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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at UMKC chapter.

For my birthday, I convinced my parents to split the cost of a Nespresso. I believe it is a good purchase because now I am spending about a dollar on a latte rather than seven dollars at a coffee shop. I was pulled more towards purchasing a Nespresso than a Keurig because I enjoy drinking iced coffee all year round. It can be 2℉ outside and I still will be drinking iced coffee. Additionally, I did some research and learned that Nespresso recycles their pods while Keurig does not. This was a big deciding factor for me because, with a Nespresso, I will not feel as bad using single-serve plastic pods. So, I am now the owner of a Nespresso Vertuo Next Machine and am learning to make coffee drinks that I enjoy at coffee shops! Here is how I make them! 

Lavender Latte

There are a few coffee shops that have started offering lavender syrup as one of the syrup options for your coffee. For example, every time I visit the Filling Station Coffee Shop, I usually order an iced lavender latte. I am a big fan of lavender coffee syrup because it does not make my coffee overly sweet and keeps some of the bitter taste of the espresso palatable. Unfortunately, I cannot always go to Filling Station, so I made my own lavender coffee syrup! 

Ingredients: 

Syrup: 1 tablespoon of culinary lavender (I got mine from the River Market), 1 cup of water, 1 cup of sugar

Latte: shot of espresso, milk (I like using whole milk!), ice 

How to Make the Syrup: 

  1. Add the water, sugar and lavender into a saucepan and bring it to a boil.
  2. Keeping stirring the mixture until all the sugar dissolves and let it simmer for a minute.
  3. After one minute, turn off the heat and let the mixture steep for 30 minutes.
  4. Pour syrup into a glass jar and use a strainer to strain out all the lavender blossoms.

Latte Recipe: 

  1. Fill a glass with ice and then pour in the shot of espresso. 
  2. Add about an ounce of lavender.
  3. Add six ounces of milk.
  4. Stir and enjoy! 
Dirty Chai

I have become a big fan of dirty chais over this past year. Dirty chais are a chai latte with a shot of espresso added into it and they are very easy to make! There are a few coffee shops that have the perfect balance of sweetness and spice in their chai concentrate. One of my favorites is Dollop Coffee, which I visited during my trip to Chicago over the summer!  

Ingredients:

Chai concentrate, milk, shot of espresso, ice 

Dirty Chai Recipe: 

  1. Fill your glass with ice and add six ounces of chai concentrate.
  2. Add six ounces of milk. 
  3. Pour your shot of espresso on top.
  4. Stir and enjoy! 

Note: I like having a one-to-one ratio with my chai concentrate and milk. However, you can adjust this recipe according to your own liking!

Sugar Cookie Almond Milk Latte

The Sugar Cookie Latte from Starbucks was one of my holiday favorites. However, since it was a holiday drink, Starbucks does not carry it anymore, so I have tried to figure out how to make it at home! After exploring the internet, I found out all you need to make a simple syrup and add sprinkles on top! 

Ingredients: 

Syrup: ¼ cup of water, 2 tablespoons of brown sugar, ¼ cup of granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, ¼ teaspoon of almond extract 

Latte: ¾ cup of almond milk, shot of espresso (I prefer using a blonde espresso shot with this recipe!), sprinkles, ice 

Syrup Recipe: 

  1. In a saucepan over medium heat, add the water, brown sugar, granulated sugar, vanilla extract and almond extract.
  2. Heat until the sugar dissolves.
  3. After sugar dissolves, turn off the heat and let it cool.
  4. After cooling, store syrup in a glass jar. 

Latte Recipe: 

  1. Fill your glass with ice and add the sugar cookie syrup.
  2. Top your glass with almond milk and espresso.
  3. Stir and add some sprinkles on top and enjoy!

I am very biased towards iced drinks, however, all these drinks can be enjoyed both hot or iced! When I buy myself a cup of coffee from a coffee shop, I label it as self-care. Obviously, if I am making my favorite drinks at home, I will not get the same sense of satisfaction from purchasing a latte. However, I have learned that the sense of accomplishment I get when I make it myself is different and motivating. I have learned that adding garnishes and making the latte in a cute cup also help set the vibes. Hopefully, you find success in these recipes as I have! Enjoy!

Ria Dave

UMKC '26

Ria is a 4th yr BA/MD (MS2) medical student at the University of Missouri - Kansas City School of Medicine. She is currently one of the Campus Co-Correspondents for Her Campus at UMKC. When she is not writing for Her Campus, you can find her visiting new coffee shops, online window shopping, and collecting vinyl records. She finds comfort in rewatching Legally Blonde, watching k-dramas and painting her nails.