Super Easy Brown Sugar Oat Milk Shaken Espresso Recipe
I absolutely fell in love with the brown sugar oat milk shaken espresso when Starbucks first released it; however, I did not fall in love with the price.
I am completely aware that Starbucks tends to be very expensive and arguably overpriced, but I can’t help myself when it comes to their Brown Sugar Oat Milk Shaken Espresso. It has just the right amount of espresso flavor, sweetness, and creaminess. The caffeine content also doesn’t hurt! (There are 3 blonde shots in a grande — 255 mg of caffeine!). It pains me and my wallet each time I order it though and I recently realized that they increased its already outrageously high price tag — $6.21 for a grande!
Although sad to admit, I had to find another way to get my caffeine fix as $6.21 for a grande is insane.
The drink obviously requires espresso, however, quality espresso machines are often pricy, so I initially began my coffee journey using a Keruig machine I had from my freshmen year of college. I found Starbucks blonde K-cups that contained 2X caffeine and set the machine to the lowest volume drink in hopes of obtaining a more concentrated coffee. I didn’t add the entire cup to my drink and instead measured out about 4–5 tablespoons in an attempt to create a grande.
Next, I created a brown sugar syrup which was super easy to make and can made in a high quantity and saved for use throughout the week! Below is the recipe I use for the brown sugar syrup which you can feel free to cut in half or double!
- 1 Cup Dark Brown Sugar
- 1 Cup Water
- 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
In a small saucepan, I add all of the ingredients and cook it on medium high heat until it has a more visibly syrupy consistency (You’ll be able to tell as when you stir it there is more visible movement and ripples than when just stirring water). After the volume has been reduced by about 1/3 to 1/2, I let the syrup cool for a bit and then add it to a bottle I got from Ikea. For a grande drink, I add 2–3 tablespoons of syrup depending on how sweet I want it and for a venti I add 4 tablespoons.
I add my coffee and syrup into a mason jar and add a dash of cinnamon. To ensure a good ratio of ice, I reuse my old starbucks cups and fill it with ice before transferring the ice to the mason jar. I then give the mixture a good shake and add it back to my reused starbucks cup.
Starbucks uses Oatly Barista edition oat milk in their drinks which I managed to find; however, it can be rather difficult to locate (I buy mine at Kroger, although I have seen it at Target). I fill my drink to the top with oat and it creates a beautiful gradient!
I recently invested in a Nespresso machine after hearing many good things about it and let me tell you — I am in love.
They sell Starbucks Blonde Espresso shots which I used at first before I realized that I would have to buy many of them in order to make my drinks since I would have to use three shots at a time (They come in packs of 10), so I invested in a pack of 30 double espresso shots that were $30 on amazon. They aren’t Starbucks brand, but I find them to be very good nonetheless, and it feels even better now that I’m not spending almost $7 for a venti.
Someday, maybe after graduation and hopefully getting a solid, well-paying, full time job, I hope to invest in one of the professional espresso machines to take my homemade barista skills to the next level, but until then, I am perfectly happy with my Nespresso which will pay for itself with the amount of money I am saving.