Published: · Updated: by Laura Fuentes · This post may contain affiliate links
The authentic recipe those of us who live in New Orleans use to make our cafe au lait coffee at home!
4.94 from 30 votes
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The first thing my New Orleans born-and-raised husband taught me to make more than 20 years ago is how to make a good cafe au lait. We still live here and drink it daily -and now you can too!
Jump to:
- What Makes a Café Au Lait?
- Can You Make Cafe Du Monde Coffee At Home?
- Ingredients
- How to Make Café Au Lait
- Coffee and Chicory Blend and Cafe au Lait Recipe
What Makes a Café Au Lait?
A café au lait is made up of strongly brewed coffee with milk. In New Orleans, we typically use ground coffee mixed with chicory when we brew it.
You can brew the coffee in a traditional coffee machine (drip) or using a French press. And, once you have a strong, richly brewed coffee you mix it with steamed milk.
One thing to note is that a café au lait does not have foam, the top of the coffee is flat.You can also make beignets at home using this beignet mix.
Where is Cafe au Lait From?
A café au lait is a French coffee where the literal translation is coffee and milk. However, it’s also a typical New Orleans-style coffee of chicory coffee and milk.
Can You Make Cafe Du Monde Coffee At Home?
You can absolutely make Cafe Du Monde coffee at home by brewing a strong coffee and chicory and serving it with milk.
One of the distinct flavors ofCafe Du Monde coffee is from the coffee itselfbecause their French roast coffee includes roasted chicory, a ground root that gives the coffee a distinct earthy and strong flavor.
Ingredients
To make a great café au lait at home, you’ll need 3 simple ingredients.Below, I explain what works best, and the measurements are in the recipe card below.
- New Orleans-style coffee:this is a ground blend of French roast coffee and roasted chicory. Check out the recommendations below.
- Water:needed to brew the coffee in a traditional drip coffee machine or a french press.
- Milk:traditionally, we make café au lait with whole milk so the denser texture of the milk can mix equally with this stronger brewed coffee. If using dairy-free milk, thicker options such as oat milk and barista blends work best.
Best Coffee for Café au Lait
In New Orleans, we make our café au laits by brewing a strong French Roast coffee that includes chicory. Make your own blend by mixing ¾ cup of ground French roast coffee with ¼ cup ofground roasted chicory. Or, you can brew a New Orleans blend that includes chicory, like theCafe Du Monde Coffee,the classicCommunity Coffee, orFrench Market Coffee.
How Much Milk is in a Café au Lait?
Steamed milk is the other key ingredient to a good café au lait, which is always equal parts brewed New Orleans-style coffee and milk. This means that for 1 cup of coffee, you’d heat up 1 cup of steamed milk. A café au lait does not have foam.
How to Make Café Au Lait
If you can brew coffee, you can make a café au lait just like we enjoy in New Orleans at home!Here is what you’ll do:
- Measure
Use a New Orleans blend coffee with chicory or mix your own. Use 1 cup water per 1 tablespoon of coffee with chicory. - Brew
Brew a strong coffee in a classic drip coffee machine or with a French press. - Heat the milk
Steam the milk, warm it up in the microwave, or in a pot on the stove. - Serve
Combine equal parts of brewed coffee and milk into a cup.
What to Serve with Your Morning Coffee
Your café au lait tastes even better when enjoyed with one of theseCinnamon Coffee Cake Muffins, a slice of this incredibleBlueberry Coffee Cake, one of theseClassic Scones,or with homemade beignets (I use this mix).
Coffee and Chicory Blend and Cafe au Lait Recipe
Laura Fuentes
The authentic recipe those of us who live in New Orleans use to make our cafe au lait coffee at home!
4.94 from 30 votes
Servings 1 cup
Prep Time 5 minutes mins
Total Time 5 minutes mins
Ingredients
- 1 cup coffee, brewed*
- 1 cup milk, steamed
Instructions
Brew the coffee:
Either in a French press or drip coffee maker, brew a strong cup of coffee using 1 tablespoon of French roast coffee with chicory (New Orleans-style) per 1 cup of water.
Steam the milk:
Warm up the milk using a steamer, in a small pot on the stovetop, or (alternatively) in the microwave.
Serve:
Combine equal parts of steamed milk and brewed coffee inside a mug. Sip away and enjoy.
Notes
- Make your own New Orleans-style coffee blend by mixing ¾ cup of ground French roast coffee with ¼ cup of ground roasted chicory. This 1 cup mix will yield enough for 12 cups of coffee which can be measured out in 1 tablespoons per cup or used to brew a full pot.
- If using coffee without chicory, add a little extra to ensure the coffee is nice and strong.
