Drinks from Starbucks have been one of my favorite guilty pleasures for years. It started with my first job out of college. I was working as an administrative assistant at a small downtown firm. Right down the street was a Starbucks. My job didn't require much interaction with clients, so the office staff always sent me for their mid-afternoon pick-me ups. In the beginning, I always got a simple latte, but my coworkers inspired me to try some of the more fanciful drinks like the white chocolate mocha or the iconic pumpkin spice latte. I was hooked, and my bank account certainly suffered as a result!
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Since then, I've scaled back on the daily Starbucks runs, but I still enjoy it as a treat from time to time. Recently, the Starbucks Brown Sugar Oatmilk Espresso has piqued my interest. It's the perfect blend of strong coffee, creamy oat milk, and sweet brown sugar. Finished with a dash of cinnamon, it's like heaven in a glass.
Like most Starbucks drinks, it's easy to make a copycat recipe at home with a few simple ingredients. Read on if you want to save a few bucks (and a trip to your local Starbucks).
What's In Starbucks Brown Sugar Oatmilk Espresso
Lindsay D. Mattison
Starbucks makes it super easy to make their drinks at home. For starters, you can access their complete ingredients list to see what they use for each drink. For the Starbucks Brown Sugar Oatmilk Espresso, you'll find it's made with ice, oat milk, brewed espresso, brown sugar syrup, and cinnamon.
Starbucks also created an at-home recipe on their Coffee at Home website. We tried it, and it tasted exactly like the original! You don't have to make the brown sugar syrup to enjoy this drink, either, because the heat of the espresso will melt the sugar. Of course, you can absolutely whip up a simple syrup if you plan to make the drink on the regular. The syrup is also great if you'll be using iced coffee instead of espresso. Simply combine equal parts brown sugar and water in a small pot. Stir until the sugar is dissolved and transfer the syrup to a small jar. It will keep for about a month in the refrigerator, but we doubt you won't use it all within a few days.
How Many Calories are in Starbucks Brown Sugar Oatmilk Espresso?
Lindsay D. Mattison
We love that Starbucks has options under 200 calories, and this drink is one of them. According to Starbucks' website, one 16-ounce serving contains 120 calories, 20 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams protein, and 120 milligrams of sodium. Most of the calories and carbohydrates come from the oat milk. Depending on the brand, oat milk contains 90 to 130 calories per 8-ounce serving. If you're watching your calories, you can swap in unsweetened almond milk, which only has 30 calories per 8-ounce serving.
How Many Shots of Espresso are in Starbucks Brown Sugar Oatmilk Espresso?
Starbucks uses two shots of espresso in this drink (three if you order a grande in-store). Each shot of espresso is 30 milliliters (or 1 fluid ounce), coming to a total of 60 milliliters (or 2 fluid ounces) of liquid. We have a few suggestions for how to make this copycat recipe without the espresso, so read on if you're interested in using strongly brewed coffee or espresso powder.
Starbucks Brown Sugar Oatmilk Espresso Substitutions
Lindsay D. Mattison
Not everyone has an espresso machine at home—myself included! So feel free to swap in 2 ounces of strong brewed coffee for the espresso. If you want to make life even easier, use 2 teaspoons of instant espresso powder instead. I always have this powder on hand for baking recipes, and it tastes great when combined with the brown sugar and oat milk.
When it comes to the choice of alternative milk, it's hard to beat oat milk here. It's smooth, sweet, and slightly nutty, and it has the perfect texture in a shaken coffee drink. That said, you can use any milk or unsweetened alternative milk to make this drink. Depending on the milk you choose, you may need to adjust the amount of brown sugar to compensate for the oat milk's naturally sweet flavor.
READ MORE: 10 Healthy Starbucks Drinks to Get the Energy Without the Sugar Crash
Copycat Starbucks Brown Sugar Oatmilk Espresso Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 shots espresso (or 2 fl oz brewed coffee, or 2 teaspoons instant espresso powder)
- 2 teaspoons dark brown sugar
- 6 ounces unsweetened oat milk
- 1-1/2 cups Ice
- dash ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Prepare the espresso and pour it into a cocktail shaker or mason jar. Add the brown sugar while the coffee is still hot. Stir until the sugar is dissolved.
- Add the oat milk and ice to the jar. Shake for 20 seconds. Pour the drink into a tall glass and top with ground cinnamon.
