Iced Hazelnut Oatmilk Shaken Espresso {Starbucks Copycat}

It's nutty season at Starbucks and we're all here for the new Iced Hazelnut Oatmilk Shaken Espresso! My copycat recipe for this hazelnut iced drink is so easy to make and customize at home.

Jump to:

• ☕️ What is the hazelnut shaken espresso?
• ❤️ Why you'll love this recipe
• 🗒 Ingredients
• 🌰 How to make hazelnut syrup
• 👩‍🍳 How to make iced hazelnut oatmilk shaken espresso
• 🥛 Do I have to use oat milk?
• 🔥 Can I make this drink hot?
• 🎉 Variations on recipe
• ⚡️ How much caffeine is in this drink?
• 🧋 More Starbucks winter drink copycats
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Comments

Winter is nut season at Starbucks! Really though, now that all things gingerbread and peppermint are gone from the coffee shop, they're introducing nutty coffee drinks for January 2023.

The Pistachio Latte and Pistachio Cream Cold Brew are back (and I already have copycat recipes for both!). And now they're introducing a new nut to the winter line-up... the hazelnut!

The newest drink is the Starbucks Iced Hazelnut Oatmilk Shaken Espresso. Not only is it delicious, but it's one of the easier drinks to make at home!

☕️ What is the hazelnut shaken espresso?

I've seen a lot of people disappointed in the winter 2023 Starbucks launch. And I get it... I really do. It doesn't feel that exciting. And if you're not into nutty flavors, you're not going to be thrilled with any of the drinks on the menu.

But I really do urge you to at least give the hazelnut shaken espresso a try. It's absolutely delicious and, in my opinion, it's much tastier than any hot hazelnut coffee I've ever tried.

According to Starbucks, the drink is "blonde espresso combined with notes of roasted hazelnut, shaken together with ice and topped with oatmilk."

It consists of just blonde espresso (though you can use whatever kind you want), hazelnut syrup, ice, and oat milk. How simple is that?

❤️ Why you'll love this recipe

You'll love this recipe for the Iced Hazelnut Oatmilk Shaken Espresso because it tastes just like the one you get in the coffee shop and it's so easy to make!

I like to make mine with a homemade hazelnut syrup, but to make the recipe even easier, you can purchase the syrup. Then you just need a few minutes to make the iced coffee drink!

It's also easy to customize based on your own personal tastes and I have some recommendations for you later in this post.

🗒 Ingredients

You really don't need many ingredients to make this drink! Here's everything required (be sure to view the recipe card at the bottom of this post for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions):

• Brewed blonde roast espresso: you can use any kind of espresso you want or even strongly brewed coffee).
• Hazelnut syrup: I am sharing my own homemade hazelnut syrup recipe in this post or you can purchase store-bought hazelnut syrup (the one linked is the one Starbucks uses, but you can also buy a less expensive version).
• Ice
• Oat milk: If you don't like oat milk, you can use the dairy or non-dairy alternative of your choice.

If you're making my homemade hazelnut syrup, too, here's what you need:

• Water
• Granulated sugar
• Roughly chopped roasted hazelnuts: if you don't want to use hazelnuts, you can substitute with hazelnut extract. If you're hazelnuts aren't roasted, I do recommend roasting them in the oven before during them into syrup as this really adds to the flavor of the drink.

🌰 How to make hazelnut syrup

If you are planning to make your own hazelnut syrup, it's super simple! I have a whole post with lots of details on the process (including lots of uses for it), but will also list the recipe here, so you can follow along.

To start, put water, sugar, and chopped hazelnuts (or extract) in a medium saucepan and bring mixture to a boil.

Once boiling, lower heat and let simmer for about 10 minutes, until mixture has thickened a bit. Remove from heat.

If you're using chopped hazelnuts, I recommend letting the mixture rest for about 30 minutes so the hazelnut flavor can continue to infuse into the syrup. But if you're in a rush, you can strain it right away.

When ready, strain the mixture into a heat-proof bowl, leaving behind the hazelnuts. I do highly recommend saving the hazelnuts for snacking or topping ice cream with. They're so good!

If you're using extract, just pour the syrup into a heat-proof bowl or jar.

Keep mixture in bowl or transfer into a mason jar and place in fridge to cool completely. Syrup will continue to thicken as it cools.

It should stay fresh in your fridge for about a month after making.

👩‍🍳 How to make iced hazelnut oatmilk shaken espresso

Now that you either made your hazelnut syrup or bought it, you're ready to whip up your Starbucks shaken espresso. I think you'll be shocked by how easy it is!

All you need to do is pour 3 oz espresso and 2 oz hazelnut syrup into a mason jar or cocktail shaker filled with ice.

Shake vigorously for about 20 seconds until espresso is nice and frothy. That's why they call it a shaken espresso!

And pour the entire contents of the shaker, including the ice, into a glass.

Top with about 4 oz oat milk.

You can give it a good stir if you want it all to blend together. And then take a big sip and you'll see why Starbucks made this their new drink for the winter!

It's perfectly nutty thanks in part to the roasted hazelnuts and oat milk. It's the kind of drink you crave in the winter as it feels more substantial and warming than lots of other iced drinks.

I'm pretty sure this drink pairs perfectly with a slice of Starbucks lemon loaf!

🥛 Do I have to use oat milk?

No, you don't! Of course, oat milk is in the name of the Starbucks drink, but one of the best parts about making copycat drinks at home is that you can make them however you want.

Almond milk or soy milk would also be delicious, as would any of the typical dairy milks. I haven't tried it, but I think coconut milk would complement the hazelnut flavor so well and would be absolutely lovely!

🔥 Can I make this drink hot?

You can't really make an iced shaken espresso hot because the whole technique of a shaken espresso is shaking it with ice.

But if you prefer hot drinks in the winter, you can easily add the hazelnut syrup to a blonde espresso and add in some oat milk.

🎉 Variations on recipe

As I mentioned, one of the best things about making the Starbucks Iced Hazelnut Oatmilk Shaken Espresso at home is that you can easily make your own variations to it! Here are some fun ideas:

• Add a pump or two of white mocha sauce, chocolate syrup, or caramel sauce for a delicious depth of flavor.

• Add more espresso if you like a bigger buzz. You can also add more or less hazelnut syrup depending on how much sweetness you like.

• Add cinnamon, a cinnamon stick, or a little cinnamon dolce syrup for some warming spice.

• Top with whipped cream or a sweet cream cold foam.

• Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream for an affogato-style shaken espresso.

• If you're one of the people who isn't excited by hazelnut, you can, of course, swap out the hazelnut syrup for any syrup flavor of your choice. I already share recipes with you for the Apple Crisp Shaken Espresso, the Toasted Vanilla Shaken Espresso, and the Brown Sugar Shaken Espresso. But cinnamon dolce syrup, caramel syrup, and pistachio syrup would also make great shaken espressos.

⚡️ How much caffeine is in this drink?

According to Starbucks, there are about 255 mg of caffeine in this hazelnut shaken espresso.

For reference, a standard grande iced coffee from Starbucks has about 165 mg caffeine in it.

🧋 More Starbucks winter drink copycats

If hazelnut isn't quite your thing, don't worry because I have plenty more Starbucks winter drink copycats! Honestly, you can make any drink a winter drink, so check out my full Starbucks copycat collection and in the meantime, here are some of my favorites:

If you're ready to go nuts for the winter, you need to try Starbucks Iced Hazelnut Oatmilk Shaken Espresso at home!

Let me know how you're customizing it for yourself!

📖 Recipe