This easy 4-ingredient Brown Sugar Shaken Espresso recipe is a Starbucks copycat, without the fuss of making a simple syrup! You won't believe how easy it is to make at home -- in fact, it's one of the easiest Starbucks recipes to replicate in your own kitchen. Use oat milk or any creamy milk of your choosing, and adjust the sweetness so it's the perfect beverage to start your day!
Iced Brown Sugar Shaken Espresso is a sweet brown sugar flavored Starbucks espresso drink that is well-loved by me and so many others! When summer rolls around, you can guess that every table in Starbucks has at least one Brown Sugar Shaken Espresso drink between them.
While I'm sure Starbucks would love to convince you that you must go to their shop to get this delicious treat, the truth is that it's super easy to make at home, even without an espresso machine. All you need is espresso, a creamy milk of your choosing, brown sugar, and vanilla extract.
Just like our Mango Popsicle Outshine copycat, we found that the homemade version was more delicious because the flavor wasn't marred by unnecessary additives. Now we choose our own Iced Brown Sugar Shaken Espresso over the Starbucks one every time!
For more coffee shop inspired treats, check out our Gluten-Free Pumpkin Muffins, Gluten-Free Gingerbread Cake, Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies, Dairy Free Brownies and Hot Chocolate with chocolate chips.
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How to make Brown Sugar Shaken Espresso at home
Just 4 ingredients and 3 extra-easy steps will have this iced espresso drink in your hands in no time!
No espresso machine? Check out our French Press Espresso recipe!
Ingredients Notes
Here's what you need to make this Iced Brown Sugar Shaken Espresso:
- Espresso
- Brown Sugar
- Vanilla Extract
- Creamy Milk of choice (we like oat milk, cashew milk, whole milk, or a thinner plant-based milk like almond milk plus dairy-free creamer)
See the recipe card for full ingredients and quantities.
Variations
Make this recipe refined sugar free with coconut sugar or maple syrup. Or try a hot Brown Sugar Latte or even a honey latte using a very similar technique!
- Coconut Sugar Latte - You can make this same recipe with coconut sugar instead of brown sugar with a 1-for-1 substitution. Note that coconut sugar is less sweet tasting than brown sugar, so you may want to add an extra teaspoon or more of coconut sugar for the same level of sweetness.
- Iced Maple Syrup Latte - Substitute maple syrup directly for the brown sugar to make a maple flavored iced latte.
- Brown Sugar Latte (hot) - To make this brown sugar latte hot instead of iced, use warmed or steamed milk, omit the ice, and do not shake. You may also want to add a little extra milk or hot water to make up for the ice that would melt into your drink.
- Honey Latte (hot) - To make a Honey Latte, follow the variation for the hot Brown Sugar Latte above and use honey instead of brown sugar.
- Almond flavoring - We also thought this copycat Starbucks espresso drink tasted nice with almond extract instead of vanilla extract.
Equipment
There is no equipment needed for this recipe, aside from how you decide to make your espresso. If you do not have a moka pot or a fancier espresso maker, we had success with both the french press method of making espresso and using the Aeropress to make espresso.
Because the Aeropress uses pressure for espresso making, it is the ideal method compared to a French Press.
Instructions
- Make your espresso. A moka pot (bialetti), french press, and aeropress can all be used to make espresso if you don't have an espresso maker. If you enjoy a bit of cinnamon in your Brown Sugar Shaken Espresso, include a few shakes of ground cinnamon in the espresso grounds.
- Stir in the sugar and vanilla. While your espresso is still hot, add the brown sugar and vanilla extract. Stir until the sugar is completely dissolved.
- Add milk and ice, shake or stir and enjoy! In a drink shaker, add your creamy milk of choice, espresso, and ice. Shake for about 10 seconds or until you have a nice foam (skip if you do not have or do not want to use a drink shaker and instead stir the ingredients together in a tall glass). Then pour the mixture over ice and enjoy! Add whipped cream or toppings if you like.
Storage
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two days. For best taste, store with little or no ice so as to not water down your beverage. You can always add more later.
Tips and Troubleshooting
Still doesn't taste exactly like Starbucks? Use these troubleshooting tips to get the best copycat Brown Sugar Shaken Espresso:
Milk
Starbucks usually makes this recipe with barista oat milk. Barista oat milk is a thick plant-based milk that is high in fat. In fact, one cup of Starbucks oat milk has 7 grams of fat and 1 cup of whole milk has 8 grams of fat.
In order to have a true Starbucks copycat, you also need to use a milk that is high in fat. We had success using whole milk, barista-style oat milk, and cashew or almond milk mixed with a higher fat plant-based creamer.
When choosing your milk in the store, use that 7 grams of fat per cup nutrition fact to compare to the nutrition label.
Espresso
All espresso is not created equally, and there is also a lot of misinformation online about how to make espresso at home without an espresso maker. First, you need a fine ground. A coarsely ground espresso powder will produce weaker espresso.
Also, Starbucks uses very strong espresso that is ¾ of an ounce per shot. Depending on your espresso maker or method of espresso making, you may be making a shot that is 1 ounce or even 1 ½ ounces. To fix this, make your espresso extra strong if possible.
Alternatively if you are using a larger espresso shot, swap a few tablespoons of your creamy milk for creamer. This will rebalance the water:milk ratio.
Recipe FAQs
Whether you're looking for the best way to make espresso without an espresso machine or have question about the ingredients and storage, we have answers to some of your top questions.
Don't see your question? Drop it in the comment field below and we'll answer within 48 business hours.
You can use coconut milk in this Brown Sugar Shaken Espresso. However, choose your coconut milk carefully. Since this is an iced beverage, you need a coconut milk variety that will not separate between the water and cream when at a cool temperature. Boxed coconut milks will work here, and some canned coconut milks have additives to keep them well-mixed.
You can make this recipe up to two days before you want to enjoy it! Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator with little or no ice so as to not water down your beverage. You can always add more ice later.
The best ways to make espresso without a machine are a moka pot, the Aeropress, or a French Press. You can also use instant espresso powder.
Coffee Shop Inspired Treats
These are my favorite treats to enjoy with our Brown Sugar Shaken Espresso:
Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating in the recipe card or comment section below. Thank you!
Brown Sugar Shaken Espresso
Ingredients
- 2 shots strong espresso
- 2 teaspoons brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup of barista oat milk or other creamy milk - see notes for details (120 ml)
Instructions
- Make your espresso. A moka pot (bialetti), French Press, and Aeropress can all be used to make espresso if you don't have an espresso maker. If you enjoy a bit of cinnamon in your Brown Sugar Shaken Espresso, include a few shakes of ground cinnamon in the espresso grounds.
- Stir in the sugar and vanilla. While your espresso is still hot, add the brown sugar and vanilla extract. Stir until the sugar is completely dissolved.
- Add milk and ice, shake or stir and enjoy! In a drink shaker, add your creamy milk of choice, espresso, and ice. Shake for about 10 seconds or until you have a nice foam (skip if you do not have or do not want to use a drink shaker and instead stir the ingredients together in a tall glass). Then pour the mixture over a glass of ice and enjoy! Add whipped cream or toppings if you like.
Piper
I loved that I could just make a single serving! This is delicious and really does taste like Starbucks. I used barista oat milk.
Jamie
Thanks so much for the review Piper!