Recipes
Standard Recipes
Classic home versions of café drinks, plus copycats of chains' seasonal and viral menu items.
Browse by ingredient tier
Jump to the other two tiers of the same drinks.
- Clean-Ingredient70
Clean-Ingredient
Rebuilt from whole ingredients only — real fruit, maple, dates, cacao — no syrups, gums, or mystery additives. Our top recommendation.
- Standard
Standard
Classic home versions of café drinks, plus copycats of chains' seasonal and viral menu items.
- Sugar-Free70
Sugar-Free
The same drinks, lower-sugar or fully sugar-free, named against the specific chain drink they replace.
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Apple Crisp Latte (Made at Home for a Fraction of the Price)
How to make an apple crisp (caramel apple spice) latte at home using a batch of homemade apple crisp syrup — about $0.91 a drink, real cider not artificial apple flavor.
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Apple Crisp Syrup (Standard)
The homemade apple crisp syrup batch behind our Apple Crisp Latte — real apple cider reduced with brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg, no artificial apple flavoring.
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Blonde Vanilla Latte (Light Roast, Real Vanilla Bean)
A vanilla latte built around light-roast ('blonde') espresso instead of our usual medium-roast default -- honestly explained, not just a fancier vanilla syrup.
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Blonde Vanilla Syrup (Standard)
The homemade syrup behind our Blonde Vanilla Latte -- real vanilla bean paste instead of extract, built to pair with a light-roast espresso instead of fighting it.
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Butterscotch Latte (Made at Home for a Fraction of the Price)
The 2-minute assembly for a butterscotch latte, using a batch of homemade butterscotch syrup -- real butter and brown sugar, no bottled extract, for under a dollar.
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Butterscotch Mocha (Made at Home for a Fraction of the Price)
The 2-minute assembly for a butterscotch mocha, combining our homemade mocha sauce and butterscotch syrup, 1 tbsp each -- about $0.95 a drink.
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Butterscotch Syrup (Standard)
The homemade butterscotch syrup batch behind our Butterscotch Latte — real butter and brown sugar cooked together, then a splash of cream, no bottled extract.
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Cardamom Rose Latte (Made at Home for a Fraction of the Price)
The 2-minute assembly for a cardamom rose latte, using a batch of homemade Cardamom Rose Syrup -- a Persian- and Indian-dessert-inspired flavor, made at home for about a dollar.
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Cardamom Rose Syrup (Standard)
The homemade cardamom rose syrup behind our Cardamom Rose Latte -- real cardamom pods and a conservative touch of culinary rosewater, steeped and strained, not a bottle of extract.
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Chai Concentrate (Standard)
The homemade spiced black tea concentrate behind our Chai Latte and Dirty Chai — black tea, warming spices, and sugar, steeped and strained in one pot.
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Chai Latte (Made at Home, No Espresso Required)
The 2-minute assembly for a chai latte using a batch of homemade chai concentrate -- about $0.47 a drink, plus how to make it a dirty chai with a shot of espresso.
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Chai-Spiced Apple Cider Latte (Made at Home for a Fraction of the Price)
How to make a chai-spiced apple cider latte at home -- a homemade chai spice syrup, warm apple cider, and steamed milk -- for about $0.54 a drink.
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Chestnut Praline Latte (Made at Home for a Fraction of the Price)
The 2-minute assembly for a chestnut praline latte, using a batch of homemade chestnut praline syrup -- about $0.93 a drink.
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Chestnut Praline Syrup (Standard)
The homemade chestnut praline syrup batch behind our Chestnut Praline Latte -- real dry-caramelized sugar, chestnut extract, cinnamon, and vanilla, ready in about 20 minutes.
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Cinnamon Toast Latte (Made at Home for a Fraction of the Price)
The 2-minute assembly for a cinnamon toast latte, using a batch of homemade cinnamon toast syrup — a bright, toasted-cereal cinnamon flavor for about $0.86 a drink.
