Though the

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It seems like so many of
I'm totally OK with that because I love indulging in Pumpkin Chai Lattes, Cranberry Refreshers, and Lavender Frappuccinos.
But it feels like it's been a while since an actual coffee drink has been introduced. But in the January 2025 menu update, a new coffee option entered the scene: the cortado.
Now they offer both a basic cortado and a more fun Brown Sugar Oatmilk Cortado.
While some coffee connoisseurs are thrilled by this new way to order hot coffee at
Because in true
In this post, I'll explain how
☕️ What is a cortado?
Traditionally, a cortado is a coffee beverage that consists of equal parts espresso and steamed milk, typically served in a small (generally 4 or 4 ½ ounce) glass.
The name comes from the Spanish word "cortar," which means "to cut" as the strong espresso is being "cut" with steamed milk.
A standard cortado is 2 ounces espresso (roughly 2 shots) and 2 ounces of steamed milk, for a total of 4 ounces of liquid.
The drink is usually served in a Gibraltar or Duralex Picardie glass.
🧐 How is Starbucks ' cortado different?
Let's just say
According to the coffeeshop, customers have been asking for a cortado to be added to the menu for a long time. But now that it's available, many are not thrilled.
Because
To start,
Of course, a ristretto shot is stronger than a standard espresso shot (it uses just as much espresso, but less water), so you may be thinking this is all well and good for a cortado if you're still using an equal amount of milk.
The problem is,
At least in the Brown Sugar Oatmilk Cortado, we're also using an ounce of brown sugar syrup. But that still means the
There's not anything necessarily wrong with this drink; in fact, I find it quite delicious! The issue is more that they're calling it a cortado when it's actually not a cortado.
Not only is this upsetting some customers, but it's likely going to confuse others if they ever order the drink at a different coffee shop.
🗒 Ingredients
Since this is a
Here's everything you need for the drink (be sure to view the recipe card at the bottom of this post for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions):
- Ristretto shots: if you don't have an espresso machine that can make ristretto shots, just use very strongly brewed espresso. You can even use Nespresso ristretto capsules.
- Brown sugar syrup: I'll show you how to make your own, but you can also use a store-bought bottle of brown sugar syrup if you prefer (you can even purchase Starbucks brown sugar syrup).
- Oat milk: you can use any kind of dairy/non-dairy alternative you want, but
Starbucks uses oat milk in their cortado. - Cinnamon: for sprinkling over the top
Here's what you need if you're making your own brown sugar syrup:
- Water
- Brown sugar
🥣 How to make brown sugar syrup
Making brown sugar syrup from scratch is super easy!
All you have to do is put the water and brown sugar into a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
Once the mixture is boiling, lower the heat and let the mixture simmer for about 10 minutes, until sugar is completely dissolved and the syrup has thickened a bit. It will continue to thicken as it cools.
Now, remove the saucepan from the heat and pour the syrup into a heat-proof bowl or mason jar.
Place bowl or jar in fridge to cool completely before using.
Check out my brown sugar syrup recipe post for lots of ideas for other ways you can use the syrup!
👩🍳 How to make cortado
Now, for making the cortado how they do at
Start by brewing 3 ristretto shots in your espresso machine.
If you don't have a machine that can make ristretto shots, simply make 1 ½ ounces of strongly brewed espresso.
Add it to a glass (I recommend an 8 ounce glass like
Steam about 5 ounces of milk. I use the steam wand on my espresso machine, but you could also use a handheld or electric frother or put the milk in a mason jar in the microwave.
Pour the steamed milk over the espresso. Typically, cortados have very minimal froth on them, but the
Sprinkle the top of the drink with ground cinnamon.
This is ultimately a lovely and very tasty drink, if not quite different from a standard cortado.
Still, the strength of the ristretto shots does come through and the brown sugar syrup and oat milk add the perfect touch of sweetness.
😍 How to make this into a traditional cortado
If you like
- 2 ounces espresso (not ristretto shots)
- ½ ounce brown sugar syrup
- 2 ounces oat milk
Of course, a traditional cortado wouldn't use oat milk or syrup either, but at least the measurements are more accurate here!
I recommend serving this in a smaller glass.
🎉 Variations on recipe
OK, now that I've written you an encyclopedia on how
Because isn't part of the fun of
Here are some fun ideas:
- If you're not a fan of brown sugar, use the syrup flavoring of your choice. Cinnamon dolce syrup or vanilla syrup would both be good options.
- Use the dairy or non-dairy alternative of your choice. Whole milk would be the traditional cortado choice, but feel free to use a lighter dairy milk, coconut milk, almond milk, or soy milk.
- Sprinkle pumpkin pie spice, nutmeg, or the spice of your choice over the top of the drink.
- Drizzle the drink with caramel sauce or mocha sauce for extra indulgence.
If
🥤 More Starbucks coffee copycat recipes
If you weren't already aware,
Some people think they do this to make it harder for people to replicate their drinks, especially if they go to another coffee shop to order them.
But with my
Here are some of my favorite
And, of course, lots of people can't live without the Pumpkin Spice Latte!
I hope this post taught you a little bit about what a cortado is and how a traditional one compares to the
However you like your coffee, make it your own when you make it at home!
📖 Recipe

Brown Sugar Oatmilk Cortado {Starbucks Copycat}
Ingredients
- 3 shots (about 1 ½ ounces) ristretto espresso (or 1 ½ ounces really strong espresso)
- 1 oz brown sugar syrup homemade with recipe below or store-bought
- 5 oz steamed oat milk
- Ground cinnamon for topping
Brown Sugar Syrup
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup brown sugar (your choice of dark or light)
Instructions
- Pull 3 ristretto shots of espresso into an 8-ounce cup.
- Stir in 1 ounce brown sugar syrup.
- Steam about 5 ounces of oat milk, either using the steam wand on your espresso machine, with a handheld or electric milk frother, or in a jar in the microwave.
- Pour the steamed oat milk over the espresso and syrup mixture.
- Sprinkle cinnamon over the top.
Brown Sugar Syrup
- Add water and brown sugar to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Once boiling, lower heat and let mixture simmer for about 10 minutes, until sugar is completely dissolved and syrup has thickened a bit (it will continue to thicken as it cools).
- Remove saucepan from heat and pour syrup into a heat-proof bowl or mason jar. Place bowl or jar in fridge to cool completely before using.
Notes
- For a traditional cortado drink that has brown sugar flavor, I recommend using the following:
- 2 ounces espresso
- ½ ounce brown sugar syrup
- 2 ounces steamed milk
- Ground cinnamon for sprinkling
- When stored in an airtight container in the fridge, brown sugar syrup should keep fresh for about a month.
Barbars says
made the brown sugar syrup, frothed oat milk and did a double shot in the Keurig -- turned out delicious!