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.
CONTENTS
Recipe Highlights
- 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.
- Making a drink with the same flavors and ingredients, but with the espresso on the bottom and adding the milk on top, turns the drink into an Iced Vanilla Latte with caramel drizzle.
- This recipe recreates the Starbucks drink using an espresso machine or a Nespresso.
RELATED: 19 Starbucks Caramel Drinks (Including Secret Menu)
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, 2% milk, and ice.
Caramel sauce is added to the top of the drink in 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 Copycat
Ingredient Notes
- 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.
Whole beans: Starbucks Espresso Roast
Nespresso Original: Starbucks Espresso Roast
Nespresso Vertuo: Espresso Roast - Caramel sauce
It’s a little tricky to make this at home, so I just buy 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
Vanilla syrup is super easy to make, so definitely go for homemade if you can. You can also use store-bought. - 2% milk
Starbucks uses 2% milk for most of their drinks. You can use any kind you like though. - Ice
Use filtered water to make ice. Starbucks makes their ice with triple filtered water.
Step-by-Step Instructions
For full ingredients and instructions, scroll down to the recipe.
- Put vanilla syrup, milk, and ice into a cup. Top with espresso shots.
Use 2 Nespresso espresso pods or pull 2 shots from an espresso machine. - Add caramel drizzle.
RELATED: Starbucks Salted Caramel Cream Cold Brew Copycat
Using a Nespresso
Nespresso machines are the easiest way to recreate Starbucks drinks at home.
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.
Make sure you don’t use the coffee capsules for the Vertuo machines which make 7.77 ounces of coffee, and not espresso.
You can use any espresso capsule you like, but to make it taste closest to the one at Starbucks, use their capsules.
Starbucks uses regular espresso to make a Caramel Macchiato but try making it at home with their blonde espresso, which is more popular and better reviewed.
Nespresso Starbucks Espresso Vertuo capsules
Nespresso Starbucks Espresso Original capsules
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.
- 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.
- 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
The grande drink is made with 2 shots of espresso, 3 pumps of vanilla syrup, 2% milk, ice, and caramel sauce.
If you don’t have an espresso machine or a Nespresso, replace the espresso with strong coffee (double-strength) or cold brew.
Yes! Use any milk you prefer. It tastes great with Oatly oat milk, which is what Starbucks uses.
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.
Related
- 23 Best Starbucks Copycat Recipes
- Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Foam
- Iced Latte with Boba
- 47 Best Starbucks Drinks
- Every Starbucks Drink Ranked by Caffeine Content
- Starbucks Latte Guide: Drink Menu, Starbucks Flavors, & Caffeine Content
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Starbucks Iced Caramel Macchiato Copycat
INGREDIENTS
- 3 tablespoons vanilla syrup
- 1 cup 2% milk
- 1 cup ice
- 2 capsules Nespresso espresso (or 2 espresso shots)
- 1 tablespoon caramel sauce
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.
NOTES
- 1 shot of espresso = 1 Nespresso espresso capsule
- 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. You can use any kind you like though.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Came out really good, I will be making this recipe often
I made this coffee, it turned out excellent
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.
I was so prepared to not like this, but it’s exceeded my expectations. It’s actually pretty good. 👍
Excellent