Is there lactose in a latte?
High — it's mostly milk.
A latte is a small shot of espresso in a big serve of steamed milk, so its lactose comes straight from that milk — and there's a lot of it. It's a common hidden trigger for the daily-coffee crowd.
If your daily coffee reliably leaves you bloated, your latte is a prime suspect. A latte is a single espresso shot drowned in steamed milk — so almost all of it is milk, and the lactose comes along in full. It’s an easy one to overlook precisely because it’s a habit, not a “dairy food.”
The easy fix: the fix here is genuinely painless. Cafés everywhere now do lactose-free, oat and soy — just ask. Most people can’t taste the difference in a lactose-free latte.
How much lactose is in a latte?
A regular latte holds roughly 7–10 g of lactose per cup, depending on size and how much milk. A flat white or cappuccino has a little less; a black coffee has none.
| Drink | Milk content | Lactose (approx.) |
|---|---|---|
| Latte | High | ~7–10 g |
| Cappuccino / flat white | Medium | ~5–8 g |
| Oat / soy / lactose-free latte | — | ~0 g |
Estimated from the milk content (regular milk is ~4.8 g lactose per 100 mL) — see the full lactose chart & sources.
When you can still enjoy it
Order it with lactose-free, oat or soy milk, drop to a smaller/less-milky style like a macchiato, or take a lactase tablet before your coffee — see what helps.
If a latte isn't handy, reach for…
Common questions
Is there lactose in a latte?
Which coffee has the least lactose?
Does a lactose-free or oat latte taste the same?
Want the full picture? Grab our free Living Lactose-Free in Australia cheat sheet — it sorts 60+ foods like this one so you never have to guess at the supermarket again.