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❄️ Seasonal Drinks · 2026

How to Make a Gingerbread Latte at Home

Starbucks discontinued the gingerbread latte in 2019, so making it is the only reliable way to get one. The syrup, the spices, and the build.

Written and reviewed by the CoffeeLabAdvisor editorial team · Published 2 October 2026

6 facts, each with a source below 5 questions answered 6 reviewed machines that make it

A gingerbread latte is espresso and steamed milk sweetened with gingerbread syrup — a syrup built on molasses and brown sugar with ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. There is a reason this page is about making it rather than buying it: Starbucks discontinued the gingerbread latte in 2019, and while gingerbread syrup has reappeared since in limited drinks such as an iced gingerbread chai, the latte itself has not returned to the standard menu. The syrup is the entire drink, and it is the part worth getting right: molasses is what separates gingerbread from generic spice, and leaving it out gives you a chai-ish latte instead.

On this page
  1. What a gingerbread latte actually is
  2. The syrup, and the ingredient people leave out
  3. The build
  4. Machines that make it
  5. FAQ
The baseA latte — espresso under steamed milk
What makes it gingerbreadA syrup of molasses and brown sugar with warm spices
The spicesGinger, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves
The one that mattersMolasses — without it the drink is not gingerbread
DiscontinuedStarbucks dropped the gingerbread latte in 2019
Since thenGingerbread syrup has returned only in limited drinks, not the latte

What a gingerbread latte actually is

It is a latte — espresso under steamed milk — sweetened with gingerbread syrup instead of plain sugar or vanilla. The coffee technique is unchanged. The syrup is the drink.

Worth knowing before you go looking for one: Starbucks discontinued the gingerbread latte in 2019. Gingerbread syrup has come back since in limited seasonal drinks, such as an iced gingerbread chai, but the latte has not returned as a standard item. Making it at home is the dependable route, which is why this page exists.

The syrup, and the ingredient people leave out

Gingerbread syrup is built on molasses and brown sugar, with water, and warming spices: ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves, usually with vanilla.

The molasses is not optional. It is what gives gingerbread its dark, slightly bitter, faintly mineral depth — the thing that distinguishes it from a generic sweet-spice syrup. A version made with brown sugar alone tastes closer to a chai latte than to gingerbread, which is the most common disappointment with home recipes.

Ginger carries the heat, cinnamon and nutmeg the warmth, and cloves the depth. Cloves are powerful; they are the spice to go light on first if the balance is off.

The build

  1. Syrup in the cup. Start lower than you think — molasses-based syrups taste sweeter as the drink cools.
  2. Pull the espresso onto it and stir, so the syrup is fully dissolved before any milk arrives.
  3. Steam the milk and pour. Ordinary latte texture.
  4. Finish with a dusting of cinnamon or nutmeg if you want it, though the syrup is already carrying both.

Because the syrup is dark and heavy it settles. Stir it into the espresso properly, or the last mouthful will be noticeably stronger than the first.

Machines that make it, from our reviews

A gingerbread latte is a latte with a syrup, so it needs espresso and steamed milk. Every machine below has a published review, with its steam system named on the card.

Jura Z10
🏆 2026 Best Bean-to-Cup Machine winner

Jura Z10

Bean-to-Cup · Automatic milk · Plant milk 5/5

$4,149.00Live Amazon price · as of 10/06/2026 2:07 PM
Buy on Amazon →

Frequently asked questions

What is in a gingerbread latte?

Espresso, steamed milk and gingerbread syrup — a syrup made from molasses and brown sugar with ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves, usually with vanilla.

Did Starbucks discontinue the gingerbread latte?

Yes, in 2019. Gingerbread syrup has returned since in limited seasonal drinks such as an iced gingerbread chai, but the gingerbread latte itself has not come back as a standard menu item.

What makes gingerbread syrup different from a spiced syrup?

Molasses. It supplies the dark, faintly bitter depth that defines gingerbread. A syrup made with brown sugar and spices alone tends to taste closer to chai than to gingerbread.

What spices are in a gingerbread latte?

Ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves, usually with vanilla. Ginger carries the heat, cinnamon and nutmeg the warmth, and cloves the depth — cloves are the easiest to overdo.

Can I make it without an espresso machine?

Yes. Any strong coffee works as the base — a moka pot or an AeroPress will do — though the drink is defined around espresso and steamed milk.

Sources for this page: Composition (espresso, steamed milk, gingerbread syrup) and the syrup’s makeup (molasses, brown sugar, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, vanilla): consistent across the independent recipe sources consulted 2026-10-02 · Starbucks discontinuing the gingerbread latte in 2019, and gingerbread syrup returning only in limited drinks since: independent reporting read 2026-10-02 We have not measured drinks in a lab; where volumes differ between authorities, the page names each authority rather than averaging them, and machine capabilities come from our own published review records.

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