☕ Flat White
A flat white is a small espresso drink made with a double shot (often ristretto) topped with steamed milk textured into a thin, velvety microfoam. Compared with a latte it has less milk and a stronger coffee flavour; compared with a cappuccino its foam is flatter and silkier. It is usually served in a 150–180 ml cup, often with latte art.
Diets
Allergens
Contains (in a typical recipe):
What it is made of
Recipe
Ingredients
- 18 g finely ground coffee (double shot)
- 120 ml cold milk
- 50 ml hot water (to preheat the cup)
Method
- Pull a double espresso or ristretto (about 40 ml) into a 160 ml cup.
- Steam the milk to about 60 °C, keeping the foam thin and glossy.
- Swirl the milk to integrate the microfoam.
- Pour the milk into the espresso from close range, finishing with a thin layer of foam.
How to make it lighter
- Ask for skimmed milk to trim fat while keeping the size the same.
- Skip sugar and syrups — the drink itself is unsweetened.
- Choose a flat white over a large latte: the smaller cup means less milk.
History
Both Australia and New Zealand claim the flat white, with cafés in Sydney and Wellington credited in competing stories from the 1980s. It spread through specialty coffee shops worldwide in the 2000s and 2010s.
Count it in one photo
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Values are estimates per 100 g for a typical recipe; home and restaurant versions vary. Diets and allergens are worked out from the ingredients of a typical recipe — always check with whoever cooked the dish. Not medical advice. Nutrition data: Me Nutrition dish database v13. How we count →