If you are looking for a sweet drink that will super charge your day, you have to try this salted caramel shaken espresso! It starts with shots of espresso and is combined with homemade salted caramel sauce, ice and milk. It is delicious and the perfect start to the day! Skip the drive thru and make a homemade caramel shaken espresso at home!

I remember many, many years ago I made friends with one of the baristas at ‘bucks that worked in the Target. I told her I wanted a drink that would get me going and tasted good – I trusted her opinion. She made me a double Americano over ice with a little sweetener. When I tell you I buzzed around that store SO fast! Not only did it give me the jump I needed – it was delicious too! The shaken espresso is the same drink, just better!

What is a salted caramel shaken espresso?

A shaken espresso is just that – fresh brewed espresso poured over ice and shaken. You can add sweeteners to it while shaking and easily change up the flavor. (Like my original shaken espresso that uses brown sugar syrup!) The cold espresso is then poured over ice and topped with milk to make one of the best coffee based drinks you have ever tasted! Some other reasons I love this shaken espresso is-

• simple to make
• easy to customize
• save money making it at home

Caramel shaken espresso ingredients

The best part of this drink is that you don’t need a whole list of complicated ingredients to make it at home. In fact, you may have most of them already! Once you have everything, you can easily make this drink over and over! To make a salted caramel iced espresso at home you will need:

• espresso
• salted caramel syrup
• milk
• ice

Espresso – Don’t have an espresso machine? That’s ok! Use a high quality instant espresso and hot water. I love this King Arthur instant espresso! It has a great flavor and is high quality.

Salted caramel syrup – Torani is my go to for pre-made syrups! I love their salted caramel syrup for this espresso drink. (Here are some of my homemade syrups too!)

Milk – Use your favorite milk for this drink. I love adding heavy cream in place on milk to make a decadent copycat coffee drink. Feel free to use your favorite milk or milk alternative here.

How to make a salted caramel shaken espresso

Once you have gathered all of your ingredients, you will also need to grab a mason jar or cock tail shaker, glass and spoon.

Step 1 – Make the espresso. Either brew your espresso with an espresso machine or make hot instant espresso. You want a fresh hot espresso base for this drink.

Step 2 – Shake. Add ice to a mason jar or cocktail shaker. Pour the syrup and hot espresso in. Shake for 1-2 minutes until the outside of the jar is cold and most of the ice has melted. The espresso will be frothy too.

Step 3 – Enjoy! Pour the shaken espresso into another glass that is full of ice. Add your milk on top and stir to combine. Sip and enjoy!

Other caramel drinks to try

Looking for other caramel drinks to try? Some other favorites are:

• Caramel frappuccino – Starbucks copycat!
• Salted caramel latte
• Iced caramel macchiato
• Caramel brulee latte
• Caramel apple sangria

Recipe Tips and FAQs

I love that a drink that is so popular right now is actually super simple to make at home. Here are some quick tips and frequently asked questions about this salted caramel shaken espresso.

Why is it called a shaken espresso? It’s called a shaken espresso because you literally shake the fresh brewed espresso over ice. It helps to cool down the hot espresso and gives it a nice airy texture.

What’s the difference between a latte and a shaken espresso? A shaken espresso is more concentrated than a traditional latte. A latte uses steamed milk and foam which dilutes the caffeine in the drink. A shaken espresso only uses milk on top.

Can I use caramel sauce instead? Yes, you can use caramel sauce instead of caramel syrup. I love using my homemade caramel sauce in coffee drinks! I suggest adding it right away to the hot espresso so it has time to blend into the coffee.

How can I make this dairy free? You sure can! Instead of the milk that is listed, feel free to use your favorite milk alternative. Almond, coconut and oat milk would be great options for this shaken espresso.

How do I order a shaken espresso at Starbucks? The great thing is Starbucks has shaken espressos on their menu full time! You can either order one that they offer, like the Brown Sugar Oatmilk Shaken Espresso, or order a different one. If you wanted to order a salted caramel shaken espresso you would say “Can I have a grande salted caramel shaken espresso?” Easy peasy!

Other Starbucks copycat drinks to try

If you are anything like me, you are always on the hunt for new coffee ideas! Some of my other favorite copycat Starbucks drinks are:

• Pumpkin spice latte – classic fall drink!
• Iced mocha latte
• Passion tea lemonade – fun summer drink!
• Iced white chocolate mocha

Did you make this recipe? I’d love for you to leave a review in the comments below or the recipe card above. Want to make it later? Pin the image below to your favorite Pinterest board. THANK YOU so much for the support!