Make the Starbucks Iced Brown Sugar Shaken Espresso at home! This easy copycat recipe is quick to make, perfectly sweet, and just as delicious as the real thing.
If you’re in Canada, then you know that the prolonged winter months really make you want to enjoy hot drinks on a regular basis! However, we’re near the end of April and it’s finally time to celebrate spring with some cold drinks! One of my new favourite cold coffee drinks at Starbucks is the Iced Shaken Espresso! I love the flavor and the nice foam on top, and when I first made it myself, I couldn’t believe how easy it is to do! It probably honestly takes as long to make as it would take you to order and wait for it at the store. Even if you’re mobile ordering… then the time it would take you to get to the store! This is one of the quickest and easiest coffee drinks I’ve ever made, and I just love the ability to customize it at home!
As I lay out in my Make Cooking Fun! free motivational guide to explore your potential in the kitchen, going out can inspire you to try new recipes. I first had the Iced Shaken Espresso last summer when I wanted to try a new drink off the menu, and I was totally in love with it! I hadn’t revisited it for a long time since it was chilly out, but in Canada we’re daring and still enjoy cold beverages even when it’s a cold day out - I’m going to drink it inside! So I did have a sip again when it wasn’t too cold out and knew I really wanted to try my hand at it! If you’ve got a coffee lover in your life that’s just spending way too much, then I encourage you to put your heart in a cup with this shaken espresso recipe as part of your Live to Cook challenge! You can get started for free by signing up to my newsletter, plus you’ll get all of my new recipes sent right to your inbox!
Check out the video to see how quick and simple this Starbucks copycat Iced Shaken Espresso recipe is! Please subscribe to my YouTube channel if you haven’t already, and be sure to hit the bell button on YouTube to be notified when all of my video recipes go live along with the written ones! Let’s get brewing!
What’s a Starbucks Iced Brown Sugar Shaken Espresso?
Let’s check out Starbucks’ official description of the beverage:
First we shake Starbucks Blonde® espresso, brown sugar and cinnamon together, and then top it off with an oat beverage and ice for a cool lift to power you through your day.
This is a pretty good explanation. A shaken espresso is when you shake up espresso, sweetener, and ice to instantly cool down the espresso and to create foam without frothing. Then, you serve this mixture over ice and add a splash of milk. Yum!
Let’s see the ingredients for the Starbucks drink.
ICE, OATMILK [OATMILK (WATER, OATS), CANOLA OIL, CONTAINS 2% OR LESS OF: DIPOTASSIUM PHOSPHATE, CALCIUM CARBONATE, TRICALCIUM PHOSPHATE, SEA SALT, DICALCIUM PHOSPHATE, RIBOFLAVIN, VITAMIN A, VITAMIN D2, VITAMIN B12], BREWED ESPRESSO, BROWN SUGAR SYRUP [INVERT SUGAR, BROWN SUGAR, WATER, NATURAL FLAVOR, SALT, PRESERVATIVE: POTASSIUM SORBATE], CINNAMON.
This is one of the “healthiest” drinks you can order off the menu because of the low calories and small ingredient list. However, we can shrink this ingredient list even more by using our own brown sugar simple syrup!
WHY MAKE Homemade Iced Shaken Espresso?
Cheap: Now, the drinks at Starbucks costs $7.29 CAD for a grande! Granted I’ve treated myself to this drink to try it out for fun and to get the flavour in mind before testing out this recipe, but I really don’t think that they should charge that much! If you add up the cost of the homemade syrup and just a couple of tablespoons of ground coffee with a splash of milk, this drink should cost a dollar max!
Staple ingredients: When I laid out all the ingredients for making this iced espresso recipe, I couldn’t believe how little we needed! You most likely have everything already at home to whip this up in just a matter of minutes!
No need for fancy tools: The only thing you’ll need is a cocktail shaker, but don’t worry if you’re missing that! In fact, you don’t even need an espresso machine - a French press or coffee maker will work fine.
Customizable: You can customize your drink at Starbucks by adding more or less espresso shots and more or less pumps of brown sugar syrup, but making this at home really gives you the optimal amount of flexibility!
Smooth and velvety: Whether I’m getting the drink at Starbucks or making it myself, the flavour is just so so good. I love how light and smooth this drink is, and it’s super refreshing for a hot day!
Equipment for Iced Shaken Espresso
Measuring cups: To measure the amount of water you’ll need to make the homemade brown sugar syrup and to measure out the water needed to make your coffee.
Measuring spoons: Useful to measure out the vanilla and brown sugar to make the syrup.
Saucepan: To make the brown sugar syrup, if you need to make some right now!
