Kat's Kitchen

If there’s one drink you make from my Copy Kat Dutch Bros drinks, let it be the Dutch Bros Annihilator! This coffee drink has a delicious sweet and nutty flavor paired with espresso and creamy, rich half & half. It’s definitely a good one to try, and maybe get hooked on!

Let’s walk through all the ingredients you’ll need to make your own iced or hot Dutch Bros Annihilator at home!

Ingredients You’ll Need:

Please note, full measurements are listed on the recipe card at the bottom of the recipe. Scroll to the end, or click the JUMP TO RECIPE button at the top of the page.

Chocolate Macadamia Nut Syrup: Dutch Bros uses the Torani brand for their syrup flavors, so for this recipe, you need the Torani Chocolate Macadamia Nut Syrup. This syrup has a lovely chocolatey and nutty flavor that goes great in coffee! Opt for the sugar free version of this syrup to lower the overall calories and sugar in your at home Dutch Bros Annihilator.

Espresso: This is an espresso based drink so you will need espresso! See my 5 Ways to Make Espresso at Home blog post for all the different ways you can make espresso at home. It doesn’t matter which method you choose, simply follow the espresso making steps to get your espresso shots, and then use that to make your own Dutch Bros Annihilator! Note Dutch Bros uses a medium roast coffee, so for the most similar taste at home, use a medium roast coffee. Some of my favorite coffee options for this drink include:

Half & Half: This drink is unique because it uses half & half as the base, rather than milk. This gives the Dutch Bros Annihilator that iconic creaminess and richness! You can use any half & half from the grocery store, just know a fat free option will be slightly less rich and creamy. If you are dairy free, I very much recommend using the Nutpods Dairy Free Half & Half. I’m not dairy free myself, but I love this product! It is so creamy and has much less calories than regular half & half so I personally love using it in my homemade Dutch Bros Annihilator recipes, but absolutely feel free to use whatever you like best!

Ice: If you are making an iced version, you’ll need ice! For a hot version, no ice is needed!

My Favorite Coffee Cups & Lids

I’m a firm believer that a cute and fun cup can make your at home coffee taste so much better! See all my favorite cups for coffees, teas, rebels, and freezes!

How To Make Espresso At Home

Espresso is an essential ingredient in all lattes, and it’s a type of coffee that you cannot buy from the store, but rather, you need to make it yourself at home. There are five ways to make espresso at home:

• Instant Espresso Powder + water
• Nespresso Machine + espresso pods
• 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!

What’s The Best Coffee For Espresso?

The best coffee to buy depends on which espresso making method you choose at home. For example, if you have a Nespresso machine, you’d need espresso pods. For an espresso machine like a Breville or Delonghi, you’d need whole beans or ground coffee rather than pods.

See My Favorite Coffees To Buy based on the different espresso making methods so you can select the best possible coffee for you and your Dutch Bros Annihilator!

Can I Make This Drink With Instant Espresso Powder?

Yes you can! My favorite blonde instant espresso is the Nescafe Gold Roast Instant Coffee Powder. For a double shot of espresso, mix together:

• 1/2 tablespoon instant espresso powder
• 2.5 ounces warm water

Once you have your double shot of espresso, add in your Chocolate Macadamia Nut Syrup, half and half, and ice!

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.

At Dutch Bros, a small and medium size drink has 2 shots of espresso, and a large gets 4 shots of espresso.

How To Make an Iced Dutch Bros Annihilator:

1. Start by pulling two shots of espresso. You can use an espresso machine, a Nespresso, a Moka pot, an Aeropress or instant espresso. For help with making espresso at home, see my post 5 Ways To Make Espresso At Home!
2. To a cup, pour in the Torani Chocolate Macadamia Nut Syrup.
3. Add the freshly brewed espresso over the syrup, add in the half & half, and stir with a spoon to combine.
4. Add ice to a separate serving cup and pour the espresso mixture over the ice and enjoy. PRO TIP: Carefully pour the mixture back and forth between the two cups to chill the entire drink.

How To Make a Hot Dutch Bros Annihilator:

For a Hot Annihilator, the only differences are you need steamed half & half instead of cold, and then you don’t need any ice.

To steam the half and half, 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! The process is exactly the same with half and half. Add half and half to a milk frothing pitcher, insert the tip of the steam wand into the half and half, and create air bubbles, heat and texture to create perfect, velvety steamed half and half at home!
2. Electric Milk Frother: Simply add your half and half to an electric milk frother, and select the hot setting. The milk frother will heat the half and half 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 half and half to a large coffee mug and place the mug in the microwave for 60 seconds. Alternatively, you can heat up half and half in a pot on the stove until warm, just make sure to constantly stir it so it doesn’t burn. Once your half and half is warm, insert a handheld milk frother into the warm half and half. Froth the mixture until the half and half doubles in size and becomes bubbly and frothy, and you have steamed half and half for your Hot Annihilator!