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Cinnamon Toast Syrup (Standard)
The homemade cinnamon toast syrup batch behind our Cinnamon Toast Latte — white sugar, cinnamon, and a touch of vanilla for a bright, toasted-cereal flavor, made in one pot.
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Coconut Mocha (Made at Home for a Fraction of the Price)
The 2-minute assembly for a coconut mocha, combining our homemade mocha sauce and toasted coconut syrup, 1 tbsp each -- about $0.95 a drink.
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Cookie Butter Latte (Made at Home for a Fraction of the Price)
The 2-minute assembly for a cookie butter latte, using a batch of homemade cookie butter syrup — about $0.98 a drink.
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Cookie Butter Mocha (Made at Home for a Fraction of the Price)
The 2-minute assembly for a cookie butter mocha, combining our homemade mocha sauce and cookie butter syrup, 1 tbsp each -- about $0.93 a drink.
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Cookie Butter Syrup (Standard)
The homemade cookie butter syrup batch behind our Cookie Butter Latte — brown sugar, a cookie-flavoring extract, and warm baking spices, ready in about 10 minutes.
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Copycat Peppermint Mocha (Make It at Home for a Fraction of the Price)
The 2-minute assembly for a copycat peppermint mocha, using a batch of homemade peppermint mocha sauce — about $0.95 a drink.
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Cranberry Bliss Latte (Made at Home for a Fraction of the Price)
The 2-minute assembly for a Cranberry Bliss Latte, using a batch of homemade cranberry-orange white chocolate sauce -- about $1.14 a drink.
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Cranberry Bliss Sauce (Standard)
The homemade white chocolate sauce behind our Cranberry Bliss Latte -- real white chocolate melted with cream, steeped with dried cranberries and fresh orange zest.
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Dulce de Leche Latte (Made at Home for a Fraction of the Price)
The 2-minute assembly for a dulce de leche latte, using a batch of homemade dulce de leche syrup -- real milk-based caramel, for about $1.14 a drink.
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Dulce de Leche Syrup (Standard)
The homemade dulce de leche syrup batch behind our Dulce de Leche Latte -- real store-bought dulce de leche thinned to pouring consistency, the honest shortcut for a 2-3 hour technique.
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Eggnog Latte (Made at Home for a Fraction of the Price)
The 2-minute assembly for an eggnog latte, using a batch of homemade eggnog syrup and real steamed whole milk — about $0.90 a drink.
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Eggnog Syrup (Standard)
The homemade eggnog-spice syrup batch behind our Eggnog Latte — nutmeg, cinnamon, and vanilla, no actual eggs or dairy required. Make it once, it keeps about 2 weeks in the fridge.
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French Vanilla Latte (The Diner-Creamer Flavor, Made at Home)
The 2-minute assembly for a French Vanilla latte, using a batch of homemade custard-style French Vanilla syrup -- about $0.95 a drink.
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French Vanilla Syrup (Standard)
The homemade custard-style French Vanilla syrup behind our French Vanilla Latte -- real vanilla, brown sugar, and a touch of real cream for the classic diner-creamer flavor, not just sweetened vanilla.
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Gingerbread Latte (Made at Home for a Fraction of the Price)
The 2-minute assembly for a gingerbread latte, using a batch of homemade gingerbread syrup — about $0.91 a drink, no seasonal café markup.
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Gingerbread Mocha (Made at Home for a Fraction of the Price)
The 2-minute assembly for a gingerbread mocha, combining our homemade mocha sauce and gingerbread syrup, 1 tbsp each -- about $0.92 a drink.
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Gingerbread Syrup (Standard)
The homemade gingerbread syrup batch behind our Gingerbread Latte — brown sugar, molasses, and a real four-spice blend, made in one pot.
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Hazelnut Mocha (Made at Home for a Fraction of the Price)
The 2-minute assembly for a hazelnut mocha, combining our homemade mocha sauce and hazelnut syrup, 1 tbsp each -- about $0.92 a drink.
