My new favorite drink at Starbucks is their Salted Caramel Mocha Latte. One sip of this delicious goodness had me daydreaming about how I could replicate this delicious salty caramel goodness at home. Coffee drinking is, after all, one of my favorite hobbies, but a girl has to do it on a budget. A DIY version of this Salted Caramel Mocha Latte was definitely in order.
I am no stranger to the sweet and salty combination. My Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Brownies may have made me a celebrity in very tiny circles of friends. I am also no stranger to replicating Starbucks treats. My homemade pumpkin spice latte has been shared over 1,500 times on Facebook (you guys are the best) and I am proud of all of my pinning glory that has happened thanks to my friends who have pinned it on Pinterest. These two things I am most proud of had to come together for this fun treat.
Lattes are an easy creation to make at home and I put my French Press to work in the winter by creating the strong brewed coffee needed for a delicious latte at home. In the summer, my cold brewed coffees are made with this little gadget and over the years it has paid for itself over and over again.
One rainy day last week I decided to replicate my new favorite Starbucks treat. I sipped lattes, tested combinations, whipped, brewed, drizzled, sipped, whipped, brewed, drizzled, and sipped. As I tried to hold my camera steady to take pictures of my coffee glory, I realized I had a horrible case of the shakes. I also realized I may have overdone it with the sipping part of things. When I came to get my children at their bus stop still wearing my pajamas, with my rubber rain boots, bearing crazy caffeinated eyes, and shaky hands… I had to wonder what the bus driver thought of this crazy woman who hadn’t even brushed her hair that day.
I think it was all worth it though. I hope you will think so too. Save your $4 and make this little treat at home whenever you want. Just take my advice and try to do it in moderation.
Recipe:
Salted Caramel Mocha Latte
Ingredients:
1 cup milk, steamed
1 cup very strong coffee (4 tablespoons coffee grounds to 1 cup of hot water, prepared in a French Press)
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
2 tablespoons of sugar
2 tablespoons caramel coffee syrup (I bought mine at our local superstore in the coffee aisle or you can pick them up at your wholesale club for cheap. I accidentally bought sugar-free and it worked like a charm. Feel free to use either variety and adjust to your taste)
Whipped cream
Caramel Sauce
1/8 teaspoon sea salt or kosher salt
Directions:
Prepare your hot water in a kettle. Add four tablespoons of your favorite coffee grounds to your French Press. Pour 1 cup of hot water over them and allow the coffee to steep for four minutes while you prepare the other ingredients.
In a pot, heat up one cup of milk until it is steaming. Froth the milk with a wire whisk or an immersion blender until it is nice and foamy.
In your coffee cup, mix together the prepared coffee, cocoa powder, sugar, and caramel coffee syrup until the sugar and cocoa powder are dissolved and there are no lumps. Pour the milk foam over the top of the coffee/mocha mixture and stir to incorporate. Top with whipped cream, a generous drizzle of caramel sauce, and your pinch of salt.
Bask in your ability to make all good things at home.
Note- This is just a base recipe that can be played with to your own tastes and preferences. It is meant to be personalized depending on how you like your latte!
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Serving Size: 1
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That sounds delicious! I can’t wait to try it!
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Amy Reply:
October 3rd, 2011 at 12:24 pm
Let me know what you think, sweet friend! Have a wonderful day!
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Patrice Reply:
October 22nd, 2012 at 9:34 am
This is a great drink…I mde it up this morning and am enjoying it now…thanks!
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Amy Reply:
October 22nd, 2012 at 2:46 pm
So happy you liked this one, Patrice!
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I had a salted caramel mocha the other day and I have to say I’m not a fan. In the end I decided it was good, but I didn’t really like it. LOL
However, I’m a total fan of making knock-offs at home! It saves a lot of money!
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Amy Reply:
October 3rd, 2011 at 12:18 pm
You never know, Tammy, you might like the knockoff version better. You can always leave the salt off the top and then you just have a caramel mocha latte
I agree though, it is great when you can figure something like this out! I hope you have a wonderful morning!
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Mmmmmmm this one I NEED to try at home. Thanks for being a caffeinated guinea pig.
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Amy Reply:
October 3rd, 2011 at 12:19 pm
Ha! I looked a little drugged out that day thanks to the copious amounts of caffeine ingested, but man was it worth it
Thanks so much for the comment this morning!
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I am not a coffee person, but that looks really good! It makes me think maybe I could actually become a coffee person.
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jesica Reply:
October 4th, 2011 at 5:29 pm
if your not a coffee person try a Hot Chocolate version! we started with a basic cocoa and doctored it up for the kids…they LOVE it!!!!
