Until recently, I had never heard of Starbucks' smoked butterscotch latte, but I'm so glad I saw it in the grocery store a few weeks ago! I had a lot of fun taste testing this copycat recipe for you all to enjoy. Flex those barista muscles and let's make a specialty coffee drink!
If you like Starbucks coffee drinks, make sure to try my copycat recipes for apple crisp macchiato and pumpkin cream cold brew.
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Ingredients
Let's talk about the key ingredients in this smoked butterscotch latte.
- Smoked Butterscotch Syrup: You need dark brown sugar, unsalted butter, sugar, heavy cream, and a few drops of liquid smoke (affiliate) for flavor.
- Molasses: This increases the rich sweetness and smokiness of the latte.
- Espresso: If you don't have an espresso machine, use moka pot coffee (affiliate) instead.
How to Make
- Melt the butter in a saucepan, then whisk in the brown sugar until dissolved. Bring the mixture to a boil, then whisk in the cream and cook for 7 minutes. Pour into a glass jar or jug to cool, then add 15-20 drops of liquid smoke to give it a mild smoky flavor.
- Warm the cream in the microwave or in a saucepan, then froth it with a milk frother until it's doubled in size. You can also froth it by shaking it vigorously in a jar.
3. Put 3 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon of the smoked butterscotch sauce into a mug. Add ½ cup of strong coffee or ¼ cup moka pot coffee.
4. Pour in 2 tablespoons of the frothed cream.
5. Don't forget the 1 teaspoon of molasses for a darker color and richer flavor.
6. Stir everything together until well blended. Top the latte with the remaining frothed cream, sprinkle with demerara sugar, and enjoy!
Recipe FAQs
Unfortunately, the smoked butterscotch latte was a seasonal drink, and hasn't come back yet. At least you can make this delicious copycat recipe and enjoy it at home!
Although Starbucks doesn't sell their smoked butterscotch syrup anymore, you can order something similar. Simply ask for equal pumps of caramel and toffee nut syrups in a standard latte.
Yes, it's a really unique latte that's absolutely delicious! The smoky flavor is quite subtle, but the butterscotch flavor blending with the steamed milk and espresso is lovely.
Our Starbucks copycat latte recipe contains just four simple ingredients: homemade buttersctoch sauce, coffee, cream, and molasses.
Expert Tips
- Make your own sauce. Store-bought won't taste half as good as homemade.
- Use dark brown sugar in the butterscotch sauce; otherwise, it won't have the same flavor.
- Add the liquid smoke to taste. You need enough to add a smoky hint, but not too much.
- Use dark roast coffee or espresso for the best taste.
- In a hurry? Make the latte ahead of time and keep it in the fridge for later. It will reheat nicely in the microwave, or taste good over ice.
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Recipe
Starbucks Copycat Smoked Butterscotch Latte
Ingredients
For the Smoked Butterscotch Sauce
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup dark brown sugar, packed
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 15-20 drops liquid smoke
For One Latte
- ⅓ cup heavy whipping cream
- 3 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon smoked butterscotch sauce
- ½ cup strong coffee or ¼ cup espresso
- 1 teaspoon molasses
- Sprinkle of demerara sugar, for garnish
Instructions
Making the Sauce
- Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, then whisk in the brown sugar until smooth. Bring the mixture to a boil, then turn down the heat to medium and whisk in the cream. Cook for 5-7 minutes, whisking occasionally to prevent the sauce from burning.
- Immediately pour the sauce into a large mason jar or bowl. Once it has cooled some, mix in a few drops of liquid smoke. Taste and add more until a slightly smoky flavor is reached.
Making the Latte
- Heat the cream in the microwave or in a saucepan until it's steaming.
- Put 3 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon of the butterscotch sauce into a mug. Add the coffee, 2 tablespoons of warm cream, and molasses, then stir until smooth.
- Froth the remaining cream until it's doubled in volume using a milk frother or shaking it vigorously in a jar, then pour it on top of the latte and sprinkle a little demerara sugar on top.
- Enjoy immediately.
Notes
- Make your own sauce. Store-bought won't taste half as good as homemade.
- Use dark brown sugar in the butterscotch sauce; otherwise, it won't have the same flavor.
- Add the liquid smoke to taste. You need enough to add a smoky hint, but not too much.
- Don't have an espresso machine? Use moka pot coffee instead.
- In a hurry? Make the latte ahead of time and keep it in the fridge for later. It will reheat nicely in the microwave, or taste good over ice.
Nutrition
Serving sizes and nutritional information are only an estimate and may vary from your results.
This post was updated on February 10, 2020 and was republished on November 20, 2021 with reformatted content and updated FAQs and recipe instructions.
Carissa Clawser
Emma, u r a genius.. this is amazing! The perfect amount of molasses mixed with the butterscotch sauce and it tastes EXACTLY like the Starbucks drink! I'm soooo happy to have found it, i was so disappointed when they didn't bring it back this season. Thank u!
Emma
Thank you so much, Carissa! I'm beyond thrilled that you enjoyed this latte so much. I try to make my recipe taste as close to the original as I can make it!
Rachael
This was amazing! Better than the real thing, in my opinion, and so easy to make!
Emma
That's fantastic, Rachael! I'm glad that you thought it tasted better than the Starbucks version.
Ruth Duran
It was delicious 😋 and my picky husband agreed
Emma
Thank you so much, Ruth! That smoked butterscotch converted my non-butterscotch-loving sister to enjoy it!
Ciera
I used it in iced coffee and it was delicious! How should the rest of the Smoked Butterscotch sauce be stored? I have it in a mason jar but should I keep it refrigerated or can it stay out?
Emma
Hi Ciera! The butterscotch sauce definitely does need to be refrigerated, since it contains cream. I'm so glad that you enjoyed the sauce!
Beth
The smoky flavor and molasses complement the creaminess and coffee. This drink has complex flavors that taste super good!
Emma
Thank you, Beth! I love the smoky butterscotch flavor, too.