Black Sesame Latte: How to Make a Black Sesame Latte at Home
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A black sesame latte tastes like the inside of a toasted nut: deep, roasty, a little smoky and gently sweet, with a striking gray color that photographs well and tastes even better. If you want to know how to make a black sesame latte at home, the short answer is this: toast black sesame seeds, grind them with a little sweetener and oil into a paste, whisk a spoonful into hot water or espresso, and top with steamed milk.
The paste is the whole secret. Store-bought versions work, but a homemade jar takes about 10 minutes and keeps for weeks. Below you get the paste recipe, a coffee latte, a caffeine-free version, an iced version and the fixes for the two most common problems: grit and bitterness.
Key takeaways
- Toast the seeds yourself until fragrant: raw black sesame tastes flat and slightly bitter.
- Grind long enough to release the oil. A smooth paste dissolves, a coarse powder leaves grit.
- Use about 1 tablespoon of paste per 8 oz (240 ml) latte, then adjust.
- Black sesame pairs best with smooth, nutty, low-acid coffee.
In this article
- Homemade black sesame paste
- How to make a black sesame latte
- Iced, caffeine-free and dairy-free versions
- Which coffee works best
- Troubleshooting
- FAQ
Step 1: Make the black sesame paste
Black sesame is a familiar flavor across East Asia, from Chinese black sesame soup to Japanese desserts, and that is where the café trend borrowed it from. At home, a simple sweetened paste gives you the same flavor in a spoonable form.
Ingredients (about ⅔ cup / 160 g of paste, 10–12 lattes)
| Ingredient | US | Metric |
|---|---|---|
| Black sesame seeds | 1 cup | 140 g |
| Honey, maple syrup or brown sugar | 3–4 tbsp | 45–60 ml (or 40–50 g sugar) |
| Neutral oil or toasted sesame oil | 1–2 tbsp | 15–30 ml |
| Fine salt | 1 pinch | 1 pinch |
Method
- Toast. Put the seeds in a dry skillet over medium-low heat. Stir constantly for 3–5 minutes, until they smell nutty and a few start to pop. Black seeds hide burning well, so trust your nose: if they smell sharp or acrid, start again.
- Cool. Spread them on a plate for 5 minutes. Hot seeds turn gummy in the grinder.
- Grind. Blitz in a spice grinder, small food processor or high-speed blender. After about 30 seconds you have powder; keep going, scraping down the sides, until it clumps and turns glossy as the oil comes out.
- Finish. Add the sweetener, oil and salt and blend again until you have a loose, spreadable paste, like runny peanut butter.
- Store. Keep it in a clean jar in the fridge and use it within about 2 weeks. Stir before using, as some oil separates.
Do not grind sesame in the same burr grinder you use for coffee. The oil gums up the burrs and the flavor lingers.
Step 2: How to make a black sesame latte
For one 10 oz (300 ml) latte
- 1 tbsp (about 15 g) black sesame paste
- 1–2 shots espresso (1–2 oz / 30–60 ml), or ½ cup (120 ml) strong brewed coffee
- ¾ cup (180 ml) milk
- Extra sweetener to taste
- Put the paste in your mug and pour the hot espresso over it.
- Whisk with a small whisk or milk frother for 15–20 seconds until no lumps remain. This step matters: paste stirred straight into milk stays in clumps.
- Steam or heat the milk to about 140–150°F (60–65°C) and froth it. Our guide on how to froth milk covers every method, from a steam wand to a jar.
- Pour the milk over the sesame espresso. Finish with a pinch of toasted seeds or a light dusting of the dry powder.
Taste before adding more sweetener. The paste already carries sugar, and black sesame tastes sweeter once milk is in.
Iced, caffeine-free and dairy-free versions
Iced black sesame latte
Whisk the paste into the hot espresso first (it will not dissolve in cold liquid), then pour it over a glass full of ice and add cold milk. For a layered look, pour the milk over the ice first and the sesame espresso last. The same logic is used in our iced latte recipe.
Caffeine-free black sesame latte
Many cafés serve black sesame lattes with no coffee at all. Whisk the paste into 2 tablespoons of hot water, then add steamed milk. It tastes like a cross between a nut milk and a toasted-grain drink and works well as an evening treat.
With tea instead of coffee
Black sesame and roasted green tea are a natural match: both are toasty and low in bitterness. Whisk ½ teaspoon of hojicha powder with the paste and a splash of hot water. Matcha works too, with a greener, grassier result, similar in spirit to a dirty matcha latte.
Dairy-free
Oat milk is the best partner here: its natural sweetness and body flatter the sesame. Soy is a good second choice. Almond milk works but tastes thinner. See our oat milk latte guide for frothing tips.
Which coffee works best with black sesame?
Black sesame is nutty and roasty, with a faint bitterness of its own. Bright, fruity coffees can clash with it, and very dark roasts pile bitterness on bitterness. The sweet spot is a smooth medium roast with nutty or chocolate notes.
| Coffee style | Result with black sesame |
|---|---|
| Smooth, nutty medium roast | Best match: the sesame and coffee taste like one flavor |
| Light, sweet blend | Softer, more dessert-like latte |
| Very dark roast | Can turn bitter; use less coffee or more milk |
| Bright, fruity light roast | Interesting but often clashing |
At Feel Espresso, Brazil Santos is the obvious pick: a balanced medium roast with cocoa and roasted-nut notes and low acidity. House Blend, with nutty and sweet chocolate notes, also works well. If you want a sweeter, lighter espresso base, try Blonde, and for the tea version, our stone-milled Hojicha powder brings toasted-cereal notes that echo the sesame. Every bag is roasted 1–5 days before delivery, which shows in a milk drink: fresh coffee keeps its sweetness under the milk.
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Gritty texture | Seeds ground to powder, not paste | Grind longer until oily, or strain the latte through a fine sieve |
| Bitter or acrid | Seeds over-toasted | Toast on lower heat; add a pinch of salt and a little more sweetener |
| Flat, dusty flavor | Seeds not toasted | Toast until fragrant and a few pop |
| Lumps in the cup | Paste added to milk directly | Whisk into hot espresso or water first |
| Weak sesame taste | Too little paste | Go up to 1½ tbsp, or add ½ tsp toasted sesame oil to the paste |
| Muddy gray color | Too much coffee | Use one shot, or try the caffeine-free version for a cleaner color |
Black sesame latte FAQ
What does a black sesame latte taste like?
Nutty, toasty and lightly sweet, somewhere between tahini, roasted peanuts and dark caramel. With espresso, the roasted notes get deeper; without it, it tastes softer and more like a dessert drink.
Can I use tahini instead of black sesame paste?
You can, but regular tahini is made from hulled white sesame and tastes milder and creamier. Use it for a pale, gentler latte, or mix it with a little cocoa for color. For the real flavor, you need black sesame.
Is a black sesame latte the same as black sesame soup?
No. Black sesame soup is a thickened dessert. A latte is a drink: the paste is thinned with espresso or water and topped with milk, so the texture stays light.
Can I make the latte with instant coffee?
Yes. Dissolve 1–2 teaspoons of instant coffee and the paste together in 2 tablespoons of hot water, whisk well, then add milk. It is a good shortcut on busy mornings.
Is it safe for people with allergies?
Sesame is a common food allergen and is listed as a major allergen in both the US and the EU. Anyone with a sesame allergy should avoid this drink, and you should tell guests what is in it.
Love nutty coffee drinks? Our guide to homemade coffee syrups has more ways to flavor a latte from scratch.
Last updated October 2026.
Keep reading: Dirty matcha latte · Oat milk latte · Single origin coffees