Hazelnut Cappuccino Recipe — Nutty Cafe Coffee at Home

A hazelnut cappuccino is a cappuccino flavoured with hazelnut syrup or Nutella, topped with thick frothed milk and garnished with crushed hazelnuts. The nutty, slightly sweet flavour pairs naturally with coffee, creating one of the most popular flavoured cappuccino variations at cafes worldwide. This homemade version takes 5 minutes and tastes better than most cafe versions.

Hazelnut and coffee are one of those flavour combinations that just works. The roasted, nutty sweetness of hazelnut rounds out the bitterness of strong coffee without overpowering it. At cafes, a hazelnut cappuccino costs Rs 250-350. At home, with a tablespoon of hazelnut syrup (or a teaspoon of Nutella dissolved in hot coffee) and a handheld milk frother, you can make the same drink in 5 minutes for a fraction of the price. The Nutella shortcut is particularly good — it dissolves completely in hot coffee and adds both hazelnut flavour and chocolate richness. Let me show you both methods.

Ingredients

• Coffee — 2 teaspoons (instant or strong filter)
• Hot water — 60 ml
• Milk — 200 ml (full-fat recommended)
• Hazelnut syrup — 1 tablespoon OR Nutella — 1 teaspoon
• Crushed hazelnuts — for garnish

Step-by-Step: How to Make Hazelnut Cappuccino

1. Brew strong coffee. Dissolve 2 teaspoons of coffee in 60 ml of hot water. Stir until completely dissolved. The coffee base needs to be strong to stand up to the hazelnut flavouring.
2. Add hazelnut flavouring. Stir in 1 tablespoon of hazelnut syrup and mix well. Alternatively, add 1 teaspoon of Nutella to the hot coffee and stir vigorously until it melts and dissolves completely. The Nutella method gives you a hazelnut-chocolate combination that is richer than syrup alone.
3. Heat the milk. Warm 200 ml of milk until steaming (around 65 degrees Celsius). Do not boil it — overheated milk does not froth well and can scald the hazelnut flavour.
4. Froth the milk. Dip your InstaCuppa frother just below the surface of the hot milk and run it for 20-25 seconds until it doubles in volume with thick, creamy foam on top.
5. Pour and assemble. Pour the hazelnut coffee into your cup. Slowly add the steamed milk, holding back the foam with a spoon. Then spoon the thick foam on top to create the cappuccino dome.
6. Garnish with crushed hazelnuts. Sprinkle crushed or chopped hazelnuts over the foam dome. This adds texture, visual appeal, and an extra hit of hazelnut flavour with every sip.

Tips & Variations

• Nutella vs hazelnut syrup: Nutella gives a richer, chocolate-hazelnut flavour. Hazelnut syrup gives a cleaner, purely nutty taste. Both work well — it depends on whether you want chocolate in the mix.
• Iced hazelnut cappuccino: Make the hazelnut coffee base, let it cool, pour over ice, and add cold frothed milk. Cold milk takes slightly longer to froth but the end result is refreshing.
• Toast the hazelnuts: Dry-roast the crushed hazelnuts in a pan for 2 minutes before garnishing. Toasted hazelnuts have a deeper, more aromatic flavour than raw ones.
• Hazelnut mocha: Add 1 teaspoon of cocoa powder to the coffee base along with hazelnut syrup for a mocha-hazelnut cappuccino. Rich, indulgent, and perfect for cold evenings.

Which Frother to Use

For hazelnut cappuccino, any handheld frother creates the foam you need. The InstaCuppa Battery-Operated Milk Frother (Rs 899) is the fastest option — 19,000 RPM and thick foam in 20 seconds. If you enjoy experimenting with different flavoured cappuccinos, the InstaCuppa Rechargeable Frother (Rs 699) with 3 speeds and 4 whisks gives you the flexibility to adjust foam thickness for each recipe.