A completely homemade copycat Starbucks Caramel Macchiato recipe. Easy to make from scratch and absolutely delicious!
The photos in this post have been updated. Don’t worry. You’re in the right place. 😉
Some of the recipes I post go through careful planning and consideration before they come forth into the world. Some are complete accidents. This is one of the latter.
While the family was all together for the holidays, I made caramel sauce for one of our pies and had a ton left over. I hate wasting food, so I started putting it on everything, including my mom’s morning coffee.
My mother, being a huge Starbucks fan took one sip and said, “Hey, this is better than Starbucks!” And thus, this post was born.
To be 100% honest, my Starbucks drink of choice is their white chocolate mocha, but I did try one of their caramel macchiatos just so I could compare the two, and I definitely prefer this one. I find the homemade flavors a little brighter, a little stronger.
Plus, YOU can control the level of sweetness which is always my biggest beef with Starbucks drinks.
And I know this doesn’t technically qualify as an authentic macchiato because it simply uses cream instead of foamed milk and strong black coffee rather than espresso, but Starbucks plurals their panini “paninis,” so they’re not exactly a paragon of Italian authenticity either. 😉
This recipe is both wonderful and terrible because you are not limited by whether or not you have caramel sauce at home to make it. You whip up the caramel yourself in five minutes flat. So if you keep heavy cream on hand (which I do), you can make these any time you feel like it (which I definitely shouldn’t).
The finished product has a robust caramel flavor but isn’t too artificially sweet the way so many caramel creamers are. It’s delicious. It’s amazing. It’s better than Starbucks.
And if you are looking for more tasty coffee drinks, try my Pumpkin Spice Latte (Two Ways!), Eggnog Latte, Easy Homemade Mocha, and White Chocolate Peppermint Mocha.
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Better Than Starbucks Caramel Macchiato
Ingredients
Caramel Sauce
- 2 tablespoons (1oz) unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup (50g) packed brown sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Coffee
- 1 cup of your favorite strong black coffee very hot
- 1-3 teaspoons sugar*
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream
- Whipped cream optional
Instructions
Caramel Sauce
- Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat.
- Add heavy cream, brown sugar, and salt. Stir well.
- Bring to a gentle simmer and allow to cook for 4 minutes, until thickened, stirring occasionally.
- Remove from heat and mix in vanilla. Transfer to a mason jar with a lid for storage.
Mix
- Stir coffee, 1 tablespoon of the caramel, sugar, and cream together. Taste and add more sugar if needed.
- Top with whipped cream and another drizzle of caramel if desired.
- Drink and enjoy that $4.50 you just saved yourself.
Notes
Nutritional Information (1 tablespoon sugar, no whipped cream)
Caramel adapted from Smitten Kitchen
Small-batch Information: This sauce can be a little tricky to cook in a small batch because it very easily overcooks and becomes hard candy. But if you watch it like a hawk, you can halve it and cook for 3-4 minutes. I wouldn’t try quartering.
This post may contain affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission if you make a purchase using them. There is absolutely no additional cost to you.
Original photography, circa 2016.
Shari says
Let’s ask a truly critical consumer, my teenager. She said it was “delicious!” BTW I made it with skim milk, otherwise exactly your recipe. Next she wants an iced version… THANK you
Tracy says
LOL, that is the highest compliment I could ask for! So glad she enjoyed it!
Tyra B says
Yumm…yum…yum…yum…yummmmy!
That’s what my husband said about this coffee….lol.
Then he jokingly said,
“Starbucks who?”
I just laughed.
It made my day.
It brought the kid out of him.
Thanks Tracy.
Your recipes rock.
And so do you.
Thank you for sharing them.
Tracy says
LOL, so happy to hear the hubs enjoyed this, Tyra!! Thank you!
Sterling says
I treid this out this morning. The Carmel sauce is awesome! I fixed carmel macchiato for my wife as a surprise (it’s her favorite coffee drink).I got ” Wow, this is fantastic. It’s better than any other macchiato I have ever had.”
A most Excellent accident. Thank you for posting this recipe.
Tracy says
Aw, this makes me so happy to hear. Thanks for reporting back!
