Kat's Kitchen

If you love the Starbucks Cinnamon Dolce Latte, then you are going to love this at home recipe! It is the perfect blend of sweet and spicy, making it a delicious treat for any time of the day. Plus, you don’t have to stress about whether or not Starbucks will discontinue this syrup again because you can make this recipe any time, any where, and as often as your heart desires. Let’s dive into the recipe!

Ingredients Needed To Make A Starbucks Cinnamon Dolce Latte at Home:

• CINNAMON DOLCE SYRUP: I love using the Torani Brown Sugar Cinnamon Syrup for this drink. It has that perfectly sweet and cinnamon brown sugar flavor that you get with a Starbucks Cinnamon Dolce and the syrup is cheaper than buying the Starbucks Cinnamon Dolce Syrup. You could absolutely buy the Starbucks one if you prefer, or you could even make your own Homemade Brown Sugar Cinnamon Syrup. I share an easy homemade recipe later in this post! For a lower sugar option, opt for the Torani Sugar Free Brown Sugar Cinnamon Syrup!

• ESPRESSO: Since this drink is a latte, we need espresso. Espresso is made by pushing hot water at high temperatures through finely ground coffee. This type of coffee cannot be bought at the store, and needs to be made at home. Whether you have an espresso machine or not, I got you covered. See my post on 5 Ways To Make Espresso At Home for how you can make espresso for this drink and any other espresso based beverages!

• 2% MILK: Again, this drink is a latte, so we need some type of milk. Starbucks uses 2% milk as the standard milk in the recipe, but you can use whatever milk you like best: oat milk, soy milk, almond milk, 2% milk, whole milk, skim milk, etc. For an iced latte, you will need cold milk, and for a hot latte, you will need to steam the milk. I’ll share various milk steaming methods later in this recipe!

• ICE: If you’re making an Iced Cinnamon Dolce Latte, you will need ice! For a hot version, no ice is needed.

• Whipped Cream: Starbucks iced and hot Cinnamon Dolce Lattes have whipped cream on top. The whipped cream gives the drink an extra sweetness and creaminess. You can opt for a store bought whipped cream, or you can make your own at home with Vanilla Syrup and heavy whipping cream in a whipped cream dispenser (and N20 chargers). Feel free to use a dairy-free or sugar-free whipped topping substitute based on your preferences.

• CINNAMON DOLCE SPRINKLES: You can easily make your own homemade Cinnamon Dolce Sprinkles Topping using cinnamon, sugar, butter powder, and salt! Make enough for one day or make a larger batch for the entire week. The full recipe is below on the recipe card at the end of the recipe!

Since espresso is an essential ingredient in this recipe, let’s dive into how to make espresso at home for our Cinnamon Dolce Latte.

How Can I 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?

If you are using an espresso machine, a Moka Pot, or an Aeropress to make espresso, these are my recommended coffees:

• Laka Java Wahine Blonde Roast Espresso (Use code: katerinafaith for 10% off)
• Press Coffee Twitch Espresso Beans
• Press Coffee Spitball Espresso
• Blue Bottle Coffee Espresso Beans

If you are using a Nespresso machine, these are my recommended espresso pods:

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

If you are using instant espresso, these are my recommended espresso powders:

• 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 tripe shot is roughly 3.75 ounces of liquid.
• A quad shot is roughly 5 ounces of liquid.

How To Steam Milk For a Hot Latte?

All hot lattes 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!

Note, for an iced latte, you do not need to warm or steam the milk. Simply skip this step, and use cold milk straight from the fridge.

Homemade Cinnamon Dolce Syrup Recipe:

If you want to make your own Homemade Cinnamon Dolce Syrup, you need:

• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. In a medium-sized pot or saucepan, add the water, granulated sugar, packed brown sugar, and cinnamon sticks and bring to a boil.
2. Once the mixtures comes to a boil, lower the heat and let simmer for 10 minutes. The syrup should start to thicken.
3. Remove the pot or saucepan from the heat, remove the cinnamon sticks, then add in the vanilla extract and salt, and stir to combine.
4. Pour the syrup through a strainer into a mason jar or container, making sure all the cinnamon stick bits are removed.
5. Let the syrup cool on the counter before adding a lid and placing in the fridge. You can store the syrup in an airtight container in the fridge for about 3-4 weeks.

Homemade Cinnamon Dolce Sprinkles Topping Recipe:

• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon butter powder
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

In a small bowl or cup, combine all the ingredients and mix until combined.

How To Make A Starbucks Cinnamon Dolce Latte:

1. Brew the Espresso:

   • Start by brewing 2-3 shots of espresso using an espresso machine or your preferred espresso making method.

2. Add the Cinnamon Dolce Syrup:

   • In a cup or mug, add 1 tablespoon Torani Brown Sugar Cinnamon Syrup (or Starbucks Cinnamon Dolce Syrup or your Homemade Cinnamon Dolce Syrup). Feel free to use more or less of the syrup depending on your taste preference.

3. Add Espresso:

   • Pour the brewed espresso shots into the cup with the syrup.

4. Add Milk:

   • Fill the cup with your favorite milk. If you prefer a dairy-free option, use almond milk, oat milk, or soy milk. For a hot version, be sure to steam your milk before pouring it into your mug.

5. Add Ice:

   • Add ice to fill the cup and stir to chill the latte. If you’re making a hot version, skip this step.

6. Top with Whipped Cream:

   • Generously top your latte with whipped cream or opt for cold foam instead for extra fun!

7. Cinnamon Dolce Sprinkles:

   • Top the latte with a the Cinnamon Dolce Sprinkles Topping and enjoy your homemade hot or iced Cinnamon Dolce Latte!

What Ratios Does Starbucks Use?

Personally, I prefer my lattes to be a bit more coffee tasting than milky tasting, so my ratios are a slightly different from Starbucks. If you want to most accurately replicate the Starbucks ratios for a Cinnamon Dolce Latte, follow these ratios:

How To Make This Dairy Free?

For a dairy free Cinnamon Dolce Latte:

• Use a dairy free milk such as: oat milk, almond milk, soy milk, or coconut milk

• Use a dairy free whipped topping such as oat milk whipped topping or coconut milk whipped topping

• Omit the butter powder in the Cinnamon Dolce Sprinkles

How To Make A Lower Sugar, Lower Calorie Cinnamon Dolce Latte?

• Use the Torani Sugar Free Brown Sugar Cinnamon Syrup or use a sugar substitue like stevia or monk fruit in your Homemade Cinnamon Dolce Syrup recipe.
• Use a sugar free whipped topping.
• Use a sugar substitue like stevia or monk fruit in the Cinnamon Dolce Sprinkles Topping!
• Use unsweetened almond milk instead of 2% milk.