Today’s recipe is a shout out to my sister, Catherine.
She is definitely the inspiration for this creation.
For years, Catherine has asked me to come up with a peanut butter coffee recipe. I always put her off. Not because it didn’t sound good but because I usually had three or four other coffee drink ideas lined up to test out first.
Well, the time has finally come for me to test out this suggestion. Spoiler alert: it was an awesome suggestion.
Catherine’s reason for requesting said peanut butter-coffee combo is because one of her favorite things in the mornings is a hot cup of coffee consumed alongside a piece of peanut butter toast. She has eaten this for years as a comfort food, and she raves about it regularly. She asked me if I could come up with a peanut butter inspired coffee drink.
And I realized that this hasn’t really been done before. At least not by main coffee chains. The closest thing I could find was a peanut butter cup coffee creamer. And that’s not exactly what we had in mind.
So! I tested out a couple peanut butter coffee recipes. I blended peanut butter with hot coffee and milk in a blender. The result? Delicious but texturally strange. I attempted a homemade peanut butter coffee creamer. No good. I even tried making peanut butter milk. That was disastrous, to say the least.
Finally, I decided to try a peanut butter CARAMEL to put in any coffee drink we liked. It could be used in iced coffees, in hot macchiatos, or even more simply: in a latte. Which is my favorite version and exactly what I’m sharing with you today.
Peanut butter caramel lattes are a cup of comfort! They’re sweet, creamy, and decadent with the flavors of caramel and peanut butter. They are ideal for sipping on a slow fall morning – ideally on a weekend, when coffee should be a special indulgence and not just a “get caffeine in my body as fast as freaking possible” experience. The latter is how my weekday mornings usually go. Weekends, however, are meant for savoring…even at the start of the day with our coffee.
I’m a firm believer in this and rarely sacrifice that special early-morning relaxation time over a cup of coffee.
The peanut butter caramel comes together easily without any special equipment. It can be made ahead as well, which is what I recommend for maximum morning relaxation. I’ll make a batch of this caramel and keep it in the fridge to use all week long. It keeps extremely well in the fridge.
I like to whisk the caramel into the hot espresso right in the mug and then top it with frothed milk and whipped cream. Another generous drizzle of the caramel never hurt anyone, and I highly recommend it. The finishing touch? A light dusting of cinnamon. Just to keep those flavors interesting.
All that’s missing?
A piece of toast slathered with peanut butter. Just ask Catherine.
Peanut Butter Caramel Lattes
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 2 lattes (with extra caramel) 1x
Description
These peanut butter caramel lattes are a decadent morning treat that are meant to be savored. Creamy, sweet, and packed with peanut buttery caramel flavor – they’re meant to be on cool fall mornings!
Ingredients
For the Peanut Butter Caramel:
- ¼ cup light corn syrup
- ¼ cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
- ½ cup smooth peanut butter
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1–2 teaspoons flaky sea salt (or to taste)
For the Lattes:
- 2–4 shots espresso
- 2 cups steamed milk of choice
- Whipped cream
- Ground cinnamon
Instructions
For the Peanut Butter Caramel:
- Combine the corn syrup and sugars in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat until the mixture boils. Simmer for 2 minutes and then remove from heat.
- Add the peanut butter, honey, and vanilla and stir until the peanut butter is melted and mixture is smooth. Stir in the heavy cream and 1 teaspoon of the flaky sea salt.
- Carefully taste (it will be super hot!) and add more salt, as needed.
- Use immediately or pour into a mason jar for later use (cool and then refrigerate).
For the Lattes:
- Add the espresso to two coffee mugs. Whisk 2 tablespoons of the peanut butter caramel into the espresso in each mug (you can add more later).
- Divide the milk between the two mugs.
- Top each glass with whipped cream, another drizzle of the caramel, and a dusting of ground cinnamon. Serve immediately.
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: coffee
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