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This easy homemade Iced Brown Sugar Latte with shaken espresso is the sweetest iced coffee to cool off with this month. Homemade vanilla brown sugar syrup gets shaken up with triple shots of espresso and a couple dashes of cinnamon. Pour this sweet coffee over ice and add creamy oat milk. This iced latte is creamy, ice cold, and just perfectly sweet. Great for sipping while doing just about, well…anything!
Every Sunday night on Instagram, I put out an “ask me anything” sticker tag on my Instagram stories. I love doing these Q&A’s so much. I find they’re a really fun way for me to answer questions about things I might not be thinking to talk about, or that you’re all just generally curious about.
Most of the questions that come in are in regard to my lifestyle, beauty, fashion, travel, and of course, food.
This past weekend, I was asked if I’d ever tried to recreate the very popular Starbucks Iced Brown Sugar Latte. I have not, and when I shared that with everyone I was flooded with direct messages requesting a recipe.
But the funny thing? I already had plans to make my own version of the iced brown sugar latte.
With the hot August weather and the thousands of requests for this recipe, I figured it really was the perfect time.
So here we are!
Onto the details
First off, huge shout out to a very kind reader, Tracey G. Tracey works at Starbucks and gave me the behind the scenes rundown of how they make the drink.
It is EASY.
I kept mine easy too, but added vanilla and cinnamon to the mix, to make things even better. And if you want, there is even a chai variation too.
Make the vanilla brown sugar syrup
This is really the key to the latte.
You’ll need brown sugar, cinnamon sticks, and vanilla. If you don’t have cinnamon sticks, ground cinnamon works too!
Simmer the syrup on the stove to dissolve the sugar and that’s it. Now you have homemade brown sugar syrup!
If you want to take the flavor up a bit and make the latte cozier, add a few chai bags and steep the tea in the syrup to infuse. This will give you the warming flavors of chai…which is insanely delicious. Totally optional though and up to you!
Now shake that espresso
Pour three shots of espresso over ice. Add as much of the brown sugar syrup as you’d like, and then a couple dashes of ground cinnamon.
Now shake, shake, shake.
Pour the sweet coffee over ice, then pour over the oat milk. I like to finish with a small dash of cinnamon. And then, just because I love a pretty drink, I always add a sprig of fresh lavender.
And voilà…just like Starbucks, but made with more flavor, and it’s SO GOOD.
I love that we can control just how sweet we want the drink to be. It’s so customizable, you can really make this drink into something you’re going to love.
So here’s my Friday tip, make the brown sugar syrup tonight…or over the weekend. Then make homemade lattes in minutes all week long.
Trust me, it’ll be the best move you made all week!
Looking for other fun summer recipes, try these:
Cinnamon Maple Brown Butter Blackberry Peach Crisp
Frothy Whipped Coffee White Russian
No Churn Fudge Brownie Coffee Ice Cream
Lastly, if you make this iced brown sugar latte with shaken espresso, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Iced Brown Sugar Latte with Shaken Espresso
Servings: 1 with leftover syrup
Calories Per Serving: 597 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Watch the How-To Reel
Ingredients
Vanilla Brown Sugar Syrup
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 cinnamon stick (or 1 teaspoon cinnamon)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 chai tea bags (optional)
Instructions
- 1. Bring 1 cup water, the brown sugar, and cinnamon stick to a boil in a small pot. Simmer 2-3 minutes, until the sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat and add the vanilla. If using, add the tea bags, cover, and steep 10 minutes. Keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.2. In a shaker glass filled with ice, combine the espresso, 2-4 tablespoons syrup, and a couple dashes of cinnamon. Shake vigorously for 1 minute. Strain into a tall glass with ice. Pour over the milk. Stir to combine. Enjoy!
This post was originally published on August 6, 2021
WOW. Holy cow this is good. Tastes like a Frappuccino, but with much less sugar and no chemicals. What a treat! ?
Hey Dominique,
Thank you so much for giving this recipe a try, love to hear that it was enjoyed! Have the best week:) xTieghan
How long will the extra syrup last?
