This Starbucks Salted Caramel Mocha is a perfect copycat! It’s made with homemade sauce then topped with whipped cream and salted caramel.
Why you'll love this recipe
- Lighter version: It's made with whole ingredients including homemade mocha and caramel sauce.
- Perfect copycat: It tastes just like the Starbucks version, but you can enjoy it at home year-round.
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Ingredients and substitutions
Mocha sauce
- Sugar – swap out for any cup-for-cup sugar substitute of your choice.
- Cocoa powder – use unsweetened cocoa powder or Dutch-processed cocoa.
Caramel sauce
- Sugar – brown sugar would also work.
- Butter – use unsalted butter so the sauce isn’t too salty.
- Heavy cream – half and half or evaporated milk will work too.
- Sea salt – kosher salt can be used instead.
For the drink
- Espresso – use cold brew or strong dark roast coffee instead.
- Milk – use any dairy or dairy-free milk.
- Homemade mocha sauce – use a store-bought version to save time.
- Caramel or toffee syrup – you can leave this off, but it's delicious on top.
- Sea salt – kosher salt would be good too.
- Whipped cream – you can also use coconut whipped cream.
How to make a salted caramel mocha
Step 1: Make the sauces.
Make the mocha sauce and caramel sauce.
Step 2: Froth the milk.
Use a milk frother or shake in a mason jar.
Step 3: Brew the espresso.
Stir in the caramel sauce and mocha sauce.
Step 4: Pour in the milk.
Pour in the frothed milk, and top with whipped cream and caramel syrup.
Recipe tips & tricks
The best part of making this drink at home? You can customize it to your liking! Here are my top tips including customization options:
- Make it dairy-free: Make the caramel sauce with vegan butter and coconut cream. Use dairy-free milk and coconut whipped cream when making the drink.
- Go for an iced version: Cool the espresso and sauces, add the milk over ice and serve.
- Froth in a mason jar: If you don't have a milk frother, microwave the milk then shake in a mason jar.
- Use store-bought sauce: Save time by using store-bought mocha and caramel sauce.
Frequently asked questions
What's the best milk to use for a salted caramel mocha?
You can use any dairy or dairy-free milk of your choice like skim milk, 2%, almond milk or soy milk.
Can you make it decaf?
Yes! Use decaf espresso or even decaf roast coffee.
How many calories are in this recipe vs. Starbucks?
The Starbucks salted caramel mocha has 470 calories per serving, while mine has 326 calories per serving, so you're saving a ton of calories by making it at home.
Prepping the sauces
You can't make this drink ahead of time, but you can make the mocha and caramel sauces 2 weeks in advance.
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More Starbucks copycat recipes
Meal prep tools for this recipe
- Order some similar clear glass mugs.
- Order some Starbucks caramel syrup online.
Starbucks Salted Caramel Mocha
Ingredients
Mocha sauce
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder
Caramel sauce
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 3 tbsp butter
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
For the drink itself
- 2 espresso shots
- 1 cup milk
- 2 tbsp homemade mocha sauce (see above)
- 1 tbsp storebought caramel or toffee syrup
- 1 tiny pinch of sea salt
- Whipped cream
- homemade caramel sauce, for drizzling (see above)
Instructions
Make the mocha sauce
- Boil water in a kettle and mix boiling water with sugar in a mason jar, stirring in cocoa powder. Set aside.
Make the caramel sauce
- Add sugar to a small pot on the stove over medium heat. Stir sugar often (watching it doesn't burn) until it starts to clump and turns golden brown. Eventually it will melt and turn into a thick brown liquid.
- Once sugar is melted, stir in butter until melted, about 1 minute or so. Very slowly drizzle in the heavy cream, stirring constantly. Stir in sea salt, then remove from heat and set aside.
For the drink itself
- Brew espresso shots in a large mug. Meanwhile, microwave milk for 1-2 minutes and froth with a milk frother afterward, or add milk to a steamer to heat through and froth.
- Stir mocha sauce, storebought caramel/toffee syrup and sea salt into espresso shots, then pour steamed milk overtop, stirring gently.
- Finish off the drink with whipped cream, then drizzle with caramel sauce. Serve and enjoy!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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