The Starbucks vanilla latte is the company's best selling drink. It isn’t that surprising since the drink is so delicious. The vanilla flavor is also universally appealing. It is not too crazy or adventurous like some of the newer Starbucks lattes. It is just pure, warm goodness in a mug!
Since almost everyone loves a good Starbucks vanilla latte, we wanted to try to recreate the vanilla latte Starbucks makes at home. We think we came up with a pretty great recipe! Let us tell you all about it.

Ingredients for a Homemade Vanilla Latte
You only need three main ingredients to make a tasty vanilla latte. Take a look at what you will need to make this tasty drink and then get ready to start mixing.
- Brewed Espresso- If you have an espresso machine at home, simply pull two shots of espresso to make a Starbucks vanilla latte. If you do not have an espresso machine, you can use Instant espresso powder to mix up ¼ cup of espresso. Just be sure to use hot espresso to make this tasty hot vanilla latte recipe. Use blonde style espresso for the most popular Starbucks blonde vanilla latte.
- Whole Milk- Starbucks vanilla latte is made with whole milk by default. You can use any kind of milk you’d like, just as you can ask for any type of milk at your local coffee shop. All types of milk will work well!
- Vanilla Syrup- Use your favorite vanilla coffee syrup in this recipe. We like Torani coffee syrups and also Monin brand. Starbucks does make its own vanilla syrup that you can buy to make a very authentic starbucks vanilla latte.
We like to top our vanilla latte with some whipped cream. It helps make it richer and even more of a treat! Feel free to skip the whipped cream for a skinny vanilla latte, Starbucks style.
How to Make Starbucks Vanilla Latte
Once you have all your ingredients, making a Starbucks vanilla latte is very simple. Here is what you need to do:
- Add the milk and vanilla syrup to a small pot and bring the mix to a simmer over medium heat.
- While the milk is heating, brew your espresso.
- Pour the simmering milk into a blender and blend over medium speed for about 30 seconds. This will cool the milk slightly, making it a drinkable temperature. It will also froth the milk so it is more like a latte.
- Pour the frothed milk into a mug and then pour the espresso in as well.
- Enjoy your perfect Starbucks vanilla latte!
One sip of this delicious latte and you will swear you were drinking a vanilla latte Starbucks made. It is practically identical, if not better! You really never need to spend money at Starbucks ever again!
Make Espresso at Home
Starbucks has big fancy espresso machines to make lattes. You really do not need such crazy, high tech equipment in order to make a perfect espresso or Starbucks vanilla latte. Here are our favorite ways to make espresso at home, enabling you to make a delicious vanilla latte or iced vanilla latte, Starbucks style.
- Espresso Machine- If you are a big Starbucks vanilla latte fan, we recommend investing in a small, at home latte machine. You will use it often, we promise! There are many different types of latte machines that you can choose from. The Keurig latte maker uses k-cups to brew espresso while This DeLonghi machine is very affordable and easy to use. Choose the best machine for your drink preferences and your budget.
- Instant Espresso Powder- Brew a quick shot of espresso using just hot water and instant espresso powder. This is the easiest way to make espresso at home and there is no fancy equipment required! All you need is espresso powder and a spoon!
- AeroPress- The Aeropress espresso maker is super affordable and brews a fantastic shot of espresso to use in your Starbucks vanilla latte recipe. The slow pressed espresso is tasty and as good as an espresso from a fancy machine at Starbucks.
What’s your favorite way to make espresso at home? There are really so many ways to brew coffee shop style espresso. We have tried them all and each is better than the last!
How to Make Starbucks Iced Vanilla Latte
You can use this recipe for hot vanilla lattes to make an iced vanilla latte Starbucks would be proud of. Rather than bring the milk to a boil, simply place the cold milk and vanilla coffee syrup into the blender and froth for about 30 seconds. Fill a tall glass with ice then pour the cold, frothed milk into glass. Top with the brewed espresso and whipped cream then enjoy.
A Starbucks iced vanilla latte made at home is a great warm weather treat. You may find yourself making them all summer long!
Starbucks Skinny Vanilla Latte CopyCat Recipe
Take this copycat recipe for Starbucks vanilla latte and make it into a Starbucks skinny vanilla latte in just one step. It is so simple!
All you need to do to create a skinny vanilla latte starbucks style is to use sugar free vanilla coffee syrup. Sugar free vanilla skype will cut the calories of your drink drastically. Creating a skinny drink rather than a sugar filled drink.
Some people like to replace the whole milk in the recipe with skim milk. This will definitely reduce the calories in the copycat Starbucks skinny vanilla latte. Using almond milk , oat milk or coconut milk will also help lighten it.
A Starbucks skinny vanilla latte calories is about 70 calories for an eight ounce drink. Of course, if you get a bigger Starbucks skinny latte, the calorie count will increase. Our copycat Starbucks skinny vanilla latte is about the same when you use sugar free vanilla syrup and skim milk.
Make a Vanilla Chia Latte at Home
The vanilla chia latte Starbucks serves is another tasty drink that you can make at home using this copycat Starbucks vanilla latte recipe. Here is what you need to do to make a delicious vanilla chai latte.
- Skip the espresso in the recipe.
- Add 1 tablespoon of chai powder to the milk in the pot. Whisk to blend it in well.
- Follow the recipe as directed, heating and frothing the milk in the blender and then pouring into a mug to enjoy!
If you like the Starbucks dirty vanilla chai latte, keep the espresso in the mix. Chai lattes are called “dirty” when they have espresso still in the mix. That extra boost of caffeine is sometimes needed!
There is nothing quite like a fresh, warm Starbucks vanilla latte or a Starbucks skinny latte brewed especially for you. Our homemade, copycat starbucks vanilla latte will help you get that same delicious drink way faster, easier and in a more economical way. The best part is that our homemade vanilla latte tastes just as great as the one you get at the coffee shop. Enjoy!
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