Is Coconut Latte Better Hot or Iced? What Details Should You Pay Attention to When Frothing Thick Coconut Milk?

Is coffee better when served hot or cold? This is a timeless debate that also applies to specialty coffee drinks.

During the summer break, FrontStreet Coffee shared a coconut coffee series that went viral online. Among the recipes mentioned, the coconut milk (raw coconut) latte attracted many home coffee enthusiasts with its wonderful flavor combination, who successfully replicated it.

Recently, as autumn becomes more pronounced in northern regions of China, some adventurous coffee lovers attempted to experiment by creating a heated version similar to a hot latte. However, they discovered that the taste was completely different from the iced version – not only was the rich coffee aroma almost completely masked by the sweet coconut milk flavor, but the various flavors seemed particularly separated in the mouth, leaving an abrupt sourness after swallowing. This was a complete failure. What caused this?

Identifying the "Culprit" Behind Poor-Tasting Coffee

We already know that making an iced coconut milk latte is quite simple – essentially replacing milk in a latte with coconut milk/coconut cream. The thicker the base, the richer the coconut flavor, and the sweeter the coffee becomes when ice is added.

FrontStreet Coffee also discovered that compared to the mixed recipe we used (Jinpai Gold coconut milk + fresh pasture milk), most people prefer to use ready-made bases – boxed thick coconut milk, as it's convenient, labor-saving, and requires no additional sugar. Through conversation, FrontStreet Coffee learned that the person who experienced this failure was using such a product.

Why Does Thick Coconut Milk Become Unpleasant When Heated?

Unlike regular milk we typically use, new generation thick coconut milk products are made from pressed coconut meat pulp, specifically developed for preparing beverages or coffee. To make their texture smoother and richer, as well as better paired with coffee, manufacturers add ingredients like sugar and hydrogenated oils during production. This is why drinking it plain might feel somewhat sweet and rich, but when mixed with espresso and ice, it immediately becomes incredibly aromatic.

Returning to our main topic, because these thick coconut milk products contain certain amounts of fat and protein, when heated to high temperatures, the fat separates from the water, forming small solidified particles. Meanwhile, proteins also denature at high temperatures, causing the liquid to gradually thicken and potentially solidify, which is why many people find it more difficult to create latte art with thick coconut milk than with regular milk.

The lines in latte art made with thick coconut milk foam tend to spread easily

Additionally, its pH value continuously changes with temperature, causing the coconut milk to undergo some degree of acidification. High temperatures also make the coconut milk taste stronger and sweeter, which is why the coffee ends up tasting both sweet and cloying with a sour note.

How to Properly Make a Hot Coconut Milk Latte?

There are actually many methods to make a hot thick coconut milk latte that tastes good without turning sour, and FrontStreet Coffee happens to have one: add some milk. Mixing milk with thick coconut milk before heating has several advantages – first, it can neutralize some of the overly sweet coconut milk flavor; second, it can make the latte's texture more layered, moving toward a nutty cream direction; and finally, it can effectively prevent the coconut milk from acidifying.

To find the optimal ratio of espresso to thick coconut milk and milk, FrontStreet Coffee used the "Sunflower Warm Sunshine" blend from their café as the extraction subject, using a 300ml large ceramic cup, and tried several mixing combinations. Finally, they found that a hot latte made with double espresso (36ml) + 240ml of the prepared base worked best, with a mixing ratio of thick coconut milk to milk at 1:1 – meaning one part thick coconut milk to one part milk.

First, extract 36g of espresso using 20g of coffee grounds and pour it into the cup. Pour 120ml of thick coconut milk and 120ml of fresh milk into the milk pitcher (for more flavorful coffee, you can make approximately 200ml of flat white, using 80ml thick coconut milk + 80ml fresh milk). Then create milk foam suitable for latte art, and finally evenly combine the two.

During the frothing process, it's best to incorporate a bit more air, about 4-5 seconds of "hissing," which can make the foam thicker, allowing better control when pouring and creating more defined white patterns. Additionally, the frothing temperature for coconut milk shouldn't be too high – for those who prefer a stronger coffee flavor, heating to about 45-50°C is sufficient; for those who prefer the sweet aroma of coconut milk, you can heat it a bit more to 50-55°C.

However, this method also has drawbacks. Although mixing thick coconut milk with milk before heating解决了 the flavor imbalance issue and allows for basic latte art patterns, the foam dissipates exceptionally quickly. Within just a few minutes, the previously created patterns already become somewhat blurry, and the entire foam layer begins to continuously collapse.

Therefore, for those who prioritize aesthetics, FrontStreet Coffee would recommend making it in a Dirty style – that is, directly pouring espresso over the warm prepared coconut milk. Specific operations won't be demonstrated in detail here, but everyone can refer to the previous article "Why Doesn't Your Dirty Coffee Separate into Layers?"

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