Brown Butter Apple Crisp Latte: Your New Favorite Way to Have Dessert for Breakfast

Our Brown Butter Apple Crisp Latte layers espresso, apple cider, and a nutty homemade brown butter cinnamon syrup over oat milk and ice. Topped with whipped cream and a crackly brûléed apple slice, it tastes like apple crisp fresh from the oven. It's the fall drink worth firing up the kitchen torch for.

Why We Love This Recipe

The brown butter cinnamon syrup is the star here. Browning the butter gives it a deep, nutty, almost toffee-like flavor that tastes exactly like the crumbly topping on a good apple crisp. Add a splash of apple cider for that baked-fruit brightness and a brûléed apple slice on top, and you've got a drink that looks as good as it tastes. Fair warning: the syrup makes a full batch, so you'll be making these all season.

What You'll Need

For the brown butter cinnamon syrup:

• 4 oz (113g) butter
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup water
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

For the brûléed apple slice:

• 1 apple
• White sugar, for sprinkling

For the latte:

• 2 oz espresso (double shot, medium roast)
• 1 oz brown butter cinnamon syrup
• 2 oz apple cider
• 6 oz oat milk
• Ice
• Whipped cream
• 1 brûléed apple slice

How to Make It

1. Brown that butter. Weigh 4 oz (113g) of butter on a scale and melt it in a saucepan over medium heat, swirling constantly. Keep going until it foams, turns golden brown, and smells nutty. Watch it closely, because browned turns to burnt fast.
2. Sweeten the deal. Add 1 cup brown sugar, 1 cup water, and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring until the sugar is fully dissolved. Strain out the browned milk solids if you want a cleaner syrup, then let it cool and bottle it up.
3. Slice and sugar. Cut your apple into thin disks and pat the slices dry. Sprinkle a thick layer of white sugar over the top.
4. Torch time. Use a kitchen torch to brûlée the sugar until it's melted, slightly browned, and bubbling. Don't let it burn. Set the slice aside to cool so the sugar hardens into a crackly shell.
5. Pull your shots. Brew a double shot of medium roast espresso and set it aside to cool.
6. Build the base. In a tall glass, combine the espresso, 1 oz brown butter cinnamon syrup, and 2 oz apple cider. Stir until everything's well mixed.
7. Milk, then ice. Pour in 6 oz of oat milk, then fill the glass with ice.
8. Crown it. Top with whipped cream and perch your brûléed apple slice on top.

Pro Tips

• Go medium on the roast. A medium roast keeps enough brightness to let the apple cider and brown sugar shine instead of getting buried under a darker roast's bitterness. We recommend Tony's Coffee Sugar Bee Espresso for this one.
• Let your machine do the heavy lifting. A consistent, balanced double shot makes all the difference in a drink with this many flavors. We pulled ours on the Breville Oracle Dual Boiler Espresso Machine.
• Give it a shake. Butterfat can firm up and separate in the fridge. Store the syrup chilled, then give the bottle a good shake (or warm it for a few seconds) before you measure it out.
• Torch with confidence. Patting the apple dry helps the sugar caramelize evenly instead of melting into a syrupy puddle. 

What Does It Taste Like?

The first sip is cool and creamy, with a crisp hit of tart apple cider right up front. Then the brown butter rolls in, toasty, nutty, and caramel-sweet, with a warm whisper of cinnamon. The espresso keeps it grounded so it never tips into too sweet. It finishes like the last buttery bite of apple crisp, and that brûléed apple slice adds a satisfying crack of burnt sugar on the side.

Watch Us Make It

Your Turn

Whip up a batch of brown butter syrup and treat yourself to a little fall in a glass. Would you rather sip this one iced, or are you already plotting a hot version for chilly mornings?