Kat's Kitchen

We all know and love the iconic Starbucks Caramel Macchiato, but for fall time, I love giving this classic coffee a little pumpkin flair. Whether you’re making it at home or ordering from Starbucks, I guarantee you’ll love this fall inspired twist on the classic caramel macchiato!

A typical Starbucks caramel macchiato has vanilla syrup, milk, ice, espresso, and caramel drizzle on top. This Caramel Pumpkin Macchiato is the same vibe, but uses Pumpkin Pie Syrup or Pumpkin Pie Sauce instead of the traditional vanilla syrup!

How To Order This At Starbucks:

ICED VERSION: Hi, can I please have a (tall/grande/venti) iced caramel macchiato, but can I substitute the vanilla syrup for pumpkin sauce?

HOT VERSION: Hi, can I please have a (tall/grande/venti) hot caramel macchiato, but can I substitute the vanilla syrup for pumpkin sauce?

That’s it! Easy peasy and so delicious for fall!

To add even more fall flair, you can add pumpkin cream cold foam on top, or add spiced apple drizzle, or ask for a sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice on top!

Ingredients Needed To Make This At Home:

For the exact measurements of each ingredient, scroll to recipe card at the very bottom of this post.

• Pumpkin Pie Syrup/Sauce: I love using the Torani Pumpkin Pie Syrup in this recipe just because it blends in very nicely with the drink like the traditional vanilla syrup. You can absolutely use the Torani Pumpkin Pie Sauce in this recipe, you’ll just need to work a little bit harder to mix it into the cold milk. For a lower sugar option, use the Torani Sugar Free Pumpkin Pie Syrup!
• Milk: 2% milk is my favorite for this recipe, but feel free to use whatever milk you enjoy most! For a dairy free version of this drink, just use your favorite dairy free milk!
• Ice: For an iced Caramel Pumpkin Macchiato, you’ll need ice. For a hot version, you won’t need any ice.
• Espresso: A traditional Starbucks Caramel Macchiato calls for espresso, so I like to use espresso as well. For all the ways to make espresso at home, see my 5 Ways To Make Espresso at Home blog post! Note, you can use coffee pot coffee, cold brew, or other forms of coffee in this recipe, but it will drastically change the overall taste of the drink. I share later in the post more information about using different types of coffee in this recipe and adjustments you can make to ensure your drink still tastes great.
• Caramel Sauce: The Torani Caramel Sauce is perfect for this recipe since you can easily drizzle the sauce over your drink, but feel free to use whatever brand or caramel sauce you prefer.

How to make an Iced Caramel Pumpkin Macchiato at home:

1. Brew your espresso shots using your preferred espresso making method, then set the espresso aside.
2. To a cup, add in the Pumpkin Pie Syrup/sauce, milk, and ice.
3. Gently pour the brewed espresso shots over the top of the drink, and then top with a drizzle of caramel sauce.

How to make a Hot Caramel Pumpkin Macchiato at home:

1. Brew your espresso shots using your preferred espresso making method, then set the espresso aside.
2. Steam your milk using a steam wand on an espresso machine, an electric milk frother, or by warming your milk and frothing with a milk frother until frothy.
3. To a mug, add in the Pumpkin Pie Syrup/sauce and the steamed milk.
4. Gently pour the brewed espresso shots over the steamed milk, and then top with a drizzle of caramel sauce.

How To Make Espresso At Home

There are five ways to make espresso at home:

• Instant Espresso Powder
• Nespresso Machine
• Moka Pot
• Aeropress
• Espresso Machine

See my 5 Ways To Make Espresso At Home blog post for step by step instructions of each espresso making method!

Once you establish which method you want to use for making espresso, then we can decide on exactly which coffee products to buy!

What’s The Best Coffee to Use For Espresso?

For an Espresso Machine, a Moka Pot, or an Aeropress:

• Press Coffee Twitch Espresso Beans
• Press Coffee Spitball Espresso
• Blue Bottle Coffee Espresso Beans

For a Nespresso Machine:

• Orafio (single shot pods)
• Peru Organic (single shot pods)
• Double Espresso Dolce (double shot pods)
• Double Espresso Chairo (double shot pods)

For Instant Espresso:

• Nescafe Gold Instant Espresso (light/blonde roast)
• Cafe Bustelo Instant Espresso (dark roast)

Note for instant espresso, I like to follow the following ratios:

• Single shot: 1/4 tablespoon instant espresso + 1.25 ounces warm water
• Double shot: 1/2 tablespoon instant espresso + 2.5 ounces warm water
• Triple shot: 3/4 tablespoon instant espresso + 3.75 ounces warm water
• Quad shot: 1 tablespoon instant espresso + 5 ounces warm water

What is a “Shot” of Espresso?

