Want to make a cappuccino, but don’t have any fancy gear? Here’s how to make cappuccino with a simple milk frother.

How to Make Cappuccino with a Milk Frother

If you’ve ever wanted to make cappuccino at home, you’ve come to the right place.

While we share several coffee drink recipes here on CoffeeSphere that require an espresso machine (here’s how to make cappuccino with an espresso machine), we know not everyone has one at home.

Don’t let that stop you from making delicious coffee drinks at home!

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So, I put together this simple guide to making cappuccino with a milk frother – no espresso machine required.

What is a Cappuccino?

A cappuccino is an espresso based coffee drink.

There are three parts to it, which includes espresso, steamed milk and milk foam.

The ratio of each component is equal – ⅓ espresso, ⅓ steamed milk and ⅓ milk foam. And if you order a cappuccino at a cafe, ground cinnamon or cocoa powder is typically used to garnish the top.

How is this different from other coffee drinks?

Cappuccino vs. latte

We share a lot of latte drink recipes, which have more milk than cappuccinos.

The ratio of a latte is about ⅓ espresso, ⅔ steamed milk and a thin layer of milk foam. And again, a cappuccino is ⅓ espresso, ⅓ steamed milk and ⅓ milk foam.

And now that you’re equipped with a little more coffee knowledge… here’s how to make cappuccino with a milk frother.

how to make a cappuccino without espresso machine

Cappuccino with a Milk Frother Ingredients

½ cup espresso (I used illy Intenso)
½ cup milk for steaming
¼ cup milk for frothing
Ground cinnamon/cocoa powder

Tools

Tips for Making Cappuccino with a Milk Frother

How to Make Espresso Without an Espresso Machine

Espresso is made by applying pressure to force water to go through tightly packed and finely ground coffee grounds. This results in a concentrated coffee known as espresso. One shot of espresso is around 1 ounce. To ‘truly’ make an espresso, you do need an espresso machine.

But there are alternatives. My favorite is the moka pot. I think it creates the most espresso like coffee, without actually using an espresso machine. Plus, it’s so simple to use, convenient and easy to clean up.

To use it, you’ll need to fill the bottom chamber with water, put finely ground coffee in the filter basket, screw on the top chamber and put it over the stove top. The water will rise up through the finely ground coffee.

Read our guide to making espresso without an espresso machine. We teach you how to make espresso using one of these brewing tools – the moka pot, French press or AeroPress.

For this recipe, I used illy Intenso whole beans. Feel free to use your favorite coffee beans.

Best Milk for Frothing

I find the best milk for frothing with a milk frother is whole milk. It creates a dense foam that I like on top of my cappuccinos.

If you do not drink milk and are looking for plant based or milk alternatives, you can use barista blends. These are plant based milks like almond milk or oat milk that are specially formulated to froth just like regular milk.

I frequently use Califia Farms Barista Blend Almond Milk.

Garnish Ideas

If you’ve ever ordered a cappuccino at a cafe, you’ll find they typically garnish the top of the milk foam with a little ground cinnamon. You can do the same or use cocoa powder.

I like topping mine with cinnamon sugar. This is simply equal amounts of ground cinnamon mixed with granulated sugar.

It’s what I use to make my Starbucks copycat Cinnamon Dolce Latte too. It also tastes great for a little added sweetness to the cappuccino.

Types of Milk Frothers

I used my electric milk frother.

I bought this because of its various settings. It can make hot and fluffy milk foam, hot and dense foam, steam milk and froths cold milk for making cold foam, which I use to top cold brew coffee.

Many other milk frothers will have similar settings. If you’re looking for a milk frother, here are some options (links to Amazon):

Electric Milk Frother (the one I have in these pics)
Handheld Milk Frother
Manual Milk Frother
DIY: Use a French press or mason jar

If you don’t want to purchase a milk frother, or you want to make cappuccino right now and don’t have a milk frother, you can also use a French press or a mason jar.

For the French press method, push the plunger up and down vigorously to create a foam. And same with a mason jar. Try adding warm milk into the jar and shake it vigorously until foam is created.

How to Make a Cappuccino with a Milk Frother

Brew espresso using a moka pot. I used illy Intenso whole beans.
Meanwhile, steam milk in your milk frother.
Pour espresso into a mug, filling about ⅓ of the mug.
Pour steamed milk over espresso, filling another ⅓ of the mug.
Use the foamed milk option on your milk frother to froth milk.
Scoop froth with a spoon and set on top of the espresso and steamed milk until the top of the mug.
Garnish with ground cinnamon or cocoa powder.

In pictures…