Caramel Macchiato (Starbucks Copycat - But Even Better!)
Recipe video above. This caramel macchiato recipe is a copycat of the famous Starbucks drink. The vanilla syrup and caramel sauce are simple to make, but store-bought works just as well. If you don't have an espresso machine, you can brew very strong coffee instead.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon vanilla syrup, store-bought or recipe below
- ¾ cup whole milk, see notes
- 2 ounces espresso, see notes
- Caramel sauce, store-bought or recipe below
Vanilla Syrup
- ½ cup EACH: granulated sugar and water
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Caramel Sauce
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup whipping cream
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- To make the vanilla syrup: Add the granulated sugar and water to a small pot over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil and then continue to boil for 8-10 minutes, until it begins to thicken slightly. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the vanilla.½ cup EACH: granulated sugar and water, 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- To make the caramel sauce: Add the brown sugar, whipping cream, butter, salt, and vanilla to a small pot over medium-high heat. Bring the pot to a boil and then lower the heat and continue to boil for 5-7 minutes, until it begins to thicken slightly. Remove it from the heat and let it cool. I like to pour it into a squeeze bottle for easy drizzling!½ cup brown sugar, ¼ cup whipping cream, 1 tablespoon vanilla extract, 2 tablespoons salted butter
- Pour the vanilla syrup into your mug.1 tablespoon vanilla syrup
- Pour the milk into a container and froth using a frother, the wand on your espresso machine, or even a regular whisk.¾ cup whole milk
- Pour the frothed milk into your mug and then pour in the espresso. It will leave a mark in the milk where you pour it, which is where the name comes from. Macchiato means "marked" in Italian.2 ounces espresso
- Drizzle the caramel on top, making two circles around the edge of your mug and then making a cross hatch pattern on the top, just like Starbucks.Caramel sauce
Notes
Milk: Whole milk froths the best, but you can make this with lower-fat or plant milk. I often make lattes with oat milk!
Espresso: An espresso machine is ideal but definitely not mandatory. If you don't have an espresso machine, use 4 ounces of strong brewed coffee.
Vanilla syrup: Feel free to use store-bought vanilla syrup. If you make your own, store leftovers in a jar in your fridge for up to a month.
Caramel sauce: If I use this within a few days, I'll keep it in a squeeze bottle on my counter. But for storage up to a few weeks, keep it in your fridge. It thickens a lot in the cold, so you'll need to warm it in a cup of hot water before using it. If you'd rather, feel free to pick up some caramel sauce from the grocery store.
Serving: 1 coffee, Calories: 191kcal, Carbohydrates: 35g, Protein: 6g, Fat: 4g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Trans Fat: 0.1g, Cholesterol: 14mg, Sodium: 171mg, Potassium: 339mg, Sugar: 35g, Vitamin A: 199IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 226mg, Iron: 1mg