Learn how to make one of Starbucks most popular drinks, the iced caramel macchiato, with this simple recipe. Now you can enjoy the bold, caramel-flavored coffee at home any time you have a craving!
Who among us hasn’t spent too much money at Starbucks ordering the iced caramel macchiato over and over again?
I know I’m guilty of it! Once you realize how much it’s hurting your wallet and how easy it is to make at home, you’ll never waste time in the drive-thru again!
It’s a pretty simple drink: vanilla-sweetened milk is poured over ice, topped with bold espresso shots, then finished with a generous caramel drizzle.
Making it yourself means that you can control the sweetness, the strength of the coffee, and most importantly, the amount of caramel. Personally, I like to go wild and drizzle it all over the inside of my cup, instead of just on top.
You can also choose to customize it with a cold foam, or additional sauces (like chocolate or marshmallow).
Ingredients
- Espresso – You can purchase Starbucks beans or substitute your favorite.
- Milk – Starbucks uses 2% by default, but you can use whole milk or any dairy-free milk that you prefer.
- Vanilla syrup – I like to use Torani vanilla syrup or vanilla bean if I want to get fancy.
- Caramel – I always keep a bottle of caramel sauce at my home coffee bar. Use any extra you have to try out other drinks, like the Butterbeer Latte or a caramel apple cold brew.
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Tips
- Want to use instant coffee? Dissolve 2 teaspoons in 1/4 cup water per double shot of espresso.
- Need a “skinny” version? Use 1% milk and sugar-free syrups.
- Try it hot! Steam and froth the milk, add it to a mug, pour in the espresso, then drizzle the caramel over the top.
- Once you’ve mastered it, try other Starbucks copycat recipes, like the iced matcha latte, that uses the same vanilla syrup.
Sizes
You can easily make your caramel macchiato whatever size you get at Starbucks. For a tall use a 12 oz cup, 16 oz for a grande, or 20 oz for a venti.
Tall
- 2 pumps vanilla
- 6 oz milk
- 1 shot espresso
Grande
- 3 pumps vanilla
- 8 oz milk
- 2 shots espresso
Venti
- 3 shots espresso
- 5 pumps vanilla
- 14 oz milk
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Iced Caramel Macchiato Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ounce Vanilla Syrup, (three pumps)
- 8 ounces Milk
- Ice
- 2 Shots Espresso, (or about 1/4 cup coffee)
- 1 Tablespoon Caramel Sauce
Instructions
- Add vanilla syrup to the bottom of a 16 oz cup. Add the milk and stir to combine.
- Add ice, leaving about 2" of room in the cup. Slowly pour the espresso over the top.
- Drizzle caramel over the top in a cross-hatch pattern.
Nutrition
This recipe was updated April 2026 with new photos. Below are the original ones from 2019.
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