Iced Caramel Macchiato (Starbucks Copycat Recipe)

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See how easy it is to make this Starbucks favorite at home in less than 5 minutes using an espresso or Nespresso machine! The trick to making this drink is all in how it’s assembled.

Iced Caramel Macchiato drink in a glass cup.

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Iced Caramel Macchiato

Starbucks Iced Caramel Macchiato is a vanilla flavored espresso drink with cold milk, ice, and caramel drizzle. The only part of the drink that’s caramel is the drizzle on top.

What’s unique about this drink is how it’s made. The vanilla syrup and milk are on the bottom, then espresso shots are poured on top of the milk and ice. A drizzle of caramel finishes the drink.

For a drink to be an Iced Caramel Macchiato, the milk has to be at the bottom and the espresso on top.

Recipe Highlights

  • This copycat recipe recreates the Starbucks drink using an espresso machine or a Nespresso.
  • Espresso, milk, vanilla syrup, caramel sauce, and ice are all that’s needed to make this caffeinated drink.
  • The recipe makes a 16 ounce (grande) drink.

RELATED: 12 Starbucks Iced Coffee Recipes

Iced Caramel Macchiato at Starbucks

One of the most popular drinks at Starbucks, the Iced Caramel Macchiato is made with their signature espresso, vanilla syrup, caramel sauce, 2% milk, and ice.

Caramel sauce tops the drink with a crosshatch design (7 times vertically across the surface of the drink, 7 times horizontally, then 2 circles around the edge of the cup).

Iced Caramel Macchiato can be ordered in 3 drink sizes: tall, grande, and venti. Tall (12 ounces) contains 2 pumps of vanilla syrup and 1 shot of espresso. It has 180 calories and 75 mg of caffeine.

Grande (16 ounces) contains 3 pumps of vanilla syrup and 2 shots of espresso. It has 250 calories and 150 mg of caffeine.

Venti (24 ounces) contains 5 pumps of vanilla syrup and 3 shots of espresso. It has 350 calories and 225 mg of caffeine.

Common customizations include ordering this drink upside down (ingredients are put into the cup in reverse order) or with extra caramel drizzle.

RELATED: Starbucks Salted Caramel Mocha Recipe

Ingredient Notes

Starbucks Iced Caramel Macchiato copycat recipe ingredients.
  • Espresso: Starbucks uses their signature dark roast espresso to make the drink. Use their espresso roast or a dark roasted coffee to get the closest in flavor.
  • Caramel sauce: It’s a little tricky to make this at home, so I recommend buying it instead of making it from scratch. You can also use caramel syrup, which doesn’t contain dairy, but it’s not as rich in flavor as caramel sauce.
  • Vanilla syrup: This is super easy to make, so definitely go for homemade if you can. You can also use store-bought, directly from Starbucks.
  • 2% milk: Starbucks uses 2% milk for most of their drinks but you can use any kind you like.
  • Ice: Use filtered water to make ice. Starbucks makes their ice with triple filtered water.

For full ingredients and detailed instructions, please see the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Espresso shots poured on ice, milk, and vanilla syrup.

Step 1: Put vanilla syrup, milk, and ice into a cup. Add espresso shots.

Use 2 Nespresso espresso pods or pull 2 shots from an espresso machine.

Carmel drizzled on espresso shots, ice, milk, and vanilla syrup,

Step 2: Add caramel drizzle to the top of the drink.

RELATED: Starbucks Salted Caramel Cream Cold Brew Recipe

Using a Nespresso

Nespresso machines are the easiest way to recreate Starbucks drinks at home.

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1 shot of espresso = 1 Nespresso espresso capsule

To make a grande size Iced Caramel Macchiato, use 2 Nespresso espresso capsules or 1 double espresso capsule. You can use any espresso capsule you like, but to make it taste closest to the one at Starbucks, use their capsules.

Make sure you don’t use the coffee capsules for the Vertuo machines which make 7.77 ounces of coffee, and not espresso.

Starbucks uses regular espresso to make a Caramel Macchiato but try making it at home with their blonde espresso, which is smoother in taste.

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Expert Tips

  • The drink must be made in a certain order for the drink to be an Iced Caramel Macchiato. Milk and vanilla syrup must be put into the cup first so that they’re at the bottom of the cup and then the espresso so that it sits on top. The caramel drizzle is added last, sitting on top of the drink, not stirred in.
  • The drink is to be sipped without mixing or stirring. The first few sips will be espresso sweetened with caramel then as the espresso makes its way down the cup, it’ll taste like a vanilla latte.
  • You can get vanilla syrup directly from Starbucks by going to any of their locations and asking if they have any vanilla syrup available for purchase. They’ll sell it to you if they have enough in stock. It should cost around $14.

Questions You May Have

What’s in Starbucks Iced Caramel Macchiato?

The grande drink is made with 2 shots of espresso, 3 pumps of vanilla syrup, 2% milk, ice, and caramel sauce.

Can I make this drink without espresso?

If you don’t have an espresso machine or a Nespresso, replace the espresso with strong coffee (double-strength) or cold brew.

Can I make this drink with oat milk?

Yes! Use any milk you prefer. It tastes great with Oatly oat milk, which is what Starbucks uses.

What is an Upside Down Iced Caramel Macchiato?

An Upside Down Iced Caramel Macchiato is made with the ingredient order reversed. Caramel sauce goes into the cup first, then espresso, followed by milk and ice, then the vanilla syrup.

Starbucks Iced Caramel Macchiato copycat recipe drink.

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Iced Caramel Macchiato (Starbucks Copycat)

Author: Jee Choe
A Starbucks copycat recipe to make this iced drink at home.
4.9 from 26 votes
Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Course Drinks
Yield1 serving (16 ounces)

INGREDIENTS
 

INSTRUCTIONS

  • Pour vanilla syrup, milk, then ice into a cup. Top with espresso shots.
    Use 2 Nespresso espresso pods or pull 2 shots from an espresso machine.
  • Add caramel drizzle to the top of the drink.
    To add caramel just like Starbucks, drizzle in a crosshatch pattern, layering the caramel drizzle 7 times vertically across the surface of the drink, 7 times horizontally, then 2 circles around the edge of the cup.

NOTES

  • The drink must be made in a certain order for the drink to be an Iced Caramel Macchiato. Milk and vanilla syrup must be put into the cup first so that they’re at the bottom of the cup and then the espresso so that it sits on top. The caramel drizzle is added last, sitting on top of the drink, not stirred in.
  • To make a 16 ounce (grande) Starbucks drink, you’ll need 2 Nespresso espresso or ristretto capsules. You can also use 1 Vertuo double espresso.
  • With the Vertuo machine capsules, only use espresso capsules and not the coffee capsules that make 7.77 ounces.
  • Starbucks uses 2% milk for most of their drinks but you can use any kind you like.
  • The drink is to be sipped without mixing or stirring. The first few sips will be espresso sweetened with caramel then as the espresso makes its way down the cup, it’ll taste like a vanilla latte.

NUTRITION

Calories: 335 | Carbohydrates: 69g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 19mg | Sodium: 236mg | Potassium: 454mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 56g | Vitamin A: 259IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 310mg | Iron: 2mg

5 thoughts on “Iced Caramel Macchiato (Starbucks Copycat Recipe)”

  1. 5 stars
    I wasn’t expecting it to taste this good. Pretty close to what you order at Starbucks. Definitely will be using this recipe on a regular basis.

    Reply

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