What Is a Breve Coffee

6 min read MAR 29, 2022

If you’re a coffee-lover, there’s a strong chance you structure your days around consuming cappuccinos, lattes, americanos, or flat whites. 

While these coffees are all great, have you ever heard of the luxurious, and slightly elusive, breve coffee?

Just like its name portrays, the breve coffee is in a class above the “normal” coffees and can take your coffee experience to the next level, especially if you’re a fan of sweet and slightly rich treats.

In this article, we explain what a breve coffee is, as well as how it is made.

What this article covers:



What Exactly is a Breve Coffee?


A breve coffee is also known as a “cafe breve” or a “breve latte” and we use these names interchangeably throughout the article.  

A breve latte is made with a single or double shot of espresso (this purely comes down to your preference) and is topped with steamed half and half, and a dollop of foamed milk.

Half and half is a mixture of equal parts milk and cream. 

This is basically the only difference between a latte and a breve. They’re made in the same way, except in a latte you only use steamed milk, whereas for a breve latte you use steamed half and half. 

breve vs latte

A breve latte is a luxurious, smooth, and rich espresso-based drink that is very popular, too.

What Does a Breve Coffee Taste like, and Who will Like it?


Since a breve coffee is made similarly to a latte, the flavor profiles in terms of strength of the espresso and balance of the coffee are pretty similar too. 

But, since the cafe breve is made with both cream and milk, it has a much richer flavor. Breve coffees are much more flavorful and naturally sweet thanks to the cream component and have a dessert-like feel to them.

These elements are important to keep in mind if you‘re deciding whether to go for a mocha over a latte or breve, for example. 

So, a fan of rich and sweet treats would love this. If you aren’t a sweet fan, on the other hand, this drink would definitely not be for you, and would recommend trying another espresso-based drink to get your caffeine fix.

How to Make a Breve Coffee at Home


While it’s always a treat to buy a coffee made by a professional, it can end up getting pricey (especially because it’s half cream) and a mission to keep leaving the house for it 

For this reason, we are going to equip you with how to make your very own breve coffees at home.

To start off, you will need the following:

  • Light, medium, or dark roast beans
  • Half and half 
  • Coffee grinder
  • Espresso machine
  • Milk frother

Before we get going with the method, we just want to note that you can also mix equal parts of fresh cream with milk if you can’t get your hands on some half and half.

To make a breve coffee, start by grinding the coffee beans and making a double shot of espresso from them. 

Next, steam about two-thirds of a  cup of half-and-half and add it to the espresso. Lastly, whisk a much much smaller amount of half and half milk, about one ounce, until it turns into foam.

Let the foam sit and set for about a minute and then spoon it over to finish off the breve coffee.

Breve Coffee Variations


While the traditional breve coffee, like the one we have been talking about, is the most common, you get some fun and tasty variations of it too. 

Iced Breve Coffee

what is breve coffee

An iced coffee breve can be made in two different ways. 

One method is to add ice to a normal breve coffee (just don’t steam the milk as much as you would for a hot breve coffee). Alternatively, add espresso, half and half, and ice to a blender and mix until they are combined. 

The two taste quite similar, the latter is a lot thicker and colder thanks to the crushed ice. If you had to compare it, the first option tastes like a normal breve coffee that has cooled down and had ice blocks ut into it. 

The second option tastes like a smoothie that is coffee flavored, and also sweet and thick thanks to the cream.

what is a breve latte

Both are delicious, it just comes down to personal preference. 

You can also make your iced breve a bit more fun by adding flavored syrups or using flavored coffee beans, such as French Vanilla or Hazelnut.

These coffee beans give your iced breve a delicious flavor which can be accentuated by matching flavored syrups which will sweeten it up too.

Iced vanilla breve lattes are our personal choice and by far one of the best-tasting iced lattes we’ve had. This can be made with French Vanilla coffee beans and vanilla-flavored syrup.

breve definition coffee

Chai Tea Breve Latte


There are two ways you can make a chai tea breve latte. 

The first way is the best option for a huge fan of the chai tea taste who doesn’t want to mix in the flavor of the coffee. All you do is substitute the milk used in a chai latte for half and half. 

The rest of the process and ingredients remain exactly the same.

Secondly, if you just can’t get enough coffee and want to incorporate it too, you can make a sort of dirty chai tea breve latte. To do this, add a shot of espresso into your normal chai latte and swap out the milk for half and half. 

Mocha Breve Latte


To make a mocha breve latte, you go about it similarly to making a normal breve latte. The difference is that once you’ve poured your espresso into a cup, add a spoon of cocoa powder or hot chocolate to the cup and mix it through.

After that, carry on making the breve latte as you usually would. 

Mocha breve lattes are extremely sweet and rich as they have both a cream and chocolate component, which is important to keep in mind before you try one. 

Important Facts About Breve Coffees

breve coffee drink
  1. Breve coffees are usually a lot thicker than lattes or cappuccinos. This is because cream has a fat content that’s about 10% higher than milk.
  2. Breve lattes usually take longer to make because it’s more difficult to heat, steam, and froth half and half. So, in general, the whole process takes a little longer, which is something to consider if you’re in a rush to make your morning coffee. It also means it’s something that needs a bit more practice before you show it off at a dinner party!
  3. Obviously, the amount of coffee you want is up to you, but usually, breve coffees are served between 5 and 6 ounces. Whereas lattes, on the other hand, usually range between 6 and 9 ounces. 

Conclusion


If you’re a coffee-lover and are yet to try a breve coffee, we definitely recommend giving it a go. 

The flavor is slightly different from a latte or a cappuccino, and definitely more on the decadent side. 

Breve coffees can sometimes be a bit of a hit or a miss for some people, but for the people who consider it a hit, it is usually a big hit and is massively popular.

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