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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
I made this with Crio Bru concentrate (a caffeine-free, coffee alternative made from cacao nibs) and almond milk. It turned out delicious!
Hey Riley,
Awesome!! I am so glad this recipe was enjoyed, thank you so much for giving it a try! xTieghan
This is SO good. I try to buy coffee local, but Starbucks trapped me when this came out and for lack of better words I became addicted to this drink. Thank you for saving me from continuing to spend a million dollars at Starbucks. You are not only a food goddess, but a coffee goddess too!!
Hey Kaylee,
Awesome!! I am so glad this recipe was enjoyed, thank you so much for giving it a try! xTieghan
So tasty! On my second try I wanted a warm coffee, so instead of shaking the espresso, cinnamon and syrup over ice I used my hand frother to mix it up, then poured steamed milk over the top. So delicious!
Hey Alaysia,
Awesome!! I am so glad this recipe was enjoyed, thank you so much for giving it a try! xTieghan
I love this drink from Starbucks and am so happy to now have the recipe. I made the syrup today and will have my shaken espresso tomorrow. Do I need to refrigerate the syrup?
Hey Essie,
Happy Wednesday! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am thrilled that it was enjoyed! Yes, you need xTieghan
My coffee maker does not make true espresso, but it has a “specialty” setting. I was a barista for a couple years, and in a mixed drink I can’t tell the diff.
I can’t stop drinking this! It is so refreshing. It is so delicious!
…wonder how it would be with a shot of Kahlúa?
Hey Evie,
Happy Wednesday! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am thrilled that it was enjoyed! Lol I think Kahlua would be great! xTieghan
Great recipe! We’ve made it iced, drank it hot, and put it in French press coffee with frothed milk. Tastes just as good as from our favorite coffee shop. And thanks Tiegan for making so many recipes available on your website. Your creativity has breathed some much needed life into my 33 years of (nearly) daily cooking. My husband will say, “is this from that girl?” ?
Hey Jen,
Happy Wednesday! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am thrilled that it was enjoyed! xTieghan
Hi Jen…was wondering if you could let me know how you used your French Press for this deliciousness. New to the press way of coffee!
Full disclosure- I may have a mild obsession with this drink. It is SO GOOD. I didn’t do the chai version but maybe I’ll try next time. I love that the recipe makes enough syrup to make several drinks because trust me- you’ll want more after you try the first. Thanks for a great recipe!
Hey Holly,
Happy Wednesday! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am thrilled that it was enjoyed! xTieghan
What’s the purpose of the chai tea bags? I have a chai powder that I use to make spicy tea and I’m trying to predict how I’ll substitute it if at all. I like the previous commenter’s not about adding cardamom…mmm
Hey Arbs,
If you would like to add a little chai flavor then that’s why I make the tea, otherwise, you can skip this:) I hope you love the recipe! xTieghan
Love love love this drink! Can you give a recipe on a hot version for fall?
Thanks so much Christina! I will add to my list:) xTieghan
So good and so easy! Tastes exactly like the Starbucks version.
I don’t have an espresso machine. Just made “espresso” with 6 tsp instant coffee with 4oz of water is a good ratio.
Hey Emily,
Wonderful! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed and I appreciate you giving it a try! xTieghan
This may be a dumb question- but I don’t have an espresso machine, so do you have any recommendations for a good instant espresso option?
Hey Colleen,
Any store bought instant espresso will work or you could even use a dark roast brewed coffee. I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
I don’t have an espresso machine, so I used this with 4 oz of premade cold brew concentrate instead of the espresso shots. It was perfect! Thank you for this recipe! It’s delicious. 🙂
Hey Christina,
Wonderful! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed and I appreciate you giving it a try! xTieghan
sounds awesome. But where did you get that first measuring cup? it is so cute!
Thanks so much Linda! So sorry I do not have a link for the cup, it’s old! Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I’m steeping the syrup right now with Tazo pumpkin spice chai tea bags. I already know this is going to be YUMMMM. Thanks!
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try Dawn!! xTieghan
Amazing! So simple but a delicious latte!:)
Hey Nadia,
Thank you so much for giving this recipe a try, love to hear that it was enjoyed! Have the best week:) xTieghan
Tieghan!!! Thanks for everything you do for the HBH community. I’ve enjoyed watching you cool, create and navigate life for a few years now and it’s been a really fun space.
The iced brown sugar latte is amazing. I used instant coffee and chocolate almondmilk (what I had on hand). Turned out delish!!!
IG: lilsweets68
Hey Mia,
Thank you so much for giving this recipe a try, love to hear that it was enjoyed! Have the best week:) xTieghan