When people think of Starbucks seasonal drinks, it’s usually coffee drinks like the classic PSL (Pumpkin Spice Latte). But not our family! Last year, Emily introduced me to another popular drink – the Caramel Apple Spice Starbucks drink and it instantly became my fall season favorite. I went to Starbucks more times a week than I should admit to get their hot apple cider. Of all the apple cider recipes out there, this one is by far the most flavorful, and it’s really easy to make it at home. Perfect for cold days! Whip up a batch of this hot apple cider for your friends and family, and save loads of money from getting a single serving at the coffee shop.
Ingredients in Starbucks Caramel Apple Spice
This delicious Starbucks Caramel Apple Spice drink comes together with just FOUR ingredients! And believe me, it’s the exact recipe that you get from the popular coffee shop (more on that below). Here’s all you need:
Apple juice – any brand will work. Just use your favorite. Starbucks Cinnamon Dolce Syrup – you can also use Brown Sugar Cinnamon Syrup from Torani. Whipped cream – a dollop of Cool Whip, a can of spray whip, or homemade whipped cream, your choice! Caramel topping – Finish off with a drizzle of caramel sauce or your favorite caramel syrup. We like to get the caramel in the squeeze bottle so it is easier to drizzle.
Homemade Caramel Sauce
Since this Caramel Apple Spice drink only features caramel as a drizzle on top, you may want to stick to store-bought. However, sometimes I want to take things to the next level and I make my own caramel sauce. You can use this delicious sauce as an ice cream topping or a topping for other beverages too!
Ingredients
1 cup sugar 6 tablespoons salted butter ½ cup heavy cream (for salted caramel, add 1 teaspoon sea salt at the end of the cooking process)
Instructions
Heat sugar in a medium saucepan on medium heat. Stir constantly with wooden spoon and make sure to scrape the sides and bottom. Sugar will form clumps and eventually melt into a thick brown liquid. Continue to stir constantly. Once sugar is melted, add in the butter. The caramel will bubble up when you add in the butter, so be careful when adding it. Stir until butter is completely melted and combined with caramel. Slowly add the heavy cream. The mixture will bubble up when you add the cream as well. Boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat (and add in sea salt, if using).
How I Got the Real Copycat Starbucks Caramel Apple Spice Recipe
The downside of my love for Caramel Apple Spice was it was burning a hole in my pocket – Starbucks is expensive! Finally I decided to ask the girl at Starbucks how they make it. She said she couldn’t tell me but I could watch her. So she did it all right in front of me. When I asked her how much syrup is in one pump she said “it is supposed to be ¼ oz. but it can vary slightly.” That was all I needed to know. So then I did some math. 1 ounce = 2 tablespoons so we can figure that .25 ounces = ½ tablespoon. The Starbucks people put 3 pumps of syrup in a 12 ounce cup, making it 1 ½ tablespoons per 12 ounces of apple juice. To simplify it further, 2/3 of 12 ounces is 8 ounces (or 1 cup) and 2/3 of 1 ½ tablespoons is 1 tablespoon. So, for each cup of cider you simply add 1 tablespoon of syrup. Easy enough right?
Recipe Tips from our Readers
One of our readers commented and let us know that before Starbucks used the Cinnamon Dolce flavored syrup, they actually just used cinnamon syrup. You can find Torani or DaVinci cinnamon syrup for a fraction of the price of the Starbucks brand (just use the same amounts as mentioned in the recipe). Another reader mentioned making your OWN syrup (to save even MORE $$) by combining ½ cup water, ½ cup brown sugar, 1 tsp cinnamon, and simmering in a small pot over medium heat for 5 minutes until it reduces. A lot of our readers also like making their own whipped cream. You can do this by using a hand mixer or stand mixer. Beat 2 cups of heavy cream with a few tablespoons of white sugar.
How to Make Starbucks Caramel Apple Spice Cider
Mix the apple juice and syrup in a sauce pan and heat over medium low heat. It should get warm, but not boil. To add more cinnamon spice flavor I like to add a couple of whole cinnamon sticks to the pot as well. Pour juice mixture into individual cups. Top with whipped cream and caramel topping. Add a few dashes of cinnamon if desired. Serve immediately.
5-Star Reviews on this Starbucks Caramel Apple Cider Recipe
“I recently tried this delicious drink at Starbucks and loved it. Had it over the holidays almost every day, thanks to gift cards I received for Starbucks. Thanks for sharing the recipe, as I too find their prices too expensive to endulge in beyond the holidays. Happy New Year!”Deb READ NEXT: 25+ Christmas Dessert Ideas
More Warm Drink Recipes
If you love this copycat Starbucks Caramel Apple Cider and want even more variety, then you have got to try our Pumpkin Steamers recipe. It tastes like fall in a mug. If you want to spice things up, then try our Mexican Hot Chocolate. Smooth chocolate with a little spicy kick.. don’t worry, it’s not too spicy. We also have a fun collection of Candy Bar Hot Chocolates (Twix, Almond Joy, and Reeses… I love all three and honestly can’t pick a favorite)!
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