This pink velvet macchiato is a fun and refreshing coffee drink! My pink velvet macchiato recipe is a healthier version that is made with cacao powder, pink pitaya powder, honey, plant milk and espresso!
I was driving on a little weekend getaway with my husband this past week and saw a billboard for dunkin donuts new pink velvet macchiato. I thought it looked like such a fun and cute drink for Valentine's Day!
If you are looking to make the famous Dunkin pink velvet macchiato or red velvet macchiato at home you came to the right place! This drink is so easy to make at home and much healthier than the one you would get in the drive through.
Want to learn how to make perfect macchiatos, lattes, and coffee drinks at home like Starbucks and Dunkin? Make sure to read my Iced Caramel Macchiato Tutorial which is a must know recipe and has tons of tips on making homemade healthy Starbucks & Dunkin drinks including brewing coffee, espresso, and more!
WHAT IS A PINK VELVET MACCHIATO
A pink velvet macchiato combines flavors of red velvet with a sweet cream cheese icing. In my spin on dunkin donuts signature red velvet latte, I made the red velvet flavor with cacao powder and pink pitaya powder.
I made the sweet cream cheese flavor just with some honey because sweet cream cheese is really just sweetened milk!
PINK VELVET MACCHIATO INGREDIENTS
What is in a pink velvet macchiato? I made this Dunkin donuts red or pink velvet copycat with a few simple ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon pink pitaya powder.
- ½ tablespoon cacao powder.
- 1 tablespoon honey.
- 1 cup milk of choice. You can make this pink velvet macchiato with almond milk, soy milk, oat milk, or any other type of milk that you like!
- 2 shots of espresso.
WHAT DOES THE PINK VELVET MACCHIATO TASTE LIKE?
A pink velvet macchiato does not really taste much different from a regular macchiato in my opinion. It tastes like a sweet espresso drink with a hint of chocolate. If you are in a rush, I would stick to a classic latte or macchiato, but the pink colored layer is fun to make if you have the extra time or want to treat someone with something special!
HOW TO MAKE A PINK VELVET MACCHIATO AT HOME
Making this pink or red velvet macchiato from dunkin is super easy to do right at home! No need to go anywhere at all. Because let's face it, if I want something tasty in the morning I'm not getting in my car and going anywhere.
STEP 1: MAKE THE PINK OR RED VELVET MILK
Looing to learn how to make Dunkin Donuts pink velvet at home? It is so easy to do! And made with much healthier ingredients and no preservatives.
Grab a glass and add:
- 1 tablespoon pink pitaya powder
- ½ tablespoon cacao powder
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 cup milk of choice
Use a hand held milk frother or small whisk to mix the red velvet milk ingredients together till there are no powdery chunks left. You can also use a small blender to blend these ingredients together.
STEP 2: TOP WITH ICE AND ESPRESSO
Add ice cubes to almost fill you glass.
Next, brew 2 shots of fresh espresso.
Finally, very carefully pour the 2 shots of fresh espresso over the pink velvet milk. If you don't have an espresso maker, you can substitute about ¼ cup of strong brewed cold coffee.
Enjoy!
NUTRITION INFORMATION FOR PINK VELVET MACCHIATO
Okay so while once in awhile dunkin may be the okay, I don't drink it regularly. Mainly because they have limited choices for non-dairy milk and use syrups that are packed with sugars and chemicals.
I did a little bit of research to try to find exactly what ingredients were in the pink velvet macchiato. While I couldn't find an exact breakdown, I did find a allergy ingredients pdf from dunkin donuts website that did list pink velvet syrup.
So I'm guessing the signature macchiato is made from milk, pink velvet syrup, and espresso.
Here is their macchiato versus my macchiato:
Dunkin Donuts Pink Velvet Macchiato
Ingredients: milk, espresso,
Pink Velvet Flavored Swirl Syrup: Sweetened Condensed Nonfat Milk (Nonfat Milk, Sugar), Sugar, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Water, Natural and Artificial Flavors, Vegetable Juice
(Color), Potassium Sorbate (Preservative), Annatto Extract (Color), Salt.
My healthy Pink Velvet Macchiato
Ingredients: milk, espresso, raw honey, pink pitaya powder, cacao powder.
How do you make the best espresso shot?
