The best dupe for Starbucks brown sugar syrup recipe is perfect for a homemade Starbucks Oatmilk brown sugar shaken espresso! This is a true Starbucks brown sugar syrup dupe that will save you time and money by whipping up your favorite iced coffee drinks at home!
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For more coffee goodness, check out my Sweet Cream Cold Foam Recipe, my Starbucks Pumpkin Sauce, and my Iced Sugar Cookie Almond Milk Latte (Starbucks Copycat)!
Jump to:
- What is the brown sugar syrup at Starbucks?
- What is the closest thing to brown sugar syrup?
- Can you buy a bottle of brown sugar syrup at Starbucks?
- What is the brown sugar syrup at Starbucks made of?
- Equipment
- Instructions
- Variation: Apple Brown Sugar Syrup
- Storage
- Top Tip
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Related
- 📖 Recipe
- 💬 Comments
What is the brown sugar syrup at Starbucks?
Before we delve into how to make a Starbucks Brown Sugar Syrup dupe, let's understand what it is. Simply put, it's a vanilla syrup infused with the rich, caramelized flavor of brown sugar and cinnamon powder. Starbucks uses this delightful liquid sweetener in their coffee shops to add sweetness and depth to the Iced Brown Sugar Oat Milk Shaken Espresso, and various other drinks on their menu.
What is the closest thing to brown sugar syrup?
The secret behind the allure of Starbucks Brown Sugar Syrup lies in its unique flavors. It boasts a perfect balance of sweetness and warm, with toasty notes of toffee that are reminiscent of freshly baked cookies. This syrup doesn't just add sweetness; it's a great way to elevate your iced tea and coffee to a whole new level, making it a must-try for espresso-based drinks, and could also be amazing in hot chocolate or on ice cream!
Can you buy a bottle of brown sugar syrup at Starbucks?
No, but you can definitely find similar products like Starbucks brown sugar syrup for sale on Amazon or at other online retailers -- this Torani Brown Sugar Cinnamon Syrup has great reviews and this syrup looks like the real deal but the price is outrageous!! But honestly, the good news is that it's easy to make copycat Starbucks syrups yourself!
What is the brown sugar syrup at Starbucks made of?
There are only a few Starbucks brown sugar syrup ingredients that you'll need! Here's the simple ingredients list for this homemade brown sugar syrup:
- light brown sugar - you can also use dark brown sugar for even more molasses flavor!
- water - use filtered water for the best flavor!
- cinnamon - a bit of ground cinnamon amps up the warm, spicy flavors of this syrup! And if you love the spice in this recipe, you'll definitely want to check out my Chai Spice Bundt Cake!
- vanilla - make sure you use a good-quality pure vanilla extract. Or better yet, check out my post on how to make vanilla extract at home with just 2 ingredients!
See recipe card for quantities.
Equipment
The only equipment you'll need for this recipe is a small saucepan and a heatproof container or glass jar to pour your delicious brown sugar syrup in to cool. Here's the saucepan that I use!
Instructions
This is essentially a twist on a classic simple syrup recipe, with a couple extra hints of flavor. So it's a super easy recipe to make! Check the recipe card below for detailed instructions, but here's how it will go:
Combine brown sugar and water in saucepan.
Heat and stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves and mixture is smooth.
Turn off heat, stir in cinnamon and vanilla until combined.
Pour into a heatproof container, cool to room temperature, and enjoy in your favorite drinks!
Hint: Only cook the brown sugar and water until the sugar is dissolved -- you don't want to reduce the mixture too much.
Variation: Apple Brown Sugar Syrup
If you've had the Starbucks Iced Apple Crisp Oatmilk Shaken Espresso, you know there's a fantastic twist on this brown sugar syrup that makes the perfect autumn coffee drink! Here's how to customize this recipe to make it:
- Apple Juice - swap out the water for apple juice or apple cider.
- Reduce Sugar - reduce the brown sugar called for in the recipe by 1 tablespoon. Just measure out a cup of brown sugar, then use a measuring spoon to remove one tablespoon of it.
That's it! It'll have a delicious apple cinnamon flavor with caramel-y vanilla notes! Delish!
Storage
Store this Starbucks brown sugar syrup dupe in an airtight container -- I used a mason jar, but you can also use a coffee syrup bottle with a pump for a fun coffee bar experience! Keep your delicious syrup in the fridge and use within 2 weeks.
Top Tip
Add your cinnamon and vanilla after taking the syrup mixture off of the heat, so that the flavors don't cook off.
Frequently Asked Questions
The main difference is the type of sugar used. Instead of using regular white sugar like in classic syrup or rose hip syrup, this Starbucks brown sugar syrup recipe uses brown sugar, and adds vanilla and cinnamon!
This brown sugar syrup is made with cinnamon, giving it a bit of delicious fall spice and rounding out the vanilla and brown sugar flavors!
Yes it is! Which is why this copycat recipe is great -- you can make your favorite Starbucks drink at home, all year long! See the recipe card below for how to make the apple version of this brown sugar syrup!
