New Orleans-style coffee with milk
New Orleans-style coffee with milk, often called café au lait, is a signature morning beverage from New Orleans, Louisiana. It's traditionally made by mixing strong, dark-roasted coffee (often with chicory) with scalded hot milk in equal parts. This iconic drink is a staple in the city's famous cafés and is often enjoyed alongside beignets.
🍽️ Nutrition at a glance
This drink is primarily a source of carbohydrates from the milk's natural lactose and added sugar, with a moderate amount of protein and fat from the dairy. A typical serving provides around 100-150 calories, along with calcium and a small boost of caffeine.
Nutrition breakdown
| Calories | 120 kcal |
| Protein | 4 g |
| Carbs | 12 g |
| Fat | 6 g |
| Fiber | 0 g |
| Sugar | 12 g |
| Sodium | 60 mg |
| Calcium | 150 mg |
| Potassium | 200 mg |
| Phosphorus | 100 mg |
| Vitamin D | 1.5 mcg |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.2 mg |
| Caffeine | 65 mg |
Per 1 cup (240 g) · estimated, varies by recipe
💡 What's interesting
The use of chicory root, which is roasted and ground, gives the coffee a distinctive, slightly woody and chocolatey flavor profile and is a unique cultural marker of New Orleans coffee tradition. Nutritionally, the equal-parts milk ratio makes it a more balanced and less acidic coffee drink compared to black coffee.
