Cafe noisette: easy to make and intensely satisfying.

When you need a deeply intense coffee experience, look no further than cafe noisette. This special coffee is made with espresso and a dash of foamed steamed milk giving you a coffee with a unique flavor.

What is a café noisette?

It’s made with espresso and a dash of steamed milk. The milk does just enough to reduce the acidity of a straight-up espresso making it a more palatable and fashionable afternoon drink. In France (its homeland) it’s called a café noisette or une noisette because the dash of steamed milk is the size of a hazelnut. Plus it changes the color of the coffee to hazelnut.

History of the cafe noisette

Cafenoisette is thought to have originated in Algeria in the early 1800s and was brought over to France by French soldiers who had been stationed there. The coffee became popular in posh Parisian cafes, where it was served with milk and sugar.

Best espresso coffee beans for café noisette

When you are making a traditional French classic, it’s worth going all in with a French roast espresso. I have picked my two favorite French roasts and one less traditional. Kona blend, just to give you a different (more rounded and less intense) experience.

1. San Francisco Bay Coffee French Roast, So good it could speak french! True to its name this coffee has great depth and intensity, with tastes and smells of dark chocolate, cinnamon and a smoky finish. Made with 100% arabica coffee beans.
2. Stumptown Coffee Roasters French Roast, defies expectations – it’s a dark roast but with delicacy and flavor beyond belief. Look out for notes of dark chocolate and cloves.
3. Volcanica Kona Blend – This is a light roast Hawaiian blend with the perfect balance between sweetness and acidity that showcases flavors of pineapple, honeydew melon, honeysuckle, coconut cream pie and toffee.

Best milk

Choosing the best milk to use is another personal decision. If you prefer dairy milk, then my choice would be whole milk. It’s very easy to foam and gives a richer creamier taste. There are many choices so to help I have put together a list of the best dairy milk for lattes which will give you a list of dairy milks and how well they froth.

If you don’t like or have issues with dairy milk there are great non-dairy options available. Check out my thoughts on the best non-dairy milk for lattes. It will give you the best ideas on taste and how well each foam. Spoiler alert: my favorite no-dairy milk is oat milk. It has a rich creamy flavor and foams as well as cow’s milk.

The Ingredients of a Cafe Noisette

Only an espresso needs fewer ingredients. All you need is:

• 1-2 shots of espresso
• 1 tsp foamed milk
• 1-2 tsp sugar (optional)

Making a Cafe Noisette At Home

Making café noisette at home is easy. Start by brewing espresso using your preferred espresso brewing method. for some ideas check out my post on brewing an espresso without a machine. While the espresso is brewing heat 1/2 cup of milk until it is hot but not boiling. Next froth the milk, again with whatever tools you have available (I often use an immersion blender. Finally, pour the espresso into a glass or mug, stir in any sugar you want and add a heaped teaspoon of the foamed milk. Serve immediately.

Before you start, make sure you have everything you need – including equipment and ingredients. Don’t forget to check you have the right accompaniments – a sweet snack and somewhere comfortable to enjoy the experience.

Equipment

• Coffee maker / espresso machine
• Jug
• Blender/Steamer
• glass/mug
• spoon

Ingredients:

• 1 shot espresso (or 1/2 cup of strong coffee)
• 1.5 tsp of steamed milk or hot milk foam
• sweetener (optional)

Method:

1. Brew a shot of espresso.
2. while the espresso is brewing heat the milk.
3. when the milk is hot (the temperature to aim for depends on the milk you are using) froth it to a light foam.
4. pour the espresso into a small glass.
5. Stir in any sugar or other sweetener you want to add.
6. Scoop a heaped teaspoon of foamy milk and add to the espresso.
7. Either leave the milk froth on top or gently stir in.
8. Serve immediately.

What to enjoy with a Cafe Noisette

As une noisette is an afternoon coffee, it’s not meant to be taken with a meal. Instead, try it with any of these sweet treats:

• croissant
• cinnamon roll
• chocolate cookies

Top tips

• If you have an espresso machine or coffee maker brew 1-2 shots of espresso. Otherwise, you can simply make a 1/2 cup of strong coffee, you can use whatever milk you prefer. Check out all the ways you can make an espresso without a machine.
• When I am using dairy milk, I normally go for whole milk or 2% because both foam well and taste good. 1% and skim milk still foam but their lighter flavour will be overpowered by the French roast espresso. Check out my review of the Best dairy milk for lattes.
• If I feel like non-dairy, my first choice is always oat milk. It’s creamy, foams easily and tastes so good with the cinnamon and coffee. Check out my review of the Best non-dairy milk for lattes.
• Sugar (or another sweetener) is not essential but it sure helps to bring out the flavors of the milk and espresso. Even if you don’t normally have it in your coffee, it works well in a noisette.