Iced Caramel Macchiato Recipe (Dunkin & Starbucks)

Homemade iced caramel macchiato recipe and all my homemade coffee tips to make Starbucks and Dunkin drinks at home! Want to learn how to make perfect macchiatos, lattes, and coffee drinks at home? Make sure to read all the tips here along with a delicious perfect Dunkin iced caramel macchiato with homemade date caramel syrup!

Ready to make the best Dunkin iced caramel macchiato ever that is also secretly healthy? You came to the right place! We have not been to Starbucks and don't go anymore, so I've been trying to recreate all the delicious Starbucks drinks at home, of course with a healthy twist!

This is THE best iced caramel macchiato that would revel Starbucks macchiato any day. It is made with flax seed milk (so delicious and creamy), homemade date caramel sauce, and topped with fresh strong dark roast espresso! Who needs all that sugar when you can make this one!

WHAT IS ICED CARAMEL MACCHIATO MADE OF?

A classic Starbucks iced caramel macchiato is made of rich fresh brewed espresso, 2% milk, vanilla syrup and topped with caramel at Starbucks.

Iced Caramel Macchiato Starbucks Ingredients- Milk, Ice, Brewed Espresso, Vanilla Syrup [Sugar, Water, Natural Flavors, Potassium Sorbate, Citric Acid], Caramel Sauce [Sugar, Corn Syrup, Butter (Cream (Milk), Salt), Water, Heavy Cream, Nonfat Dry Milk, Natural Flavors, Salt, Mono & Diglycerides, Soy Lecithin, Sulfites]

Iced Caramel Macchiato Dunkin Ingredients- Milk; Brewed Espresso Coffee; Caramel Flavored Swirl Syrup: Sweetened Condensed Nonfat Milk (Nonfat Milk, Sugar), High Fructose Corn Syrup, Sugar, Water, Brown Sugar, Caramel Color, Potassium Sorbate (Preservative), Natural Flavors, Salt.

My Healthy Iced Caramel Macchiato Ingredients- Date Caramel (dates, milk (I use flax milk), pure vanilla extract, dash sea salt); Ice cubes, Flax milk, espresso (from organic coffee beans).

PS- did you know that "natural flavors" on ingredient list can mask over 1000 chemicals and is totally unregulated? We avoid anything that says "natural flavors" on the label.

IS ICED CARAMEL MACCHIATO HEALTHY?

A Starbucks iced caramel macchiato has about 250 calories and a whopping 33 grams of sugar in a Grande size! Along with all that added sugar, you have chemicals and preservatives added to the syrups and flavorings. So as a registered dietitian, no a caramel macchiato at Starbucks is not healthy at all.

A Dunkin iced caramel macchiato has about 290 calories and even more sugars, at 35 grams of sugar in a medium size! Dunkin also uses almost the same ingredients in their caramel sauce, which includes preservatives, processed sugar, and even high fructose corn syrup. The Dunkin iced caramel macchiato is not a healthy choice either.

So I created a healthy iced caramel macchiato! Made with just dates to add sweetness and absolutely no added sugar! You're going to be shocked how delicious my healthy homemade iced caramel macchiato is.

DIETITIAN TIPS TO MAKE YOUR COFFEE HEALTHIER AT HOME

If you stopped going to Starbucks and Dunkin too, here are my top tips on how to make healthy Starbucks copycat drinks at home:

1. Read the ingredient list on the Starbucks website! When you see syrups, try to figure out how to make those homemade. Even if you have to use sugar at home, its better than getting the Syrups at Starbucks that are made with bad for you chemicals and preservatives.
2. Use unsweetened plant based milks, or organic whole milk. Yes organic whole milk is healthy because whole milk has the fats to help you absorb the nutrients. I'm intolerant to dairy milk, so I typically use flax seed milk or homemade almond milk. Sometimes cashew milk.
3. Brew coffee and espresso with organic coffee beans. Coffee beans are one of the things we should definitely be buying organic! Especially that we are drinking coffee every day. Non organic beans are sprayed with chemicals that your liver has to process, which are not necessary. Just buy organic coffee beans.
4. Add flavorings like vanilla, sea salt, and cinnamon before any sweeteners. I do love sweet coffee, but adding flavors too helps me add less sugar and sweeteners.
5. Stir in collagen powder. If you do add sweeteners to your coffee, collagen is flavorless and adds protein to your coffee, which lowers the blood sugar spike from the sugar in coffee.

HOW TO MAKE HOMEMADE COFFEE CARAMEL SYRUP FROM DATES

My easy iced caramel macchiato recipe is made with a healthy homemade date syrup. You can make an iced caramel macchiato that tastes just like Starbucks minus all the sugar and additives!

I started my homemade iced caramel macchiato by making a homemade caramel syrup with just dates and coconut milk! Let's make it!

