Caramel Macchiato Recipe
by Sommer Collier — on Sep 5, 2025 Skip the Starbucks line and enjoy a perfectly sweet and creamy coffee house-style caramel macchiato at home, for a fraction of the price! You won’t believe how easy it is to use your espresso machine to make a fabulous macchiato latte with vanilla syrup, caramel sauce, and our secret ingredient for the best caramel coffee.
Sommer’s Recipe Notes
One of my favorite indulgences in life is a quick stop by the coffee shop for a sweet and strong caramel macchiato. Because when you’re running errands, driving back and forth to meetings, or being a chauffeur for extracurricular activities, mama deserves a little sugar and caffeine.
But while I love a delicious iced or hot latte from a cafe, I am not at all a fan of the price… Or the lines, or questioning if my drink is actually what I ordered. With this practically no-fail caramel macchiato recipe, you can easily make your favorite coffee shop beverage at home for a fraction of the cost. It’s so simple, you won’t believe it!
Why You’ll Love Our Caramel Macchiato Recipe
- Easy to customize – Make this macchiato your own – without the tedious ordering at the counter experience! Use your favorite syrup (like sugar-free), type of milk, and strength of espresso or coffee, and enjoy a cup made exactly the way you want.
- Quality control – It’s hard to know what kind of ingredients coffee places use. Here you know exactly what quality brands are in your drink.
- Budget-friendly – Have you seen coffee shop prices lately? You can basically buy all of the ingredients needed to make at least a dozen macchiatos for the cost of just a couple of cafe drinks. (Not including tip!)
Big Note – To make coffee beverages that taste just like your favorite coffee bar, you do need an espresso maker with a milk steamer or milk frother.
However, extra-strong black coffee and a stand-alone steamer will work as well.
Ingredients and Tips
- Espresso – Use your favorite brand and type, either freshly brewed using a dedicated machine or espresso k-cups in your Keurig.
- Milk – Whole milk really is the best for steaming. However, 2% milk will work for a slightly lighter drink.
- Vanilla coffee syrup – Use your favorite brand or homemade syrup. Or use sugar-free syrup if you prefer.
- Salt – This is the secret ingredient to make the best caramel macchiato recipe! Just a pinch of salt helps to balance and enhance the sweetness of the caramel.
- Caramel sauce – Buy the squeeze bottle of caramel syrup for coffee or desserts to easily drizzle syrup over your drink. Again, this can be sugar-free if you like.
Recipe Variations
- Coffee – No espresso machine? No problem! Extra-strong black coffee will also work.
- Nondairy milk – Make a caramel macchiato with your favorite milk alternative, but note that plant-based options won’t get as frothy when steamed. Soy milk, almond milk, and cashew milk are popular, but oat milk is typically considered the best alternative that froths up well. ALSO NOTE that traditional caramel sauce contains dairy, so you’ll need to buy a totally plant-based sauce as well to make a vegan macchiato.
- Toppings – For an extra oomph of indulgence, consider topping the mug of coffee with whipped cream before adding a drizzle of caramel sauce.
How to Make a Caramel Latte Macchiato
Tip for Success – Gather all of your ingredients and get the machine ready before you start to make the recipe. Then work quickly to brew the espresso, foam the milk, and drizzle on the caramel. The best latte macchiatos have piping hot coffee and freshly-frothed milk!
Find the full Caramel Macchiato recipe with detailed instructions, storage tips, and a video tutorial in the printable form at the bottom of the post.
Serving Suggestions
Serve your lucious caffeinated beverage with sweet breakfast favorites like homemade Starbucks Cheese Danish Recipe, Zucchini Muffins with Nutella, Moist Banana Bread Recipe (with 2 Bananas), Peach Hand Pies (Pop Tarts!), or our Best Pumpkin Muffin Recipe.
Or balance your sweet drink with our savory protein-packed Easy Egg Bite Recipe, Spicy Breakfast Casserole with Tater Tots, Breakfast Tostadas (Tostados), or our Best Avocado Toast with Egg!
Frequently Asked Questions
Both caramel coffee drinks include a combination of foamy milk and espresso. But lattes have more milk and less coffee, so they aren’t quite as stout as macchiatos.
For an iced macchiato, you want to use espresso that is fresh, but slightly cooled. As it is cooling, add lots of ice to a tall drinking glass. Pour in the vanilla syrup, followed by cold milk and the coffee. Finish it off with a big drizzle of caramel and drink it layered, or stir and enjoy.
Yes. This recipe calls for two shots of espresso, which is equivalent to two ounces. That is approximately 150 mg of caffeine per serving. If you need to reduce your caffeine intake, you can buy decaffeinated coffee beans to make decaf espresso shots.
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Caramel Macchiato Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 shots espresso
- ¾ cup whole milk
- 1-3 teaspoons vanilla coffee syrup
- 1 pinch salt
- 1-2 tablespoons caramel sauce
Instructions
- Make two espresso shots and pour the hot coffee into a mug.
- Mix in a pinch of salt and vanilla syrup to taste.
- Steam the milk until hot and frothy, usually between 150 to 155°F.
- Pour the steamed milk into the coffee.
- Drizzle caramel sauce over the top of the steamed milk. You can add as much or as little as you like. Serve immediately.
