Puerto Rican Café con Leche

Start the day off right with a warm cup of traditional Puerto Rican Café con Leche, made with Puerto Rican coffee, sugar and steamed milk. This traditional Latin drink can be found at any given time in panaderías, restaurants and home kitchens across the island.

I grew up with this recipe brewed in our kitchen daily by my mom. It’s a huge part of our culture.

Café con Leche is one of those drinks that you won’t really need a recipe for once you’ve made it once. It’s the classic drink that’s paired with countless Puerto Rican recipes.

In fact, you’ve likely already made a variation of it in your own kitchen. All it consists of is strong brewed coffee, steamed whole milk and sugar.

If you’re looking for something to serve with your coffee, this flan is one of my favorite desserts to enjoy with it! More perfect pairings: Pan de Mallorca, Quesitos, or Torrejas.

The traditional Puerto Rican method my mom grew up with started with freshly ground coffee and water in a pot on the stove. Once the coffee was sufficiently brewed, it was then strained through a colador (a type of cloth strainer) to strain out all the grounds.

While this method produces really delicious coffee, I know it’s not necessarily the most convenient or the most relevant these days.

I recommend brewing your coffee in whatever method you already use at home.

Whether it’s a French press, pour over, Mokapot; they will all get the job done. Just make sure to brew it strong, almost like espresso. I like to use a 1:1 ration with water and coffee.

Some Puerto Ricans (like my grandma) will put instant coffee, sugar and milk in a saucepan and simmer it all together until the coffee infuses into the milk; making a super quick version of café con leche!

How to Make it

Tip: feel free to use white or brown sugar, or omit the sugar completely based on your preference.

What to Eat with Your Coffee

You’re officially an expert at making Puerto Rican coffee and you’re on your third cup. It’s probably time to eat something, so let’s talk food pairings!

At any Puerto Rican panadería you’re going to be offered a plethora of sweet and savory pastries to enjoy with your coffee, so you’ll be set.

Here are some recipes you can make at home:

When all else fails, try a slice of toast with jam and butter. No really, any classic breakfast food is going to be super satisfying with café con leche. You can’t go wrong!

Happy brewing!

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