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Amy Reply:
October 5th, 2011 at 1:52 am
That is such a great idea, Jesica! Thank you for your comment!
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LOL-the things we do for the love of coffee, eh? I’ve overdone it from time to time when I find a new flavoring or syrup that I love, it’s so easy to do!
I hope you eventually got some sleep! LOL!
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Amy Reply:
October 5th, 2011 at 2:53 am
Ha! Yes, it took a couple of nights to get back on track. I was a mess
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Thank you!!! I have been dying to try this one, but I don’t like the toasted nut syrup they use at Starbucks. I thought of asking them to sub vanilla, but I think I’ll just make it at home instead!
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Amy Reply:
October 3rd, 2011 at 4:39 pm
That is so funny that you say that, I also wasn’t as big of a fan of that versus the caramel. It would probably work well with vanilla syrup too or even just caramel topping syrup. I hope you like this version!
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I love this new drink at Starbucks – especially the topping. What makes theirs so awesome is they actually mix kosher salt with raw sugar so the sprinkle on top of the whip cream is both sweet and salty! I was actually surprised to find out from them that in the coffee there is no actual caramel – it is actually a toffee flavor. I will have to give it a try at home for sure as it is addicting!
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Amy Reply:
October 3rd, 2011 at 4:38 pm
Oh, thanks so much for this tip about the topping, Lori! I have raw sugar in my pantry so I may add that in. I opted for the caramel syrup since it is easily accessible at the supermarket, but I may have to look into getting some toffee syrup. Thanks so much for your comments and hope you can try my knock-off!
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URebelsMakeMeLaugh Reply:
December 30th, 2012 at 5:34 pm
To LORI:
Thank GOD for you and your comment… The famed Starbucks Salted Caramel drink is NOTHING without the topping…mixed CORRECTLY. Anyone can toss some run of the mill sea salt on top of a homemade latte..but then one has just an ordinary drink. I drove away from s’bux once lastfall without noticing they forgot the salt topping on my s.c.mocha…so I big time mistakenly added my own kosher sea salt. It was so different and so disgusting that I dumped the tainted stuff down the drain.
Another tip: the turbinado/sea salt caramelized/roasted mixture isn’t as eat to duplicate as one might think.. Sorry for pessimism but I’m a lover of the real thing.
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OMG…I almost licked my comuter screen…YAM!
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Amy Reply:
October 3rd, 2011 at 4:39 pm
Ah, the picture worked then, Larissa?
Thank you so much!
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I love sweet and salty combination!!!! Thank you very much!
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Amy Reply:
October 5th, 2011 at 2:53 am
You are so welcome! Thank you for your comment!
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Sipping on one of these right now! Thanks for the recipe, Amy! I went out and bought the caramel coffee syrup at Target today…they only had sugar-free, too, but I can’t really tell. :O) I also whipped up some fresh whipped cream that went very well with this drink, too.
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Amy Reply:
October 4th, 2011 at 1:50 am
I am so glad you liked it. I agree, I couldn’t tell a difference between the sugar-free and the other so I guess that works in our favor, right?
Thank you so much for making this and sharing your feedback on it!
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Be still my heart! Knock off’s are right up my ally! Thank you
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Amy Reply:
October 5th, 2011 at 1:54 am
They are right up mine too, Lynn Maire! Hope you are having a wonderful day!
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I’m curious if you have a nutritional breakdown/ calorie count vs the Starbucks version? Thanks!
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Amy Reply:
October 5th, 2011 at 1:54 am
I’m sorry- I don’t have that information, Karen!
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It sounds pretty close… the salt at Starbucks is smoked sea salt though… maybe i can find that somewhere. Any ideas?
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Amy Reply:
October 5th, 2011 at 1:55 am
Let me know if you find somewhere to buy this. Another reader recommended a sea salt and raw sugar combination. Maybe try that first? I was trying to make one that you could make from supplies at your local supermarket!
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Abby Reply:
October 10th, 2011 at 3:09 am
they have smoked sea salt at william-sonoma!
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I adore Starbucks and LOVE that you have found a way that we can enjoy them at home without having to take out a loan! lol
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Amy Reply:
October 5th, 2011 at 2:54 am
Yes, it was heading in that direction after I had a couple right in a row. I am a good girl about asking for gift cards for everything, but I hate to blow through them in one month
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I don’t like coffee, either, but *$’s makes a killer salted caramel hot chocolate! I’ve tried to replicate it at home (we live quite a ways from a store) to no avail. Thanks for doing the leg-work! I’ll need to get the caramel (or toffee) syrup and mix my salt with raw sugar now!
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Amy Reply:
October 5th, 2011 at 1:53 am
I hope you like this version and love the improvisations to the recipe too!
