Why You’ll Love this Recipe
- Coffee shop flavor at home: same caramel richness without the $7 price tag.
- Customizable: use dairy-free milk, more/less syrup, or top with whipped cream.
- Quick + easy: ready in under 5 minutes and easily stores for lattes all week.
- Healthier option: homemade caramel syrup with coconut sugar if you want less refined sugar.
As a busy mom, I love whipping this up in the morning while my kids eat cottage cheese bagels. It feels like a treat, and my kids even love a mini “caramel steamer” with warm milk and a swirl of caramel syrup.
Love to make Starbucks drinks at home? Try this Starbucks copycat vanilla sweet cream cold foam, this cinnamon dolce latte, or my favorite pumpkin cream cold brew next.
Love iced drinks in the morning? This iced matcha latte or this dalgano coffee are fun treats to switch it up.
When faced with the choice between an iced latte vs iced coffee, it all comes down to personal preference, and I promise you’ll want to choose this latte every time.
Ingredients You Need
- Espresso: 1–2 shots, or swap with strong brewed coffee, instant espresso, or cold brew.
- Milk of choice: whole milk, 2%, oat milk, almond, or coconut all work.
- Caramel syrup: make a simple homemade syrup in 5 minutes, or use store-bought in a pinch.
- Ice: to chill everything down.
- Optional toppings: whipped cream and extra caramel drizzle.
Tip: Make a batch of homemade caramel syrup on Sunday. It keeps for 2 weeks in the fridge and makes weekday lattes effortless.
Serving ideas: pair your iced caramel latte with a slice of gluten-free coffee cake, overnight steel cut oats, or pumpkin cinnamon rolls.
Iced Caramel Latte
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Ingredients
Caramel Simple Syrup (makes 6-8 servings)
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar or coconut sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Iced Caramel Latte
- 1 cup milk of choice (whole milk, 2%, coconut milk, almond milk, oat milk etc.)
- 1 cup ice
- 1-2 shots of espresso (or ½ cup very strong coffee or cold brew)
- 1-3 tablespoons caramel syrup (from above or store-bought)
- Optional: whipped cream dairy-free whipped cream and caramel
Instructions
- If you're using an espresso machine, pull 1-2 shots of espresso and set aside to cool slightly.1-2 shots of espresso
- Combine the water and sugar in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir until dissolved, about 2 minutes.1/2 cup granulated sugar, 1/2 cup water
- Cover and boil for 2- 3 minutes. Remove the lid and stir consistently until the mixture is a light amber color. Remove from heat immediately, then stir in the vanilla. If desired, add a pinch of salt for salted caramel syrup.1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pour 1-3 Tablespoons of caramel syrup into a liquid measuring cup, depending on your desired level of sweetness. Pour in the milk and stir or froth with a hand frother to combine.1 cup milk of choice
- Add ice cubes to a tall glass then pour the caramel syrup and milk mixture on top. Finish by pouring the espresso (or strong coffee) on top and stir to combine. Top with whipped cream and caramel sauce if desired.1 cup ice
Notes
- Espresso: use an espresso machine or grab a cheap one on Amazon you can use on the stovetop.
- Cold brew coffee: swap the espresso for 1/2 cup of cold brew coffee.
- Very strong coffee: brew the strongest coffee you can and use about 1/2 cup (more or less to taste).
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
How to Make an Iced Caramel Latte
Step 1. Make the Caramel Syrup: Combine equal parts sugar and water in a saucepan. Simmer until the sugar dissolves and the mixture thickens slightly. Stir in a touch of vanilla and let it cool.
Step 2. Assemble Your Latte. Fill a tall glass with ice, pour in your brewed espresso or coffee, add 1-3 tablespoons of caramel syrup (you decide how sweet you want it), and top with milk. Stir it up for that iconic caramel swirl.
Recipe FAQS
The largest difference is one uses espresso and one uses brewed coffee. Our blog post on the difference between an iced latte and iced coffee goes into more detail on the difference between the two types of beverages. The caramel version of both just adds caramel syrup.
Absolutely! This recipe makes 5 servings of caramel sauce, so I encourage you to store it and use it again! You can store it in a jar in the fridge for up to a week.
No worries! Brew a strong cup of coffee, use cold brew coffee (about 1/2 cup) or use instant espresso powder mixed with water.
Storage Instructions
Make-ahead: make a batch (or a double batch) of the caramel syrup and store it in the fridge for up to a week. All you have to do is blend the milk and make your espresso when you’re ready to whip up a latte.
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I made it, with brown sugar and without ice. It still turned out pretty awesome. Hard to tell if the caramel was ready, though, and without ice, it just looks flat…
Will try it again with ice. Thank you so much for this recipe!
You’re so welcome! Glad you liked it!