Mason jar: I’ll be storing my brown sugar syrup in! You could also use a squeeze bottle and squeeze in your syrup into the cold foam mixture. To feel like a Starbucks barista, get a glass syrup bottle and a pump!
French press: Since I don’t have an espresso machine, I’ll brew my coffee with ground coffee and boiling water. This is the closest way you can achieve strong coffee without an espresso machine. Otherwise, feel free just to use your standard coffee machine.
To see the ingredient measurements and to save the recipe for later, scroll to the bottom of this post for the FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE CARD! You can also scale the recipe based on how many glasses you want to make. By default, this serves 2 grande (16 oz) cups.
Ice cubes: We’ll add ice cubes in our shaker to mix up the espresso and brown sugar. Additionally, we’ll add some more ice in our serving glasses.
Espresso or strong coffee: Use whichever you have. We’ll brew hot coffee and then it’ll get cold when we shake it up.
Brown sugar syrup: I really recommend you do make your own brown sugar syrup - it’s so easy! We’ll briefly go over how to make it here, but if you want more details on other ways to use your syrup and storage instructions, check out the full recipe here.
Splash of milk: Add as much milk as desired when you serve.
Dash of ground cinnamon: This garnish really brings all the flavours together!
How to Make Iced Brown Sugar Shaken Espresso
For the Brown Sugar Syrup
In a saucepan, add the water and brown sugar and turn on the heat. Whisk well and warm the mixture until the brown sugar has completely dissolved.
Once dissolved, add the vanilla extract, turn off the heat and pour out the brown sugar syrup into a mason jar for storage.
For the Iced Shaken Espresso
Prepare the espresso using an espresso machine. Alternatively, prepare espresso-like coffee using a French press.
Add the coffee, brown sugar syrup and a couple ice cubes into a cocktail shaker or mason jar and shake laterally for 20-30 seconds.
Add ice cubes to the serving glasses and then add the shaken coffee. Top with a couple splashes of milk, or until it is to your preference.
Top with ground cinnamon and enjoy!
Tips for Iced Shaken Espresso That’s Better Than Starbucks!
The main element of this drink is the coffee, so make sure you make the best espresso or espresso-like coffee.
Shaking will help the brown sugar syrup to thoroughly mix with the coffee and help aerate the drink as well, giving a light, refresh drinking experience. So make sure to shake well and long enough.
Adjust the amount of milk to enjoy a more milky drink or a more coffee-rich drink.
Serve with lots of ice cubes to keep it chilled throughout.
Variations of Starbucks Iced Shaken Espresso
Sweetness: If you want a sweeter iced shaken espresso, you can always add more sugar. On the other hand, if you want an iced shaken espresso that’s less sweet, then you can always use less syrup.
Decaf: You can use decaf coffee if you are sensitive to caffeine but still want to enjoy this delicious drink! It’s also a good idea to use decaf coffee if you’re making this beverage at night!
Vegan: As the original Starbucks Iced Shaken Espresso beverage is plant-based, feel free to use oat milk to recreate the standard recipe. You can also use any other plant-based milk of your choice. However, with regard to texture, I think oat milk will come close to the whole milk I’m using in this recipe since oat milk is also thick and creamy.
Questions You May Have!
How Many Shots of Espresso Are in the Brown Sugar Shaken Espresso?▼
For a tall size (12 oz), there are 2 shots, 3 shots for a grande (16 oz) and 4 in a venti (20 oz), if you order the standard recipe. My recipe makes 2 grande glasses, and we’ve got 3/4 cup of water per 2 tablespoons of coffee to make a stronger brew.
How Many Pumps of Brown Sugar are in Iced Shaken Espresso?▼
The default recipe for a tall has 3 pumps of brown sugar, a grande 4, and a venti 6. I’m using the equivalent of 2 tablespoons of syrup per grande.
Is the Iced Brown Sugar Shaken Espresso Sweet?▼
This will all depend on how much brown sugar syrup you use, since this is our main sweetener. Additionally, the more milk you add, the more it’ll balance out the espresso. Thirdly, even the amount of ice will affect the sweetness. You can make this drink as sweet as you want based on your preference. When you order the base recipe at Starbucks, it’s not too sweet. Because there’s so little milk in an Iced Shaken Espresso, it’s considered one of the lowest calorie drinks on the menu. The calories just come from the pumps of brown sugar syrup.
Why Shake the Espresso?▼
As the name suggests, shaking the espresso is an essential step here! Shaking the espresso with ice allows the hot coffee to quickly cool off. Additionally, you get a foamy texture from the aeration in the process without having to froth the milk.
