Vanilla Caramel Latte (Made at Home for a Fraction of the Price)

A vanilla caramel latte pairs our Vanilla Latte with our Caramel Latte — two of the most-ordered café syrups in one drink, round vanilla sweetness plus a browned-sugar edge from real caramelized cane sugar. No new syrup to build: just 1 tbsp of each base you likely already make separately.

Make Both Bases First (Just Once)

This recipe assumes you already have a jar each of Vanilla Syrup and Caramel Syrup in the fridge — both quick batches (10 and 20 minutes respectively, the caramel taking longer since it’s a real browned-sugar cook), each making about 12 drinks and keeping about 2 weeks. If you’re building your first jar of either, make that one first, then come back here.

Building the Drink

1. Pull a double shot of espresso (about 2oz) directly into your cup, or brew a strong coffee/moka pot equivalent.
2. Stir in 1 tbsp of the vanilla syrup and 1 tbsp of the caramel syrup while the espresso is still hot — the same 2 tbsp of total flavoring as any single-flavor latte here, split between the two.
3. Steam or froth 8oz of milk to about 150°F (see How to Make a Latte at Home for the full technique) and pour it over the espresso mixture.
4. Top with whipped cream and an extra drizzle of caramel if you want the full café look.

Café grande vanilla caramel latte (specialty-menu pricing, tax included)$6.15

Home vanilla caramel latte (espresso, milk, both syrups)~$0.89

Savings per drink$5.26

Both syrups together cost about $1.60 total to make (~$1.05 for the Vanilla Syrup batch, ~$0.55 for the Caramel Syrup batch — this is one of the cheapest combos on the site, since caramel syrup itself is just browned sugar and water). Each batch covers about 12 drinks on its own, and since this recipe only uses 1 tbsp of each per drink, one pair of batches stretches to around 12 vanilla caramel lattes.

Assumptions: grande-size drink, national-average specialty-menu pricing for a two-flavor combo drink, dairy milk, $16/lb specialty beans or equivalent grocery beans. No seasonal ceiling on this one — at 5 vanilla caramel lattes a week over the site’s standard 48-week year, that’s roughly $1,262/year back in your pocket versus the café version.

Swaps & Notes

• No espresso machine? A moka pot or strong AeroPress shot works fine.
• Want it more vanilla-forward or more caramel-forward? Shift the ratio — 1.5 tbsp vanilla syrup + 0.5 tbsp caramel syrup leans vanilla, or the reverse leans caramel. The math above assumes an even 1:1 split.
• Only have one of the two bases made? Make the plain Vanilla Latte or plain Caramel Latte instead rather than doubling up on whichever jar you have.
• Watching sugar? Both bases here are the classic-flavor Standard versions. Swap in the Sugar-Free Vanilla Syrup and Sugar-Free Caramel Syrup (same 1 tbsp each method) for a lower-sugar build, or the Vanilla-Maple Syrup and Maple Caramel Syrup for a refined-sugar-free version.
• Iced version: use the Hot/Iced toggle above the ingredients to switch — less milk (about 4oz cold over ice instead of 8oz steamed), same method as every other iced drink on the site.

Recipe Card Summary

Vanilla Caramel Latte

• 2oz espresso + 8oz steamed milk + 1 tbsp Vanilla Syrup + 1 tbsp Caramel Syrup (both made ahead)
• Prep time: 5 minutes (after both bases are made) · Total: 5 minutes
• Cost: ~$0.89/drink vs. $6.15 café equivalent

FAQ

Do I need to make a whole new syrup for this?

No — it’s built from 1 tbsp each of the Vanilla Syrup and Caramel Syrup you’d already make for our plain Vanilla Latte and Caramel Latte recipes.

Why 1 tbsp of each instead of 2 tbsp of one plus a splash of the other?

Keeping it to 1 tbsp + 1 tbsp holds the total flavoring at 2 tablespoons, the same ratio every other latte on this site uses against 2oz espresso and 8oz milk — so the drink doesn’t end up oversweet from stacking two full servings.

Can I make this without an espresso machine?

Yes — a moka pot, AeroPress, or even strong drip coffee works. See How to Make a Latte at Home for the no-machine method.