How to Make Healthy Date Caramel Syrup for Coffee:

• Soak 1 cup of pitted dates in hot water for 1 hour
• Drain the hot water from the dates
• Add the dates to a blender along with 1 cup full fat coconut milk, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, and a dash of sea salt.
• Blend on high, scraping down the sides as needed to get the tiny bits of dates, until you have a smooth creamy caramel texture with no pieces of dates in it.
• Transfer to an airtight glass jar, and store in the fridge for up to a week!
• Use in all your coffee and dessert recipes where the recipe calls for caramel!

HOW TO BREW PERFECT ESPRESSO FOR MACCHIATOS AND LATTES AT HOME

Now let's get into brewing perfect espresso for iced caramel macchiatos at home, and all your other macchiato and latte recipes, whether they are hot or iced. Now I am not a coffee connoisseur, I don't use all these crazy fancy gadgets, I just love a good iced latte at home, and want to share how easy it is to make a good iced latte and iced macchiato from home.

Don't worry if you don't have an espresso maker, I'll show you below how to make a iced caramel macchiato at home without an espresso maker too!

First, you need to make sure you are using high quality coffee beans if you want to have delicious tasting coffee. I buy fresh organic whole coffee beans. It's always better to buy whole beans rather than pre ground because pre ground dries out and loses the oils.

Look at your coffee beans and make sure they look oily! Next, make sure your espresso (or coffee) maker is cleaned and tuned regularly. That means take the time to descale it, clean it, and replace the filters. Grime can build up quickly in coffee makers.

I clean and descale my espresso maker about once a month.

Finally, make sure you are using the correct grind size, all beans are different so stick to the same ones if you don't want to constantly be adjusting from coarse to fine ground.

Make the Perfect Shot of Espresso Every Time

Grind the coffee into your espresso port, press down firmly with the tamper, and lock it into place. Press brew (I do two shot brew every time), and you should get a perfect espresso pull that has cream in it!

If you are still having trouble getting good espresso after you did all of the above, check on more advanced coffee blogs than me, or the manufacturers website.

HOW TO MAKE ICED COFFEE FROM ESPRESSO AT HOME

Did you know that you can make iced coffee using your espresso maker? Fancy people will tell me this is an americano (espresso + water) vs iced coffee (coarse ground coffee steeped in water).. but to me they taste the same and why get technical if you get the same taste and result at the end.

Brew 2 shots of espresso, add 1 cup of cold water and then pour over ice. It's as simple as that to make iced coffee using your espresso maker! Or, if you're an iced caramel macchiato fan, you can just pour those two shots of espresso over caramel and milk with ice.

How to make iced coffee with your espresso maker:

1. Brew 2 shots fresh espresso
2. Add 1 cup cool water on top
3. Add ice
4. Use any cream, milk or flavorings and you have perfect iced coffee!

HOW TO MAKE ICED COFFEE USING A FRENCH PRESS AT HOME

French press iced coffee is SO easy to make at home! All you have to do is add coffee grounds to your French press, cool water, then steep overnight. Press the next day and use for all your iced coffee recipes at home!

How to Use a French Press for Hot Coffee:

1. Add medium-coarse ground coffee to the bottom of your French press. 2 tablespoons ground coffee per 1 cup (8 fluid ounces) of water.
2. Boil water in either a stovetop kettle or electric kettle. Pour boiling water over the grounds to just wet the coffee grounds. This will bloom the coffee and enhance the flavor of your coffee. Let the coffee bloom for about 1-2 minutes. You will see bubbles over the coffee grounds.
3. Don't reheat the water. The best French press coffee is with water that is just under boiling point. Pour the rest of the hot water in your kettle to fill your French press (or the amount you measured out).
4. Let coffee steep in the French press for 8-12 minutes. 10 is my ideal flavor, the longer it sits the darker you'll get it. I love super rich dark coffee so experiment with what you prefer.
5. Finally, slowly press the French press plunger down to press the coffee grounds to the bottom. Pour and enjoy hot!

How to Use a French Press for Cold Brew Coffee:

1. Add medium-coarse ground coffee to the bottom of your French press. 2 tablespoons ground coffee per 1 cup (8 fluid ounces) of water.
2. Pour cold water over your coffee grounds to fill the French press. I measure enough grounds out to fill my French press completely. But, if you only want one small cup of cold brew, use the amount you need from above. (1 cup per 2 tablespoons ground coffee beans).
3. Add the lid to your French press, but don't press it down. If you have a small fridge, and the plunger sticks up, you can cover the top with a small plate instead.
4. Rest in the fridge overnight, 24 hours is ideal.
5. The next day, press your coffee grounds to the bottom, pour the cold brew coffee over ice and enjoy! Perfect homemade cold brew coffee in a French press!

MAKE A DUNKIN OR STARBUCKS ICED CARAMEL MACCHIATO AT HOME!

How to make a perfect caramel macchiato at home? It is so easy and I've come up with the best iced caramel macchiato recipe that is also healthy! Let's get started it is so EASY!!

