Okay, I’m not your typical white girl who just likes lavender lattes because they are new and bougie. No, I don’t just like them. I LOVE them. Like really love them. Like…I’m weird about it.

The first time I had one in was in a little, unknown coffee shop that shared a space with a florist. Their special of the day was “The Queen Bee—honey lavender latte.”

“I’d better get that,” I thought, “because that sounds weird and I bet it will be taken off soon.” (Haha, little did I know…) I got one iced with oat milk and took my first sip… Oh. My. Word. I no joke thought about that flavor for months before I got another one (I don’t buy coffee often). I’m not ashamed to say I’m a fanatic and I also am proud of the fact that I discovered the drink before it got wildly popular. As much as I like it though, I can’t justify spending $4 on a 12 oz so of course, I had to try making my own at home. Biggest perk of making one yourself is that you can make it sweetened entirely with honey, whereas if you buy it, it will be made with lavender-flavored cane syrup. Homemade is heathier, cheaper, and super easy!

If you want to make this fantastic drink on your own, what you’ll need is:

A way to brew espresso
Lavender buds
Tea strainer
Honey
Almond, oat, or regular milk.

How to Make Lavender Syrup

Bring 3 tablespoons of water to a boil in a tiny saucepan
Add ¾ tablespoon of lavender buds and turn off heat
Add 3 tablespoons of honey and stir until dissolved
Let sit for 5-7 minutes and then strain into a little jar or airtight container to store

You could probably just as easily make this by pouring boiling water over the lavender buds, steeping for 5-7 minutes, and stirring in the honey. The pan is just the way I did it.

Note: Do not use lavender essential oil to make lavender lattes. I put ONE DROP into my honey-sweetened latte and it was undrinkable. The perfume-y flavor of the oil was completely overpowering. Such a waste of perfectly good espresso. DO NOT MAKE THIS MISTAKE.

How to Make Espresso

If you don’t have an espresso maker, do not fear. There are lots of different ways to make espresso without an expensive machine. You can check them out here.

I’m blessed to have a Mr. Coffee espresso machine that works really well and didn’t break the bank. If you have your own espresso maker, grind your beans into a salt-like consistency and brew your desired amount (I did one shot).

How to Assemble

This part isn't rocket science but this is basically how I did it:

1 Tbsp lavender syrup, add
- 1 shot of espresso, top off with
  - steamed almond milk

If you have an espresso machine that automatically adds the milk, put a tablespoon or more of the lavender syrup into your mug and brew your latte right on top of it. If you’re doing DIY espresso and steamed milk, add a tablespoon or more of the lavender syrup to your fresh espresso and stir. Use a milk frother for your milk (or just microwave) or if you want it iced, it’s SO good with oat milk!

Okay you’re all done! I recommend enjoying your latte by a window while it’s raining and praising God for making tree beans, flowers, and bee spit taste so good!