A common espresso term you’ll see a lot is a “shot” of espresso. When you brew espresso using an espresso machine, the liquid that comes out of the machine is considered a shot, since the machine pushes out the liquid at high pressure.

• A single shot or one shot of espresso is roughly 1.25 ounces of liquid.
• A double shot is roughly 2.5 ounces of liquid.
• A triple shot is roughly 3.75 ounces of liquid.
• A quad shot is roughly 5 ounces of liquid.

It doesn’t matter which espresso making method you use. Choose one method to make your shots and you’re one step closer to enjoying your at home Caramel Pumpkin Macchiato!

How To Steam Milk

All hot espresso based drinks require steamed milk as one of the ingredients. To steam milk at home, you have a few options:

1. Steam Wand: If you have an espresso machine with a steam wand attached to it, watch this Milk Steaming Video Tutorial for how to steam milk! You simply add milk to a milk frothing pitcher, insert the tip of the steam wand into the milk, and create air bubbles, heat and texture to create perfect, velvety steamed milk at home!
2. Electric Milk Frother: Add your milk to an electric milk frother, and select the hot setting. The milk frother will heat the milk as well as create a thick and foamy texture. The texture will be a little different than a typical steam wand, but it’s very similar and pleasant, and a great option if you don’t have an espresso machine with a steam wand.
3. Handheld Milk Frother: Add cold milk to a large coffee mug and place the mug in the microwave for 60 seconds. Alternatively, you can heat up milk in a pot on the stove until warm, just make sure to constantly stir it so it doesn’t burn. Once your milk is warm, insert a handheld milk frother into the warm milk. Froth the mixture until the milk doubles in size and becomes bubbly and frothy, and you have steamed milk for your hot latte/macchiato!

How Can I Make A Dairy Free Caramel Pumpkin Macchiato:

• Use a dairy free milk
• Use a dairy free caramel sauce

How Can I Make A Sugar Free Caramel Pumpkin Macchiato:

• Use the Torani Sugar Free Pumpkin Pie Syrup
• Use unsweetened almond milk or coconut milk
• Use a sugar free caramel sauce

How Would I Make This Into a Cold Brew or Iced Coffee?

If you prefer cold brew or iced coffee instead of a macchiato with espresso, know the drink will be different since we’re using different coffee, but you can still make a delicious Caramel Pumpkin Cold Brew/Iced Coffee! I recommend following this recipe:

• 1-2 tablespoons Torani Pumpkin Pie Syrup
• 16 ounces unsweetened black cold brew/iced coffee
• Ice
• 2 tablespoons half & half or heavy cream
• Caramel Sauce drizzle

To a cup, add Torani Pumpkin Pie Syrup, the cold brew/iced coffee, ice and heavy cream. Top with Caramel Sauce drizzle!

Can I Make This Recipe With Regular Brewed Coffee?

No you cannot make a Caramel Pumpkin Macchiato with regular brewed coffee from a coffee pot/maker because brewed coffee is different than espresso. They taste different, they have different concentrations, and they’re meant to be used differently.

You CAN make a delicious Caramel Pumpkin Coffee using brewed coffee, it just technically won’t be a macchiato because macchiatos require espresso.

If you just have a coffee pot, no worries, you can use instant espresso powder like I mention above in the “How To Make Espresso At Home” section above, or you can simply swap the espresso for regular brewed coffee, and then just add 2-4 ounces of milk instead!

More Torani Pumpkin Pie Syrup/Sauce Recipes To Try:

• Pumpkin Spice Latte
• Pumpkin Cheesecake Latte
• Starbucks Pumpkin Cream Chai
• Starbucks Pumpkin Cream Cold Foam
• Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cold Brew
• Dutch Bros Caramel Pumpkin Brûlée Breve

Shop My Favorite Cups for At Home Coffee!