Want to make a rich, sweet, and bold Cuban Cortadito coffee at home? This traditional drink is famous for its strong espresso base, creamy milk, and signature espuma (whipped sugar foam).
Cuban coffee has a history of producing high-quality, highly sweet coffee flavors. This Cuban drink is widely consumed in Latin America.
In just 5 minutes, you can recreate this iconic Cuban coffee that delivers a perfect balance of strength, sweetness, and smooth texture.
What is Cortadito coffee?
Cortadito is a traditional Cuban espresso-based coffee made with equal parts espresso and milk, topped with sweet espuma.
We may call it a Cuban espresso coffee. It is somewhat similar to a Macchiato. It is the short version of Café con Leche, or coffee with milk.
The Cuban word Cortadito means “short cut.” The milk cuts the strong taste of espresso. This flavor adds a shot of Cuban espresso and steamed milk. And it has a light brown topping with whipped sugar and espresso.
You should also try the Americano Misto recipe at home.
How to make a Cortadito Coffee at home?
Making this flavor at home is simple and easy. To make Cortadito coffee, you need an espresso machine or any coffee maker. You can even use an AeroPress for Cortadito.
To make traditional espuma on Cortadito coffee, whip sugar with espresso. Add espuma before adding the milk.
Ingredients
- Two espresso shots
- 2 tablespoons white sugar
- 2 ounces of warmed milk or evaporated milk
Instructions
- The first step is to prepare two espresso shots. Use Moka pot or espresso machines.
- Now, warm the milk or evaporate the milk.
- Pick a small bowl and add 2 tablespoon of sugar,
- Pour a slight volume of espresso over the sugar and return it to the pot.
- Whisk the sugar and espresso until the sugar dissolves and light brown foam on the top appears.
- Pour two espresso shots into a coffee cup
- Add milk to the espresso. An ideal Cortadito adds an equal volume of milk to espresso.
- Lastly, add espuma to the coffee.
Cortadito Coffee taste
Cortadito has a bold yet smooth flavor profile:
- Strong espresso base
- Sweet caramel-like taste from sugar
- Creamy texture from milk
- Light frothy top (espuma)
The trademark of Cuban coffee is the espuma, a highly sweetened thick material that makes coffee sweet and creamy.
Cortadito has a robust and sweetened flavor with a creamy texture. Unlike a traditional espresso or black coffee, this drink is highly sweetened and slightly intense.
Don’t forget to make dirty coffee at home.
Barista expert tip
As a coffee enthusiast, I’ve tested multiple Cuban coffee methods, and the key to a perfect Cortadito is the espuma technique.
If you get this right, your homemade version will taste just like a Cuban café.
Cortadito coffee Calories
A single cup of Cortadito coffee contains approximately 370 calories. Adding espuma significantly increases the sugar and calorie content, with
How to make Espuma for coffee?
Espuma is the key ingredient of Cuban coffee. You can make espuma at home by following these simple steps.
- Add two tablespoons of sugar to the cup.
- Pour a few drops of espresso into the cup.
- Now, whip vigorously until it forms a foam.
- A kind of sweet creamy foam is called Espuma.
Cortadito coffee A Cuban coffee
Ingredients
- 2 shots espresso
- 2 tbsp espuma
- 2 ounces milk
Instructions
- Brew two shots of espresso
- warm the milk
- Add milk to the cup of espresso shots
- add two tablespoon of espuma to the cup
- Whisk gently with a tablespoon
- A cup of Cortadito is ready to serve
Notes
Cortadito coffee Variations
This flavor is flexible; you can make it with different variations. Also, you can make Cortadito leche y leche, or a condensed milk version.
Cortadito with Condensed Milk
- Replace milk + espuma with condensed milk
- Extra sweet and thick
Cortadito leche y leche
- Mix evaporated milk + condensed milk
- Rich, dessert-like flavor
These versions are popular in Spain and Latin regions.
Condensed milk makes coffee thick and sweet. Cortadito with condensed milk is a highly consumed drink in some parts of Spain. However, it doesn’t require espuma if you add condensed milk.
Adding condensed milk to your coffee makes it heavier and sweeter, and adds a lot of calories to your drink.
How to drink Cortadito coffee
A delicious coffee you can make at home and enjoy all day. However, this coffee is traditionally perfect for the early morning.
You can also customize your drink if you dislike the flavor. Add less espuma or to get a less sweet flavor, or add one espresso shot to make it a less intense drink.
Cortadito vs Other Coffees
Cuban coffees are world famous. Here are a few coffee comparisons with Cortadito.
Colada vs Cortadito
The two high-class Cuban coffees. Colada is a sweeter version of espresso. Cortadito is a milk-based drink, and colada adds no milk.
Colada is a strong, sweet coffee served in a Styrofoam cup. Colada brews with Arabica beans from Cuba. Also, like Cortadito, the Colada adds espuma.
Cortadito vs Cafecito
- Cafecito = pure espresso + sugar
- Cortadito = espresso + milk + espuma
Cafecito has no added flavors; it has a simple brewing method. Also, the Cafecito is usually served in a small cup.
In contrast, Cortadito is made with an equal amount of milk and coffee. You can serve a Cortadito in a large glass.
Cortado vs Cortadito
- Both use equal espresso + milk
- Cortadito = sweet (with espuma)
- Cortado = no sugar
Cortadito may be new to you, but Cortado is a widely consumed drink worldwide. In reality, Cortado and Cortadito are almost the same drinks. Cuban calls Cortado as Cortadito.
Cortado and Cortadito have an equal volume of milk and coffee. In Cortado, steam the milk and add an espresso shot. There is no milk foam or froth in it.
Cortadito and cortado have the same brewing process. So you can order Cortado when you crave Cortadito. Also, you can customize both drinks if you are at home.
Cortadito vs. flat white
- Flat white = more milk, less sweet
- Cortadito = stronger + sweeter
A flat white uses more milk than a cortado. Although both drinks are sweet and intense, the amount of milk sets them apart.
Flat white, a popular flavor, has 2/3 of milk and one espresso shot. Flat white also comes with latte art at the top. In contrast, for Cortadito, you don’t need foam milk.
You can also brew Spanish latte at home.
Cortadito vs Gibraltar
- Gibraltar uses less milk
- Cortadito is sweeter and creamier
It is interesting to note that Gibraltar brews with a similar volume of milk and espresso.
A Gibraltar coffee has two shots of espresso and one ounce of steamed milk. It can also be made with two ounces of steamed milk. It serves in a Tumbler (a Gibraltar glass).
However, Cortadito is brewed with the same ratio of milk and coffee.
In contrast to Cortadito, the Gibraltar coffee drink can be more intense because it uses less milk.
Neither drink comes with milk foam. Also, Cortadito and Gibraltar don’t use sugar or other flavors.
Check the recipe of Piccolo latte.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, Cortadito is stronger because it uses less milk and more concentrated espresso.
Not officially, but you can order a similar drink with ristretto shots and milk.
Because of espuma, a whipped sugar foam made with espresso.
Yes, you can make Cortadito using a Moka pot or AeroPress. These methods produce strong coffee similar to espresso, suitable for making an authentic cortadito.
Conclusion:
If you are a fan of Cuban coffee flavors, Cortadito is right up there with the finest taste and texture. Most of the Cuban coffees add espuma, a trademark sweet flavor. A great flavor that you can brew at home.