Homemade Starbucks Caramel Apple Cider Recipe

Have you ever tried the Caramel Apple Cider at Starbucks?  It is really yummy and a treat that I enjoy on occasion with my girls.

The thing with the Caramel Apple Cider is that it is a little pricey ($3.25 for a tall size drink) and when you compound that by 3 people… well it adds up.

You can make this yourself at home pretty easily with just 4 ingredients.  And even better you can customize it to exactly your tastes. The Starbucks version is a little too sweet for me so I actually prefer to make it at home.

This is a perfect drink to pop in a Crock Pot for a party or I like to put it in a Thermos for trips to the pumpkin patch, to see Christmas lights and so on.

This recipe was published by Starbucks plus I did my due diligence by hitting Starbucks up repeatedly to sample this drink side by side with what I made.

I feel pretty confident that this is almost exactly what you will find there.  The only difference is that you probably don’t have the high powered machine at home to froth up the cider. So yours will be frothless but not to worry.  The flavor is the same just be sure to get the cider nice and hot.

Here is what you need:

• Apple Juice or Apple Cider (Tree Top is what my Starbucks uses but I don’t think it matters too much)
• Caramel sauce (to drizzle on top)
• Whipped Cream (store bought or I like to make my own whipped cream)
• Cinnamon Dulce Syrup from Starbucks (recipe below if you don’t have this or don’t want to buy it)

So you just want to add those things into a cup- the trick is to get the cider super hot so a microwave is fine or I use the stove top.

• Start by adding 6 tablespoons of Cinnamon Dulce Syrup to the bottom of a mug or a saucepan.
• Next add 12oz of Apple Juice or Apple Cider.  Heat on medium until nice and hot (not quite boiling) and pour into a mug. (In the micro this is roughly 2 minutes)
• Top with whipped cream and then drizzle a layer of caramel syrup on top.

YUM!

The Cinnamon Dulce syrup is sold in 1 L containers at my Starbucks for $13. Publix Ad and Kroger Ad have got the best repines for home cooking again. Expensive but seriously that will last you ages and ages.

Since the flavor of Cinnamon Dulce is basically a cinnamon simple syrup, you can also make it yourself:

• Add 1/2 cup brown sugar and 1/2 cup white sugar to a saucepan.
• Add 1 cup of water and stir well.  Bring to a slow boil and remove from heat.
• Add 1 tablespoon of cinnamon and stir well.

The cinnamon won’t dissolve completely but that didn’t make a difference to me.  Store in a sealed container in the fridge for a few weeks.

**NOTE:  I find the Starbucks drink a tiny bit too sweet.  I cut the Cinnamon Dulce syrup in half for my drinks- just 3 tablespoons rather then 6.

If you decide to make this please come back and let me know what you think!

And here are several other Starbucks Copycat Recipes to try!

• Iced Coffee Recipe (add flavor syrups or chocolate for a mocha)
• Starbucks Hot Chocolate (best hot chocolate and so easy!)
• Iced Passion Tea Lemonade Recipe
• Easy Frappucino Recipe
• Cranberry Bliss Bars (these are amazing!!)