Char says
Hi – how long does the caramel sauce keep for? is it possible to freeze it? Thanks
Tracy says
The caramel will keep for at least a couple weeks in an airtight jar in the fridge. I’ve never frozen caramel sauce (it always gets used up too quickly in my house 😉 ), but I did a quick search and it seems like it should freeze fine. Just defrost overnight in the refrigerator.
Jayna says
This is the best!!!!
Tracy says
Thank you!!!! 😉
AUDRA ROWE says
You are my new best friend! And your mother was right; this is better than Starbucks. In desperation, I had to use skim milk instead of heavy cream, but it still tastes amazing. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Tracy says
Ah, thanks, new bestie! 😉 I’m so glad you enjoyed it. And good to know it can successfully be made with skim milk. I’ll have to give it a try your way some time.
Revathi Palani says
I like caramel on anything. This macchiato looks so rich and decadent. It surely looks better than Starbucks 🙂
Tracy says
I’m with you. Caramel makes everything better!
Lisa | Chocolate Meets Strawberry says
Oh my gosh does this look amazing! You had me at caramel! I particularly like step number 7 😉 Coffee is just so overpriced!! When you think about it, you can easily make the same thing at home (this recipe being a case in point) for a fraction of the price.
Tracy says
Thanks Lisa! I know. I love buying coffee out, but it’s just so much more economical to make it at home!
Holly @ 3 Yummy Tummies says
I am an avid caramel latte drinker, so I will definitely be trying your recipe for homemade caramel sauce! This drink sounds amazing as well!
Tracy says
I hope you enjoy it, Holly. Thanks!
Meghan | Fox and Briar says
Yes! I am always looking for an easy caramel recipe, can’t wait to try this! I like having fun mixers for my coffee around since I don’t buy coffee creamer anymore, this looks totally perfect.
Tracy says
Thanks, Meghan. I’m in the same boat. I never buy creamers anymore because I can never use them up before they go bad, but sometimes you just want something different in your coffee!
Ange says
This I have to try! Seriously yum looking
Tracy says
Thanks, Ange!
Willow says
Accidental recipes are the best, aren’t they! It’s funny how they sometimes come out better than the planned ones. I love recipes that I make on the fly too, like when I need a dip to eat up a bunch of veggies, and see what I can throw together.
Tracy says
Seriously! Even when they don’t turn out, I always have fun throwing things together and seeing the result. 🙂
Julia (@Imagelicious) says
I love accidental recipes! Aren’t they the best? The coffee looks fantastic and the video is cute!
Tracy says
Thanks so much, Julia! I was so nervous putting that video together since it was my first time editing video since I was a kid, let alone tying to film something being made!
Mark, CompassandFork says
I like the idea of putting your mom’s quote at the top of the post. Mothers always know best. This looks great and love your photos.
Tracy says
Exactly. If we can’t trust Mom, whom can we trust? 😉 And thanks!
Natasha @ Salt and Lavender says
Hahaha I love how you put your mom’s quote on there. I’m more of a tea drinker myself, but this recipe looks fab. Love the photos!!
Tracy says
Thanks, Natasha! I’m glad you liked it. I laughed the whole time while I was putting it on there and then once it was posted I wasn’t sure people would find it as funny as I did. 😉 I’m usually a tea drinker too. I save this for the mornings when I feel like I deserve a treat.
Jay @ IndustryEats says
Tracy,
This post totally kicks ass. Seriously, I love the photography and the video. And I love the macchiato. I’m totally doing this.
Jay
Tracy says
Thank you!
Darlene Woods says
Oops!! I added vanilla with other ingredients instead of after. Will there be a big difference??
Tracy says
Nope, it will be just fine. A little of the vanilla flavor will cook off so it won’t be as powerful, but it shouldn’t be hugely noticeable. Hope you enjoy the macchiato, Darlene!!
Tonya Hemingway says
It looks great however macchiato means ‘marking the milk’ so ..coffee on top ☺️ Of foamed milk – heat milk as hot as possible without scorching and whip with high speed blender or heavy mixer then mark the milk and it will have the texture of a real one with the great taste of yours ❤️
Lora says
What does mark mean ??
Marla says
Making decorative squiggles in the milk with the hot coffee