Cafe au Lait: France’s Breakfast Coffee and How to Make It

Cafe au lait means, quite literally, coffee with milk. In a French home it is the breakfast drink: strong brewed coffee topped up with hot milk, often poured into a wide bowl you hold with both hands, with a buttered tartine or a croissant on the side for dunking. No espresso machine, no latte art, no fuss.

That simplicity is the appeal. If you have a French press or a drip machine and a saucepan, you can make a proper cafe au lait in under ten minutes. Below: what makes it different from a latte, a step-by-step recipe, and the New Orleans version made with chicory coffee.

What is cafe au lait?

A classic cafe au lait is roughly equal parts strong brewed coffee and hot milk. The coffee is usually made with a French press, a moka pot or a filter, not espresso. The milk is heated until steaming but not boiled, and is sometimes whisked a little for a light froth.

In France, the drink belongs mostly at home and at breakfast. Bowls, often simply called cafe au lait bowls, are part of the ritual, and dunking bread, brioche or a croissant into the bowl is perfectly normal at the family table. Later in the day, coffee usually switches to a small espresso. In a Paris cafe, if you want a milky coffee, you will more often hear people order a cafe creme, which is espresso-based.

Cafe au lait vs latte

Cafe au lait recipe (1 large bowl)

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp plus 1 tsp (12 g) medium-coarse ground coffee
• 3/4 cup (180 ml) water just off the boil, about 200°F (93°C)
• 3/4 cup (180 ml) whole milk
• Sugar, to taste (optional)

For two bowls, double everything: 24 g coffee, 360 ml water, 360 ml milk. The ratio of 1 g coffee to 15 g water gives a slightly stronger brew than usual, which keeps the flavor clear once the milk goes in.

Steps

1. Brew the coffee. Add the coffee to a French press, pour the hot water over it, stir gently and put the lid on. Steep for 4 minutes. With a drip or pour-over brewer, use the same ratio.
2. Heat the milk. Warm it in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until it steams and small bubbles appear at the edge, around 150–160°F (65–70°C). Do not let it boil, or it will taste cooked and form a skin.
3. Froth (optional). Whisk the milk for 20 seconds, or pump it in an empty French press, for a soft froth.
4. Warm the bowl. Rinse it with hot water so the drink stays hot longer.
5. Pour together. Press the coffee, then pour coffee and milk into the bowl at the same time from two jugs, or coffee first and milk second. Sweeten if you like.

Tips

• Use a medium or dark roast. Chocolatey, nutty coffees taste best with a lot of milk.
• Grind fresh. Brewed coffee is more forgiving than espresso, but freshly ground beans still make a noticeably rounder cup.
• Adjust the ratio. Like it stronger? Go 60% coffee, 40% milk. For kids’ breakfast bowls in France, the cup is often mostly milk, but caffeine is discouraged for children, so use decaf or skip the coffee.
• Dunk with intention. A day-old baguette spread with butter holds up better in the bowl than a very flaky croissant.

The New Orleans cafe au lait with chicory

New Orleans has its own famous cafe au lait. At Cafe du Monde, which began in 1862 as a coffee stand in the French Market, the drink is made with dark-roasted coffee blended with chicory and mixed with hot milk, traditionally served with sugar-dusted beignets.

Why chicory?

Chicory is a plant whose roasted root tastes woody, slightly bitter and a little chocolatey. According to Smithsonian Magazine, mixing it with coffee likely started in Holland and became popular in France in the early 1800s. The French-founded city of New Orleans inherited the taste, and during the Civil War, when Union blockades cut off its port, residents stretched scarce coffee with chicory and other ingredients. The habit stuck long after supplies returned.

How to make it at home

• Buy roasted chicory granules, or a ready-made coffee and chicory blend.
• Mix about 3 parts dark roast coffee to 1 part chicory, by weight. Chicory brews strong, so start low.
• Brew as above and mix 1:1 with hot milk. Many locals take it sweet.

Variations, lighter and dairy-free

• Dairy-free: barista-style oat milk heats and froths best and has a natural sweetness that suits brewed coffee. Soy is a creamy second choice.
• Lighter: use 2% or skim milk. You lose some body but keep the comfort.
• Moka pot version: use about 2 oz (60 ml) moka coffee topped with 4–5 oz (120–150 ml) hot milk for a richer, more intense bowl.
• Evening version: a decaf or half caf coffee keeps the ritual without much caffeine.

The best Feel Espresso coffees for cafe au lait

For a deep, Parisian-style bowl, our French Roast is a natural pick: a dark roast of specialty grade Central American coffee, bold and smoky-sweet with bittersweet chocolate and low acidity, so it stays clear and strong under milk. For a gentler everyday morning, Breakfast Blend is a smooth, nutty medium roast of South American coffee. Order Coarse grind for the French press or Standard for drip, roasted 1–5 days before delivery.

Cafe au lait FAQ

Is cafe au lait the same as a latte?

No. A cafe au lait uses brewed coffee and about equal parts hot milk. A latte uses espresso and much more steamed, microfoamed milk.

What is the ratio for cafe au lait?

About 1:1 coffee to milk. Adjust to taste, but keep the coffee strong.

Why do the French drink coffee from a bowl?

It is a home breakfast custom: a bowl holds a generous serving, is easy to hold with both hands and makes dunking bread or pastry simple.

Does New Orleans cafe au lait have chicory?

The classic New Orleans version does, as served at Cafe du Monde. Chicory gives a darker, woodier taste.

Can I make cafe au lait with instant coffee?

Yes, in a pinch: dissolve 1–2 tsp instant coffee in 3/4 cup hot water and add the same amount of hot milk.

Sources

1. The History of the Chicory Coffee Mix That New Orleans Made Its Own, K. Annabelle Smith, Smithsonian Magazine, 2014.
2. Café du Monde, Wikipedia, accessed 2026.
3. The French habit of drinking coffee in a bowl, Snippets of Paris.
4. Spilling the Beans: How Much Caffeine Is Too Much?, US Food and Drug Administration.

Facts checked in October 2026.

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