How to Froth Milk

Learn how to froth milk without a frother or fancy coffee machine. You can use a hand-held immersion blender, a regular stand blender, or just a jar with a lid to make foamy frothed milk like your favorite coffee shop.

These days, with more time at home and time to experiment in the kitchen, I’ve noticed a lot of people are choosing to tackle big projects like homemade bread, pasta and other cooking adventures that are challenging and, I’m sure, totally satisfying.

And then I’m over here with the attention span of a gnat wondering how I can doctor up a box of macaroni and cheese or make soup with five pantry ingredients. We all handle times of uncertainty in different ways – some people write novels and some people are just happy to recall, with accuracy, what day it is.

But, I have been tinkering and thinking about simple things that could a little brightness to each day and, for me, that’s been frothing milk for coffee. It’s a little thing, but somehow dressing up my plain-Jane mug of coffee with a frothy, foamy cap of milk has offered some nice moments. Is it at the same level of making your own sourdough starter? Nope. But, I think we should pace ourselves – we can always work up to more challenging projects.

How to Froth Milk (without a Frother)

It isn’t hard to do and you can totally do a DIY version with a microwave and a blender – either a stick blender or stand blender – or even just a jar with a lid. You also don’t have to make shots of espresso to make an “authentic” coffee drink. I just use my regular old drip coffee and dress it up with frothed milk.

I sort of modeled this after a cafe au lait, which is equal parts coffee and milk. So, for me, I like about 1/2 cup of each per serving.

Instead of steaming the milk, I just warm it up in the microwave first. It takes between one and two minutes – you want to heat it so it’s steaming hot but not to the point that it starts to boil. Depending on your microwave you may need more or less time. You can also warm it on the stove.

Froth with a Blender or a Jar!

Once it’s hot, you can “froth” it using an immersion blender (my favorite way), a regular stand blender, or just in a jar.

• If you use a stick blender, the head will need to be completely emerged in the milk so choose a narrow container with tall sides. The tall sides will prevent the milk from spilling out.
• Blend continuously until it starts to foam – it only takes about a minute.
• You can also use a regular blender. Just pour the milk in and process until it turns foamy.
• There is also the jar method – use a microwave-safe canning jar (a small one). Microwave the milk in it (without the lid) for about a minute – the milk should be hot but not boiling.
• Secure the lid and shake until the milk is frothy. The jar will be hot so hold it with a towel while you shake.

To get that nice, frothy top pour the milk into your coffee using a spoon or knife to hold back the foam. Then, spoon the foam on top.

About the Milk

The best is whole milk, but it will work with 2% milk, too.

I have also tested it with almond milk which sort of works. You will get some froth, but not as much as regular milk. One thing I like about the almond milk version is that it has a really wonderful nutty-scent when you warm it up.

Of course, you can gussy-up your drinks with a dusting of cinnamon over the top or a sprinkle of grated chocolate if you’re feeling fancy-like.

Happy frothing ☕

More Recipes to Try

• Hot Chocolate Mix
• Mocha Smoothie
• Margarita Wine Spritzer

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The nutrition information in this recipe is an estimate only and was calculated using Nutrifox, an online nutrition calculator.