Made using 4 ingredients in 10 minutes, Starbucks Copycat Caramel Latte is a breeze to make at home at a fraction of the cost. Make this espresso-based beverage (hot or iced) at home using my easy recipe (vegetarian, gluten-free).
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About Caramel Latte
I am a big coffee fan! A good cup of coffee can cheer me up, and thus my craze for trying new coffee recipes at home is never-ending. The latest coffee drink that I tried my hands on is this Starbucks Copycat Caramel Latte.
Making a homemade caramel-flavored latte is super easy. Comforting, sweet, and smooth, this espresso-based beverage is made using just 4 simple ingredients and comes together in just 10 minutes. This Starbucks copycat recipe is also much more economical to make at home.
The best part is that you can use your comfortable brewing method to make this homemade latte.
Make it hot on chilly fall and winter mornings, or sip it chilled on warm summer days.
This caramel latte recipe is vegetarian and gluten-free; you can easily make it vegan. Double or triple the recipe as per your requirements.
Here are some more coffee drinks recipes you may like
Ingredients
Coffee – Use an espresso maker to make the espresso shots. But if you don’t have an espresso machine, brew strong coffee in your Normal Coffee Pot, French Press, Aeropress coffee make, or Moka Pot. You can also use Instant coffee powder dissolved in water.
Cold Brew Coffee also works excellently in this recipe. Please bring it to room temperature or heat it a little before adding it to the cup to keep your coffee drink hot.
We need ½ cup of espresso (or strongly brewed coffee) to make 2 cups of drink. ½ cup espresso is approximately 3 shots of espresso.
Milk – Starbucks uses 2% milk in their coffee drinks but feel free to use any milk of your choice – whole, skim, or low fat, all works fine. I use whole milk as it makes my coffee super creamy.
To make it vegan, you can use any plant-based milk (non-dairy) like almond milk, coconut milk, oat milk, or soy milk. Keep in consideration that plant-based milk does not froth well.
Caramel Syrup – Use homemade caramel sauce or get a store-bought one. To get the most authentic taste, buy it directly from Starbucks. It is available online and in stores like Walmart and Target. You can also get it from a Starbucks shop.
Microwave the caramel syrup for a few seconds if it has hardened after storage.
Sweetener – Add any sweetener like brown sugar, white sugar, coconut sugar, maple syrup, or sugar-free substitutes like stevia or monk fruit. Adjust the amount as per your liking.
How To Make Hot Caramel Latte
Start by preparing the espresso or strongly brewed coffee using your preferred method. You will need ½ cup espresso (3 shots) or ½ cup of strongly brewed coffee to make 2 cups of latte.
Combine
- 2 cups of milk
- 2 teaspoon sugar
- ¼ cup caramel syrup
in a medium saucepan and heat on medium heat for 4-5 minutes.
Stir frequently while heating.
Once the mixture bubbles, remove the pan from the heat and froth the. hot milk immediately using an immersion blender or a milk frother. If you have a coffee machine at home, you can use its frother to froth the milk.
Pour the foamy milk into 2 (8 oz) serving mugs. You can scoop the milk foam using a spoon if it’s not pouring.
Divide the hot espresso between the mugs and gently stir the coffee.
Check for sugar and add more if required.
Top with whipped cream (optional) and extra caramel drizzle, and serve hot.
How To Make Iced Caramel Latte
Add
- 2 cups milk
- 2 teaspoon sugar
- ¼ cup caramel syrup
- ½ cup espresso (or strongly brewed coffee)
to the blender jar.
Blend until smooth.
Pour the coffee into serving mugs or tall glasses. Keep some space in the mug for the ice cubes.
Add a few ice cubes to the mug. Top with whipped cream, sprinkle some instant coffee powder and serve chilled. You can also sprinkle some toffee bits for a nice crunch.
Tip – You can freeze some brewed coffee in ice cube trays and use them instead of regular ice cubes. Your coffee will not dilute as the cubes melt.
Frequently Asked Questions
Both these coffees are made using the same ingredients – espresso, caramel syrup, and milk, but they still differ. Cappuccino has more foam by volume than the Latte. It is 50% milk and 50% foam, while the Latte is 90% milk and 10% foam.
So if you want to make a light and foamy coffee, go for a cappuccino. Froth the milk until it is very bubbly, and then use it.
“Macchiato” means “Marked” in Italian. To make caramel macchiato, foamy milk, and vanilla syrup are stirred together in a mug, and then espresso is poured over it. It makes a mark on the frothy milk. Finally, caramel syrup is drizzled on top.
To make a Latte, milk, and caramel syrup are heated and frothed. Finally, espresso is poured over the milk.
You can froth the milk by heating it up and then shaking it vigorously in a jar. But if you frequently make cappuccinos or lattes at home, I suggest investing in a milk frother. Milk frothers can be manual or electric.
My favorite manual milk frother is Bellemain Stainless Steel Hand Pump Milk Frother (14 oz), and if you are looking for an electric frother, go for Milk Boss Handheld Milk Frother.
If you have an immersion blender, it also works excellent to froth the milk.
Yes. A latte made with a single shot of espresso contains about 60-100 mg of caffeine. This recipe has about 50 mg/per cup.
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Recipe Card
Starbucks Copycat Caramel Latte Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups milk (whole, skim, or plant-based.)
- 2 teaspoons sugar (optional)
- ¼ cup caramel syrup (plus more for garnishing)
- ½ cup espresso (3 shots of espresso or use ½ cup of strongly brewed coffee.)
- whipped cream (for garnishing)
Instructions
- Combine milk, sugar, and caramel syrup in a medium saucepan and heat on medium heat for 4-5 minutes or until it bubbles.
- Stir frequently while heating.
- Once the mixture starts to bubble, remove the pan from the heat and froth it immediately using an immersion blender or a milk frother. If you have a coffee machine at home, you can use its frother to froth the milk.
- Pour the foamy milk into 2 8 oz serving mugs. You can scoop the milk foam using a spoon if it's not pouring on its own.
- Divide the hot espresso between the mugs and give the coffee a gentle stir.
- Check for sugar and add more if required.
- Top with whipped cream (optional) and more caramel syrup and serve hot.
Did you make this recipe? Let me know!