Spending nearly $10 on a drink can become unreasonable for many. With coffee chains like Starbucks continuously raising their prices, replicating those same drinks at home can be a satisfying way to get your morning caffeine without putting a dent in your wallet. With 118 different beverage offerings at Starbucks, finding the easiest and most delicious drink to replicate at home can be overwhelming. Here are the top five easiest (and most delicious) Starbucks items you can recreate at home to save money.
#5: Iced Caffè Latte
A coffeehouse classic, Starbucks’s Caffè Latte, is about as simple as it gets, making it the perfect drink to replicate at home. Combining espresso (or your favorite at-home coffee) with milk is all you need to make this latte at home. Consisting primarily of milk, you’ll want to use a 4:1 milk-to-coffee ratio when preparing this beverage. For a more pungent coffee taste, I recommend using a 3:1 ratio of milk to coffee.
#4: Vanilla Sweet Cream and Cold Foam Add-ons
Introduced as a beverage add-on in 2018, Vanilla Sweet Cream and its counterpart, Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Foam, are Starbucks’s most popular drink customizations. Starbucks charges $1.25 for adding their cold foam or Vanilla Sweet Cream to your beverage, but you can replicate their recipe at home. While Starbucks makes its sweet cream in large quantities, you can use a 3:2:1 tablespoon ratio of heavy cream, low-fat milk and store-bought vanilla syrup for a single serving, mixing the ingredients well. While Vanilla Sweet Cream makes for a perfect addition to your morning coffee, I prefer cold foam. Starbucks’s cold foam is simply Vanilla Sweet Cream that has been whipped into a foam and can be added to any cold (or hot) beverage at home. You can use a blender, milk frother or a whisk to achieve a foamy consistency.
#3: Iced Caramel Macchiato
Starbucks’s Caramel Macchiato is among its most popular drinks all year round, featuring a perfect balance of espresso, vanilla, milk and caramel. For a total price of $5.95 for a grande (medium), you can easily replicate this drink at home for less. Caramel Macchiatos start with vanilla syrup (3 pumps for a grande) equal to one and a half tablespoons added to your choice of milk, leaving roughly an inch of room in your cup for the espresso. Typically topped with caramel drizzle and two espresso shots, you can substitute espresso for your favorite brewed coffee at home as a more convenient yet familiar taste.
#2: Matcha Latte
Starbucks has recently changed its matcha powder to be unsweetened, and now Matcha Lattes are once again a popular drink at this coffee hotspot. For those who don’t like the taste of coffee or simply want to try something different, matcha can be made at home for much cheaper than the $5.25 Starbucks charges for a grande. I’ve found that Amazon sells the best options at an affordable price, with some as low as $10. You can either warm milk of your choice in the microwave or froth it. Pour it directly over the matcha powder, and you have yourself a delicious cup of matcha at home.
#1: Iced Brown Sugar Oatmilk Shaken Espresso
Simply delicious, the Iced Brown Sugar Shaken Oatmilk Espresso at Starbucks combines the rich flavors of espresso, brown sugar, cinnamon and oatmilk, resulting in a perfect drink for coffee lovers. Unfortunately, the price isn’t as tasty, as a grande will cost you a whopping $6.25. For making espresso at home, I recommend instant espresso powder for the easiest and most cost-effective experience. You can also use Keurig or Nespresso pods, and I’ve found Nespresso pods to be more authentic-tasting if accessible. While Starbucks uses a proprietary syrup, you can use brown sugar or store-bought syrup to achieve a similar taste. Combine one and a half cups of ice in a shaker bottle (you can also use a water bottle) with a touch of cinnamon powder and roughly one tablespoon of brown sugar, and shake it thoroughly ten times with your coffee or espresso. Top with half an inch of your favorite milk and enjoy an at-home replica of a customer-favorite Starbucks drink that will leave your taste buds craving more.
