I have always loved the Starbucks Caramel Macchiato, and I’ve ordered them for years. Of course, the Starbucks version of the macchiato is different than the classic drink, but I happen to like this version more because it’s sweeter and less bitter.
If you’re a fan of this vanilla and caramel infused coffee drink, you may be surprised to learn how easy it is to make at home with just a few ingredients. And, I jazzed mine up this time with some sweet cream cold foam, too. I’ve done this with different flavors other than vanilla as well. Cinnamon, for example, is another delicious combo with the flavors of the caramel macchiato.
So, if you’re looking to make a Starbucks copycat caramel macchiato at home, this is the post for you. Lets get started:
Starbucks Caramel Macchiato Copycat: Ingredients
You’ll only need four ingredients to make the main drink and five if you want to add the sweet cream cold foam, and I bet you have most of them at home already. Of course, I’m not counting ice, but you’ll need that, too. Feel free to substitute some of these for what you do have and it’ll still taste delicious.
- Espresso Shots: I used one of my favorite Nespresso double espresso pods for this, which creates two shots. A double shot is what I put in a medium or grande size, so that’s two pods per drink. For some Starbucks drinks, they’ll use 3 shots in a grande, but that’s too strong for me using these Nespresso pods. I use my Nespresso Vertuoline machine to make espresso and it makes it so easy. You can swap this out for strongly brewed coffee, traditionally brewed espresso shots, strong instant coffee, you name it. Make it work. You may need to adjust the milk depending on how strong your coffee is, though.
- Vanilla Syrup: I used my homemade recipe for this and it’s my favorite. But, you can use any vanilla syrup that you have on hand.
- Milk of Choice: Lately, I’ve been all about the Califia Farms Barista Blend Oat Milk. It froths so well and is really creamy. But, use whatever works for you here. If you don’t make a request at Starbucks, they traditionally use 2% milk. If you like the way their coffees taste, you can use that as your milk. I’ve also used protein milks, such as Ripple, and those add a little healthy kick.
- Heavy Cream: If you’re making the sweet cream cold foam, you’ll also need heavy cream. You cannot substitute this ingredient, or the cold foam won’t set up at the right consistency. It’s not very much, though, so if you’re not too sensitive to dairy, it should be okay. I usually do not eat dairy, but I can handle a little heavy cream in my drinks.
- Ice: Yaaaaasss. Ice, ice, baby. I do not brew the coffee over ice, because it melts it and waters it down too much. I brew my espresso into an espresso cup, so that it cools a bit before adding it to the sauces to melt them. By the time you are adding the ice, it’s cooled enough where it won’t melt the ice as quickly.
- Caramel Sauce: You want the sauce and not the syrup here for that drizzle consistency. You can also line your cup with caramel sauce for added sweetness. I have been loving this caramel sauce lately, it has a cleaner ingredient list than most of the storebought brands.
That’s it! Now that you have everything out, let’s get started!
How To Make a Starbucks Caramel Macchiato:
The Starbucks cups make it so easy to get the ingredients just right. You can save your cup and wash it out and reuse it, just don’t put it in the dishwasher. I’ll also share the measurements below this video so you can make it without watching the video. In this video, I used vanilla in the drink and cinnamon bun syrup in the cold foam, so you can mix it up, too.
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- Add 2 tbsp. vanilla syrup
- Add 3/4 cup milk of choice
- Add 2 shots of espresso, stir or not
- Add 1 cup ice
- Add caramel drizzle to the top or add sweet cream first
- Mix 4 tbsp. heavy cream, 2 tbsp. milk, 1 tbsp. vanilla syrup or syrup flavor of your choice and froth until soft set, like melted whip cream
- Pour over coffee and then drizzle with caramel sauce
- Enjoy!
It’ll take you just a couple of minutes to make this drink and it is so worth it! Here’s the tools I used in my video to make this and many of my coffees! I buy all of these with my own money and only share what I really use. These are affiliate links, which means at no cost to you, I may receive a commission if you shop through my links. Cheers!
That’s it! Use what you have on hand, friends, but if you’re in the market for something you don’t have, this is what I like to use.
More Coffee Drink Recipes:
Want more delicious iced espresso and copycat drink recipes? You might love my ebook!
The ebook is a digital download, which means it’s available as soon as payment is processed. Here are some of the things that are included in the ebook:
- Starbucks copycat recipes
- Viral coffee recipes, like the iced white mocha with vanilla sweet cream and caramel drizzle
- Dunkin’ Butter Pecan copycat
- Dutch Bros copycat recipes – Golden Eagle, Iced Mocha, Caramelizer
- The easy way to get vanilla sweet cream cold foam right EVERY TIME
- Simple syrup recipes with just a few ingredients you can make at home, with less chemicals and added ingredients, for even more delicious coffees
- The best Nespresso espresso pods to buy
- and more!
Check Out the Coffee Ebook Here
I hope you found a coffee recipe you love today.
Get roasted,
A