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Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! This is my new favorite Starbucks drink, and now that I can make it at home makes me a very happy girl. Thank you so much!!
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Amy Reply:
October 5th, 2011 at 1:52 am
Thank you for your sweet comment, I hope you will visit again!
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I well have to try this with my espresso, also my new favorite drink from starbucks. I wish I had more counter space for toppings and syrup!
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Amy Reply:
October 5th, 2011 at 1:52 am
Ha! I soooo get that, Candy!
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Can you just use a regular old coffee pot?
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Amy Reply:
October 4th, 2011 at 6:58 pm
Yes, it might be difficult if you are only brewing one cup of water, but feel free to double or triple it!
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ummmm….. YUM!!!!!!!!!!!
Your recipes are always DE-lish!!
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Amy Reply:
October 5th, 2011 at 1:43 am
You are the sweetest, Heather! Thank you! xo
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Thank you for sharing this. I am a coffee lover and a starbucks fan. I can’t wait to try this and start saving those precious $$ without sacrificing my coffee addiction
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Amy Reply:
October 5th, 2011 at 1:49 am
I hope you love the recipe as much as I do- please let me know what you think once you made it!
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Yum! I used my Magic Bullet(to steam milk) and Keurig, it was great! I love re-creating Starbucks at home. Last year, I made ginger syrup, from scratch, to recreate a gingerbread latte. I take my coffee seriously!
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Amy Reply:
October 5th, 2011 at 1:49 am
Wow, you are serious, Mary Beth. I love it and I get it. So glad you liked the recipe. I hope you will visit again soon!
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Thanks so much!! It looks so delicious. Any suggestions on how to turn it into the frap version?
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Amy Reply:
October 5th, 2011 at 1:48 am
You could follow the same formula, but I have had great success freezing coffee ice cubes for DIY frappes instead of trying regular coffee. My Peppermint Mocha Frappe recipe is here: http://momadvice.com/blog/2007/06/my-vice-starbucks-iced-peppermint-mochas/ Maybe just substitute the ingredients with those listed here, incorporating coffee cubes instead of coffee. I can play with this recipe some more and get back to you!
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January Vickers Reply:
October 5th, 2011 at 11:01 pm
Thanks for the link! Can’t wait to try it out!!
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Is the caramel coffee syrup just caramel, or is it coffee & caramel flavored? I used to be a barista and there was the caramel syrup but I have never seen caramel coffee syrup. Just wondering if I am misunderstanding and they are one and the same or if the caramel coffee actually has a coffee flavoring added to the caramel syrup?
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Amy Reply:
October 5th, 2011 at 1:46 am
It is a Caramel Syrup, just specifying it is not the Caramel Syrup you drizzle on a sundae. Not trying to be technical, but I can imagine where the confusion might happen if I didn’t say for coffee
I found mine at Walmart next to the loose bean coffee. They also have this syrup at the wholesale club!
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I’m supposed to be getting sleepy but all I cam think of is coffee!! A friend knew I’d love the new Sbucks drink and brought me one. Can’t stop thinking about it…. Thanks!
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Wow, it seems delicious. They have salted caramels in France, they are delicious, so this with more, wow, I want to taste it. I will come back on your blog, it is very good, so keep up the good work and have a great day.
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OMG! Amy I love YOU!!! The Salted Caramel is my FAVORITE at Starbucks!!! Im going to share your site with my friends on my blog!!! They are going to LOVE you!!!
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Sounds delicious.
Just an FYI – you can get Italian coffee syrups in a variety of flavors, both regular and sugar-free, at Cost Plus/World Market if you have one in your area. They’re about $7 for a large bottle but they last forever. Well worth the cost if you’re acting as your own barrista.
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This looks amazing! That’s a nice way to spend a rainy morning
You can also buy the Starbucks syrups from Starbucks. The seasonal flavors are not for sale but the usual flavors like toffee nut are for sale around $8.
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I LOVED these! I actually thought of you, Amy, when I first tried it at Starbuck’s!
-beth
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Amy Reply:
October 9th, 2011 at 4:44 pm
Ha! That is too sweet, Beth! I wish I lived closer so we could have coffee together!
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Thank you so much for this guide! I had no beverage-making experience whatsoever, but happened to have a french press lying around from a friend. I tried what was in this guide, and was blown away by how easy it was! I have been inspired to develop a new hobby. Thank you thank you thank you!
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um, you are my hero. Now I need to buy a French press.
PS I had somehow lost your feed (maybe it moved and I didn’t move along) but I went searching and found you and am SO glad I did. I especially love your notebooks.