Hey there,
You can keep the syrup in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. I hope the recipe turns out amazing for you. Please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
This is my favorite Starbucks drink, but I’ve had to stop going due to a new dairy allergy and the risk of cross contamination. Made this recipe this morning and my world is complete again. So good and easy to make!
Hey Tami,
Thank you so much for giving this recipe a try, love to hear that it was enjoyed! Have the best week:) xTieghan
What kind of oat milk do you buy?
Hey Stephanie,
I like the califia brand of oat milk. I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
Tried this morning…SO GOOD!!! Don’t have an espresso machine so I used my espresso percolator and still turned out amazing. Perfect reason to not spend so much money at Starbucks. Thank you!
Hey Alessandra,
Thank you so much for giving this recipe a try, love to hear that it was enjoyed! Have the best week:) xTieghan
This drink is soooo delicious! We love this drink just as much as Starbucks! The perfect drink for a hot summer day. Thanks for the recipe and video!
Hey Emily,
Thank you so much for giving this recipe a try, love to hear that it was enjoyed! Have the best week:) xTieghan
This is SO SO good! Added cardamom and ground cinnamon bc I didn’t have sticks and worked great!
Hey Yasemin,
Thank you so much for giving this recipe a try, love to hear that it was enjoyed! Have the best week:) xTieghan
Do you have a recommendation for an espresso machine? I don’t have one, but have been wanting to get one!
Hey Sarah,
Here is the link for my espresso machine, I love it:
https://rstyle.me/+6g0rsYV8IwGdfDQr5LV6Ew
Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Hi! Love this recipe and the cinnamon is steeping in the liquid right now. Do we keep the cinnamon stick in the syrup for the two weeks while using or take it out before refrigerating the syrup?
Hey Susan,
I would remove the cinnamon stick. I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
Delicious. Easy to make.
Hey Amanda,
Happy Sunday! I am so glad this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for making it! xxTieghan
Do we add water to the sugar for the syrup? And if yes, how much?
Hey there,
Yes, as stated in step 1, you will use 1 cup of water. I hope you love the recipe! xTieghan
What do you do instead of putting it on ice?
Hey Abby,
So sorry I am not sure what you are asking? If you would like this to be a hot latte then yes, you would skip the ice. Please let me know how I can help! xTieghan
Sorry for the confusion, I meant to reply on the comment stating that you should not put the espresso on ice because it makes it bitter. I was wondering how you ice it without putting it over ice lol
I’ve not had this issue with it being bitter, you should be able to follow the recipe as is:)
I want to make this ahead of time for a brunch tomorrow. If I put each serving in a mason jar in advance should I still put ice in the jar when I shake? I was thinking that I should just put in the mason jar to cool without ice and store in the fridge. The next morning each guest can grab their mason jar, add the ice and milk, stir and drink directly out of the mason jar. Just a long winded way to ask if I should add the first step of ice or would it make it too watery if not drinking immediately?
Hey Donna,
I would not prep this in advance, you could certainly make the syrup ahead of time, but just have each guest make their own espresso when they arrive. I hope you love the recipe! xTieghan
Thank you so much for making and posting this! I’ve wanted so badly to get this drink at Starbucks but haven’t been able to because my body reacts poorly to caffeine. I was able to make this syrup at home and add it to a cup of Teeccino that I brewed, instead of espresso. It was amazing!!
Hey Lauren,
Happy Sunday! I am so glad this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for making it! xxTieghan
I have not had the starbucks version to compare but this is so delicious I don’t see a reason to pay $5 for one! Love that there is leftover syrup so I can make more throughout the weekend!
Hey Lauren,
Happy Sunday! I am so glad this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for making it! xxTieghan
I don’t have an espresso machine. Can I make this with coffee? How much?
Hey Amy,
Yes, brewed coffee will work here, I would use about 1 cup. I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
I have everything but the cinnamon stick. How much powdered cinnamon would you recommend adding to the syrup? Really looking forward to trying this!
Just kidding. I needed to read further! Haha
Hey Sara,
I would add a couple teaspoons or more to your liking. I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan