If you’re a fan of Starbucks drinks, you know they can be pricey. But did you know that you can easily make many of your favorite Starbucks drinks at home? With a few ingredients and some basic equipment, you can create delicious Starbucks drink dupes that taste just as good as the real thing. In this post, I’ll share 25 Starbucks drink recipes you can make at home.
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Why Make Your Own Starbucks Drinks?
Making your own Starbucks drinks has several advantages. First, you can save money like a crap ton of it! Starbucks drinks can be expensive, and making them at home can save you a lot of money in the long run. Second, you can customize your drink to your liking. I hate the lack of consistency from one shop to the next.
When you make your own drink, you can adjust the ingredients to make it less sweet, add an extra shot of espresso, or change the milk to suit your taste. Finally, making your own Starbucks drink is fun. I love to see how my dupe tastes compared to the original. The key is to make sure that you have sourced the best-tasting ingredients. Don’t expect some cheap chemical-filled syrup to taste wonderful.
Some basic measurements and tools:
There are some basic things that you will need to know and have on hand to make these Starbucks dupe drinks. For the coffee drinks you will need some quality coffee or at least some coffee you enjoy the taste of. You will also need some basic tools to make the coffee, milk, and froth for your drinks.
Basic espresso maker: this is a six-cup stove-top espresso maker for $27.00
Milk frother: Handheld mixer that creates foam for $11.99
long spoon: Not a necessity but has other uses so I think they are worth the purchase.
When making your drinks at home you can really add as much or as little as you like. For this article when I say add espresso that will mean one shot according to the measuring shot glass featured above. As for the milk measurement, I add that depending on the size of the cup I am using but in general it is about 1 cup of milk per drink. For your reference, these are the hot and cold cups I use at home.
It’s all about the syrup!
In my humble opinion after you have found the most tasty coffee the syrup is Queen! A wonderful coffee can be ruined by a fake chemical-laden “flavored” syrup. So I make my own as well. I do not eat anything with food coloring so I am always looking for ways to make a dupe myself.
Basic classic syrup:
Mix 1 cup of sugar and one cup of water. Bring to a low boil over medium heat making sure all of the sugar is 100% dissolved, Let cool and add to a glass bottle with a lid. This can be stored in your fridge for up to 6 months.
Vanilla Syrup:
Make the classic syrup as stated above. After the solution has boiled add 3 tablespoons of all-natural vanilla extract. If you’re super fancy and have vanilla beans slice open the vanilla bean long way and scrape the insides into the boiling syrup adding in the whole scraped vanilla bean as well. The vanilla bean is a more subtle flavor so you can add vanilla extract to boost the flavor. Store in a glass bottle with a lid in the refrigerator for up to 4 months. Be sure to discard it if it becomes cloudy or smells bad.
Carmel Sauce:
In a saucepan set to medium-low stir in 1/2 cup of brown sugar, 2 tbsp of butter, 1/4 cup of half-and-half, and a pinch of salt. Once it starts to bubble turn the heat down to low and cook for 10 minutes string constantly. Remove from heat and let cool before transferring to a glass of BPA-free bottles.
White chocolate syrup/sauce:
In a microwave-safe bowl add a broken-up 8oz bar of the best white chocolate you can find and 1/2 cup of heavy cream, 1/3 cup of evaporated milk, and 1/3 cup of sweetened condensed milk. Microwave in spurts of 30 seconds until the chocolate is fully melted. Be sure to stir in between intervals. Remove from the microwave and whisk to make sure everything is combined and there are no clumps. Transfer into a silicon squeeze bottle and use within 7 days. you can slightly warm the bottle in a cup of hot water if it solidifies in the refrigerator. If you don’t have a microwave make a double boiler with a pot of boiling water and a heat-safe bowl.
Cinnamon Dolce Syrup:
In a saucepan add 1 cup of water, 3/4 cup of cane sugar, 1/4 cup of brown sugar, 2 cinnamon sticks, and 1/4 tsp of vanilla extract. Bring to a boil over medium-low heat then reduce the heat to low and simmer the ingredients for 10 minutes. After the syrup has cooled remove the cinnamon sticks and add syrup to a glass bottle. This syrup should last about 2 weeks in the fridge.
Cinnamon Dolce topping:
Mix together in a bowl 4 tbsp of white sugar, 3 tbsp of nonfat milk powder, 1 tbsp of ground cinnamon, a pinch of salt, and 4 drops of butter extract (optional). This will form little crunchy cinnamon granules to top your drink with. Store in an airtight glass container for up to 2 weeks.
Strawberry Acai base;
In a medium saucepan add 2 1/4 cups of white grape juice, 1 cup of cored strawberries bring to a low simmer, and cook for 10 minutes. Remove from the hast and strain through a mesh strainer being sure to squish the strawberries as much as possible to release all their juice. Pour the mixture back into the pan and add 1/2 tsp of acai powder, 1/2 green coffee extract, and 1/4 tsp passionfruit powder cook on low heat until the powders have dissolved. Keep in mind that the acai powder is tough to completely dissolve so there may be some granules. Remove from heat and add 1 tsp of lemon juice. Store the base in a glass container for up to 2 weeks in the fridge. This makes about 4 full drinks.
Hibiscus tea: Now you can buy and brew your own hibiscus tea but for ease of use and flavor I buy the Tazo Iced passion tea. It is hibiscus tea with additional flavors. It is excellent and can make about 6 drinks. I recommend that you purchase them from Target as they are only about $2.99-$4.99.
