Kat's Kitchen

Starbucks recently launched a brand new drink called the Brown Sugar Oatmilk Cortado and it is heavenly. I’ve been a big fan of their Brown Sugar Oatmilk Shaken Espresso for years, and this cortado is basically the hot version of the shaken espresso. It is delicious but it’s almost $6 for a teeny tiny baby 8 ounce coffee, so let’s learn how to make it at home for cheaper!

What is a Cortado?

Before diving into the ingredients, let’s talk about what a Cortado is! Traditionally a cortado is a hot coffee beverage made by combining equal amounts of espresso and steamed milk. The drink is a rather strong tasting coffee beverage with minimal sweetness coming from the milk. Cortados are small 4-6 ounce coffees, great for those who love a strong coffee flavor, and are looking for a smaller coffee beverage than say a larger, more milky latte.

The Starbucks Cortado is slightly different from a traditional cortado in a few ways. First, the drink is 8 ounces rather than a traditional 4-6 ounce coffee. This in turn changes the the ratio of espresso to steamed milk meaning it isn’t a 1:1 ratio like a traditional cortado, but rather a 1:4. Also, instead of pulling regular espresso shots from the espresso machine, Starbucks pulls Ristretto shots.

Ristretto means restricted so a Ristretto shot is a restricted shot where you cut the espresso extraction short. For example, if your typical extraction is about 25-35 seconds long, a ristretto shot would be more like 15-25 seconds. The point of a ristretto shot is that you get a smaller, much more concentrated coffee that is sweeter, richer, and more intense than a typical shot of espresso.

How To Make Ristretto Shots?

To pull Ristretto shots at home, you need an espresso machine.

1. Weigh out 18 grams of coffee beans on a scale. I like the Laka Java Wahine (use code katerinafaith) or the Press Coffee Spitball for this recipe.
2. Add the beans to your hopper and grind the beans
3. Use a coffee stirrer to stir and break up any clumps within the grounds
4. Tamp the coffee and lock the portafilter into position under the grouphead
5. Place a scale under a cup to catch the brewed espresso, and tare out the scale
   • NOTE: we want a 1:1 ratio of coffee to espresso output so since we used 18 grams of coffee, we want 18 grams of espresso output. You’ll need to manually stop the espresso extraction once the scale reads 14-15 grams because the remaining espresso in the machine will continue flowing even after you stop the extraction.
6. When ready, click the double shot button on your machine to begin the extraction, and watch your scale. When the scale reads 14-15 grams, press the double shot button again to stop the extraction. You should have about 18 grams of espresso output.
7. If you want more than one ristretto shot (Starbucks uses 3 shots in their Brown Sugar Oatmilk Cortado recipe), repeat steps 1-6 again for each Ristretto shot.

Can I Make Ristretto Shots Without an Espresso Machine?

Technically no, it would be impossible to create a shortened or restricted espresso shot without an espresso machine. The closest other option is by using the Ristretto Intenso Nespresso pods and a Nespresso machine. The Ristretto Intenso pods are a 0.85 ounce pod that resembles a smaller restricted espresso shot! Note, these pods are a 12 on the Nespresso intensity scale meaning they are very dark and roasty tasting, which is the complete opposite flavor profile of the Starbucks blonde ristretto shots used in the Brown Sugar Oatmilk Cortado beverage.

If you don’t have an espresso machine, but you still want to make this drink at home, I recommend just using regular blonde/light roast espresso shots rather than trying to make Ristretto shots! The drink would still be incredibly similar in taste and honestly, just as delicious!

Now that we understand the differences between a traditional cortado and a Starbucks cortado, let’s jump into the ingredients you’ll need to make your own Starbucks Brown Sugar Oatmilk Cortado 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.

Blonde Espresso: Starbucks uses blonde espresso, aka a light roast espresso for this drink, giving it a lighter, more mild and sweeter coffee flavor. Like I mentioned already, Starbucks uses Ristretto style shots for this drink, which you can make at home with an espresso machine, but you could also use regular espresso shots using blonde/light roast espresso or blonde roast espresso Nespresso pods and make a great cortado at home! I’ll talk about all the ways you can make blonde espresso at home, later in this recipe.

Brown Sugar Syrup: I have a super easy, 4-ingredient Homemade Brown Sugar Syrup  that is perfect for this recipe! It has sweet dark brown sugar notes and comes together in under 15 minutes. If you prefer a store bought syrup, you could use the Torani Brown Sugar Cinnamon Syrup or the Starbucks Brown Sugar Syrup instead! Another option is using regular brown sugar, which works great too!

Barista Style Oat Milk: Starbucks uses a barista style oat milk that has a higher fat content than regular oat milk, making it great for steaming and doing latte art. Feel free to use any oat milk you like, or even substitute with any milk you prefer. Some of my favorite oat milks include: Oatly Barista Edition Oat Milk, Chobani Extra Creamy Oat Milk, and the Bettergoods Extra Creamy Oat Milk.

