If you're loving the new Starbucks Apple Crisp Macchiato, you're going to want to try this copycat recipe! Made with espresso, apple brown sugar simple syrup, and steamed milk, this sweet fall coffee drink is the perfect seasonal treat!
Fall's newest drink is here! Does anyone else eagerly anticipate the new seasonal drinks from Starbucks once autumn is almost here?
Lots of people are obsessed with Pumpkin Spice Lattes, but this year, Starbucks is adding a new seasonal flavor to their coffee selection... Apple!
And we're not talking apple cider; we're talking apple coffee. An Apple Crisp Macchiato to be more specific.
I'll admit I was a little skeptical that apple and coffee could work together. But I immediately went out to try the drink and guess what? It works. Somehow it really, really works.
I've seen several people compare the Apple Crisp Macchiato to those Caramel Apple Pops many of us enjoyed as kids and I definitely agree with that!
After realizing how delicious the new macchiato is, I decided to go home and try making one myself. It ended up being quite easy and I think it tastes super close to what you get at the coffeeshop!
What is a Macchiato?
This is an interesting question since a traditional macchiato is quite different than a Starbucks macchiato.
The word "macchiato" actually translates to "marked" from Italian, meaning the espresso is "marked" by a little bit of milk foam.
But Starbucks macchiatos are way more than "marked" by milk. In fact, they're mostly milk! The Caramel Macchiato recipe straight from the source itself calls for just 1 shot of espresso and an entire cup of milk.
That's technically more like a latte, but Starbucks is calling it a macchiato.
That means that you don't necessarily need to be a coffee lover to enjoy a macchiato from Starbucks.
And that's probably partly why coffee and apple work so well together here... There's a whole lot of milk involved!
Ingredients
You only need a few simple ingredients to make this copycat Apple Crisp Macchiato! They include:
- Apple Brown Sugar Syrup (I'll show you how to make this below)
- Brewed Espresso or Strong Coffee
- Milk (or dairy/dairy alternative of your choice), steamed with some frothed
- Caramel and ground cinnamon for topping, if desired
The Starbucks macchiato also has a "spiced apple" drizzle, but that seemed super close to the apple brown sugar syrup, so I used that instead. Plus, I drizzled on some caramel sauce for fun.
How to Make Apple Brown Sugar Syrup
This apple simple syrup is super easy to make and great to keep in your fridge during the fall season! I'll show you how to make it here, but I also have a full post on it if you want even more details.
If you really don't want to make your own simple syrup, I recommend buying an apple simple syrup and a brown sugar cinnamon simple syrup. I haven't tried this recipe with store-bought simple syrup, but I'm sure it would be close.
I usually make my simple syrups with granulated sugar, but since the Apple Crisp Macchiato calls for an apple brown sugar simple syrup, I used brown sugar instead for this one.
Starbucks doesn’t specify what kind of Apple they use, but I highly recommend a sweet apple.
I love Honeycrisp, but Fuji, Gala, and red delicious are also quite sweet.
To make the syrup, put water, brown sugar, sliced apples, and cinnamon in a medium saucepan and bring mixture to a boil.
Once boiling, lower heat and let simmer for about 15-20 minutes, until mixture thicken and apples have softened.
Strain mixture into a bowl, being sure to press down on the apples with a wooden spoon or spatula to extract as much juice as possible.
Keep syrup in bowl or pour into a mason jar and place in fridge to cool completely before using.
syrup will thicken as it cools.
How to Make Apple Crisp Macchiato
Now that your apple brown sugar simple syrup is done, you're ready to make the macchiato!
Simply heat the milk to about 140-150 degrees. You can do this in the microwave or on the stovetop (see below for how to heat the milk and froth it in a mason jar).
Now, add apple brown sugar simple syrup and brewed espresso to a heat-proof glass.
From all the research I did, I found that Starbucks generally uses 2 shots of espresso and 3 pumps of syrup in their grande macchiatos.
A shot of espresso is 1 ounce and there's a lot of conflicting information on how many ounces a pump of syrup is. Answers seem to range anywhere from .25 oz to 1 oz, but it seems the general consensus is .5 oz.
So, I recommend using 2 oz brewed espresso and 1 ½ oz apple brown sugar simple syrup. But, of course, you can use any measurements you want!
Now, pour in the steamed milk. And top off with frothed milk.
Drizzle on more of the simple syrup... And caramel sauce if you want to. I also recommend sprinkling a little ground cinnamon over the top.
This coffee drink tastes just like the Apple Crisp Macchiato you get at Starbucks! It's sweet and milky with a nice touch of apple flavoring.
I'm honestly shocked by how much I enjoy the apple flavor along with the coffee and milk, but it's so good!
How to Froth Milk Without a Frother
If you're serious about coffee drinks, chances are you own a milk frother. But if not, there's a super easy way for you to froth milk without one! Actually, there are quite a few ways, but this is one of my favorites.
When I use this technique, I do it for the froth and the steamed milk all in one.
Simply pour milk into a mason jar (no more than halfway full).
Put the lid on and shake the jar as hard as you can for about 30 seconds.
See how frothy it got just from shaking it?
Then pop it in the microwave for 30 seconds to a minute, depending on how much milk is in your jar.
I use about 1 ¼ cups milk for this recipe and heat it for 45 seconds.
You can pour the steamed milk right into your coffee and then spoon the froth in.
Check out that froth!
Do I Need to Froth the Milk?
Starbucks Apple Crisp Macchiato does have frothed milk in it, but if you don't feel like going through the effort, you can certainly leave it off and this drink will still be delicious.
And if you want a fun substitute, you can always add whipped cream instead!
What If This Drink Is Too Sweet for Me?