Chai tea: This is totally up to your preference but for me, the Oregon Chai brand is the perfect blend of spicey and sweet. It can be purchased in local stores and online.
Green tea: Again this is something that is your preference. You can make it from a tea bag or the most traditional matcha powder or use the Tazo green tea concentrate. I LOVE THIS CONCENTRATE!
Green coffee bean extract powder: You may have a tough time finding this. I found it on Amazon but I belive that you could leave it out completely if you are not looking for a caffeine boost but just a refreshing drink,
Some ideas for storage containers are:
25 Starbucks Drink Recipes to Try at Home:
Caffè Latte: Combine espresso and steamed milk in a mug, and top with foam.
Cappuccino: Mix equal parts espresso, steamed milk, and foam in a mug.
Caramel Macchiato: Combine vanilla syrup, steamed milk, and espresso, and top with caramel sauce.
Iced Coffee: Brew a strong pot of coffee, and pour over ice. DUH!
Iced Tea: Brew your favorite tea, and pour over ice. AGAIN, DUH!
Frappuccino: Blend coffee, milk, ice, and sugar until smooth, and top with whipped cream.
Chai Tea Latte: Mix chai tea concentrate with steamed milk, and add honey or sugar to taste. First off, let’s stop calling it Chai tea latte, Chia means tea. I do believe that the best Chai outside of going to an Aunties house is Oregon organic Chai concentrate.
Iced green Tea Latte: Mix matcha powder with steamed milk, and add honey or sugar to taste. OR use the drink concentrate from Tazo. Add the concentrate, milk of your choice, and ice.
White Chocolate Mocha: Combine white chocolate syrup, espresso, and steamed milk, and top with whipped cream.
Purple drink: Mix berry juice with brewed hibiscus tea. Add to cup with ice and add coconut milk. You can add freeze-dried or fresh blackberries if you like. Use the Tazo tea concentrate to make it easier!
Vanilla Latte: Combine vanilla syrup, espresso, and steamed milk in a mug.
Mocha Frappuccino: Blend coffee, milk, ice, cocoa powder, and sugar until smooth, and top with whipped cream and chocolate drizzle.
Iced Caramel Macchiato: Pour caramel sauce into a glass, add ice, pour in milk, and top with espresso shots.
Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate: Mix hot chocolate powder, caramel syrup, and a pinch of sea salt with steamed milk, and top with whipped cream and caramel drizzle.
Cinnamon Dolce Latte: Mix cinnamon dolce syrup with espresso and steamed milk, and top with whipped cream and cinnamon dolce topping.
Strawberry Acai Refresher: Brew hibiscus tea (Use Tazo tea concentrate), mix with 1/2 cup of strawberry acai base, add freeze-dried strawberries, and add ice.
Cinnamon Roll Frappuccino: Blend coffee, milk, ice, cinnamon dolce syrup, and white chocolate syrup until smooth, and top with whipped cream and cinnamon dolce topping.
Caramel Brulee Latte: Mix caramel brulee sauce with espresso and steamed milk, and top with whipped cream and caramel brulee topping.
Vanilla Bean Frappuccino: Blend milk, ice, vanilla bean powder, and sugar until smooth, and top with whipped cream.
Earl Grey Tea Latte: Steep Earl Grey tea, mix with steamed milk, and add vanilla syrup to taste.
Very Berry Hibiscus Refresher: Brew hibiscus tea (use Tazo tea concentrate), mix it with berry syrup and freeze-dried berries and add ice.
Pink drink: add a cup of white grape juice, a splash of seltzer water, a cup of Tazo tea concentrate, a splash of coconut milk over ice, and add freeze-dried strawberries.
Iced Vanilla Latte: Combine vanilla syrup, espresso, and cold milk in a glass, and add ice.
Iced Cinnamon Dolce Latte: Mix cinnamon dolce syrup with espresso and cold milk, and add ice.
Iced White Chocolate Mocha: Mix white chocolate sauce with espresso and cold milk, and add ice.
Tips for Making Starbucks Drinks at Home:
- Invest in a good coffee maker or espresso machine to ensure your coffee is strong and flavorful. But if you can’t afford it this little stove-top espresso maker is cheap and produces rich-tasting coffee.
- Use high-quality ingredients, such as fresh milk and pure vanilla extract. The whole idea is to save you money, so if you can’t afford something use the next best ingredients. NO JUDGMENT HERE!
- Experiment with different milk options, such as almond or oat milk, to create a dairy-free version of your favorite drink. I use almond milk in almost all of my drinks because I’m lactose intolerant. That will affect the flavor over using milk or cream so make sure to keep that in mind.
- Don’t be afraid to adjust the sweetness level to your liking. I have a sweet tusk, not a sweet tooth so I love mine sweet. If Im making drinks for my husband I often leave the sugar out completely.
- Add whipped cream or toppings to make your drink feel more special. Who the heck doesn’t like whip cream on occasion? I try to keep this for the holiday season only.
- Make your own syrups. It is super easy and will taste better than store-bought.
Making your own Starbucks dupe drinks at home is a fun and easy way to save money and customize your favorite drinks. With these 25 Starbucks drink recipes, you can create delicious duplicates of your favorite beverages in the comfort of your own home. So why not give it a try?
Looking for some other Dupes? Check out some other blog posts on dupes I’ve made.
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