Is The Shaken Espresso Stronger than a Latte?▼
This will depend on how many shots of espresso you’re using. However, a latte contains milk blended with the espresso, in addition to a thin layer of milk foam. On the other hand, our recipe only needs a couple of splashes of milk, amounting to about 2 tablespoons. Therefore, you’ll notice that an iced shaken espresso has a more prominent coffee flavour than an iced latte, where you’ll have closer to a cup of milk per a cup of brewed coffee.
What if I Don’t Have a Shaker Cup?▼
Don’t worry about it! You can simply follow the step of adding the ice cubes, brewed coffee, and brown sugar syrup in a mason jar. Put on the lid and shake it up! You could pour the milk directly in the mason jar and drink from there, or follow the step of pouring into a serving glass with milk.
Do I have to Make Brown Sugar Syrup?▼
No, you don’t. You technically could just buy a packaged one, but that’ll be more expensive, and I find there’s always a chemical aftertaste.
Can I make an Iced Shaken Espresso in Advance?▼
I’m not sure why you would to be honest! It’s best served immediately. To save you some time, make the brown sugar syrup in advance. Then, brew your coffee or espresso when you’re craving the drink, and this will cut the time down to prepare the drink in half!
Treats to Pair with Starbucks Iced Shaken Espresso
Let me know what you think of this recipe in the comments! If you’ve tried this recipe, be sure to post it on social media and tag it with #cookingwithanadi and mention me @cooking.with.anadi. Thank you!
Recipe by Anadi Misra
Starbucks Iced Brown Sugar Shaken Espresso
Make the Starbucks Iced Brown Sugar Shaken Espresso at home! This easy copycat recipe is quick to make, perfectly sweet, and just as delicious as the real thing.
In a saucepan, add the water and brown sugar and turn on the heat. Whisk well and warm the mixture until the brown sugar has completely dissolved.
In a saucepan, add the water and brown sugar and turn on the heat. Whisk well and warm the mixture until the brown sugar has completely dissolved.
2
Once dissolved, add the vanilla extract, turn off the heat and pour out the brown sugar syrup into a mason jar for storage.
Once dissolved, add the vanilla extract, turn off the heat and pour out the brown sugar syrup into a mason jar for storage.
For the iced brown sugar shaken espresso
1
Prepare the espresso using an espresso machine. Alternatively, prepare espresso-like coffee using a French press.
Prepare the espresso using an espresso machine. Alternatively, prepare espresso-like coffee using a French press.
2
Add the coffee, brown sugar syrup and a couple ice cubes into a cocktail shaker or mason jar and shake laterally for 20-30 seconds.
Add the coffee, brown sugar syrup and a couple ice cubes into a cocktail shaker or mason jar and shake laterally for 20-30 seconds.
3
Add ice cubes to the serving glasses and then add the shaken coffee. Top with a couple splashes of milk, or until it is to your preference. Top with ground cinnamon and enjoy!
Add ice cubes to the serving glasses and then add the shaken coffee. Top with a couple splashes of milk, or until it is to your preference. Top with ground cinnamon and enjoy!
Nutrition per serving
63
Calories
2g
Protein
9g
Carbs
2g
Fat
0g
Fiber
9g
Sugar
34mg
Sodium
Share This Recipe
Did you make this recipe? Tag @cooking.with.anadi on Instagram and hashtag it #cookingwithanadi
Tested & written in Anadi’s kitchen
Free weekly newsletter
Like this recipe? Get more every week.
New recipes, cooking tips, and behind-the-scenes from Anadi's kitchen.
Make the Starbucks Caramel Ribbon Crunch Frappuccino at home! This creamy, indulgent copycat recipe is quick, easy, and tastes just like the real thing.
Make your own Starbucks Iced Caffe Mocha at home with this easy copycat recipe. Rich, creamy, and ready in minutes, it tastes just like the real thing for a fraction of the price.
Make Starbucks Chocolate Cream Cold Brew at home with this easy copycat recipe. Rich cold brew topped with silky chocolate cold foam — ready in minutes and better than the real thing.
Make your favorite Starbucks drink at home! This creamy Iced White Chocolate Mocha is quick, easy, and tastes just like the real thing — no coffee shop trip needed.
Make a creamy eggnog latte at home in minutes! This cozy Starbucks copycat recipe is quick, easy, and perfect for the holiday season. Warm up with every sip.
Craving a creamy, indulgent treat? This cookies and cream Oreo latte is quick, easy, and absolutely delicious. Make your new favorite coffee shop drink right at home today.
25 minEasy2 lattes
Comments
No comments yet — be the first to share your thoughts!
Leave a review
Be the first to share how it went — your note helps other cooks (and earns the recipe its stars).
Comments
No comments yet — be the first to share your thoughts!
Leave a review
Be the first to share how it went — your note helps other cooks (and earns the recipe its stars).