- Have a good espresso machine. Make sure you own an espresso machine that can brew a good shot of espresso!
- Have FRESH coffee beans. We did a lot of trial and error and found that THE BEST espresso shot came when we bought freshly roasted beans. And I mean roasted within the past week. Check your coffee beans, I was shocked to find that so many beans from the grocery store were roasted upwards of an entire year ago. Your best bet is to buy coffee beans from a local coffee shop that roasts their own.
- Grind your FRESH coffee beans immediately before brewing. Grinding beans ahead of time= the beans will dry out and lose their flavor. The same really goes with making coffee.
- Dose. Make sure that you have enough ground beans in your portafilter, but not too much!
- Tamp. Use your tamper to press your ground beans into the portafilter. Press firmly!
- Make sure your espresso machine has been recently descaled, cleaned, and are using fresh filtered water.
All machines and coffee beans are different, so it will take some learning and adjusting based on what espresso machine and coffee bean you have purchased.
How should an espresso shot look while pulling?
If the dose, grind and tamp are ideal, you should get a brew that comes out dark and liquid first and then turns to a foamy golden brown. The ideal time it takes to fully extract the espresso shot should take about 20-30 seconds.
Your final shot of espresso should be a dark brown topped with a thin foamy layer that is golden brown.
If your espresso shot does not look like this, every machine is different so adjust your grind size, amount (dose), and tamp pressure.
FAQ's
Frequently asked questions about my homemade pink velvet macchiato recipe.
How can I mix the red velvet milk if I don't have a milk frother?
If you don't have a little hand held blender like you see me using in the video not to worry! You can still make this pink velvet macchiato two other ways.
- You can either mix it right in the glass with a small whisk till it's totally combined.
- Or, add the cacao powder, pink pitaya powder, honey and milk to a blender and blend till smooth then pour over ice.
What can I use in place of espresso?
If you don't have an espresso maker that's okay you can still make this pink velvet macchiato at home! Use about ¼ cup of cold brew coffee, or very strong brewed and then cooled coffee.
Is the pink velvet macchiato still available?
Unfortunately, this very popular valentine's day drink from dunkin is not available but you can easily make it right at home with my recipe below!
More Homemade Starbucks & Dunkin Coffee Recipes You'll Love!
- Iced Caramel Macchiato
- Iced Pumpkin Spice Latte
- Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew
- Almond Milk Pumpkin Spice Creamer
- Iced Maple Syrup Latte
- Gingerbread Latte
- Chocolate Latte
- Iced Peppermint Mocha
- Almond Milk Vanilla Creamer
- Iced Dalgona Matcha Latte
- Iced Dalgona Latte
- Matcha Maca Cacao Latte
If you try my Pink Velvet 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!
Pink Velvet Macchiato
Equipment
- Glass
- milk frother or whisk
Ingredients
For the pink velvet:
- ½ tablespoon cacao powder
- 1 tablespoon pink pitaya powder sub beetroot powder
- 1 tablespoon raw honey or pure maple syrup (optional)
- 1 cup milk of choice I use vanilla soy milk
For the espresso:
- 2 shots espresso
Instructions
- In a glass, add pink pitaya powder, cacao powder, and honey.½ tablespoon cacao powder, 1 tablespoon pink pitaya powder, 1 tablespoon raw honey or pure maple syrup (optional)
- Add 1 cup of any kind of milk that you like.1 cup milk of choice
- Use a milk frother or small whisk to mix the milk into the cacao and pink pitaya powder till completely combined.
- Fill the glass with ice cubes. Brew 2 shots of espresso and pour over top.Enjoy!2 shots espresso
Notes
Nutrition
My pink velvet macchiato recipe was originally published on February 8th, 2021 and updated on February 10th, 2023. Dunkin released a pink velvet macchiato and the next year a red velvet macchiato, both are very very similar so this recipe is perfect if you're looking to make either one!
Christie
MMM that sounds so good! I've never tried this before but I love anything with macchiato in it!
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I got the idea on the highway when I drove by and it showed dunkin donuts new pink velvet macchiato! You never know where inspiration will come from!
Anne
Wow this pink velvet macchiato is the perfect Valentine’s Day drink! Definitely making this gorgeous treat for my hubby