Caramel Iced Coffee Recipe: Level Up Your Taste With Caramel
If you are looking for a bold variation of a coffee drink with exciting flavor, then try this caramel iced coffee recipe. Smooth texture of milk with its coffee and caramel flavor will remove any boredom. It tastes a little bit sweet.
You will also get the complete taste of espresso that tastes a bit bitter. But not too strong. Perfect for any occasion like a welcome party or just treating yourself to a tasty drink.
So, without giving more thought, unleash your cravings, try this recipe, and devour yourself into this drink!
Caramel Iced Coffee Vs Iced Caramel Macchiato
Caramel iced coffee has a taste similar to that of iced caramel macchiato because of the similar ingredients. But, there is a difference. And it is in the syrup.
In caramel iced coffee, only caramel sauce and caramel syrup are used. But in iced caramel macchiato vanilla syrup is used. So, there are differences when it comes to flavors.
Also, there is another difference. In iced caramel macchiato, milk is used in the bottom layer and espresso is used to layer up the top.
But in Caramel Iced coffee, the whole thing is different.
Espresso is used in the lower part, and milk is used as the top layer.
How Does Caramel Iced Coffee Taste?
Iced caramel coffee doesn’t have a strong coffee taste like Americano. To give a close example of how it tastes, I can say that it is less sweet than iced caramel macchiato. As soon as you sip it out, you will feel the strong coffee taste in your mouth.
After a short time, you will feel the burst of salty-sweet caramel flavor along with a rich, milky texture.
Ingredients You Will Need
The ingredients are very simple. You can make these at home or buy them from any shop.
Espresso:
Grab some espresso according to your preference. It can be brewed or store-bought. I like to prepare it at home with a coffee machine.
It turns the espresso very strong and rich in flavor with little bubbles. Decaf is also not an option, if you prefer non- caffeinated drinks.
Cold-brewed coffee is also a great option to avoid issues like acidity. So, it’s entirely up to you what you prefer to take.
If you want more details on coffee or espresso preparation without a machine, check out our recipe for making espresso without a machine.
Milk:
Milk makes this drink very creamy in texture. Plant-based or dairy milk, or anything else, can be your option. But according to me, whole milk is one of the best options if you prefer dairy milk.
Nowadays, 2% milk is quite in trend, including Starbucks. You can also try it. However, whole milk works more smoothly than any other type of milk.
Oat milk will be the best option among non-dairy milks. It becomes frothy easily and very easy to make. You also don’t have to soak it overnight to blend it.
Here you will get different methods of steaming the milk in an easy way. So, make sure to check it out!
Caramel Sauce For The Coffee (Recipe):
Caramel sauce is sweet, a bit salty and buttery. Buy what seems best for you. You can also make this at home.
This sauce makes this drink tastier. It is basically used for garnishing. But I am gonna also use this inside this drink.
To make this caramel sauce at home you need to melt and caramelize some sugar. Then add heavy cream and butter in it. Finally, add a pinch of salt to enhance the sweetness of this drink.
Caramel Syrup For The Coffee (Recipe):
Caramel syrup is also made of caramel. But the difference is, in this recipe instead of whipped cream just water is used and nothing else. Butter is not also used in this syrup.
You will need just water and sugar in the same ratio and put it on the stove. Wait till the sugar melts and add vanilla extract into it, that’s all you need to do.
So, you can say, it contains caramel flavor but very light weight. It is used actually to make your drink a little bit sweet. Cause, in this recipe you don’t need to use extra sugar.
Optional Ingredients For Garnishing.
Whipped Cream:
You can add whipped cream to decorate this drink. So, first of all take some heavy cream in a chilled bowl. It would be best if you put the bowl above the ice cubes.
Then beat the cream until it becomes stiff and doesn’t melt. You can use different flavors in this whipped cream to create variations.
Caramel Bites:
Break the caramel bites into small pieces then use them to garnish your drink.
How to make
It may seem hard to make it but the process is really easy. Just follow my steps!
Measurements
Espresso – 2 shots
Caramel Sauce – 1 tablespoon
Caramel Syrup – 2 tablespoon
Milk – ¾ cup
Ice cubes – 3-5
Step 1- Prepare The Glass
Take a transparent glass and spread some caramel sauce inside the glass. Then refrigerate this glass for some time. It doesn’t have to be in the refrigerator for too long.
Caramel will easily get set on the glass because of its nature. So, just keep it in the fridge just before making iced caramel coffee.
Step 2 – Ready Your Espresso With Syrup
Take 2 shots of espresso and mix the caramel syrup with 2 teaspoons in it. If you want, then you can add 1 teaspoon of caramel sauce in it to make it a little bit more flavorful.
Step 3 – Prepare The Milk
You don’t need to use steam milk. Just use the way it is. But yes, if you want some froth on your coffee, then definitely it can be your choice.
So for this, separate some milk to create froth. You can use the French press or bottle or frother to make the foam. After this, bring out the glass from the refrigerator.
Pour some ice cubes into the glass.
Step 4 – Mix Up All The Things
The coffee-caramel combined liquid you prepared earlier, pour it into the glass. Then, instantly, pour the rest of the milk into the glass. Now, stir these things.
If you want to add froth then add it after pouring the milk. Later, you can garnish it the way you would like. Like, adding whipped cream on the top or adding some caramel chocolate as toppings.
Or you can just put the milk froth on the top and garnish with some caramel sauce. Above the froth you can create designs.The drizzled caramel sauce inside the glass would be enough if you don’t want to use whipped cream.
Whole milk is thick enough. But if you want to add a little bit more thickness then you can add heavy milk. Add this heavy milk with cold milk. Mix these two things up and pour it in!
Some Tips:
To make it more interesting, you can try my tips –
Stir the caramel sauce and caramel syrup and dissolve properly. You can add other syrup like Hazelnut syrup into your drink. You can try adding vanilla flavored milk or just pour some hazelnut syrup into the milk and then mix.
Calories
Different products hold different types of components with different calorie values.
According to Starbucks, there are 150-270 calories in an iced caramel coffee.
FAQs
Is Iced caramel coffee healthy?
Well, it’s not. Because this drink has fats and sugar as caramel sauce and syrup is used.
Why does my iced caramel coffee taste bitter?
There are many reasons why your coffee might taste bitter. If you over roast coffee beans or brewed it for too long then it will taste bitter. So, for that exact reason, you need to pay attention while making it
Can I just add caramel syrup?
Yes, you can. In Starbucks or any other coffee shop, they generally don’t use caramel sauce in the espresso.But for a richer flavor you can add caramel sauce.
Conclusion
Homemade anything tastes better than shop-bought products. It doesn’t cost you much plus you can adjust the amount of coffee and other ingredients you want to use.
You don’t have to go out and stand in line to bring a glass of drink.
To manage your cravings you can easily go with this drink. If you love caramel and don’t prefer any other flavors like vanilla, then try this out. Because, it doesn’t have any other syrup besides caramel.
Hi! I’m Semiul Bennett. After spending so many years in the coffee industry, I’ve developed a deep passion for all things coffee—from the beans to the brewing process. Now, I’m on a mission to help people have a better coffee experience at home and outdoors. Together with my team, we’re here to share expert tips, brewing techniques and the latest coffee trends, so you can enjoy your perfect cup every time.