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Honey Lavender Latte (Made at Home for a Fraction of the Price)
The 2-minute assembly for a honey lavender latte, using a batch of homemade honey lavender syrup -- about $1.16 a drink.
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Honey Lavender Syrup (Standard)
The homemade honey lavender syrup behind our Honey Lavender Latte -- real honey and culinary-grade dried lavender steeped together, ready in about 25 minutes.
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Honey Oatmilk Latte (Made at Home for a Fraction of the Price)
The trending honey oatmilk latte, made at home with a quick honey syrup and steamed oat milk -- about $1.58 a drink.
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Honey Syrup (Standard)
A honey syrup that actually dissolves into hot or cold drinks -- straight honey clumps and sinks in an iced drink, this doesn't.
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Horchata Concentrate (Standard)
The homemade horchata concentrate behind our Horchata Latte — real soaked rice, a cinnamon stick, vanilla, and sugar, strained and reduced in one pot.
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Horchata Latte (Made at Home for a Fraction of the Price)
The 2-minute assembly for a horchata latte, using a batch of homemade horchata concentrate and rice milk — about $0.88 a drink, for a drink that hasn't hit the big chains yet.
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Copycat Iced Pumpkin Cream Shaken Espresso (Made at Home for a Fraction of the Price)
How to make a copycat iced pumpkin cream shaken espresso at home -- shaken espresso over ice, topped with a real pumpkin cream cold foam -- for about $1.27 a drink.
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Irish Cream Mocha (Non-Alcoholic, Made at Home)
The 2-minute assembly for an Irish cream mocha, combining our homemade mocha sauce and non-alcoholic Irish cream syrup, 1 tbsp each -- about $1.08 a drink.
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Lavender Latte (Made at Home for a Fraction of the Price)
The 2-minute assembly for a lavender latte, using a batch of homemade lavender syrup — the floral flavor showing up on more café menus, for about $0.88 a drink.
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Lavender Syrup (Standard)
The homemade lavender syrup batch behind our Lavender Latte — steeped from real culinary-grade lavender buds, keeps about 2 weeks in the fridge.
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Maple Pecan Mocha (Made at Home for a Fraction of the Price)
The 2-minute assembly for a maple pecan mocha, combining our homemade mocha sauce and maple pecan syrup, 1 tbsp each -- about $1.27 a drink.
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Matcha Latte (Made at Home, No Espresso Required)
The 2-minute assembly for a matcha latte using a batch of homemade matcha syrup -- about $1.11 a drink, plus how to make it a matchaccino with a shot of espresso.
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Matcha Syrup (Standard)
The homemade sweetened matcha syrup behind our Matcha Latte and Matchaccino — culinary-grade matcha whisked into a simple syrup so it's ready in seconds per drink.
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Orange Cardamom Latte (Made at Home for a Fraction of the Price)
The 2-minute assembly for an orange cardamom latte, using a batch of homemade orange cardamom syrup -- about $0.98 a drink.
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Orange Cardamom Syrup (Standard)
The homemade orange cardamom syrup behind our Orange Cardamom Latte -- real orange zest and crushed cardamom pods, steeped and strained, not a bottle of extract.
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Orange Chocolate Mocha (Made at Home for a Fraction of the Price)
The 2-minute assembly for an orange chocolate mocha, combining our homemade mocha sauce and orange cardamom syrup, 1 tbsp each -- about $0.96 a drink.
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Peppermint Mocha Sauce (Standard)
The homemade peppermint mocha sauce behind our Copycat Peppermint Mocha — cocoa powder, sugar, and real peppermint extract simmered into one pourable sauce.
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Pistachio Latte (Made at Home for a Fraction of the Price)
The 2-minute assembly for a pistachio latte, using a batch of homemade pistachio syrup — about $0.91 a drink, no chain-app markup.
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Pistachio Syrup (Standard)
The homemade pistachio syrup batch behind our Pistachio Latte — cane sugar syrup and real pistachio extract, ready in about 10 minutes.
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Salted Caramel Latte (Made at Home for a Fraction of the Price)
The 2-minute assembly for a salted caramel latte, built on our homemade caramel syrup and finished with real flaky sea salt -- about $0.89 a drink.
