The Best Starbucks Drinks and How To Make Them At Home (Includes DIY Copycat Recipes and Videos)!

by Selmir Omic

Starbucks is one of those places you either visit on a daily basis or go to once in a while as a “treat”. Almost everyone goes there at least sometimes, whether it’s for their rich, strong coffee, or for the “Starbucks experience”.

Regardless of which category you’re in, you undoubtedly have your favorite Starbucks beverages. We all do.

Some of the best Starbucks drinks are well known, such as the Pumpkin Spice Latte which even became a meme at one point.

Best Starbucks Drinks
Best Starbucks Drinks

Well, unfortunately, you can’t always go to Starbucks. Maybe it’s too far. Maybe it’s too expensive. There’s also the chance that you don’t even have it in your country.

We’re here to help. Even the best Starbucks drinks can be made at home, if only you had the recipes, and a bit of know how.

We’ll give you some of our cherished copycat Starbucks recipes, and it’s up to you to choose which ones you like best. Then, just grab the ingredients and try them out DIY-style from the comfort of your own home!

Table of Contents:

We also include some of the best “how to” videos about making these special drinks!  Enjoy!  🙂

Pumpkin Spice Latte

Seeing as it’s probably the most famous drink, it’s only fitting that we make it the first on our list.

What you’ll need is one or two shots of espresso, 6 oz of hot milk, a tablespoon of brown sugar, half a tablespoon of pumpkin puree, half a tablespoon of pumpkin pie spice, a teaspoon of vanilla syrup.

Yeah, that’s a lot of ingredients. And you’ll want to top it off with whipped cream, and garnish it with Cinnamon.

To make it, mix the brown sugar, pumpkin puree, vanilla, and pumpkin spice together. Make sure they’re well blended, and any clumps are whipped out.

Add the espresso and milk, and stir until everything is blended. Top the drink off with whipped cream (and cinnamon). Enjoy your drink!

Watch this video to get an up close an personal look at how a pumpkin spice latte is made with a little help from POPSUGAR Food.

Caramel Macchiato

Next, on our list of best Starbucks drinks, we have another crowd favorite. The Caramel Macchiato is smooth, creamy, warm and satisfying, from start to finish.

Making it is fairly easy. You’ll need two shots of espresso (2 oz), two tablespoons of vanilla syrup, 14 oz of milk (reduced fat or whole milk), and caramel sauce, to drizzle.

First, make the espresso. While it’s being made, warm up the milk, and froth it. Either use a frother, or a whisk – just make sure there’s foam.

Once the espresso is made, pour it into a measuring cup. Add vanilla and milk to it.

What you’ll do next is pour the mix on top of the frothy milk, thus creating a “stain” on the foam.

Finish it up by drizzling the caramel on top. Starbucks will make two circles around the edges, as well as a grate pattern in the middle, but that’s completely up to you.

Here is a video showing how to make delicious copycat Starbucks Caramel Macchiato, both hot and cold, courtesy of one of our fav Youtubers, Ashley Bedeck.

Iced Vanilla Latte

Everyone loves iced coffee during the summer. The Iced Vanilla Latte is a great combination, and it’s only made with three ingredients, so it’s really simple as well.

All you’ll need is two cups of strongly brewed coffee, half a cup of milk or cream, a cup of ice, and two tablespoons of vanilla syrup.

To begin with, make your coffee. Put it in the refrigerator or cool it to room temperature.

Once it’s cooled down, mix it with the milk or cream, and the vanilla syrup. Pour the mix over the ice, and serve it immediately.

Voila, an iced vanilla latte right at home!

For a closer look, watch this video by Pinkmacprincess for a complete video tutorial on how to make a Starbucks Iced Vanilla Latte at home.

S’mores Frappuccino

Some of you may not know this one, as it was only available for a limited time. However, the S’mores Frappuccino is definitely one of the best Starbucks drinks.

The ingredients are 3/4 cup of ice, half a cup of milk, three tablespoons of Marshmallow topping, half a tablespoon each of white sugar, graham cracker crumbs and Dutch-process cocoa powder, 1/4 cup of whipped cream, and of course, a shot of espresso.

I know it sounds confusing with all those ingredients. But making it is extremely easy, so don’t worry about that.

Blend everything except the whipped cream and the graham cracker crumbs in a blender. Make sure you make it smooth.

Pour the mix in a glass. Top it off with whipped cream, as well as graham cracker crumbs. That’s it!

Here below we have the DIY version of how to make a S’Mores Frappuccino with HellthyJunkFood.

Iced Green Tea Latte

Another refreshing drink on our list of best Starbucks drinks, the Iced Green Tea Latte is quick and simple to make.

You’ll need a few ingredients to make it. Three cups of milk, two tablespoons water, two teaspoons matcha powder, two or three teaspoons honey, a single teaspoon vanilla extract, and ice.

To begin making it, combine the matcha powder and water in a small bowl. Stir them until you’re sure there are no clumps.

Then, combine that mixture with the milk, honey and vanilla extract. Put them in a covered container until it’s well combined.

Divide the mixture into two cups, and pour it over ice. Serve it immediately, in order for the ice not to melt.

Take a look at this video courtesy of Pinkmacprincess, showing how to make the famous Starbucks Iced Green Tea Matcha Latte.

Mocha Frappuccino

Another cold drink to chill you in those hot summer days, the Mocha Frappuccino is also simple to make.

You’ll need 3/4 cup of espresso, a quarter cup of sugar, one cup of milk, half a cup of dark chocolate syrup, a pinch of Xantham Gum and four cups of ice. For the topping, you’ll want whipped cream and drizzle chocolate syrup.

First, make the espresso. While it’s hot, pour it into a blender. Add the sugar, and mix it until it dissolves.

Then, add the chocolate syrup, milk, and Xantham Gum, and mix again for a minute or two, until they combine. Put the mixture in the refrigerator for around half an hour, to cool.

Once it’s cool, add ice to the blender and mix it on high until you get a smooth mixture.

Pour that mixture into glasses, and top each glass with whipped cream and chocolate syrup. That’s it, enjoy your Mocha Frappuccino!

For a closer look at the process of DIY homemade mocha frap Starbucks-style, watch this video by the dynamic Barry Lewis.

Salted Caramel Frappuccino

While we’re on the topic of frappuccinos, let’s take a look at how you make the Salted Caramel Frappuccino. It only needs a few ingredients and making it is fairly simple.

You’ll need a cup of coffee, two tablespoons of caramel syrup, 1/4 tablespoon of kosher salt and a cup of milk. You will also want whipped cream to top it off, too.

Start things the night before by brewing your coffee. Pour it into a plastic pitcher and add the salt and caramel. Stir it until it combines, and put it in the fridge. It should cool overnight.

When you want to serve it, add the mix, and the milk, into a blender. Blend it until it’s smooth, but a bit ice chunky, just like you’d get it at Starbucks.

Pour your drink in a glass, and top it off with whipped cream. If you want, you can also drizzle some extra caramel on top. To make the experience more Starbucks-like, drink it with a straw.

Birthday Frappuccino

The Starbucks Birthday Frappuccino is absolutely one of the best Starbucks drinks, and that’s even when it’s not your birthday.

In terms of ingredients, you’ll need a cup of milk, or coffee, a cup of ice, one tablespoon of vanilla syrup, two tablespoons each of sugar and hazelnut syrup, and two scoops of vanilla ice cream. We’d also recommend raspberry whipped cream to top it off.

Making the drink is a simple as it gets – just put all the ingredients in a blender, and blend it until it’s smooth. Then, pour it in a glass, and top it off with your choice of topping.

This is a very simple drink, yet one you’ll learn to love. Happy Birthday to you! Or not. Doesn’t make a difference when you’re drinking it at home, does it?

Here’s a video showing how to make your own yummy DIY Birthday Frap, Starbucks-style, courtesy of the awesome misscharlottebeauty1.

Iced Cinnamon Dolce Latte

Back to the lattes, the Iced Cinnamon Dolce Latte is an excellent summertime drink. It’s refreshing, it’s sweet, and it’s easy to make!

The ingredients require 2 tablespoons of Starbucks Cinnamon Dolce Syrup (you can make this at home, too!), 2 oz of espresso, 6 oz of milk, ice, and whipped cream and cinnamon sugar to top it off.

To make the syrup, you’ll need a cup of water, a cup of brown sugar and a tablespoon of cinnamon. Bring the ingredients to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer until reduced to half. That should take around five minutes. Cool it, and store it in a resealable container.

Then, brew your coffee. Add the syrup to a cup, or a glass. First add the coffee to the glass, then add milk, and stir everything well. To fill it, add ice.

Top it off with whipped cream, if you want to. You can also add cinnamon sugar or drizzle a touch of syrup on top as well. Simple as that!

For more info, watch this video tutorial by Maryann Winiarski showing how a Cinnamon Dolce Latte is made.

Peppermint White Hot Chocolate

The perfect drink to warm you up in the cold winter months, the Peppermint White Hot Chocolate is another one of the best Starbucks drinks served worldwide.

To make it, you will need one tablespoon each of peppermint chips, white chocolate chips and whipping cream, 8 oz milk, one crushed peppermint, and whipped cream.

First, combine the peppermint chips, white chocolate chips and the whipping cream in a microwave-safe mug. Heat them for 30 seconds, and stir until it’s smooth. You’re tempted to eat this on its own – don’t. You need it.

Then, add milk to the mixture, and heat it for another 90 seconds, until it’s heated through. Stir that mixture in the crushed peppermint, and top it off with whipped cream.

If you want some more peppermint, top the whipped cream with crushed peppermint! Not very complicated, yet extremely tasty!

Here’s a video courtesy of Recipes by Carina, showing how she makes her own DIY Starbucks-style Peppermint White Hot Chocolate Recipe.

White Chocolate Mocha

While we’re on the topic of hot chocolate, let’s take a look at this White Chocolate Mocha recipe. It’s a warm drink that tastes lovely, and you can make it very quickly.

As far as ingredients go, you’ll need 1 1/4 cups of strong coffee, a quarter cup of milk, half a tablespoon of vanilla extract, three tablespoons of white chocolate chips. You’ll also need whipped cream when you serve it.

Making it is easy. In a small saucepan, combine the milk, coffee, and white chocolate chips.

Bring them to a simmer over medium-high heat, and simmer for a minute or two while whisking constantly. Remove them from the heat, and stir them in vanilla.

Pour the mixture into a large mug. Top it off with whipped cream, and voila, you have your White Chocolate Mocha!

In this next video, Amanda Boothe, Starbucks barista extraordinaire, shows us how she makes a White Chocolate Mocha in the Starbucks style.

Peanut Butter Cup Frappuccino

Another frappuccino on our list of best Starbucks drinks, this time we have the Peanut Butter Cup Frappuccino. It reminds us of treats such as Reese’s Pieces, as well as Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup.

The supplies you need are 2 cups of ice, half a cup of milk, a quarter cup of strong coffee, one or two tablespoons of chocolate sauce, three to four tablespoons of peanut butter syrup, two tablespoons of simple syrup and a pinch of Xantham Gum, which is optional.

Note that you could go with actual peanut butter instead of syrup, but this will change the texture of the drink significantly.

To make it, you’ll need a blender. Making this is very simple – just throw all the ingredients in a blender and blend them for a while. If you want to add candies, cut or mash them a bit first, to make them smaller and softer.

You can top this off with whipped topping, chocolate sauce, or some of the treats mentioned above, cut up or mashed up. Enjoy!

Watch the video below by cookingguide, to get a closer look at how to make your own DIY Peanut Butter Frappuccino from the comfort of your own kitchen.

Gingerbread Latte

We’re wrapping up our list with the Gingerbread Latte, one of the best seasonal Christmas beverages Starbucks serves.

The ingredients list is a bit long. You’ll need two cups of milk, two serves of instant coffee, boiling water, half a tablespoon each of ground ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, and allspice, as well as Natvia natural sweetener, or another sweetener of your choice. You can top it off with extra ginger or cinnamon.

So, how do you make it? First, add the instant coffee, boiling water and milk in a small saucepan. Heat it on medium, right until it begins to bubble.

Then, add the spices and sweetener, and mix until everything blends well. Remove everything from the heat.

Pour it into two cups, and then dust it with a bit more cinnamon, nutmeg or ginger, and that’s about it!

Watch the following video by Pinkmacprincess to get a closer look at making your own DIY Starbucks Gingerbread Latte.

Wrapping up our list of best Starbucks drinks

There are many reasons why you’d want to make any of these drinks at home. To begin with, Starbucks isn’t exactly cheap. Making them at home, on the other hand, is.

Sometimes you’re just lazy, and that’s okay. Starbucks is too far, so you just make them at home.

Regardless of the reason, now you have a list of best Starbucks drinks that you can make at home. Grab your ingredients and get going!

About Selmir Omic

Selmir Omic is KYG's cannabis lifestyle writer. He currently resides in San Francisco and can often be found enjoying design-forward cannabis accessories, candles and seltzer simultaneously. When he's not writing about pot or waxing poetic about vape pens, Selmir can be counted on to offer sage advice about the best strains for anxiety or how to make cannabutter without a stovetop.

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