Kat's Kitchen

If you love the cozy flavors of cinnamon, creamy oat milk, and smooth espresso, you’re going to be obsessed with this at-home version of Starbucks’ Iced Horchata Oatmilk Shaken Espresso.

It’s the perfect blend of warm spice and cool refreshment—kind of like your favorite fall drink decided to chill out for summer. Whether you’re using homemade horchata syrup or a store-bought version, this recipe is super easy to make and even easier to customize.

Ingredients You’ll Need:

Please note, full measurements for each ingredient can be found on the recipe card at the bottom of the recipe.

• Horchata Syrup: I have a simple and delicious Homemade Horchata Syrup that goes perfectly with this recipe, but feel free to use any store bought version of choice.
• Blonde Espresso: Starbucks uses blonde espresso or a light roast espresso for this drink, giving it a lighter, more mild and sweeter coffee flavor. I’ll talk about all the ways you can make blonde espresso at home, later in this recipe.
• Ice: This is an iced shaken espresso beverage so you will need ice cubes. I recommend using a good amount of ice so the drink doesn’t get watered down.
• Oat Milk: Starbucks uses oat milk in this recipe, but feel free to opt for any milk you like if you’re not a fan of oat milk. My favorite oat milk options include:

What Is Blonde Espresso?

The term “blonde” in a coffee sense simply means the a light roast coffee. Espresso is a form of coffee made by grinding the beans very finely, packing them tightly, and using an espresso machine to push water through the grounds at high pressure. The end result is a full bodied, highly concentrated coffee that is great for milk based beverages like lattes, mochas, shaken espressos, as well as water based drinks like americanos.

Blonde roast coffee tends to have less intense, bold, or roasty flavor, which many people, myself included, actually prefer! I will always opt for the blonde roast espresso at Starbucks no matter which espresso drink I order – latte, macchiato, mocha, shaken espresso, americano, etc!

Starbucks uses a blonde roast espresso for their Iced Horchata Oatmilk Shaken Espresso drinks, so I like to do the same to most accurately replicate the same flavor!

How Can I Make Blonde Espresso At Home?

There are five ways to make blonde espresso at home:

• Blonde/Light Roast Instant Espresso Powder
• Nespresso Machine with Blonde Roast Espresso Pods
• Moka Pot with a light roast coffee
• Aeropress with a light roast coffee
• Espresso Machine with a light roast coffee

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

Best Blonde Roast Espresso To Use?

Beans & Grounds:

• Press Coffee Spitball Espresso Blend
• Starbucks Blonde Roast Espresso

These options are great if you have an espresso machine, an Aeropress, or a Moka Pot to make espresso.

Nespresso Pods

• Starbucks by Nespresso Vertuo Line Iced Double Espresso Blonde Light Roast Coffee Pods
• Starbucks by Nespresso Vertuo Line Blonde Espresso
• Nespresso Double Espresso Dolce Pods

Instant Espresso Powder

• Nescafe Gold Blonde Espresso Roast

For instant espresso, I like to use 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.

How To Make a Starbucks Iced Horchata Oatmilk Shaken Espresso:

1. Brew espresso using your preferred espresso making method. See my 5 Ways To Make Espresso At Home blog post for step by step instructions of the various espresso making method!
2. To a shaker cup or mason jar, add horchata syrup, espresso, and ice.
3. Add the lid and shake vigorously until the entire cup is cold to the touch.
4. Pour the mixture into a separate cup (if using a shaker cup/cocktail shaker).
5. Add oat milk over the top, and enjoy!

What Ratios Does Starbucks Follow For This Drink?

	TALL	GRANDE	VENTI
HORCHATA SYRUP	1 TBSP	2 TBSP	3 TBSP
BLONDE ESPRESSO	2 SHOTS	3 SHOTS	4 SHOTS
OAT MILK	5 OUNCES	7 OUNCES	10 OUNCES

How Can I Make This Lower Sugar?

For a lower sugar Iced Horchata Oatmilk Shaken Espresso:

• Use less syrup in your drink OR use a sugar free version of the syrup
• Use a lower sugar or unsweetened oat milk

Can I Make This as a Hot Coffee?

Absolutely! Just make a hot latte by combining horchata syrup, espresso and steamed oat milk in a mug.

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

Instead of making a shaken espresso with espresso, you could easily modify this drink to be a cold brew or an iced coffee. To a cup add:

• 1-2 tablespoons horchata syrup
• 10-12 ounces cold brew OR iced coffee
• Ice
• 2-3 tablespoons oat milk/half & half/heavy cream

How Would I Make This as a Frappuccino?

Add the following to a blender:

• 8 ounces oat milk
• 1-2 tablespoons horchata syrup
• 1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
• 1-2 teaspoons instant coffee
• 1 1/4 cup ice

Blend the ingredients together until smooth and top with whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon.

How Can I Make This Using A Keurig?

Using the shot option on your Keurig, brew two K-cups, then add the coffee to a shaker cup with the horchata syrup and a lot of ice. Shake until chilled, then add oat milk.

More Shaken Espresso Recipes To Try

• Starbucks Copy Kat Iced Hazelnut Oatmilk Shaken Espresso
• Starbucks Iced Apple Crisp Oatmilk Shaken Espresso
• Starbucks Oleato Shaken Espresso
• Pumpkin Pie Oatmilk Shaken Espresso

And that’s it—your homemade Starbucks Iced Horchata Oatmilk Shaken Espresso is ready to sip and enjoy! Whether you’re making it with a shot of instant espresso or brewing up something fancy with your Nespresso or espresso machine, this drink is endlessly customizable and guaranteed to become a new favorite.

Don’t forget to try it hot, as a frappuccino, or even as a cold brew if you’re feeling creative. However you make it, this drink is proof that your favorite Starbucks orders can be made at home—deliciously and easily.

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