Iced Vanilla Latte

Here’s how to make an iced vanilla latte! This Starbucks special is easy to whip up at home and tastes deliciously sweet and creamy.

Love a great iced vanilla latte at Starbucks? Guess what: it’s easy to make this tasty drink in the comfort of your own home! There’s something about an iced latte that’s irresistibly sippable: creamy, ice cold and scented with bittersweet coffee. This one is vanilla scented, which infuses another layer of cozy into the refreshing drink. You’ll make a homemade vanilla syrup, which takes just a few minutes to simmer on the stovetop. Get ready to be your own barista!

Want the hot version? Go to Vanilla Latte.

What’s in an iced vanilla latte?

The iced vanilla latte is a Starbucks drink that combines espresso, vanilla syrup, ice, and milk. It’s a spin on the iced latte, a drink that’s the cold version of a latte (espresso plus steamed milk). An iced latte at Starbucks usually uses straight milk, but to simulate the steamed milk in a latte you can lightly froth it before adding it to the drink. Here’s what you’ll need to make an iced vanilla latte at home:

• Espresso
• Milk: whole milk or oat milk
• Vanilla syrup, homemade
• Ice

How to make a vanilla iced latte: basic steps

Here’s the outline of how to make a vanilla iced latte at home:

• Step 1: Make the vanilla syrup.
• Step 2: Make a double shot of espresso.
• Step 3: Froth ¼ cup whole milk by shaking it in a covered jar or whisking until frothy.
• Step 4: Pour the espresso and 2 to 3 teaspoons vanilla syrup over ice. Add milk and serve.

How to make the espresso

The trickiest part of making an iced vanilla latte at home? Finding the best espresso method. Of course, the optimal method is an espresso machine, but they’re expensive and not accessible for most home baristas. There are several different methods for how to make espresso without a machine that we’ve researched: here’s what we found!

• Espresso roast coffee: First, make sure to have the right coffee beans; it’s important to get the right dark, bitter flavor. Use a fine grind on the espresso beans. Some brands we recommend: Illy, Starbucks or Intelligentsia. 
• Espresso machine: An espresso machine is the best option: it makes incredible espresso but it’s pricy.
• Portable espresso maker: A manual espresso maker is a great affordable option that makes very good espresso.
• French press: French press espresso also works well if you have this coffee tool.
• Moka Pot: Or, make very strong espresso-like coffee in a Moka Pot (Bialetti). It works impressively well!

Making vanilla syrup at home

It’s not worth going out to find a store-bought vanilla syrup for your vanilla iced latte (unless of course you already grabbed one at Starbucks!). It takes just minutes to make and uses ingredients you might already have in your pantry. Here’s an outline of how to make vanilla syrup:

• Combine sugar and water: Place ½ cup each granulated sugar and water in a small saucepan on the stove.
• Heat until dissolved: Heat over medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring until fully dissolved. Do not simmer!
• Stir in vanilla: Remove from the heat and add 2 teaspoons vanilla. Cool to room temperature before using.

That’s it! You can store it refrigerated for up to 1 month, though the flavor is best in the first few weeks.

More iced coffee and tea drinks

That’s all you need to know to make an iced vanilla latte at home: we hope you find it tastes as good as Starbucks! Let us know any questions in the comments below. And if you’re looking for more iced coffees and tea lattes, we’ve got you covered! Here are a few more Starbucks specials you can make at home:

• Grab a Perfect Iced Latte or Iced Cappuccino
• Go for an Iced Matcha Latte, Almond Milk Latte or Oat Milk Latte
• Try Iced Espresso, Iced Americano, or Iced Brown Sugar Oat Milk Espresso
• Go cozy with an Iced Chai Latte or Iced Pumpkin Spice Latte
• Opt for simple with How to Make Iced Coffee

01

Perfect Iced Latte

02

Iced Matcha Latte

03

Iced Espresso

04

Iced Brown Sugar Oat Milk Espresso

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