically based on ingredients listed. Please consult your doctor if you need precise nutrition information.
Want to save this recipe?
Enter your email & I'll send it to your inbox. ❤️ Plus, get great weekly recipes from me!
More breakfast drink recipes
Start your day on the right foot with the warm comfort you'll get from any of our Dominican breakfast drinks, we love our Chocolate con leche cocoa, and Avena caliente (and oatmeal drink) or the dairy-free Chocolate de agua. Non-chocolate hot drinks like Chocolate de maní (with peanuts) and Chocolate de maíz (with Gofio - toasted cornmeal) can make the rest of the day just a tad better.
- Learn more about me and the humans behind this blog.
- Share your questions and comments about this post.
- Subscribe to receive our recipes and articles by email.
- Please stay in touch! Follow us on:
