12 Tips You Need For Recreating Starbucks Drinks At Home

If you've ever watched baristas at Starbucks prepare drinks with seemingly second-nature ease, you may have wondered how they manage it. With such an extensive menu, the memorization alone feels monumental. However, one of the first things you learn as a Starbucks barista is that the drinks and their recipes follow a well-defined pattern. This pattern makes it easy for baristas to learn new drinks as they are introduced to the menu throughout the seasons, and it also helps them work quickly behind the bar and at the Frappuccino blender. Although these sequences become second nature to baristas over time, they may seem like an entirely different language if you've never worn the green apron.

I frequently see people on social media believing they are leaking Starbucks recipes, when in reality, all that's being released are recipe cards that are easy to figure out if you know a few simple concepts. In many cases, paying close attention to the different components of a drink right in the Starbucks app will tell you almost everything you need to know about what is actually in a drink. From there, it's all about making the right choices with your ingredients. So, if you're hoping to save a bit of cash and learn how to make Starbucks-quality — and sometimes even better — drinks right in your kitchen, I have a few tricks tucked away in my apron as a former Starbucks barista.

There are many different ways to make whipped cream. At Starbucks, baristas don't rely on store-bought containers like you would find in the grocery store. Rather, they pour heavy whipping cream with vanilla syrup into a whipped cream canister container pumped full of CO2. You can find similar ones on Amazon that will achieve something similar by adding whipping cream and vanilla coffee syrup to the canister.

Investing in one of these will make your whipped cream taste very similar to the good stuff in Starbucks cafes. If you don't have vanilla coffee syrup, do not opt for vanilla extract, as it will not produce the same effect. Instead, take a few extra steps to use that vanilla syrup to make your own coffee syrup, but don't use it on its own. Plus, when you have your own whipped cream canister, you can make whipped cream with other coffee syrup flavors you may have on hand. Not to mention, whipped cream makes a delicious substitution for creamer.

Until the summer of 2007, Starbucks used whole milk as its base milk for espresso drinks. That summer, the brand switched to 2% milk, so unless you're making milk changes to your drinks, you should reach for 2% milk in most cases.

That said, if you're putting together an Iced Brown Sugar Oatmilk Shaken Espresso drink, you'll want to use oat milk instead, as the drink's name calls out. In most cases, when a drink uses a different kind of milk, it'll be mentioned in the name, making it easier to remember.

The flat white (which is different from the cafe late) is a notable exception to this rule. Instead of using 2% milk, flat whites use whole milk. So, if you're aiming to create a flat white, you'll use whole milk at home, just as baristas use in cafes. Of course, you can also make substitutions for your drink order that would result in a creamier drink. Using the term "breve," for example, will have your drink made with half-and-half, producing a creamier and milkier drink.

Another important consideration for making coffee drinks is using the right base. That is, for espresso drinks, espresso, rather than brewed, drip coffee is an absolute must. If you have an espresso machine, this is easy, but like so many coffee tools, espresso machines can be pricey. Some are a little more reasonably priced, but I have found that an Aeropress coffee tool actually creates pretty solid espresso-like that works great as a substitute.

My process for creating roughly two espresso shots in volume uses 18 grams of coarsely ground espresso and 115 grams of water warmed to 195 F. I have found that when I use this as my espresso base, it works perfectly. You'll also want to use a very dark roast in your coffee. To get the richest flavor, it is best to get whole-bean coffee and then grind it on your own. You can get an electric grinder, but I love my 1ZPRESSO coffee grinder. With so many different settings, you can grind coffee, perfect for pour-over, espresso, and even cold brew. This is ideal because, of course, there are Starbucks coffees that do not use espresso as a base. If you like Starbucks cold brew, for example, you'll want to make sure you use actual cold brew to achieve a similar drink. You can purchase Starbucks cold brew in stores or even make your own.

In the winter of 2021, pistachio-flavored drinks joined the winter seasonal releases at Starbucks. Then, they were gone as quickly as they arrived, with fans longing for ways to recreate the drinks at home. The secret, it turns out, lies in butter. Since Starbucks uses a pistachio sauce rather than syrup with this flavor, these drinks tend to be thicker and creamier than other Starbucks drinks, and that's why browned butter is the perfect addition to making a copycat Starbucks pistachio latte.

Browning butter doesn't just add a little color to butter; it also brings out a nutty and toasty flavor that goes perfectly with the pistachio latte. To make your brown butter, put your butter in the pan and let it warm on medium. After melting, you're looking for it to turn a light golden brown. Between this liquid gold and pistachio syrup, you'll easily achieve a similar pistachio latte at home. You can make your own syrup, but, honestly, I love Monin syrups and the pistachio flavor is stellar. It would be delicious combined with that browned butter.

From the time I first enjoyed cold foam in a Starbucks drink, I was determined to figure out the best way to create similar cold foam in my homemade coffee. After trying several methods and watching plenty of tutorials, I found that taking creamer and whipping it works the absolute best. Instead of a blended or even electric hand whisk, the Nespresso Aeroccino frother works perfectly here. Since you may already be using this machine for your lattes and cappuccino, using the chilled foam setting here is ideal. When using the cold setting, the whisk attachment just does its thing rather than having the whole contraption warm your milk, as well.

In addition to tools, I've tried plenty of creamers and found that the Chobani creamers and Starbucks coffee creamers work the absolute best. Of the Starbucks options, the caramel macchiato one is far superior and is my absolute go-to cold foam creamer. Since it's bursting with Starbucks flavor, this of course bodes well for recreating those drinks at home.

Starbucks made some serious waves in the world of raspberry drinks when it discontinued the much-loved raspberry syrup flavor. Fortunately, there is a way to achieve a similar flavor at home, even if you can no longer find it at cafes. The best part is, all you really need in addition to your regular, expected ingredients, is some raspberry jam or even jelly. To make a raspberry mocha, you'll also want to use some cocoa powder.

The magic begins with a scoop of raspberry jelly. Then, you'll add raspberry jelly to that cocoa powder, stirring the two together very well. Starbucks recommends a ratio of ½ cup of jelly with 4 tablespoons of cocoa powder. From there, you'll want to mix that with warm espresso before adding your cold or steamed milk. Just like when baristas prepare mochas in Starbucks cafes, you'll want to make sure the mocha and espresso are fully combined before adding in your milk. Otherwise, you'll end up with a less-than-enjoyable texture, regardless of whether you've got a cold or hot drink. If you've ever experienced a mocha that felt overly thick, there's a good chance that the espresso and mocha sauce weren't mixed well.