This article was written by The Zillennial Zine’s spring editorial intern Alexandrea Ciardella. Find her on Instagram at @a6ysma1. If you would like to share an article with The Zillennial, send us an email at thezillennialzine@gmail.com.
As someone who enjoys treating myself to nice drinks every so often, I like to keep an eye on new trends I want to try. The viral “cracking latte” is surprisingly easy to make and can be added to your morning coffee for an extra chocolate crunch. A great treat for the morning, afternoon, or evening (if you don’t mind staying up too late!) Here are some ideas on how to make a cracking latte recipe at home.
A cracking latte refers to cracking the chocolate that coats the cup’s interior. When you squeeze the cup, the chocolate that breaks creates a satisfying cracking sound as it disappears into the drink. This latte recipe first originated in Dubai and when cafes in Singapore started to incorporate this drink into their menus, it began to take off on Instagram and TikTok. Thanks to the Internet, food trends can spread around the world much more quickly and can encourage variations that appeal to the local palate.
The cracking latte is similar to a regular latte with the addition of the chocolate covering the cup’s interior. To make your own cracking latte, you will need:
Your favorite chocolate: These can be chocolate chips or a bar of your favorite chocolate brand, and the recipe works with any kind of chocolate: milk, bittersweet, dark, white, and many more!
Try chopping up candy bars like Crunch or KitKats for an added sweetness to this recipe: Depending on how you like your coffee, you can experiment with different chocolate combinations to see which one works with your favorite order.
Milk: Any type of milk works for this recipe, whether it’s whole milk, skim, almond, oat, or anything else! The recipe calls for 1 cup of milk, but you can alter the recipe depending on how you like your morning coffee.
Espresso: If you don’t have an espresso or coffee machine, any cold-brewed coffee mix works as well.
Syrup: This ingredient is optional but makes the latte much sweeter and can pair well with the chocolate you use. Anything from simple syrup, vanilla syrup, or even hazelnut syrup can change up the flavor a bit.
A plastic cup: To achieve that Instagram-worthy crack, you’ll need to use a clear, plastic, flexible cup. The whole point of the cracking latte is squeezing the cup to crack the chocolate on the inside, which is difficult to do if you can’t squeeze the cup or even see the chocolate. They’re easy to find at Walmart or Target, but you can get them free at any cafe. Ask for a to-go cup or an extra plastic cup and lid.
To make the chocolate, take out a microwave-safe bowl and measure out ⅓ to ¾ of a cup of chocolate chips, depending on how much chocolate you want to use. Microwave the bowl of chocolate in 30-second increments, stirring in between (make sure not to stir the chocolate too much, or you will risk it seizing up). Once all the chocolate is melted, take a spoon or spatula and spread an even coat on the interior of the cup. Freeze the cup of chocolate for about ten minutes, or until the chocolate has solidified. If you love chocolate like I do and want a thicker coat, add another layer and freeze for ten more minutes, but be warned that it may be more difficult to crack.
Once your chocolate has solidified, pour in 1 cup of milk, 2-3 shots of espresso, and ½-1 tablespoons of syrup for your latte, and top it off with a few ice cubes. You can adjust your recipe accordingly if you prefer a milkier latte or want your drink to be sweeter, but above all, your drink must be cold.
Now, I’m not the biggest fan of coffee (the farthest I’ll go is a Frappuccino or maybe a hot mocha if it’s cold out), but the best part about this cracking latte recipe is that it can be used with a variety of drinks. Just to try the cracking portion of this drink (and to grab a few photos for this article), I decided to test the method with a glass of chocolate milk. I have to say, it was fun cracking the chocolate and seeing it break away into the drink. The next time that I try this, the only things that I would change would be keeping the chocolate in the refrigerator for a bit longer and the amount of chocolate used. I couldn’t quite get the cracking sound that’s so popular online, but I still enjoyed my extra chocolatey drink!
I have heard from some influencers that the chocolate flavor is a bit subtle, especially since the chocolate chunks don’t mix in completely with the latte. It may depend on how much chocolate or even the type of chocolate you use, but it’s a great addition to your drink if you love chocolate and don’t mind a subtle flavor.
Have you made your own cracking latte recipe? Let us know how it goes in the comments below!
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