Iced Toasted Vanilla Oatmilk Shaken Espresso {Starbucks Copycat}

Have you tried Starbucks' newest shaken espresso drink yet? This copycat version of the Iced Toasted Vanilla Oatmilk Shaken Espresso is a refreshing iced espresso drink packed with delicious multi-layered vanilla flavor. And it's so easy to make at home!

Happy spring! You know warmer weather is on the way when Starbucks comes out with their new spring drinks.

This year, I'm really excited they're introducing a new shaken espresso drink. Shaken espressos are one of my favorite iced coffee drinks and this one has a fun and unique kick to it... Toasted vanilla syrup!

If you love the Iced Toasted Vanilla Oatmilk Shaken Espresso, I have lots of tips for how you can make your own at home. I'm also happy to share lots of modifications to the drink to perfect it to your own personal tastes!

Starting my day with an iced shaken espresso and homemade egg bites makes me so happy!

Why You'll Love This Recipe

If you're a fan of shaken espressos, I think you're really going to like this one! The shaken espresso is one of my favorite iced drinks because it's not too sweet; still has great coffee flavor; and is really easy to customize in terms of sweetness level, espresso strength, and dairy options.

The toasted vanilla flavor is added in via a syrup and it's such a fun twist on the traditional vanilla syrup. It's easy to make and has lots of other uses than just adding to coffee!

In fact, this whole coffee drink is easy to make and doesn't require any special equipment or anything fancy. You'll feel like a Starbucks barista pro once you learn to make it!

What is a Shaken Espresso

A shaken espresso is exactly what it sounds like! Espresso that's vigorously shaken with ice to make it nice and frothy. It's mellowed out with a flavored syrup for sweetness and the dairy of your choice.

It's a super refreshing and invigorating coffee drink!

Ingredients

You don't need too many ingredients to make this shaken espresso drink. However, you will need to make the toasted vanilla syrup... But don't worry; it's quite easy!

Here's everything you need:

• Light roast espresso (I recommend Starbucks Verdana Blend, which is their blonde roast) or strongly brewed coffee (see below for substitutes)
• Toasted vanilla syrup (see below for how to make it)
• Oat milk (see below for substitutes)
• Ice

And here's what you'll need for the toasted vanilla syrup:

• Vanilla bean
• Water
• Granulated sugar

How to Make Toasted Vanilla Syrup

The first thing you'll want to do is make your syrup since it will need time to cool. I have a very detailed post on making vanilla syrup... This follows the same basic technique, except you'll toast your vanilla bean before turning it into syrup. I also simmer my vanilla bean in the syrup mixture to infuse more of the toasted vanilla flavor instantly.

If you're looking for the best vanilla beans to purchase, these Grade B vanilla beans will work perfectly.

Before toasting it, I slice the vanilla bean in half lengthwise (so the paste is showing) and then into small pieces.

You have two different options for toasting your vanilla bean. You can put it on a tray in your toaster oven for a few minutes, stirring it on occasion and being sure to watch it carefully so it doesn't burn. You'll know it's done when it emits a yummy toasted vanilla fragrance.

Or you can put the vanilla bean in a skillet over medium-low heat and cook, stirring on occasion, for about 2 minutes, until fragrant.

I tried both methods and both worked well, so it's really a matter of preference and, of course, if you happen to have a toaster oven or not.

Once the vanilla bean is toasted, put the water and sugar in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil.

Lower heat, add toasted vanilla bean pieces, and let mixture simmer for about 10 minutes until sugar is completely dissolved and mixture has thickened a bit.

Pour the toasted vanilla syrup into a heat-proof bowl or mason jar and let cool. Syrup will thicken more as it cools.

I recommend keeping vanilla bean pieces in syrup to continue infusing flavor. Just be sure to filter out before using.

Currently, I haven't been able to find any toasted vanilla syrups on the market, so unfortunately, you'll have to make your own if you want this exact drink.

I did spot a couple different toasted marshmallow syrups that likely have a similar flavor, so those might be worth trying in this drink.

Ratio of Ingredients in Shaken Espressos

I did a lot of research to determine the ratio of ingredients for a shaken espresso and came across lots of conflicting information. In fact, I found entire Reddit threads from Starbucks baristas confused about how they should be making the drink.

