You may already be familiar with coffee drinks like americano, latte, cappuccino and macchiato. These coffee drinks are all espresso based, and now we’re adding one more drink to the list. Do you know what a breve coffee is?
Here we’ll cover what a breve coffee is, the difference between a breve and other popular coffee drinks and how you can make it at home (click here to skip to the recipe.)
Read More: A Guide to 20+ Popular Types of Coffee
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What is a breve?
A breve is an espresso based coffee drink that’s made like a cappuccino with equal parts espresso to milk and milk foam. However, instead of milk, a breve is made with half and half.
It is typically made without any added sugars since the half and half makes it a rich and decadent coffee drink that’s perfect as a dessert, though you can have it any time of day.
This drink is also considered an American version of a latte. Breve is also Starbucks lingo for half and half. So if you’re at Starbucks and ask for breve, you would likely just get half and half. So if you want to order a breve and not just a cup of half and half, try asking for a cappuccino and ask to replace the milk with breve (half and half.) You can also change the default milk, which is 2% milk in the ordering app and replace it with breve.
What exactly is half and half and is it good for you?
Half and half is half whole milk and half cream. It’s made with equal parts of both. So what does this mean for your coffee?
It’s a replacement for milk or cream, when you want something a little creamier than milk but not too thick like cream. It’s the middle, just right option.
The fat content of half and half is around 10%. It can’t be whipped like heavy cream but you can use it to make cold foam for cold brew coffee.
If you’d like to use a non dairy option, the closest milk alternative would be coconut milk since it has more fat than other alternatives like almond or oat milk.
A breve is also a good alternative to a latte or cappuccino for those who follow a keto diet. The keto diet is all about low carbs and high fats. Cow’s milk should be avoided while on keto, which is what is used for lattes or cappuccinos. But half and half is listed as a keto friendly milk since it is low in carbs, so a breve would be a suitable option.
Breve coffee pronunciation
Breve means short in italian. It would be pronounced like brev-eh (not breev.)
Here’s a video with the pronunciation:
How to make breve coffee
The steps to make a breve coffee are simple. First, pull two shots of espresso. Then steam about ½ cup of half and half. Pour steamed half and half over the espresso, holding back the foam. Next, scoop the milk foam out with a spoon and place it over the espresso and steamed milk. You have a breve.
At home, I make my espresso with a moka pot and prepare the half and half with a milk frother. I use the steamed milk option to steam the milk but find I like an extra thick foam on top so I put a little more half and half on my frother’s hot dense foam setting and spoon that on top of the espresso and steamed milk.
Here are steps you can follow along to make your own breve coffee at home:
Breve ingredients
If you don’t have half and half on hand but have whole milk and heavy cream, mix together equal parts milk and cream to make half and half.
Step 1
Pull two shots of espresso. If you don’t have an espresso machine at home, use a stovetop moka pot.
Step 2
Steam the half and half. You can do this in the microwave or stovetop. I used my milk frother’s steamed milk setting.
Pour the steamed half and half over the shots of espresso. Hold back the frothy part.
Step 3
Scoop froth on top of espresso and half and half.
At home, I like to froth a little more half and half for an extra rich and frothy topping and sprinkle a little cinnamon on top. Enjoy!
Breve Recipe
Breve
A breve is an espresso based coffee drink that’s made like a cappuccino with equal parts espresso to milk and milk foam.
Materials
- 2 ounces espresso
- ½ cup half and half
- Espresso machine/moka pot
Instructions
1. Pull two shots of espresso. If you don’t have an espresso machine at home, use a stovetop moka pot.
2. Steam the half and half. You can do this in the microwave or stovetop. I used my milk frother’s steamed milk setting.
Pour the steamed half and half over the shots of espresso. Hold back the frothy part.
3. Scoop froth on top of espresso and half and half.
At home, I like to froth a little more half and half for an extra rich and frothy topping and sprinkle a little cinnamon on top. Enjoy!
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What is the difference between a breve and a latte?
Though both a breve and a latte are espresso based drinks, the main difference is that a latte is made with whole milk, while a breve uses half and half.
A latte also typically has a small amount of milk foam on top where the latte art is displayed. A breve has a bit more foam and is even creamier than a latte because of the half and half.
How much caffeine is in a breve?
According to the USDA, a shot of espresso (1 ounce) contains 63.6 milligrams of caffeine. There are two shots of espresso in a breve so there would be approximately 128 milligrams of caffeine in a breve. This is a little over a quarter of the recommended caffeine intake of 400 milligrams per day as recommended by the FDA.
