Hi, welcome! I am so happy that you are here to learn about the Korean sweet potato latte, aka goguma latte (고구마 라떼) in Korean. I am originally from Seoul, Korea, and I visit my family in Seoul often. Recently, I learned that there is a sweet potato latte on menus in many cafes in Korea and I thought it brilliant. The sweet, warm, creamy sweet potato latte sounds absolutely delicious and I just had to make it at home in a vegan version. Many small cafes don’t have plant milk options to swap for cow milk. But no worries, I can make a better version at home! Then let’s talk about the sweet potato latte—what it is, why it’s good for you, different versions of the drink, and most importantly, how to make it.
Introduction to Sweet Potato Latte
How did you get to hear about the sweet potato latte? Are you Korean? I’m curious to know how you got to know about it. Leave a comment below or write me an email 🤗 🍠
Roasted Sweet Potatoes in Korea
During the wintertime in Korea, people roast sweet potatoes right in the fire. The roasted sweet potato in Korea has such significance in culture and therefore has its own name, which is gun-goguma (군고구마.) These roasted sweet potatoes are very popular in Korea and Japan and are sold on the streets, in street food trucks, and in convenience stores. The sweet potatoes in Korea and Japan are different kinds from the ones you normally find in Europe or America, which I will talk about more in detail later in the post. But the sweet potato we eat here has its iconic yellow flesh inside. Oh, I have this beautiful memory of my childhood eating these warm, sweet, roasted sweet potatoes in the winter.
Roasted Sweet Potatoes in Sweet Potato Latte
The sweet potato latte is made from yellow, roasted sweet potatoes. When the sweet potato is roasted, the moisture in the sweet potato evaporates; making the sweet potato very concentrated in flavor and chewy texture. However, you don’t need to roast the sweet potatoes to make this at home. You can simply cook the sweet potatoes and just use less liquid than the recipes that use roasted sweet potatoes.
What is a Sweet Potato Latté?
So what is a sweet potato latte? It is a warm drink with milk and sweet potatoes. It’s like PSL—pumpkin spice latte—but with sweet potatoes and in a Korean version. And it has a color similar to the golden latte with turmeric. Are you excited to make this at home? I certainly am! It is a simple and delicious recipe that can warm your body and heart.
The Best Sweet Potato Varieties for Sweet Potato Latte
You can use any kind of sweet potato for this recipe, but I want to go over different varieties of sweet potatoes and how they would affect the final result.
From left to right: Orange sweet potatoes, purple sweet potatoes, and yellow sweet potatoes.
1. Korean Yellow Sweet Potato
This type of sweet potato we eat in Korea has purple skin and yellow flesh. But even within this type of sweet potato, there are two main types: one that is very moist inside, called mul-goguma (물고구마), and another one that is very dry and crumbly inside called bam-goguma (밤고구마). Personally, I prefer the moist mul-goguma, which means “water sweet potato,” to the dry bam-goguma, which means “chestnut sweet potato.” Both of these sweet potatoes have this sweet, nutty flavor which almost resembles the chestnut flavors.
2. Orange Sweet Potato
This orange sweet potato is the type that I usually find in North America and Europe. They are very moist and mildly sweet. I really love these orang sweet potatoes as well, and I eat a lot of them here in Norway now. They are usually less sweet and have a milder flavor than the yellow sweet potatoes I find in Korea. They are close to pumpkins when it comes to flavor and color.
3. Purple Sweet Potato
To be honest, this is my favorite type of sweet potato. The purple sweet potatoes! I used to think the Korean yellow sweet potatoes were the best until I got to taste these deep purple-colored sweet potatoes. They were not only deep in colors but also in flavor. They fall somewhere in between in texture; they are slightly moist yet dense inside. Purple sweet potatoes have a high level of antioxidants, making them the most nutritious kinds of sweet potatoes.
There can be four kinds of sweet potato lattes, depending on the sweet potato types and the optional espresso shot!
Health Benefits of Sweet Potatoes
1. A Superfood
Sweet potatoes are considered a Superfood, one of the healthiest foods on the planet. WHO voted for the sweet potato as “the 10 best vegetables” in 2016. Here’s the cool fact: 80% of plant proteins found in sweet potatoes were found to have anti-cancer effects.
2. Loads of Beta-Carotene for Eyes and Skin Health
According to Harvard Education, there is a lot of beta-carotene, which is a type of vitamin A, especially in orange sweet potatoes. Beta-carotene is a dark orange pigment found in plants, so rest assured, orange sweet potatoes have a lot of them. And this gorgeous color supports eye health and protects your skin from UV rays.
3. Lots of Fiber for Gut Health
There is a lot of research on the positive effects of the abundance of fiber found in sweet potatoes. It is suggested that the fibers present in sweet potatoes can improve intestinal health.
Interesting Ingredients for Sweet Potato Latte
You can buy some instant goguma latte in Korea, but why would you want to do that? Make some fresh, nutritious vegan sweet potato latte at home. But if you want to make a quick sweet potato latte, there are two options: Condensed milk and milk powder.
You can whip up delicious oat milk within a second with these two products.