STEP 1- ADD CARAMEL SAUCE TO A TALL GLASS

First, add 2 tablespoons of the date caramel from above. You can make a fun design on the side of your caramel macchiato glass if you have a milk frother. Just dip the milk frother in the caramel sauce, then press the on button at intervals up the glass for the caramel to spray in ribbons on the sides! It's really simple and makes such a pretty presentation.

If you don't want to make the homemade date caramel, you can also buy store bought caramel and use that instead. But I'd highly recommend the homemade date caramel because it is so easy to make and makes your caramel macchiato healthy!!

STEP 2- ADD MILK OF CHOICE- ANY MILK WORKS!

Next, add ice to your glass. I like my caramel macchiato very icy, but use as much ice as you prefer.

Add 1 cup of any kind of milk that you like. I use 1 cup of flax seed milk in my iced caramel macchiato at home.

STEP 3- TOP WITH ESPRESSO OR STRONG BREWED COFFEE

Finally, brew two shots of fresh espresso and pour them directly over top your milk and ice. And that is it: iced caramel macchiato easy!

If you do not have an espresso maker, read on below where I show you how to make a caramel macchiato at home without an espresso machine!

READER REQUEST- HOW TO MAKE AN ICED CARAMEL MACCHIATO AT HOME WITHOUT AN ESPRESSO MAKER

Guess what you don't need a big fancy espresso maker to make Starbucks and Dunkin iced caramel macchiatos and lattes at home! They are definitely nice to have, but not 100% necessary. You can use either your instant coffee maker, a French press, or a pour over.

The key to making coffee for a macchiato or latte without an espresso maker is making your coffee super strong. Make it double or even triple strength, meaning add double or triple the coffee grounds to your coffee maker, French press, or pour over.

Make a Starbucks or Dunkin latte or macchiato without a espresso machine:

1. Brew your coffee at double or triple strength.
2. Add it to your mug with steamed milk and any flavorings for a hot macchiato or latte.
3. If you're having an iced macchiato or iced latte, I'd let the coffee chill in the fridge for at least an hour before adding it to a glass with ice, milk, and any sweeteners.

And that's it! Easy iced macchiato at home without an espresso maker. Save the strong coffee in an airtight container in your fridge for up to a week to use in your iced macchiatos and lattes all week long!

More Homemade Starbucks & Dunkin Drinks You'll Love!

• Spanish Iced Latte
• Chocolate Cold Foam Coffee
• Banana Coffee Latte
• Dirty Iced Matcha Latte
• Oleato
• Brown Sugar Cookie Cold Foam Cold Brew
• Dunkin Caramel Iced Coffee
• White Chocolate Macadamia Cream Cold Brew Starbucks Copycat Recipe
• Cinnamon Caramel Cream Cold Brew

FAQ's

Frequently asked questions about my homemade iced caramel macchiato recipe.

What is the exact iced caramel macchiato Starbucks recipe?

According to the Starbucks recipe website, here is the exact measurements and ingredients they use for the iconic Starbucks iced caramel macchiato that you can make at home:

• 1 oz homemade or store-bought vanilla syrup (2 tablespoons)
• ¾ cup 2% milk
• 2 shots of Starbucks espresso roast
• Fill glass with ice
• Homemade or store-bought caramel sauce to garnish

What is the difference between iced caramel latte and iced caramel macchiato?

An iced caramel latte, is an iced coffee drink made of espresso, cold milk, ice, and caramel sauce.

An iced caramel macchiato is made of cold milk, ice, espresso and caramel sauce.

Basically the main difference between an iced caramel latte and an iced caramel macchiato is that a latte has the espresso added first, while the macchiato has the espresso added last.

Is there vanilla syrup in a caramel macchiato?

Yes, a caramel macchiato has vanilla syrup in it, which is the perfect balance to the bold taste of espresso. Caramel sauce is then drizzled on top of the macchiato. My homemade caramel macchiato is made with caramel sauce that has vanilla in it and added to the bottom to infuse the flavor throughout the whole macchiato.

How can I make an iced caramel macchiato recipe without vanilla syrup?

Either add a dash of vanilla extract into your milk and then pour it over the ice and then the espresso. Or, simply make my homemade date caramel coffee sauce, which uses vanilla extract and will give you that signature caramel and vanilla flavor of a iced caramel macchiato.

How can I make lattes and macchiatos at home without a machine?

If you don't have a espresso machine, not to worry! You can still make delicious homemade macchiatos, lattes, and coffees! If you have a coffee maker or a French press, simply brew the coffee at double strength and add it right to your latte recipe!

Non-Coffee Recipes from Starbucks and Dunkin:

• Strawberry Dragon Fruit Refresher
• Mango Pineapple Refresher
• Golden Milk Latte Mix
• Iced Matcha Latte

If you try my Healthy Iced Caramel Macchiato Recipe, please let me know your thoughts by leaving a rating and comment below! Ready for more? Subscribe to my newsletter or follow along on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, and Youtube!