Use less simple syrup! Starbucks special drinks are certainly known for being sweet, but you can always order them with fewer pumps of syrup.
And, of course, when you're making them at home, you can use less syrup. Or more if you like a really, really sweet drink!
Can I Use Less Milk?
Yes! I tried to stay close to the ratios that Starbucks baristas use when making macchiatos, but once you have all the ingredients, you can use any measurements you want.
In fact, Starbucks macchiatos are a little too milky for me. I'm a black coffee drinker typically and while I do love a "treat" coffee from time to time, I still like more of a coffee flavor.
I've been making this apple crisp coffee with 1 oz. apple simple syrup, 4 oz. coffee, and 4 oz. milk with some froth. And it's still a milky sweet treat!
Can I Use a Non-Dairy Alternative?
Yup! Just like how at Starbucks you can order your drinks with almost any kind of milk or dairy/non-dairy alternative, you can use whatever you want in this Apple Crisp Macchiato, too.
Just note that all milks aren't made equal when it comes to frothing and some may be harder to froth than others.
More Starbucks Copycat Drinks
I love going to Starbucks, but sometimes it's fun to make their coffee (and tea) drinks at home. Plus I love making Starbucks-inspired treats for my dog! Here are some of my favorite recipes:
- Iced Sugar Cookie Almond Milk Latte
- Homemade Starbucks Pink Drink
- Shaken Watermelon and Passion Tea
- Strawberry Puppuccino
- Gingerbread Puppuccino
- Iced Peach Green Tea Lemonade (from The Healthful Ideas)
- Starbucks Salted Cream Cold Foam Cold Brew (from Lifestyle of a Foodie)
- Iced Brown Sugar Oatmilk Shaken Espresso (from Homemade By Haley)
I love that I now have a delicious alternative to Starbucks pumpkin spice lattes. Apple generally beats pumpkin in favorite fall flavor polls, so I hope this macchiato ends up sticking around!
What's your favorite seasonal Starbucks drink?
Apple Crisp Macchiato {Starbucks Copycat}
Ingredients
- 1 cup 2% milk (or dairy/non-dairy alternative of your choice)
- 1 ½ oz Apple Brown Sugar Simple Syrup (recipe below), plus more for drizzling
- 2 shots (2 oz) brewed espresso or strong coffee
- ¼ cup frothed milk
- Caramel sauce, for drizzling (optional)
- Ground cinnamon, for topping
Apple Brown Sugar Simple Syrup
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup brown sugar (I recommend dark for more caramel flavor, but you can use light too ), packed
- 2 apples, sliced (about 2 cups)
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Heat milk to about 140-150 degrees (you can do this in the microwave or on stovetop. See post and notes for how to steam and froth milk at the same time in a mason jar).
- Add apple brown sugar simple syrup and brewed espresso to a heat-proof glass.
- Pour in steamed milk and top off with froth.
- Drizzle with additional apple brown sugar simple syrup and caramel. And sprinkle on some cinnamon.
Apple Brown Sugar Simple Syrup
- Put water, sugar, sliced apples, and cinnamon in a medium saucepan and bring mixture to a boil.
- Once boiling, lower heat and let simmer for about 15-20 minutes, until mixture thickens and apples have softened.
- Strain mixture into a bowl, being sure to press down on the apples with a wooden spoon or spatula to extract as much juice as possible.
- Keep syrup in bowl or pour into a mason jar and place in fridge to cool completely before using. Syrup will continue to thicken as it cools.
Notes
- To steam and froth milk at the same time without a frother, pour about 1 ¼ cups milk into a mason jar and shake vigorously for about 30 seconds. Place in microwave for 30-45 seconds, until about 140-150 degrees. Pour 1 cup steamed milk into the macchiato and spoon froth over the top.
- If you prefer not to froth the milk, you can leave it out and the drink will still be delicious. Feel free to top with whipped cream if you want.
- If this drink is too sweet or too milky for you, you can certainly play around with the ratios to get the strength and flavor that you like best!
- I recommend using a sweet apple like Honeycrisp, Fuji, Gala, etc.
- You should get about 1 ¼ cups of simple syrup with this recipe.
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Sharon says
This post is great…I can’t wait to try it!
AJ says
The apple crisp “syrup” is still liquid after 45 minutes of simmering AND boiling, and it isn’t nearly as godly as the Starbucks version.
Janelle says
Delicious and way easier to make than I expected! Not sure it’s EXACTLY like Starbucks, but it’s pretty darn close.
Sues says
@AJ I’m so sorry to hear that! I’m not exactly sure what the problem could
be as I’ve made this multiple times and sugar and water simmered together should definitely form syrup. I wonder if your apples were very watery and not sweet? I’ve updated the post to offer Apple recommendations. I always use honeycrisp or gala when making this syrup.
Sarah B says
Amazing! The drink is delicious but I’m also planning to put that syrup on everything this fall, it’s so good!’
Grace says
So good! Just the thing I need to get me through my day!
Miranda Jacobs says
I’ve made a couple of copycat recipes for this and this one tastes the most legit since it has Starbucks actual measurements and Apple brown sugar syrup! Though I have to say every time I go to Starbucks it tastes a bit different depending on who is making it. In any event, this version is delicious!
Nancy says
I've tried a couple of recipes trying to make this drink and this is the closest to the real thing i could find. Not exactly the same, but still very good!
Carina says
I put a little spin on this and used store bought apple cider as the base for the simple syrup and mixed the brown sugar into that to get a bit more apple flavor.
Patty Gioia says
I just made the syrup, can't wait to try it my question is does the syrup need to be refrigerated or and it stay out?
Sues says
@Patty- Yes, you should keep it in the fridge. I hope you enjoy it!