- I use this beignet mix to make them at home for my kids.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 cupCalories: 86kcalCarbohydrates: 12gProtein: 9gFat: 0.3gSaturated Fat: 0.1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.01gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 7mgSodium: 105mgPotassium: 525mgSugar: 12gVitamin A: 500IUCalcium: 328mgIron: 0.02mg
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Reader Interactions
Comments
Cynthia
Can I use cold brew coffee?Reply
Laura Fuentes
Absolutely! It’s recommended you use strong cold brew since a cafe au lait tends to be 50% milk, 50% coffee. Enjoy!
Linda
I grew up in New Orleans and this Cafe Au Lait recipe brought a little bit of home to my kitchen. Thank you!!Reply
Cami
Hit the spot!Reply
Ava
Tasted just like the real thing!Reply
Ginger
My husband and I are so excited to have found this recipe!Reply
Gale
Wonderful!!!Reply
Isa
We loved this cafe du monde recipeReply
Mary
this was so good!Reply
Steve H.
I see many people are asking about the brew method. For even stronger brew try a drip pot. That’s how we have always brewed it. Native New OrleansReply
John
Dripped SLOW and hot, I was born, raised, and lived in New Orleans for the first fifty years of my life (I’m now 82). I can’t remember NOT. drinking chicory cafe au lait (or as we said, cafe con leche–my father was from Cuba). Making coffee every morning in an enameled or aluminum drip pot took at least a half hour and was almost an art form. Except for outlining the brew process, itself, Miss Fuentes is spot on.Reply
Laura Fuentes
Thank you, John, for sharing that my description of this Cafe Au Lait recipe is spot on. While my brewing process does take a little longer, if I wrote it out like my husband’s grandmother would make it -like you shared that it took muuuuch longer, people today wouldn’t make it! Here is to many more years of ejoying cafe au laits.
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Ben Guitreaux
I live about half way between Baton Rouge and New Orleans. Whenever the opportunity arises, my wonderful wife of 48 years (we were both only 19 when we married) and I, enjoy cruising down to the Big Easy to the Cafe du Monde for cafe au lait and beignets early on a Sunday morning. We like to get there just as the sun begins to rise and sit out on the terrace. As the fog rolls in from the Mighty Mississippi, we enjoy the rich flavorful coffee and fresh hot beignets while the city comes alive with the sights and sounds, not to mention the smell of coffee brewing and bread frying. That, my friend, is just plain good for the soul!
I encourage everyone to make the trek to New Orleans, and be sure to visit the French Quarter. It is bucket list worthy.Reply
Kris Moczkowski
Hi,
I found original Cafe du Monde in the Chinese Market, 2 for $10 bucks :D))Reply
Laura Fuentes
Score!!!
Reply
Jes goss
Hi Laura! Stumbled across this recipe trying to duplicate that New Orleans taste. Went once and feel absolutely in love. Thanks so much for posting! Do you have a NC mug? I’m in Asheville and I don’t think they have specific Asheville ones but can certainly pick you up a NC one.Reply
Laura Fuentes
Hi Jes! I’m so glad you enjoyed it! I do have a NC one, thank YOU! I cannot wait to go back and visit.
Reply
Meli Davis
Just got back from New Orleans (live in Sulphur LA) and did have to make a stop at Cafe Du Mond. It makes my husband’s morning! We bought the Cafe Du Mond coffee pods and can’t wait to make our own coffee on our Keurig! I just need the right amount of milk to add. Would it still be 1/2 cup of hot milk to each coffee pod? Might just try it this afternoon (this was typed at 12:41 PM.) Thanks again for sharing.Reply
Laura Fuentes
The k-pods are not as strong. Half the amount of milk. Enjoy!
Terri
I’m now waiting for UPS with my order from Cafe Du Monde- Thank You for posting this recipe. If you need a Birmingham, Alabama mug I got you 😉Reply
Laura Fuentes
I have an Alabama mug. Thank you! Wait. Do they make Birmingham? don’t have that one.. 😉 you are going to love to your Au Lait Terri. Enjoy!
Reply
Nicole
I just got back from New Orleans a few days ago and fell in love with Cafe du Monde. Thanks for posting the Cafe Au Lait recipe. I currently live in MA if you need a Boston or Cambridge Starbucks mug.Reply
Laura Fuentes
Thanks so much Nicole! I have both from my recent trip to Boston. I can’t wait to go back!
Reply
Chrystal Thurston
I too am addicted to coffee and can’t wait to try your recipe, thank you. If you need a mug from Indiana or Michigan let me know I’m right on the border.Reply
Laura Fuentes
I need both!! Do you collect them? I’m in New Orleans. Happy to send one your way or Paypal you. That would be amazing.
Reply
Marcus J.
Hey there,Just stumble upon your site as I’m currently in New Orleans and just bought some coffee chicory blend .