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Salted Caramel Mocha (Made at Home for a Fraction of the Price)
The 2-minute assembly for a salted caramel mocha, combining our homemade mocha sauce and caramel syrup, 1 tbsp each, finished with real flaky sea salt -- about $0.92 a drink.
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Snickerdoodle Latte (Made at Home for a Fraction of the Price)
The 2-minute assembly for a snickerdoodle latte, using a batch of homemade snickerdoodle syrup — vanilla-butter cookie flavor with a cinnamon-sugar finish, about $0.95 a drink.
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Snickerdoodle Syrup (Standard)
The homemade snickerdoodle syrup batch behind our Snickerdoodle Latte — real vanilla, a buttery note, a touch of cinnamon, and a pinch of cream of tartar for the actual cookie's characteristic tang.
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Spanish Latte (Condensed Milk Latte, Made at Home)
The layered, condensed-milk-sweetened latte trending on every café menu right now -- built at home for about $0.83 a drink, iced by default with a hot build included.
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Spanish Latte Condensed Milk Base (Standard)
The sweetened condensed milk base behind our Spanish Latte -- straight from the can, warmed and lightly flavored, since condensed milk itself is the flavor here, not a syrup poured into it.
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Toasted Coconut Latte (Made at Home for a Fraction of the Price)
The 2-minute assembly for a toasted coconut latte, using a batch of homemade Toasted Coconut Syrup — about $0.97 a drink.
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Toasted Coconut Syrup (Standard)
The homemade toasted coconut syrup batch behind our Toasted Coconut Latte — real toasted coconut flakes steeped into cane sugar syrup, not just coconut extract in a jar.
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Toffee Nut Mocha (Made at Home for a Fraction of the Price)
The 2-minute assembly for a toffee nut mocha, combining our homemade mocha sauce and toffee nut syrup, 1 tbsp each -- about $0.92 a drink.
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Ube Coconut Cold Brew (Homemade, with Real Cost Math)
How to make an ube coconut cold brew at home -- a quick ube syrup batch, coconut milk, and a layered gradient pour -- for about $0.89 a drink.
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Vanilla Caramel Latte (Made at Home for a Fraction of the Price)
The 2-minute assembly for a vanilla caramel latte, combining our homemade vanilla syrup and caramel syrup, 1 tbsp each -- about $0.89 a drink.
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Sweetened Condensed Milk for Vietnamese Coffee (Standard)
The condensed-milk base behind our Vietnamese Iced Coffee -- straight canned sweetened condensed milk, portioned and priced out, no cooking required.
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Vietnamese Iced Coffee (Cà Phê Sữa Đá)
The real phin-filter method for Vietnamese iced coffee -- dark roast or robusta-style coffee, sweetened condensed milk, and why the roast matters here -- plus a workaround if you don't own a phin filter.
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White Chocolate Peppermint Mocha (Made at Home for a Fraction of the Price)
The 2-minute assembly for a white chocolate peppermint mocha, using a batch of homemade white mocha sauce plus a few drops of peppermint extract -- about $1.11 a drink.
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Brown Sugar Latte (Made at Home for a Fraction of the Price)
The 2-minute assembly for a brown sugar latte, using a batch of homemade brown sugar syrup — about $0.86 a drink, oat milk optional.
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Brown Sugar Syrup (Standard)
The homemade brown sugar syrup batch behind our Brown Sugar Latte — real brown sugar and water, nothing else, made in one pot.
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Cinnamon Dolce Latte (Made at Home for a Fraction of the Price)
The 2-minute assembly for a cinnamon dolce latte, using a batch of homemade cinnamon dolce syrup — about $0.87 a drink.
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Cinnamon Dolce Syrup (Standard)
The homemade cinnamon dolce syrup batch behind our Cinnamon Dolce Latte — real cinnamon and vanilla, no artificial flavoring, made in one pot.
