Sweeten Up Your Latte By Adding Syrup To Your Milk Before Steaming

The best part of waking up? Coffee, obviously. The sound of grinding beans, the smell of a fresh brew, and the hit of caffeine after that first blissful sip — it's hard to imagine anything better. Fortunately, we have a lot more than supermarket aisle aluminum cans to rely on these days, as more third-wave, modern roasters are making their products available widely, and even chain grocery stores now have sections dedicated to high-end beans. Tasting notes can range from caramel and chocolate to peach and rose water, and just about everything in between. But even as flavorful as the coffee available to us now can be, about a billion pumpkin spice latte lovers will tell you that it is always fun to add a little flair to your daily cup.

A sweetened syrup is a great way to infuse some flavor into your latte, just like your barista does at your favorite cafe. You can find plenty of commercial options in-store or online, but it's also simple enough to make a liquid sweetener right at home and enjoy a totally homemade sweetened lattesituation by adding a few teaspoons to your milk or milk alternative just before steaming and frothing (which you can do with a whisk and microwave, even if you don't have an espresso machine). Adding the sweetener prior to steaming ensures that you'll have an even distribution of flavor in your finished product. When you make your own sweetened latte at home, not only will you save a few bucks, but you can also customize sweetness and flavors for a foamy freestyle.

Adding basic simple syrup will be akin to simply adding a spoonful of sugar, but because it's already in liquid form, you don't run the risk of finding a gritty pile of granules at the bottom of your cup. Syrups ensure that the flavor of the sugar — and any additions that you choose — will be dispersed throughout your drink. And at home, those flavors are limited only by your own palate and ingredients.

Fortunately, the heavenly gift that we call coffee pairs well with so many flavors, and simple syrup is a blank slate that's easily enhanced with extracts like vanilla, almond, or hazelnut. You can also swap out the base sugar for brown sugar to achieve a deeper, rounder profile, and infuse syrup with fresh herbs or spices (think pumpkin spice or cinnamon brown sugar syrups). Chocolate syrup transforms your coffee into a decadent mocha, which you can also spin to suit your whims. Make a peppermint mocha latte with chocolate syrup and a few drops of mint extract, or a nutty spin reminiscent of a classic candy combo with chocolate-peanut butter simple syrup. For a double dose of coffee flavor, spike your joe with a coffee simple syrup (just swap brewed coffee for water when preparing).

If you want to take your latte further, combine your sweetener with flavored creamer. Try vanilla creamer with honey syrup, or go for the Nutella treatment by pairing chocolate syrup with hazelnut creamer.

Believe it or not, sweetened coffee may not be the indulgence you think. In fact, studies show that coffee, even with a slight sugary boost, can help you live a longer life. And while overconsumption of sugar is proven to have negative health implications, making a latte at home allows you to better control how much sugar you consume. Particularly when making your own syrup, you have the benefit of being able to avoid certain processed ingredients and know exactly what you're taking in.

If you feel concerned about adding refined sugar to your coffee regardless, it's possible to use a number of alternative sweeteners in place of simple syrup — some of which may even boost the nutrient profile of your morning cup in addition to bringing big flavor. Maple syrup is a natural pairing with coffee, complementing the roasty notes of the beans no matter where they fall on the light-to-dark spectrum, and a small dose in your java delivers zinc, magnesium, riboflavin, and calcium, among other nutrients inherent to the syrup. A squeeze of low-glycemic agave nectar will bring some Vitamin B6 and K, as well as Folate to your breakfast table. And if you opt for honey, you benefit not only from that unmistakable flavor, but also from the antioxidant-rich, anti-inflammatory elements natural to honey, and there's even evidence that this sticky stuff might have antidepressant and anti-anxiety qualities. Now that's a morning pick-me-up.