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Café Au Lait in New Orleans is a thick cup of half coffee and half hot milk. It's the perfect addition to breakfast, brunch or dinner.
Here are some divine meals to serve with your hot cup of cafe au lait: New Orleans Calas, New Orleans Beignets, Pain Perdu (French Toast), Cinnamon Coffee Cake, Fudge Brownies, or Fried Peach Pies.
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I may have been as young as 5 years old when I had my first sip of café au lait when my family went to Cafe Du Monde. It's a right of passage, especially if you're going to stroll through the French Market.
The scent of fried dough perfumes the air of the French market, almost putting you under a spell to stand in line to order 3 beignets with a cup of cafe au lait. The same way Americans commonly eat milk and donuts is the same way we eat donuts (beignets) and cafe au lait in New Orleans.
The amazing thing about this drink is that it's effortless to make, but there's always something a little special that makes it uniquely New Orleans and will separate it from a traditional French cup of cafe au lait. It's the chicory roots added to the coffee.
For the record, I prefer only to drink strong black coffee, but this is the only way I'll add milk. Let's jump into making this special cup of coffee with milk.
Key Ingredients
Here are the ingredients and tools you'll need for a delicious cup of cafe au lait.
New Orleans Chicory Coffee
Coffee and chicory blend is the secret ingredient that separates a New Orleans-style cafe au lait from a traditionally served version. The added chicory gives a unique flavor and thickness to the coffee. The best-flavored Chicory coffee is made by CDM, French markets, or Cafe Du Monde blend, which is more accessible outside New Orleans.
Milk
You can use whatever milk you want for the steamed milk, but I love the rich flavor of half and half.
Drip Pot
I have a two-cup drip pot, so I use it when I have the time; other than that, I use my Keruig when short on time.
How To Make Cafe Au Lait
A café au lait recipe is straightforward and should take only 5 minutes to brew. You only have to ask yourself if you will use a drip coffee maker or your Keruig to move faster.
Place coffee grounds in a coffee filter inside a drip pot; heat water in a medium pot over high heat; as soon as the water boils, remove it and pour it over the coffee grounds.
While that's brewing. Heat half and half in a small pot over medium heat until it boils slightly. This is how you make scalded milk.
Evenly pour coffee into 2 coffee mugs, then stir in even amounts of hot milk. Serve hot, and enjoy with beignets or a piece of toast.
How To Store Cafe Au Lait
Cafe au lait is best when drunk immediately. However, you can keep a large batch warm in a pot or coffee urn.
Pro Recipe Tips & Tricks
Here are a few notes I had after making batches of cafe au lait over the years.
- If you like sugar in your coffee, add it. It usually is not because it's served with a sweet breakfast.
- You can use any milk of choice regardless if it's whole milk, 2%, or non-dairy. The key is heating the milk correctly.
- This recipe can be divided into 4 smaller cups.
- The rule of thumb is 1 tablespoon of chicory coffee for 1 cup of coffee.
- An espresso machine is a great way to make a cup of café au lait.
- You can use any medium or dark roast coffee instead of New Orleans chicory coffee.
- Coffee and chicory blends also come decaffeinated.
- Use the strong feature on your Keruig for the right brewed coffee strength. You can use a traditional coffee maker too.
FAQs
Here are readers' top questions about making cafe au lait at home.
Café Du Monde is the iconic cafe in New Orleans, Louisiana. It's on Decatur Street in the French Quarter, just across from the St. Louis Cathedral. They're known for serving beignets and café au lait year-round, 364 days a year, any time of the day! The only day they're closed is Christmas Day, but other than that, you can get served 24/7.
A latte is an Italian coffee made with espresso, steamed milk, and frothed milk. Cafe au lait originated in France and means coffee with milk. It's made by combining equal parts coffee and steamed milk.
Yes, that's exactly what it means. It's made with a strong cup of drip coffee and steamed milk.
More New Orleans Recipes
I recommend these recipes if you want to bring a taste of the Big Easy to your dinner table!
- Red Beans and Rice
- Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya
- Dirty Rice
- Blackened Chicken Alfredo
- New Orleans BBQ Shrimp and Grits
- Roast Beef Po-Boys
Before You Begin
Here are my steps for getting organized before I start anything.
Step 1: Buy some Chicory coffee; the Cafe Du Monde brand is more readily available in local markets.
Step 2: Follow this recipe and get ready for the best cup of cafe au lait you've ever enjoyed.
Whether you enjoy it as a morning pick-me-up or a cozy dessert drink, this cafe au lait will surely delight your taste buds and awaken your senses.
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📖 Recipe
New Orleans Café Au Lait
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons ground coffee & chicory
- 2 cups water
- 2 cups half and half
Instructions
- Place coffee grounds in a coffee filter inside a drip pot; heat water in a medium pot over high heat; as soon as the water boils, remove it and pour it over the coffee grounds.
- While that's brewing. Heat half and half in a small pot over medium heat until it boils slightly. This is how you make scalded milk.
- Evenly pour coffee into 2 coffee mugs, then stir in even amounts of hot milk. Serve hot, and enjoy with beignets or a piece of toast.
Notes
- If you like sugar in your coffee, add it. It usually is not because it's served with a sweet breakfast.
- You can use any milk of choice regardless if it's whole milk, 2%, or non-dairy. The key is heating the milk correctly.
- This recipe can be divided into 4 smaller cups.
- The rule of thumb is 1 tablespoon of chicory coffee for 1 cup of coffee.
- An espresso machine is a great way to make a cup of café au lait.
- You can use any medium or dark roast coffee instead of New Orleans chicory coffee.
- Coffee and chicory blends also come decaffeinated.
- Use the strong feature on your Keruig for the right brewed coffee strength. You can use a traditional coffee maker too.
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