Kat's Kitchen

For those who crave the delightful flavors of Dutch Bros but don’t have one around, fear not! With a touch of DIY spirit and a dash of Torani syrup magic, you can recreate the iconic Dutch Bros Iced Kicker right in the comfort of your kitchen. Dive in as we unravel the secret behind this beloved beverage.

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!

The Torani Connection:

Believe it or not, my journey into the world of Torani syrups began with the Irish Cream syrup. Five years ago, I was on a mission: replicate the Dutch Bros Iced Kicker at home so I could stop paying $5+ every day. After some trial and error, I finally perfected the at home version! Here’s how you can do it too.

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.

Irish Cream Syrup: Dutch Bros uses Torani brand syrups so for an at home Kicker, you’d need the Torani Irish Cream Syrup. For a lower sugar option, opt for the Torani Sugar Free Irish Cream Syrup!

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 Kicker! 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 Kicker 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 Kicker recipes, but absolutely feel free to use whatever you like best!

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

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 Kicker!

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 Irish Cream 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 has 4 shots. Feel free to add more or less shots of espresso depending on your preference.

How To Make an Iced Dutch Bros Kicker:

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 Irish Cream 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 Kicker:

For a Hot Kicker, 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 Kicker!

Once you have your steamed half and half, just pour it right on top of your Irish Cream Syrup and espresso shots, and you have a Dutch Bros Hot Kicker at home!

Why Half & Half, Instead of Milk?

For the coffee aficionados out there, any espresso-based drink with half & half is termed a “breve.” This is just what Dutch Bros uses in their iced and hot Kicker 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 Kicker:

• 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 Irish Cream 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 Kicker 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 Kicker at home, follow these ratios!

How To Make This as a Cold Brew?

For a cold brew Kicker instead of a latte:

How To Make This as a Freeze?

To a blender add:

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

Dutch Bros Kicker

This homemade Dutch Bros Kicker recipe is the perfect copycat version! Made with espresso, creamy half & half, and Torani Irish Cream Syrup, it’s easy to recreate at home.

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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 Kicker

• 1-2 tablespoons Torani Irish Cream Syrup
• 2 shots espresso 2-2.5 oz
• 4-6 ounces half & half
• ice

Hot Dutch Bros Kicker

• 1-2 tablespoons Torani Irish Cream Syrup
• 2 shots espresso 2-2.5 oz 2-2.5 oz
• 4-6 ounces half & half steamed
• ice

Instructions

Iced Dutch Bros Kicker

• Brew your espresso shots using your preferred espresso making method. See my blog post on Five Ways to Make Espresso at Home.
• Add Irish Cream 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 Kicker

• 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 Irish Cream 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 Irish cream-espresso mixture and enjoy!

Notes

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

SMALL: 1 ounce Torani Irish Cream Syrup, 2 shots espresso, 4.5 ounces half & half

MEDIUM: 1 ounce Torani Irish Cream, 2 shots espresso, 8.5 ounces half & half

LARGE: 1 ounce Torani Irish Cream, 4 shots espresso, 10.5 ounces half & half