Ground Cinnamon: The Starbucks Brown Sugar Oatmilk Cortado has a lovely sprinkle of cinnamon over top for extra flavor and complexity. I like to include it at home, but you could absolutely skip it if you’re not a fan of cinnamon.

What Is Blonde Espresso and How Do You Make It?

Blonde espresso at Starbucks is simply a type of coffee made by extracting light roast coffee beans using an espresso machine. Light roast coffees tend to taste more bright, fruity and lighter bodied than medium or dark roast coffees. I personally prefer lighter roast coffees for espresso drinks, so I love opting for light roast or blonde roast coffees when I make drinks at home. Some of my favorite blonde roast coffee options include:

• Press Coffee Spitball Espresso Blend
• Starbucks Blonde Roast Espresso
• Nespresso Double Espresso Dolce Pods– Note, these are double espresso pods so they are TWO shots of espresso each. I recommend using 2 pods for this recipe, and keeping everything else the same for a perfect Starbucks Brown Sugar Oatmilk Cortado at home!
• Starbucks Blonde Roast Espresso Pods– These are single shot pods, so you would use ONE pod for each shot of espresso. This recipe calls for 3 shots, so you’d use 3 pods.
• Nescafe Gold Blonde Roast Instant Espresso Powder: For a triple shot, use 3/4 tablespoon instant espresso powder + 2 ounces warm water

Now that we have all the ingredients ready to go, let’s talk about the equipment you’ll need to make your own Starbucks Brown Sugar Oatmilk Cortados at home.

Equipment You’ll Need:

Espresso Maker: Since espresso is the key ingredient in this drink, you need a way to make espresso at home. You can’t buy bottled espresso at the store, so you need to make it yourself. At home options include:

• Espresso machine (like a breville, delonghi, ninja, etc) with light roast coffee
• Nespresso machine with light roast espresso pods
• Moka pot (stove top coffee maker) with light roast coffee
• Aeropress with light roast coffee
• Blonde or light roast instant espresso powder with warm water
• Keurig machine with a shot function and a light roast coffee kcup

For step by step instructions for any of the espresso making methods above, see my blog post: 5 Ways To Make Espresso At Home!

Steam Wand or Milk Frother: This drink requires steamed milk as part of the recipe. Typically coffee shops steam milk using a steam wand on an espresso machine. If you are using an espresso machine as your espresso making method, then you won’t need any additional equipment since the machine can do both. If you’re using any of the other espresso making methods, then you will need a separate option or piece of equipment to warm and add texture to the milk such as:

• Nespresso Aerroccino (electric milk frother)
• Keurig Frother (electric milk frother)
• Instant Pot Electric Milk Frother
• Warm milk in a pot on the stove or in the microwave and froth the warmed milk using a blender, french press, or a handheld milk frother

How To Steam Milk At Home

Most hot espresso based beverages at coffee shops use steamed milk as one of the main ingredients. Typically steamed milk is made by inserting a steam wand into a cup of milk, and introducing steam into the milk until it is hot and full of bubbly aerated texture. While you can’t technically steam milk without a steam wand, you can still warm up the milk and add texture in various ways to give you a very similar steamed milk product. Here are ways to steam or warm your milk with or without an espresso machine for a cortado:

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 warmed, frothed milk for your hot coffee drinks!

Once you have all your ingredients, and you’ve established how you’ll be making your espresso and steaming/warming your milk, we can move onto assembling the drink!

How To Make a Starbucks Brown Sugar Oatmilk Cortado

1. Brew your blonde espresso shots using your preferred espresso making method.
2. Add brown sugar syrup to a cup, and add in the blonde espresso.
3. Add milk to a milk frothing pitcher, and steam the milk using a steam wand on an espresso machine. If you don’t have a steam wand, see the section above titled: How To Steam Milk At Home.
4. Pour the steamed milk over the brown sugar-espresso mixture, and top with a sprinkle of ground cinnamon.

How To Make This Dairy Free

This drink is dairy free already! No modifications are needed!

How To Make This Drink Sugar Free:

• Use the Torani Sugar Free Brown Sugar Cinnamon Syrup or make your own sugar free homemade brown sugar syrup using a brown sugar substitute
• Use a lower sugar or unsweetened oat milk

How Can I Make This Using A Keurig?

1. Make sure your Keurig has a SHOT option (not strong- it should say SHOT). If not, you cannot make this drink using a Keurig, and you’d need to choose a different espresso making method. If your Keurig machine does have a SHOT option, add a light roast coffee KCup to the Keurig and brew using the SHOT function/button into a cup.
2. Add 1/2-1 tablespoon Homemade Brown Sugar Syrup into the cup.
3. Steam or warm your milk and pour that over that over the espresso mixture, and top with a sprinkle of cinnamon.

Note, I recommend brewing two KCups instead of one for this recipe for a stronger coffee taste!