How to Make a Caramel Macchiato

Co-authored by Jessica Gibson

Last Updated: January 31, 2023 Tested

If you're hooked on an expensive coffee habit, try making it at home instead. You can easily make the popular caramel macchiato in a number of ways. Learn how to make a caramel latte macchiato if you prefer a milky, sweet coffee drink. Or, try a traditional espresso macchiato sweetened with caramel foam if you prefer a stronger coffee flavor. Either way, save money and create your own personalized take on the popular drink.

Ingredients

Caramel Latte Macchiato

3/4 cup (180 ml) milk
18 to 21 grams of espresso grounds
1 ounce (28 grams) vanilla syrup
Caramel syrup to drizzle

Traditional Macchiato With Caramel

18 to 21 grams of espresso grounds
1/2 cup (240 ml) milk
1 ounce (29 ml) of caramel syrup

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Making a Caramel Latte Macchiato

1
Drizzle vanilla syrup in the mug. Preheat your mug by filling it with hot water, letting it sit, and pouring out the water. Drizzle the sides of the mug with 1 ounce of vanilla syrup.
- You could also do a combination of vanilla and caramel syrup drizzled along the sides of the mug if you prefer a stronger caramel flavor.
2
Pour milk into a metal pitcher. Pour 3/4 cup (180 ml) milk into your small metal pitcher. If you like a very sweet caramel macchiato, consider adding caramel to the milk that you steam. Otherwise, the milk will be sweetened from the vanilla on the sides of your mug and from the caramel that you'll drizzle on the finished drink.
- You'll steam more milk than you'll end up using. This allows you to create foam and easily steam the milk.
- You can also use soy, almond, or hemp milk although they may steam differently than milk.
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3
Dose and tamp your espresso. Start with a clean portafilter and dose 18 to 21 grams of espresso grounds into the basket. Level the grounds using your finger. Set the portafilter on a clean surface and tamp down on the grounds. Make sure you're applying even pressure so the espresso remains completely level. Aim for 20 to 30 pounds of pressure, or enough to pack the espresso compactly.
- Practice your dosing by dosing and checking the weight of the grounds on a digital scale. Continue to do this until you're regularly dosing between 18 to 21 grams for a double shot.
4
Pull the espresso shots. Insert your filled portafilter into a clean grouphead on your espresso machine and immediately start pulling your shots. It will take a few seconds before the espresso begins dripping out of the machine. Let it keep extracting until it starts to turn blonde or yellow. A double shot of espresso should take 25 to 30 seconds to pull.^{[1]
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5
Steam the milk. While your shots are pulling, steam the milk in your small metal pitcher using the steam wand of the espresso machine. Heat your milk to 150 to 160 degrees. It may help to use a thermometer and stop steaming when it reaches 140. The milk will continue to heat even after you've removed the steam wand. To create plenty of foam for the macchiato, allow the tip of the steam wand to gently tap the surface of the milk so that it sucks in air. Tap the pitcher once you're done to break any large air bubbles.
- Clean the steam wand with a clean wet cloth until no milk remains on the wand. Purge it by turning it briefly so that any liquid that was left in the wand is sprayed out.
6
Pour the shots over the steamed milk. Pour the steamed milk into your preheated mug. Make sure that you include foam at the top of the drink. Take your espresso shots and pour them directly over the foam so they slowly sink down into the bottom of the drink. Don't stir the caramel latte macchiato.^{[2]
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- If you're having trouble pouring plenty of foam, use a long bar spoon to scoop the foam onto the top of the drink.
7
Drizzle caramel syrup. Drizzle caramel syrup across the top of the foam so that you create a design. You can make swirls, diagonal lines, or the familiar crosshatch pattern.^{[3]
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- It may help to put the caramel syrup into a squirt bottle. This will allow you to easily create a caramel design.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Making a Traditional Macchiato With Caramel

1
Pour milk into a metal pitcher. Pour 1/2 cup (240 ml) of milk into your small metal pitcher. If you have a larger pitcher, you'll need to use more milk so that it comes at least 1/3 of the way up the side of the pitcher. Add 1 ounce (29 ml) of caramel syrup to the milk and set the pitcher aside.
- You'll steam more milk than you'll end up using. This allows you to create foam and easily steam the milk.
- You can use any type of milk so play around with what types you like to use. Some people find that nonfat milk creates thick dry foam, while others prefer full-fat milk for rich foam made of tiny bubbles.
2
Dose and tamp your espresso. Start with a clean portafilter and dose 18 to 21 grams of espresso grounds into the basket. Level the grounds using your finger. Set the portafilter on a clean surface and tamp down on the grounds. Make sure you're applying even pressure so the espresso remains completely level. Aim for 20 to 30 pounds of pressure, or enough to pack the espresso compactly.
- Practice your dosing by dosing and checking the weight of the grounds on a digital scale. Continue to do this until you're regularly dosing between 18 to 21 grams for a double shot.
3
Pull the espresso shots. Insert your filled portafilter into a clean grouphead on your espresso machine and immediately start pulling your shots. It will take a few seconds before the espresso begins dripping out of the machine. Let it keep extracting until it starts to turn blonde or yellow. A double shot of espresso should take 25 to 30 seconds to pull.^{[4]
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- Pull the shots into a tiny metal pitcher or you can pull them directly into a small demitasse cup that you want to serve the caramel macchiato in.
4
Steam the milk. While your shots are pulling, steam the milk and caramel syrup in your small metal pitcher using the steam wand of the espresso machine. Heat your milk to 150 to 160 degrees. It may help to use a thermometer and stop steaming when it reaches 140. The milk will continue to heat even after you've removed the steam wand. To create plenty of foam for the macchiato, allow the tip of the steam wand to gently tap the surface of the milk so that it sucks in air. Tap the pitcher once you're done to break any large air bubbles.
- Since you're steaming such a small amount of milk, it won't take long for the milk to froth.
- Remember to clean the steam wand with a clean wet cloth. Purge it by turning it briefly so that any liquid that was left in the wand is sprayed out.
5
Mark the espresso with the steamed milk. To mark the shots, you can pour a small amount of steamed milk into the espresso, making sure to include some of the foam. Macchiatos are generally made with an equal ratio of steamed milk and espresso.^{[5]
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Research source} Or, if you don't think you can pour enough of the foam, you can use a long bar spoon to scoop foam on top of the macchiato.
- Consider serving your macchiato with a chocolate covered coffee bean. You may also want to set the macchiato on a small plate with a serving spoon. This way, you can stir the foam and espresso, if you like.

Community Q&A

Question

Would I like a caramel macchiato if I don't like hot coffee?

Community Answer

A caramel macchiato is often seen as a coffee for non-coffee drinkers because it is very sweet and doesn't taste strongly of coffee. I have yet to meet a person who doesn't like them and, if you like hot chocolate, you almost certainly will.
Question

How can I make an iced caramel macchiato?

Community Answer

Drizzle your cup with vanilla and caramel syrup and add ice. Pour cold milk into the cup and pour your espresso shots on top. Enjoy!
Question

How do I get the coffee not ro mix with the milk when poured on top of the milk?

Community Answer

Pour slowly and carefully, and practice until you get it down.