You might be thinking of the Brown Sugar Oatmilk Shaken Espresso! This Starbucks brown sugar syrup is perfect in that recipe to replicate that incredible sweet, caramely, cinnamon flavor!
If you like the cinnamon and brown sugar flavors in this syrup, you'll love my Cinnamon Cupcakes, my Pillsbury Cinnamon Roll Donuts, and my Pumpkin Banana Muffins! You should also try this pistachio latte recipe!
Related
Looking for other recipes like this brown sugar syrup? Try these:
If you try this recipe, I would love it if you could leave a star review rating and comment below! It’s so wonderful hearing your feedback! And don’t forget to share your creations with me by tagging @chenee_today on Instagram!
📖 Recipe
Equipment you may need
- heat-proof container
Ingredients
- 1 cup (237 ml) water - preferably filtered
- 1 cup (220 g) light brown sugar - you can also use dark brown sugar
- 4 teaspoon (20 ml) pure vanilla extract
- 1½ teaspoon (4 g) ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Stir together brown sugar and water in a saucepan.1 cup water, 1 cup light brown sugar
- Heat over medium heat, stirring, until sugar dissolves and mixture is smooth.
- Remove from heat and stir in cinnamon and vanilla.1½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, 4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Pour into a heatproof container to cool completely, then store in refrigerator until ready to use.
Video
Notes
- Apple Juice - swap out the water for apple juice or apple cider.
- Reduce Sugar - reduce the brown sugar called for in the recipe by 1 tablespoon. Just measure out a cup of brown sugar, then use a measuring spoon to remove one tablespoon of it.
Nutrition
Last Updated on February 27, 2025 by Chenée Lewis
Beth says
Of all the variations of this recipe, this one is the closest to the actual thing!!! I make 4 cups at a time and share with friends and family who also love this refreshing drink! Enjoy
Chenée Lewis says
I love to hear that, Beth! So glad you like it 🙂
Tamara says
What consistency are you looking for before taking it off the heat? Or are you just literally dissolving the sugar in the water?
Chenée Lewis says
Just dissolving the sugar and making sure everything is well combined ☺️
Danielle says
Delicious and so easy to make! Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Chenée Lewis says
I'm so glad you liked it!
Fay says
My fave syrup. Thank you!
Kim says
My daughter is a Starbucks addict, and she's going to love this! It will save so much money, too!
Justine says
Love this stuff! It's so great in my morning coffee, yum.
Paula says
This was so good and tasted 10x better than the one at Starbucks, Loved it!!!
Olivia says
Hi! I made the syrup but it doesn't taste as (for lack of better word) flavorful/concentrated as the starbucks syrup. Mine isn't as sweet or as syrupy. I did use dark brown sugar (I went to 3 different stores to find light :/). Is the light brown sugar what'll bring that flavor? I also taste a buttery flavor in the syrup, so you think adding butter would be a good idea? (Sorry for all the questions, big follower of yours)
Chenée Lewis says
Hi! If you like, you can add a few more teaspoons of sugar to the mixture to bump up the sweetness, or cook it down a bit more to make more of the water evaporate. To get a butter flavor, you could try a few drops of butter extract 🙂
Danielle says
Thank you! I can’t wait to try this. I’ll update when I do. I did notice an error in your instructions under the photo. You say to “turn off heat, stir in brown sugar and vanilla until combined.” But it should be cinnamon and vanilla. I was confused for a minute trying to figure out why I would add it twice.
Chenée Lewis says
thanks for the heads up! I just fixed it. Hope you love the recipe!
Monkey says
This sounds amazing! I can't wait to try it! Do you add the brown sugar in two separate portions, or is the brown sugar stirred in at the end supposed to be cinnamon? Thanks for the clarification!
Chenée Lewis says
Oh yes, the brown powder later in the video is cinnamon! The brown sugar is added in with the water at the beginning. So glad you are planning to make it! 🙂
Lauralee Taylor says
Why did my syrup congeal and get a snotty look to it after two days?
Chenée Lewis says
I'm not sure -- I've kept this syrup in the fridge for a couple weeks with no problems. Sorry that happened to you!
J. Blass says
Thank you for this fantastic, delicious recipe! I have used this to make the Starbucks Brown Sugar Oatmilk Shaken Espresso and it tastes identical to the one you can purchase there! I'm sure to find many other ways to enjoy this incredible recipe!
Chenée Lewis says
That's what I use this for too! So glad you like it!
Suja md says
Absolutely delicious; thank you for this fantastic recipe!
Chenée Lewis says
Thank you! I use it in my coffee every morning now.
Jess says
I LOVE it when I can save time and money by making something at home instead of going out for it.
Mahy says
Fantastic syrup! I can see so many great uses for it. Just have to make it first! =)
Andrea says
I had no idea this is what they used in their brown sugar drink and I had no idea it would be this easy to make. Thanks for this.
Chenée Lewis says
I'm so glad you like it!
Angela says
This was so good and easy to make. Even better than Starbucks in my opinion!
Chenée Lewis says
Me too! I love that you can customize it to your tastes.