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Cold Brew Concentrate (Plain, No Protein)
The base cold brew technique on its own: coarse grounds, a 1:4 ratio, a 12-24 hour steep, and a double strain — plus the real cost math against bottled and café cold brew.
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Hazelnut Latte (Made at Home for a Fraction of the Price)
The 2-minute assembly for a hazelnut latte, using a batch of homemade hazelnut syrup — about $0.91 a drink.
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Hazelnut Syrup (Standard)
The homemade hazelnut syrup batch behind our Hazelnut Latte — cane sugar syrup and real hazelnut extract, ready in about 10 minutes.
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Irish Cream Latte (Non-Alcoholic, Made at Home)
The 2-minute assembly for a non-alcoholic Irish Cream Latte, using a batch of homemade Irish cream syrup -- about $1.23 a drink.
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Irish Cream Syrup (Standard, Non-Alcoholic)
A sweetened condensed milk base with vanilla, a hint of cocoa, and non-alcoholic Irish cream flavoring -- the syrup behind our Irish Cream Latte.
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Maple Pecan Latte (Made at Home for a Fraction of the Price)
The 2-minute assembly for a maple pecan latte, using a batch of homemade maple pecan syrup — real maple sweetness and toasted-pecan flavor for about $1.60 a drink.
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Maple Pecan Syrup (Standard)
The homemade maple pecan syrup batch behind our Maple Pecan Latte — real maple syrup, butter pecan flavoring, and a pinch of salt, whisked together in minutes with no stovetop needed.
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Classic Pour-Over Coffee
The everyday pour-over recipe: 1:16 ratio, ~200°F water, a bloom step, and a staged pour — plus the real cost math against café drip coffee.
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Toffee Nut Latte (Made at Home for a Fraction of the Price)
The 2-minute assembly for a toffee nut latte, using a batch of homemade toffee nut syrup — about $0.91 a drink.
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Toffee Nut Syrup (Standard)
The homemade toffee nut syrup batch behind our Toffee Nut Latte — brown sugar, toffee/butterscotch extract, and a pinch of salt, ready in about 10 minutes.
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White Mocha (Made at Home for a Fraction of the Price)
The 2-minute assembly for a White Mocha, using a batch of homemade white chocolate sauce -- about $1.09 a drink.
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White Mocha Sauce (Standard)
The homemade white chocolate sauce behind our White Mocha -- real white chocolate melted with cream, no cocoa involved (white chocolate has none).
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Caramel Latte (Made at Home for a Fraction of the Price)
The 2-minute assembly for a caramel latte, using a batch of homemade caramel syrup — about $0.87 a drink.
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Caramel Syrup (Standard)
The homemade caramel syrup batch behind our Caramel Latte — real browned sugar, no corn syrup, made in one pan.
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Copycat Pumpkin Spice Latte (Make It at Home for a Fraction of the Price)
The 2-minute assembly for a copycat pumpkin spice latte, using a batch of homemade pumpkin spice syrup — about $0.90 a drink.
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Mocha (Made at Home for a Fraction of the Price)
The 2-minute assembly for a mocha, using a batch of homemade mocha sauce — about $0.93 a drink.
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Mocha Sauce (Standard)
The homemade chocolate mocha sauce behind our Mocha — cocoa powder and sugar simmered into a pourable sauce, no chocolate bar required.
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Proffee (Protein Cold Brew) — The Recipe and the Real Math
How to make proffee (protein powder blended into cold brew) at home, and the real cost math against bottled and café versions.
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Pumpkin Spice Syrup (Standard)
The homemade pumpkin spice syrup batch behind our Copycat Pumpkin Spice Latte — make it once, it keeps about 2 weeks in the fridge.
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Vanilla Latte (Made at Home for a Fraction of the Price)
The 2-minute assembly for a vanilla latte, using a batch of homemade vanilla syrup — about $0.91 a drink.
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Vanilla Syrup (Standard)
The homemade vanilla syrup batch behind our Vanilla Latte — make it once, it keeps about 2 weeks in the fridge.