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They sell the Torani Salted Caramel Syrup online. I bet it would give you more of the saltiness than just the basic caramel syrup. Check it out:
http://www.lollicupstore.com/s.nl/sc.31/category.636/.f?range=91%2C103%2C103
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I used your recipe, but instead of adding sugar and the caramel syrup, I made my own caramel sauce! I used this recipe from another blog and really liked the caramel, so that’s what I substituted for the sugar (there’s already enough sugar in that caramel sauce!), plus I get to skip out on all of the preservatives in the store-bought caramel sauce. The recipe was good but I’m not sure if my immersion blender did the trick. I will also try to use the actual smoked salt crystals that they use at Starbucks to give this drink extra oomph! Thanks for posting this!
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Amy Reply:
November 7th, 2011 at 2:09 pm
Thanks so much for sharing your feedback on this recipe, Val. Love hearing everyone’s variations on it!!
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Love, love, LOVE SB salted caramel mochas, but they’re killing my budget! Can’t wait to try this. Thanks for sharing.
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The Sbux website says they use “turbinado sugar” which is basically natural brown sugar. That might help if you’re looking to exactly replicate the drink. Maybe?
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Yum! I would add some crushed up heath bars on top to replicate the topping Starbucks sprinkles on theirs. Thanks!
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This looks so yummy!
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Amy, This is what I’m trying next. Sounds wonderful. I thought there was a lot more in the recipe, but this is way easy. Since I always drink decaf I’ve only had that shaky crazed feeling once when a restaurant delivered a caffinated latte instead of decaf. Scary!! I won’t ever do that again.
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Amy Reply:
December 12th, 2011 at 9:13 am
Ha! Yes, I was pretty scary, Aimee. That much caffeine did not do a lot for me
I hope you can try this recipe too- so yummy & easy! Happy holidays to your family!! xo
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Sounds wonderful! Just so you know, though…Starbucks uses a Toffee Nut flavored syrup (with the mocha syrup) in the latte, not a Caramel one. Here’s the good news, though: you can buy it at your local Starbucks! It’s $7.95 a bottle. You can also buy the Caramel, if you’d rather, btw.
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Amy Reply:
March 5th, 2012 at 7:43 am
Great tip, Gina! Thank you so much for sharing. I also love to buy my Peppermint Syrup at Starbucks too since that one can be hard to come by at the local supermarket!
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totally coming in late to this! i was devastated to hear that starbucks was only carrying these seasonally…will definitely give this a try though! i didn’t like the salted caramel the first time i tried it…but was a complete convert by time 3
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Amy Reply:
May 30th, 2012 at 8:56 am
Ha! It is funny what our tastes can adapt too. So glad you found the recipe- these are absolutely dreamy! Hope you like them, Beth!
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I love You!
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Amy Reply:
September 11th, 2012 at 8:18 am
Well, thank you!!! Sometimes a girl needs to hear that!
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A friend had this drink on Sunday, I loved it!! I was just doing some long homework, and began craving that drink.. being a poor college kid I looked online, and found this recipe, made it LOVE IT !!! And I had all the ingredients at home, my sister works at Starbucks! The best thing is that its quick to make
Thanks Amy
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Wow, I just got my first salted caramel mocha from Starbucks at work this afternoon. Instantly fell in love (I’m a sucker for sweet and salty combos), and knew that I’d go bankrupt if I kept buying these.
I need to try your recipe, like tomorrow
Thanks for sharing, your parts about being a caffeinated mess at the bus stop had my laughing at work too
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Amy Reply:
October 25th, 2012 at 7:45 am
Ha! My girlfriends still laugh about this story
I hope you enjoy the recipe, Ali! xo
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I have been shelling out4$ acup for this at my local shop. I gave this a shot with the caramel sauce I had on hand and made up a small batch of whipped cream to top it off. Delicious! Thank you. Now how about their caramel brûlée they have in the winter? Wink, wink.
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Amy Reply:
October 27th, 2012 at 7:50 pm
Ha! Well, I will have to start working on that one, Tandi! Thanks for the suggestion and so happy you liked the recipe!
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In the recipe, is the caramel syrup that you put inside the coffee also the same one you drizzle on top over the whipped cream? I’m trying to come up with my own low carb version and this is a good template! Thanks!
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Amy Reply:
November 1st, 2012 at 12:44 pm
Yes, the same exact one! I just buy it over in the ice cream toppings!!
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For the Salted Caramel Mocha, here is a little hint. As a Starbucks employee, I will say that in the Salted Caramel Mocha we use shots of Toffee Nut in the Salted Caramel. It is not simply chocolate and caramel. Getting some toffee nut flavor into the drink will make it more authentic. Many don’t know that.
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