Banana Bread Latte: Where the Trend Came From and How to Make It

The banana bread latte is a coffee drink that tastes like the loaf: espresso and milk with a banana, brown sugar and cinnamon syrup. It moved from social media videos to chain menus during 2026. Below is how the trend got there, followed by a basic at-home method. The recipe is a standard formula for a drink like this, not a tested or branded recipe, so adjust sweetness and spice to taste.

Where the trend comes from

According to Tasting Table (August 2026), banana coffee traces back to banana milk, which was introduced in South Korea in the 1970s. The article credits K-pop interest and TikTok videos of banana milk in coffee for pushing it into the US mainstream. Chains followed:

• Starbucks: an Iced Banana Bread Latte and Iced Banana Bread Chai for fall.
• Dunkin’: several banana drinks on its spring 2026 menu, including the Bananarama Matcha.
• 7 Brew: a Banana Bread Blondie.
• Grocery shelves: banana bread creamers from brands such as Coffee Mate and Natural Bliss.

Reaction is mixed. Tasting Table notes some people love the flavor and others reject banana in coffee outright, so it may not suit everyone.

Basic at-home method

This makes one drink. The syrup is the same idea cafes use: cooked banana, sugar and spice.

Ingredients

• 1 ripe banana, mashed
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon and a pinch of salt
• 1 or 2 shots of espresso, or strong brewed coffee
• About 200 ml (3/4 cup) milk of your choice

Steps

1. Simmer the banana, brown sugar, water, cinnamon and salt in a small pan over low heat for a few minutes, stirring, until it thickens into a syrup.
2. Strain it if you want a smooth drink, pressing the banana through a sieve.
3. Stir two to three tablespoons of syrup into the hot espresso.
4. Warm and froth the milk and pour it over. For an iced version, pour the coffee and syrup over ice, then add cold milk.
5. Top with a pinch of cinnamon.

Keep leftover syrup in a sealed container in the fridge and use it within a few days. Oat milk is a common dairy-free choice. If you are cooking for someone with allergies, check labels on milk alternatives and creamers.

Related on Food Xplorely

• Cookie butter banana cupcakes, if you have spare ripe bananas

Corrections to an earlier version

An earlier slide-style version of this post said banana bread beats pumpkin spice and predicted cafes would add it to menus. The menu part has since happened; the comparison claim was unsourced and has been removed.

Sources

• Tasting Table: Banana flavor is taking over coffee shops

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