1. Condensed Oat Milk
NATURES CHARM Sweetened Condensed Oatmilk, 11.25 OZ
This is a can of sweetened condensed oat milk! It’s so perfect to make a quick latte with this, especially if you are inviting your friends over for vegan brunch and you need to make several portions of lattes at once. Or you might want to drink all of it yourself because it tastes so nice 😉 I love that this is made of oat milk, not coconut milk, so you can focus the taste on the rich flavors of sweet potatoes.
2. Oat Milk Powder
Anthony’s Premium Oat Milk Powder, 8 oz, Gluten Free, Non GMO, Vegan, Made in USA
I find this a great substitute for oat milk and potentially condensed oat milk too. With sweetened condensed oat milk like above, you don’t even need to sweeten it but you need that with the oat milk powder. But the shelf life is longer with a powder form, so you could just keep it in your pantry for further uses. That comes in handy!
Korean Sweet Potato Latte Recipe | Goguma Latte
Korean Sweet Potato Latte | Goguma Latte
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup Sweet potato Boiled or roasted
- 2 cup Oat milk
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 2 tbsp Date syrup
- 1 dash Cinnamon powder Optional
- 2 Almonds Roasted and sliced, Optional
Instructions
- Cook the sweet potato by boiling or roasting. You can even microwave it for 5 minutes with skin on. Peel the skin of the sweet potato once cooked.
- In a blender, put the sweet potato, oat milk, date syrup, and salt. Blend until fine.
- Heat the sweet potato latte in a pot. Once heated, pour it into two cups.
- Sprinkle some cinnamon and some roasted almond slices on top if you like. Enjoy!
Tips for Sweet Potato Latte
1. Sweet Potato Latte with Espresso
A pumpkin spice latte has a shot or two of espresso inside. If you want a kick of caffeine in your sweet potato latte, you could do the same! Put some espresso in one portion of the sweet potato latte, and you will have some caffeinated sweet potato latte for yourself. This is my favorite way to enjoy a sweet potato latte, with an espresso shot inside. It’s divine!
2. Chilled Korean Sweet Potato Latte
This is usually served warm or hot, but you could certainly drink it chilled. You could even serve it with some ice inside, and then it would be an iced sweet potato latte. That also sounds wonderful.
3. Adjust the Milk Volume
If you like a more thin consistency, add more milk to the recipe. If you like a thicker consistency, either add more sweet potato or use less milk. It’s up to your preference. I love a slightly thicker consistency. I love a soft and creamy texture, as you can tell from my name, Kreamy Vegan 😄
Did You Know?
In Korea, people not only eat sweet potatoes but also the stems of the sweet potato. It’s eaten in other parts of the world too, not just in Korea. It’s called goguma-julgi-namul 고구마줄기 나물, literally meaning sweet potato stem cooked. It’s so delicious! My mom used to cook the sweet potato stems for dinner and I could eat all of it in a blink of an eye.
If you enjoyed this blog post, you could check out my other recipes 🙂 I love writing vegan recipes, including amazing Korean recipes like this sweet potato latte. Or are you looking for another warm fall drink idea? Here is a blog post I wrote about a list of fall drinks you could try to get cozy.
Must-Try Korean Latte Trends
Many trends were created in cafes in Korea. There are not only many cafes in Korea, but also Korean dessert cafes where that serve traditional Korean desserts and drinks. I love visiting them when I’m in Korea.
In either regular cafes or Korean dessert cafes, they can serve traditional sweets and drinks but also have transformed traditional ones into modern or fusion styles. It has become so popular among young generations and foreigners visiting Korea!
Some of the traditional Korean drinks include misugaru and yulmu-cha. I grew up drinking these drinks in Korea, like how European kids grow up drinking non-alcoholic mulled wine in the winter.
Other Korean Latte Recipes
Here are other Korean latte recipes you might want to check out!
Korean Sweet Potato Latte (Goguma Latte) 고구마라떼
If you are a pumpkin spice latte lover, you might also fall in love with this sweet potato latte. Sweet potato puree is so creamy, nutty, and sweet. It can be made into many variations: sweet potato types, hot or cold, and with or without espresso.
Korean Mugwort Latte (Ssuk Latte) 쑥라떼
Mugwort is a very popular herb in Korea. There is a latte made with this herb, and it is green and very fragrant. If you love matcha latte for its slightly bitter and fresh, nutty flavor of matcha, you might love this mugwort latte!
Blueberry Latte Recipe | With Blueberry Cheong and Syrup
You can make blueberry latté with blueberry cheong and syrup. Or you can make some blueberry paste to make some delicious blueberry latté! Learn more.
Vanilla Matcha Latte Recipe | Japanese Matcha Drink Recipe
This vanilla matcha latte recipe is a beautiful green tea matcha drink recipe! You’ll fall in love with the earthy, round, slightly bitter, and sweet flavors.
Strawberry Latte Recipe | Inspired by Starbucks Strawberry Latte
Inspired by the strawberry latté at Starbucks, this strawberry latte has a great harmony between strawberries and milk. Learn the strawberry latte recipe here.
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