A small coffee establishment located near Minneapolis has gained worldwide attention with its innovative coffee drink after the owners chose to share its recipe publicly.
The raspberry danish latte, which was introduced as a seasonal offering by Little Joy Coffee in March, rapidly gained popularity online. In response, the owners encouraged other coffee shops to adopt the recipe for their own menus.
By providing a detailed recipe along with instructions, Little Joy Coffee invited cafes to join a growing network of establishments serving the raspberry danish latte. The initiative has attracted hundreds of participating shops, resulting in a map displaying locations across nearly every continent, with almost two million views.
Recently, baristas from Little Joy Coffee sampled their signature latte while on holiday in Dublin, Ireland, highlighting the drink’s global reach.
The concept originated from the shop’s video series, “DIY or Buy,” which educates viewers on the preparation and ingredient costs of their popular beverages. Given the current economic challenges faced by many, the series aims to provide a clearer understanding of the expenses associated with crafting favorite drinks.
The raspberry danish latte is priced at $8, featuring a homemade raspberry syrup base, milk, and a double shot of espresso, topped with a vanilla cream cheese foam and garnished with two raspberries on a skewer. The estimated cost to recreate it at home is around $2.46, excluding labor and equipment expenses.
Serena Walker, the store manager, humorously advised viewers in the video, “The verdict is in: don’t make this one at home.”
Located in Northfield, Minnesota, a town with a population of approximately 20,000 and a motto emphasizing community, cows, and colleges, Little Joy Coffee realized that many viewers might never have the opportunity to visit the shop in person.
Cody Larson, the owner of Little Joy Coffee, conceived the idea after noting that a significant portion of the shop’s Instagram following, over 132,000, were unlikely to travel to Northfield, an exurb situated around 45 minutes from Minneapolis. The shop has been in operation since 2019, following several years as a coffee cart.
“I initially doubted that any cafes would actually add it to their offerings,” Larson recalled. “I even made a list of pros and cons, where a con was the potential embarrassment of no one using it.”
Larson noted that smaller coffee businesses often view each other more as partners than rivals, with the real competition lying in the larger chains. Sharing the recipe was a natural extension of this collaborative spirit.
“By granting permission, we provided encouragement for many shops that had been observing from a distance, thinking it would be great to have it on their menu but hesitant to appear unoriginal,” Larson explained. “It doesn’t harm us if a coffee shop in California offers the same drink; we don’t see that as an issue.”
Little Joy Coffee does not screen the participating shops, so customers are encouraged to verify that their chosen café features the latte. Additionally, there is no oversight on how each shop prepares the drink. Larson mentioned receiving emails from people who have made variations of the recipe, seeking his approval, but acknowledged that the recipe is now beyond his control.
“I assume we won’t face any negative feedback for how the drink is made at other locations,” he said. “I believe customers understand that there will be variations from shop to shop, even if the drink shares the same name.”
Initially, the raspberry danish latte was not a permanent item on the Little Joy menu, but rather a limited-time spring drink. However, it quickly became the shop’s best-selling offering, surpassing even the traditional plain latte.
The drink draws inspiration from the raspberry danish pastry, with the raspberry syrup mimicking the filling and the cream cheese foam resembling pastry cream.
Seasonal specialty drinks have become a hallmark of many independent coffee shops. At Little Joy, the trend has shifted; drinks featuring unexpected or trendy ingredients, such as yuzu, have seen declining sales, possibly reflecting consumers’ concerns over rising prices across various goods.
The “DIY or Buy” series offers viewers the chance to recreate a signature drink at home while also revealing the costs associated with an $8 latte. Walker noted, “People often comment that coffee prices at small shops are too high, but when you break it down, it becomes clear how little profit we actually make, considering ingredient costs, labor, and overhead.”
Drinks inspired by familiar desserts have proven popular, with Larson mentioning that a carrot cake latte “went absolutely crazy.” He draws inspiration from mixology trends; one recipe for a cardamom bun latte incorporated techniques from cocktail crafting. After experimenting with various iterations, he ultimately developed the raspberry danish latte.
Comments on the shop’s videos often express a desire for viewers to be closer to Little Joy to experience the drinks firsthand. While some detractors argue that the raspberry danish latte isn’t particularly original and doesn’t deserve the attention, Larson maintains that the drink’s appeal is valid and resonates with customers.
