Iced Toasted Vanilla Oatmilk Shaken Espresso (Starbucks Dupe)

Upgrade your coffee routine (and save some money) with this homemade Starbucks Iced Toasted Vanilla Oatmilk Shaken Espresso! This is the best Starbucks dupe or copycat recipe of their newest drink, made with homemade toasted vanilla syrup with real vanilla bean. It's super easy to make and the perfect way to start your morning.

One of my favorite drinks from Starbucks is the Iced Brown Sugar Oatmilk Shaken Espresso, so I was super excited to see the new toasted vanilla version of the drink come out. Toasted vanilla sounded like such a fun twist on traditional vanilla flavor.

Shockingly, I was disappointed! Starbucks's toasted vanilla syrup did not deliver the caramelized, layered flavor that I was expecting, so I decided to make it at home.

This copycat recipe is super easy to make with simple ingredients, and it doesn't require any fancy equipment. You can easily make a batch of vanilla syrup on Sunday to add to your morning coffee for the rest of the week. Soon, you'll be feeling like a Starbucks barista!

If you're looking for a drink recipe that will help you wind down rather than caffeinate, you should make my Rose Moon Milk!

Jump to:

• Why You Will Love This
• What is a Shaken Espresso?
• Ingredients
• Step by Step Instructions
• Barista Top Tips
• Substitutions
• Additions
• Storage
• Frequently Asked Questions
• More Drinks to Try
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Comments

Why You Will Love This

• Quick and easy to make- It only takes about 15 minutes to prepare the toasted vanilla syrup and 5 minutes to put the drink together!
• Real vanilla bean- Instead of vanilla extract or artificial vanilla flavoring, this recipe uses a real toasted vanilla bean.
• Shaken, frothy espresso- Espresso vigorously shaken with ice topped with milk makes for a refreshing, invigorating drink.
• No dairy- The sweet syrup mellows out the bitter espresso taste along with a splash of creamy oat milk. This recipe is dairy free and suitable for vegans.
• Starbucks dupe/copycat recipe- This homemade toasted vanilla oatmilk shaken espresso is like the Starbucks drink but better!

What is a Shaken Espresso?

It's exactly what it sounds like- espresso and flavored syrup shaken with ice and topped with milk. Customers love how frothy and sweet it is.

Starbucks has four iced shaken espressos on the menu: plain, brown sugar oat milk, malted chocolate almond milk, and toasted vanilla oat milk. The shaken espresso has replaced the doubleshot on ice at Starbucks since it is practically the same thing.

Ingredients

Here are some notes about the ingredients used. For the full ingredient list, see the recipe card below!

• Vanilla bean- One Grade A Madagascar Bourbon vanilla bean adds incredible flavor and aroma.
• Granulated sugar- Cane sugar or white table sugar are suitable for this recipe.
• Espresso- You can use a teaspoon of instant espresso mixed with 3 teaspoons of water, a shot of espresso pulled from an espresso machine, a Nespresso pod, or any other kind of espresso you like. While I loved instant coffee for baked goods (like these coffee cupcakes), don't use it here! The flavor won't be as good.

Step by Step Instructions

Here are the steps to make this Starbucks copycat recipe.

STEP 1: Chop and toast the vanilla bean. First, slice your vanilla bean in half, revealing the vanilla bean paste inside. Then, chop the bean into small pieces. Add the pieces to a small saucepan and cook on medium-low until the vanilla is fragrant, stirring occasionally to prevent burning. Remove the toasted vanilla from the pan and set aside.

STEP 2: Make the vanilla infused simple syrup. Add the sugar and water to the same saucepan and bring the mixture to a boil while stirring occasionally. Then, add the vanilla pieces and bring the heat down to a simmer for about 10 minutes until the sugar has dissolved completely and the syrup has thickened. Pour the syrup into a heat-proof jar or other container using a stainer to remove the vanilla bean pieces and let cool completely.

STEP 3: Shake the espresso, syrup, and ice. Prepare your espresso and then add it to a cocktail shaker with about 1 ounce of the toasted vanilla syrup and ½ cup of ice. Then, shake it vigorously for about 30 seconds until the mixture is nice and frothy. Pour the entire mixture into a glass.

STEP 4: Add the oat milk. Top your shaken espresso with about ½ cup of oat milk and stir if desired.

Barista Top Tips

As a former barista, here are my tips for making this recipe perfectly.

• You can add more or less syrup depending on your taste preferences. The Starbucks drink has 4 pumps of toasted vanilla syrup in a grande, which is about 2 ounces.
• You can add more or less espresso to your drink depending on how much caffeine you are needing and your taste preferences. At Starbucks, they use 3 shots of espresso in a grande, which is about 3 ounces.
• If you want to infuse more vanilla flavor into the simple syrup, you can leave the vanilla bean pieces in the syrup while it cools. Remember to strain them out before adding to drinks.
• If you don't have time in the morning to make the entire iced shaken espresso, you can quickly add the syrup to drip coffee and cold brew. Anything with it is delicious!

Substitutions

• The simple syrup can be made with coconut sugar instead of cane sugar. This will change the taste slightly.
• Double strength coffee or cold brew can replace the espresso.
• Any kind of milk can be substituted for oat milk. Some of my favorites are almond milk, pistachio milk, or just plain old whole or 2% dairy milk.
• Instead of a splash of oat milk, you can top this drink with cold foam.

Additions

• Add another flavored syrup for a twist. Lavender, brown sugar, and mocha syrup could all be delicious in this.
• Cinnamon sprinkled on top adds an extra warm and toasty flavor.

Storage

Store the toasted vanilla syrup in an airtight container or mason jar in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Frequently Asked Questions

More Drinks to Try

📖 Recipe