I also collect coffee mugs from Starbucks whenever I get a chance to travel to a new city/country. I’m from Vancouver so if you don’t have a mug from “Raincouver” yet feel free to give me a shout.Reply
Laura Fuentes
Hi Marcus! I would love Vancouver! Sending you a private email on this. Thank you!
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Aris
Hello, what measure is your stated cup of water? 4 oz, 6 oz or 8 oz?
Thanks, RsReply
Laura Fuentes
A “cup” of water is 8 liquid ounces.
Reply
KBM
My recipe for NOLA cafe au lait:
1/3 strong expresso roast coffee
1/3 Chicory
1/3 Raw Organic Cocao
Brew per your drip coffee maker
You can modify ratio’s per taste preference.
Serve in a coffee cup with a large serving of whipped cream inside.Reply
Laura Fuentes
This sounds amazing!
Reply
Amy
I’m super excited to try this! I just found chicory coffee sold here at home so this is a bonus recipie, Thank you!! I live in Colorado so if you don’t have a mug from here I can send one to you!
Reply
Laura Fuentes
I’m so glad the recipe will help! yes, I have a Colorado mug but thank YOU! 🙂
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allen
hey laura,
how you doing? 🙂 i’m stumped on something. you know the cafe du monde brand. i been noticing quality difference in psychoactive effect(buzz) as of late. i tried a couple can and they just didn’t work like earlier cans.
i tried other chicory coffee brands and non chicory ground brands. even beans. i even tried mixing dark roast grounds from french roast cafe du monde can that was lying around with some chicory i got and it just doesn’t work. 🙁
you have any idea what cafe du monde’s formula was? i just been noticing it just different from other brands in coffee buzz? is there some profound secret to how they make their chicory coffee that give it that mental buzz?
Reply
Laura Fuentes
Sorry Allen. I am not sure either why the quality is different. I now purchase another type of coffee; although from time to time I enjoy a cafe au lait.
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Tim
Nice recipe. Also using sweetened condesned milk heated via stove top then poured in is another method used. Have familu down in Abita and spend lots of time down there. But I am gonna try your blend and recipe out. Cheers!
PS: If you are still looking for mugs and don’t have any from Bentonville,AR hit me up and I can hook ya up with one.
Reply
Laura Fuentes
I would LOVE a mug from AR! Need a New Orleans one? I’ll send you an email. Thank you!
Reply
Dustin
Did you ever get a new Orleans mugReply
Laura Fuentes
I do have a New Orleans mug 😉
Reply
Carol Thompson
Ok so you have mastered the Cafe du Monde but can you do the King Cake flavor?
Reply
Laura Fuentes
That’s a tough one! why not just dip a piece of king cake IN the coffee? kidding. cinnamon, vanilla…. yum.
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Tiffeny Williams
When I visited New Orleans it was hot, so I fell in love with the FROZEN Cafe Au Lait from Cafe Du Monde. How can I make this recipe frozen for the summer time without diluting the taste?Reply
Laura Fuentes
the coffee and chicory is so strong I don’t think you’ll dilute the taste. brew coffee, let it cool in fridge. instead of doing half milk and half coffee, blend coffee with ice and cream. that should do it.
Reply
Laura
lol! I read to blend the coffee with ice cream… which sounds AMAZING!!!! but anyway…Reply
Daniel
Make the ice cubes out of cafe au lait! Or just simply milk.Reply
Frances
Thank you so much, Laura! I will try both methods.Reply
Frances
How do you brew the coffee? Do you use a French press?Reply
Laura Fuentes
I currently use a french press. I love it. However, the coffee and chicory is stronger and when brewed in your coffee pot is also stronger.
Reply
e. mcnabb
French Market Blend also comes in K-cups for those who use that kind of coffee maker. When I was younger we would visit family members in NO and go to the French market for the coffee and donuts. Then they had the heated kettles of coffee and heated kettles of milk which they poured together simultaneously. The coffee then was to kill for. now they have the pressurized dispensors for both the coffee and the milk and the coffee is not worth drinking, at least in my opinion. I suspect it is the milk from the dispensiors that I object to. The secret to the good coffee is the heated milk from the kettles or if at home from a pot on the stove. Please do use whole milk or better half-half. I don’t know why but the dispensors have ruined the coffee at café du mounde.
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Laura Fuentes
It definitely tastes different now but I agree that whole milk, heated, is the secret to a good au lait.
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Kelly Lester (@EasyLunchboxes)
When my husband and I visited New Orleans for the first time we fell in LOVE with Cafe Du Monde’s chicory coffee! We had never taste anything like it. Ever since, I have been buying icans of it by the case pack from them, and they ship it to me in CA. It’s THAT GOOD.
I had no idea I could make it myself! So this I gotta try. Just tell me though … if I make my own, will I look as good as you when I work in my pajamas? I hope so!Reply
Laura Fuentes
The pajamas definitely make it taste better Kelly…. 😉
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