Thinking of a warm, caramel and slightly vanilla flavored coffee? This Caramel Macchiato inspired by the Starbucks drink is just the drink for you.
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If you’ve ever had a Starbucks Caramel Macchiato, you can now have it at home now too!
The Starbucks drink is made with vanilla flavored steamed milk, espresso and caramel sauce.
To make it, we will first steam the milk, then add vanilla syrup to the milk. We’ll brew espresso (I used a moka pot), then pour the espresso onto the milk and top it with caramel sauce.
It’s very simple to make and the results are so satisfying.
What is a Macchiato?
There are two types of macchiatos. I’ll cover both, just in case you come across one or the other in a cafe and aren’t sure which one to expect.
The first is the espresso macchiato. This is just a shot or two of espresso, which is around 1 to 2 ounces of liquid and a tiny amount of steamed milk. It’s a tiny coffee drink.
Macchiato translates to stained or marked in Italian. So you can think of the espresso macchiato as ‘stained’ with milk espresso.
Then there’s the latte macchiato.
The latte macchiato is kind of the opposite of an espresso macchiato. While the espresso is marked with a little bit of milk, the latte macchiato is more like milk stained with espresso.
To make a latte macchiato, you’ll first pour in milk then followed by the espresso.
And this is also the type of macchiato we’re making here, inspired by the Starbucks Caramel Macchiato drink.
Caramel Macchiato Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups milk or milk alternative
- ¼ cup espresso (I used illy Intenso)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla syrup
- Caramel sauce
- Optional: whipped cream
Tips for Making a Caramel Macchiato
Milk and Milk Frother
I used a plant based milk called NotMilk.
You can use whole milk, skim milk or any of your favorite milk alternatives.
This is a warm coffee drink, I used a milk frother to steam the milk. You can also use the frother to add a layer of foamed milk on top of the drink where the caramel sauce will be.
Instead of using foamed milk, I decided to use whipped cream. I like the extra creaminess that whipped cream has when it melts into the macchiato. You can do either.
Espresso
Making espresso requires an espresso machine. However, you don’t have to use an espresso machine for this recipe if you don’t have one at home.
I usually use a moka pot to make espresso for my coffee drink recipes. Check out our guide to making espresso without an espresso machine. You can use either a moka pot, AeroPress or French press. The goal is to create a concentrated coffee.
Vanilla Syrup
I used Monin Vanilla Syrup.
You can also use a store bought vanilla syrup (I get mine from Amazon) but you can also make it at home if you want to make the drink right now and don’t have the syrup on hand.
To make vanilla syrup, all you need is water, sugar and vanilla extract.
- Place an equal amount of water and sugar on the stove top.
- Heat it on medium heat until the sugar dissolves.
- Once dissolved, stir in the vanilla extract.
When I make my own, I use ½ cup water, ½ cup sugar and 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract.
You only need 2 teaspoons of vanilla syrup for this recipe (you can put more if you prefer it to be sweeter) so if you make your own vanilla syrup, you can store the extra syrup in a mason jar in the refrigerator for later use.
Caramel Sauce
I used Torani Caramel Sauce.
I frequently use Torani Chocolate Sauce for my recipes, so their Caramel Sauce is just as good. It works great in coffee drinks and also for other recipes like for topping on a scoop of ice cream, or even on pancakes.
How to Make a Caramel Macchiato
- Brew espresso in a moka pot. I used illy Intenso Whole Beans.
- Meanwhile, steam milk in a milk frother.
- Add vanilla syrup to a mug.
- Add steamed milk to the mug, then pour espresso over the milk.
- Top with foamed milk or a layer of whipped cream.
- Drizzle caramel sauce on top.
In images…
Step 1
Brew espresso. I used a moka pot.
Step 2
Steam the milk. I used a milk frother.
Step 3
Add vanilla syrup, milk and espresso to a mug in this order.
Step 4
Top with milk foam or a layer of whipped cream. Drizzle caramel sauce on top.
More Starbucks Inspired Recipes
- How to Make Peppermint Mocha: Starbucks Inspired
- Cinnamon Dolce Latte Recipe
- Iced Salted Caramel Mocha Recipe
Caramel Macchiato Recipe
Caramel Macchiato
Thinking of a warm, caramel and slightly vanilla flavored coffee? This Caramel Macchiato inspired by the Starbucks drink is just the drink for you.
Materials
- 1 ½ cups milk or milk alternative
- ¼ cup espresso (I used illy Intenso)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla syrup
- Caramel sauce
- Optional: whipped cream
Instructions
1. Brew espresso. I used a moka pot.
2. Steam the milk. I used a milk frother.
3. Add vanilla syrup, milk and espresso to a mug in this order.
4. Top with milk foam or a layer of whipped cream. Drizzle caramel sauce on top.
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