Your favorite Starbucks holiday drink just became your new year-round favorite. My Sugar Cookie Iced Latte is a riff off of the new holiday classic, but is truly made for anytime that you crave a sugary, sweet coffee drink! With only 6 ingredients, this recipe could not be more simple, and may just become your new favorite way to have your coffee.
Friends, it’s the holiday season, which means it’s the time of year that Starbucks is releasing new holiday drinks. And when Starbucks releases new drinks, it’s my time to get to work, and find a version that’s just as tasty, but with a healthy twist!
This Sugar Cookie Iced Latte may just be my favorite Starbucks “copycat” creation yet. Not only is it incredibly simple with only 6 ingredients, but it’s SO delicious! Sometimes, these holiday drinks can be hit-or-miss, but this one is definitely a “hit”. It tastes just like a sugar cookie in a glass, and even reminds me a bit of my Paleo Funfetti Sugar Cookies.
The best part about this latte too, is that it comes together with pantry staples alone (minus the milk, of course). If you are someone who likes to bake, then chances are, you already have the brown sugar, water, vanilla extract, and almond extract sitting in your pantry. And if you’re a coffee drinker, then you may have espresso too. This makes this the perfect recipe to recreate over and over. I’m not kidding when I say it may become your new favorite!
Oh, and if you want to know a little hack for the espresso portion of the drink… here it is. If you’re someone who doesn’t have an espresso machine, or can’t pull espresso shots for the life of them (trust me, I get it!) then you can go to your local coffee shop and ask for just a cup of espresso shots. The barista may look at you funny, but if it makes your life easier, you gotta do what you gotta do, boo!
My Favorite Espresso Maker
But, if you want to pull your own perfect espresso shots at home, then I highly recommend investing in an espresso machine that can do it for you! I personally own the Nespresso Vertuo Next, and it’s my favorite by-far. It pulls the perfect espresso shots every time, in just a matter of seconds!
If you’re someone who loves going and getting a latte from Starbucks every day, I highly recommend investing in a Nespresso. Not only will it save you money (their coffee is a fraction of the price!) but it tastes even BETTER than its Starbucks counterpart. I cannot recommend it enough; it’s the perfect tool for this recipe, or any of my coffee recipes!
What You Need to Make This Sugar Cookie Iced Latte
This recipe is super easy, because it only requires 6 ingredients!
- Brown Sugar: When cooked down, brown sugar makes for the most delicious base for any syrup recipe. Brown sugar is slightly less refined than traditional cane sugar, but still gives that perfectly sweet flavor.
- Water: A little water will help bring our syrup together.
- Vanilla Extract: Vanilla extract will give just the perfect amount of light vanilla flavor. And, since all good cookie recipes call for vanilla extract, it’s a “must” in this sugar cookie latte!
- Almond Extract: Almond extract is the not-so-secret ingredient here. Why? Because it’s the “secret” to making this latte taste like a real cookie! If you’ve ever made one of my sugar cookie recipes, then you’ll know that a generous amount of almond extract is what gives them their signature, fresh-from-the-bakery flavor. If you want your latte to truly taste like a sugar cookie, don’t skip this!
- Espresso: After all, in order to make a latte, you need espresso shots! You can use decaf or regular, it doesn’t matter. Just pick your favorite coffee and get those espresso shots pulled!
- Milk: I use almond milk in this recipe to keep it dairy-free, but any milk of your choice will work! Dairy milk and non-dairy milk are both great options in this drink.
How Many Lattes Does This Recipe Make?
This recipe will make syrup for about 4 drinks, so you can enjoy a Sugar Cookie Iced Latte all week long, and bypassing the Starbucks and saving money. That’s because you only need a few tablespoons of this magic syrup in your coffee. Store extra syrup in a squeeze bottle or mason jar in the refrigerator for up to one week.
How to Make This Sugar Cookie Iced Latte
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Start by heating a saucepan on the stove, over low-medium heat.
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Add in all of your syrup ingredients and stir for 5-7 minutes, until a brown syrup forms. It won’t be thick, so don’t worry about consistency!
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Once your syrup is done, pour approximately 3 tablespoons of the syrup into a tall glass.
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Next, add your ice to the glass.
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Pour your espresso shots over the ice.
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Then, add in the milk. You can steam the milk if you prefer, but it’s not necessary. You can just add in the cold milk!
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Stir your drink until the syrup, espresso, and milk combine.
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Top with sprinkles, and enjoy!
I hope you guys love this recipe! If you make it, be sure to leave a comment below and let me know what you think! And if you post to Instagram, I repost your remakes on my IG stories! xx
Ingredients
For the Sugar Cookie Syrup:
- ⅓ Cup Brown Sugar
- ⅓ Cup Water
- 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 2 Teaspoons Almond Extract
For the Latte:
- 2 shots Espresso
- ½ Cup Steamed Milk, I use almond milk, but any milk works here!
Instructions
- Start by heating a saucepan on the stove, over low-medium heat.
- Add in all of your syrup ingredients and stir for 5-7 minutes, until a brown syrup forms. It won't be thick, so don't worry about consistency!
- Once your syrup is done, pour approximately 3 tablespoons of the syrup into a tall glass.
- Next, add your ice to the glass.
- Pour your espresso shots over the ice.
- Then, add in the milk. You can steam the milk if you prefer, but it's not necessary. You can just add in the cold milk!
- Stir your drink until the syrup, espresso, and milk combine.
- Top with sprinkles, and enjoy!
Rate & review
SELECT A RATING and tell me what you think!
What others are saying
Yummm! Would the recipe be the same if I wanted to drink it hot, minus the ice?
Hi Eileen, yes! I would just steam the milk before adding it to the coffee (or at least warm it, so it doesn’t coagulate) and then skip the ice! 🙂
So delicious! Perfect for an afternoon special coffee treat
Woohoo! So happy you love this one Nicole! Thank you so much for your review!
Literally tastes like a Starbucks drink at home! I make this all the time now. So quick & easy!!
Yay! Isn’t it amazing how accurate it is?! Thank you so much for making this recipe, Tiffany, and for leaving such a kind review!
I finally got around to this one and no surprise – it’s fantastic! I used coconut sugar to see how it would work and I think brown sugar may have given it a slighter richer flavor, but it’s still absolutely delicious. I’m thinking I may use the syrup to make some sugar cookie latte overnight oats!
Woohoo! Melissa, I am so thrilled that you loved this one! I definitely recommend trying it with brown sugar next time (it does add a richer, toastier flavor), but coconut sugar is also wonderful. And adding this syrup to overnight oats is a FANTASTIC idea!! Thank you so much for your wonderful review!
I made this latte last week and have proceeded to make it on repeat since then – hot, iced, with espresso, in coffee, I even used some of the syrup to make overnight oats! This is probably my favorite latte recipe that I’ve tried on your site, and I only have a couple left to make!
Woohoo! Melissa, that makes me SO happy to hear! Thank you so much for making your way through my latte recipes, it means the world and makes me so happy!