The biggest confusion is in terms of how much syrup to use. The Starbucks website calls for 4 pumps in a grande and since a pump of syrup is about ½ ounce, that would be 2 ounces of syrup. However, many baristas claim that for shaken espressos, they're only supposed to use ½ pumps... Which would mean 1 ounce of syrup total. Baristas couldn't even agree on the correct amount!

Ultimately, I'm recommending somewhere in between that with 1 ½ ounces of toasted vanilla syrup in this drink. However, if you want sweeter, you can add more... And if it's too sweet, you can use less. That's the beauty of making Starbucks drinks at home!

Aside from that, we know they use 3 shots of espresso in a grande shaken espresso, which is 3 ounces.

They don't specify the milk amount, but ½ cup filled up my grande ice-filled cup and tasted perfect.

How to Make Iced Toasted Vanilla Shaken Espresso

Now that your syrup is made and cool, the rest of this drink is so easy to make!

Just pour espresso and toasted vanilla syrup into a mason jar or cocktail shaker filled with ice.

And shake vigorously for about 20 seconds until espresso is nice and frothy.

Look at that espresso froth!

Now, fill your grande size cup with ice.

And pour the shaken espresso into it.

And fill the rest of the way with oatmilk.

I love the beautiful separation that occurs, though of course, you can stir everything up before drinking.

This toasted vanilla shaken espresso is a seriously delicious drink! It has a wonderful fragrant sweetness to it... a sweetness that goes a bit beyond the typical vanilla for a more luxurious feel.

And adding to that luxury is the oat milk that makes this espresso drink creamier and more flavorful than the typical iced latte.

Substitutions and Modifications

I'm sharing this drink recipe as close to Starbucks as I can get it. But, of course, lots of people order drinks at Starbucks with all kinds of modifications and substitutions. Once you have the basic recipe down, there's so much you can do with this drink to suit it more to your tastes.

Here are some ideas:

• Add more or less sweetness: If this drink is too sweet for you or not sweet enough, adjust the amount of syrup you're using. You can also feel free to add more or less espresso and/or oatmilk based on your preferences.

• If you're not a fan of oat milk or don't have any on hand, you can use any kind of dairy or nondairy alternative to make this drink. Regular milk, almond milk, or coconut milk will all change the flavor profile slightly, but the delicious toasted vanilla flavor will still be there!

• Starbucks uses blonde roast for this shaken espresso, but if you like a darker roast, you can certainly substitute.

• I've heard some people say they aren't fans of the toasted vanilla syrup and that it's too fragrant or perfume-y. You can certainly make this drink with the syrup flavor of your choice! I especially recommend cinnamon dolce syrup. It obviously won't be a "toasted vanilla shaken espresso," but it will still be delicious.

• Like I mentioned above, I couldn't find a store-bought option for toasted vanilla syrup. But this toasted marshmallow syrup is likely pretty similar... And there are other toasted marshmallow options on the market!

No matter what, it's easy to make this the drink of your dreams.

And I know that I'll now be shaking my espresso and/or coffee over ice before serving it every time I'm in the mood for iced coffee!

I love when I manage to make a Starbucks copycat drink that's basically spot-on with the original and this one certainly is!

I can't exactly say why, but there's something about shaken espresso that makes it so much more refreshing and tasty than a typical iced espresso drink.

Can I Make This Drink Hot?

Well, technically you can't make a shaken espresso drink hot since the whole technique behind shaken espressos is to shake the coffee with ice.

If you like the idea of this drink, but in hot coffee form, I recommend making a blonde latte or americano with the toasted vanilla syrup, oatmilk, and extra foam.

More Starbucks Copycat Recipes

I'll never turn down a trip to Starbucks, but I also love re-creating their drinks at home. Here are some of my favorite Starbucks copycat recipes... Please let me know if there are others you want to see here!

• Pistachio Latte
• Apple Crisp Macchiato
• Pink Drink
• Chocolate-Covered Strawberry Frappuccino
• Iced Sugar Cookie Almond Milk Latte
• Shaken Watermelon and Passion Tea
• Iced Matcha Chai Latte (from Healthful Ideas)

I even have some fun Puppuccino recipes for your dog friends! My pup loves this Strawberry Puppuccino and this Gingerbread Puppuccino.

I hope this Iced Toasted Vanilla Oatmilk Shaken Espresso makes your last days of winter and early days of spring a little brighter. Really, this is the kind of coffee drink that can be enjoyed all year round!

Do you have a go-to order at Starbucks or do you love trying new drinks?

📖 Recipe

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