Recipe: Flavored Stevia Latte

My family gifted me with a basic espresso machine a few months ago, and I've been enjoying tasty espresso drinks nearly every day (sometimes twice a day!) as well as experimenting with my favorite recipes.

I really love using honey as a sweetener, both in plain drip coffee and espresso drinks, but have been trying to incorporate more stevia (and thus, less sugar) into my diet. Well, I tried sweetening my coffee with stevia and it was less than tasty. Stevia has gotten a bad rap for having a bitter aftertaste, and let me tell ya, coffee brings out the worst of it.

However, I persevered, and made a couple of adjustments. First, I changed brands of stevia to the Trim Healthy Mama stevia. It's less bitter and the best tasting stevia I've ever had. I've even managed to convince a few stevia-haters that it's alright. Second, I used less. The more stevia you use, the more bitter aftertaste you get. A little goes a long way, so using less helps get that sweet taste without the bitter aftertaste. Third, I tried a "sweet blend" recipe with the Trim Healthy Mama brand stevia and erithrytol (a natural, GMO-free sugar substitute). This hit the spot! I don't even taste the stevia aftertaste with the sweet blend I made and can use it both plain coffee and espresso drinks.

Here's the recipe I now make often! 

Flavored Sugarless Latte: 
2 shots espresso (or 6 oz. very strong brewed coffee)
1/4 tsp flavored extract of choice (I usually use vanilla but have done almond and caramel as well)
1/2-3/4 tsp stevia/erithrytol sweet blend, depending on how sweet you like it (Recipe here)
1/3 c milk of choice (coconut is my favorite)

Steam milk with extract and sweet blend. (If you don't have a milk steamer, warm it on the stove and then pour into a mason jar and shake vigorously.) Pour espresso into warm milk. Enjoy!