Once you have your steamed half and half, just pour it right on top of your Chocolate Macadamia Nut and espresso shots, and you have a Dutch Bros Hot Annihilator at home!

Why Half & Half, Instead of Milk?

Any espresso-based drink with half & half is termed a “breve.” This is just what Dutch Bros uses in their iced and hot Annihilator recipe, but you can absolutely use milk instead of half & half if you prefer a less rich beverage.

How Can I Make This Lower Sugar or Lower Calories?

For a lower sugar, lower calorie Annihilator:

• Use a dairy free half & half like the nutpods Dairy Free Half & Half OR use a fat free half & half
• Use the Torani Sugar Free Chocolate Macadamia Nut Syrup instead of the regular one or use 1/2 ounce of the syrup instead of 1 full ounce

Can I Make This Drink Dairy Free?

Absolutely! I actually prefer a breve with the nutpods Dairy Free Half & Half. It has much fewer calories, and tastes just as creamy as regular half & half!

Dutch Bros Annihilator Ratios:

I personally prefer a less creamy, more coffee forward, less sweet version of this drink, so the recipe I provide is a bit different than the typical Dutch Bros ratios. If you’re wanting to most accurately replicate the Dutch Bros Annihilator at home, follow these ratios!

How To Make This as a Cold Brew?

For a cold brew Annihilator instead of a latte:

How To Make This as a Freeze?

To a blender add:

What About a Annihilator Chai Latte?

Dutch Bros uses the Oregon Chai! You can find this online or at most grocery stores!

More Dutch Bros Recipes

• Dutch Bros Cocomo
• Dutch Bros Kicker
• Dutch Bros Golden Eagle
• Dutch Bros Caramelizer
• Dutch Bros Hazelnut Truffle Mocha
• Dutch Bros Salted Caramel Protein Latte
• Dutch Bros Cookie Butter Latte

Dutch Bros Annihilator

Make your own Dutch Bros Annihilator at home! This easy copycat recipe features espresso, Chocolate Macadamia Nut Syrup, and creamy half & half. Learn how to make it iced, hot, or as a cold brew with step-by-step instructions.

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Course: Drinks

Keyword: Breve, Coffee, Dutch Bros

Prep Time: 6 minutes minutes

Servings: 1

Author: katerinafaith

Equipment

• Espresso Machine/Maker

Ingredients

Iced Dutch Bros Annihilator

• 1-2 tablespoons Torani Chocolate Macadamia Nut Syrup
• 2 shots espresso 2-2.5 oz
• 4-6 ounces half & half
• ice

Hot Dutch Bros Annihilator

• 1-2 tablespoons Torani Chocolate Macadamia Nut Syrup
• 2 shots espresso 2-2.5 oz 2-2.5 oz
• 4-6 ounces half & half steamed
• ice

Instructions

Iced Dutch Bros Annihilator

• Brew your espresso shots using your preferred espresso making method. See my blog post on Five Ways to Make Espresso at Home.
• Add Chocolate Macadamia Nut Syrup to a cup, and pour the espresso shots over the top.
• Add in half & half and stir to combine.
• Add ice to a separate serving cup and pour the espresso mixture over the ice and enjoy. PRO TIP: Carefully pour the mixture back and forth between the two cups to chill the entire drink.

Hot Dutch Bros Annihilator

• Brew your espresso shots using your preferred espresso making method into a cup. See my blog post on Five Ways to Make Espresso at Home.
• To a cup, add Chocolate Macadamia Nut Syrup and the espresso shots, and stir to combine.
• Add half & half to a milk frothing pitcher and steam using a steam wand. If you don’t have an espresso machine with a steam wand, you can warm and froth the milk using an aerroccino, or you could warm the milk in a pot/ in the microwave, and froth the warmed half & half with a handheld milk frother until foamy.
• Pour the steamed/frothed half & half over the Chocolate Macadamia Nut Syrup-espresso mixture and enjoy!

Notes

Please note this recipe card shows my preferred ratio for an at home Dutch Bros Annihilator. For exact Dutch Bros measurements, follow these ratios:

SMALL: 1 ounce Torani Chocolate Macadamia Nut Syrup, 2 shots espresso, 4.5 ounces half & half

MEDIUM: 1 ounce Chocolate Macadamia Nut Syrup, 2 shots espresso, 8.5 ounces half & half

LARGE: 1 ounce Chocolate Macadamia Nut Syrup, 4 shots espresso, 10.5 ounces half & half