Brown Sugar Iced Shaken Espresso
The brown sugar shaken espresso is the perfect drink. It has a lightly sweet and creamy flavor, a foamy texture, and a rich espresso finish. If you love cappuccinos, I think the iced shaken espresso is the most similar iced version, ratio and flavor-wise, which could be why I’m so obsessed.
Hi, meet my summer espresso drink obsession.
It has a lightly sweet and creamy flavor, a foamy texture, and a rich espresso finish.
It’s also surprisingly simple to make at home, too (and IMHO, the homemade version always tastes better to me!). After you brew your traditional espresso, you simply shake with ice in a cocktail shaker until it’s chilled and frothy. I serve mine over milk but you can also serve it over ice and top it with cold foam – also delicious!
🎉 Feels fancy: Tastes fancy, but takes less than 5 minutes to make.
💪 Strong & satisfying: Perfect for your morning or afternoon boost of caffiene.
🥶 Ultra-refreshing: The espresso is shaken over ice, which chills it and it’s served over ice 🎉 Feels fancy: But takes less than 5 minutes to makeand milk for the ultimate summer sip.
☕ Coffeehouse vibes: Tastes like an expensive drink without leaving the house!
🕒 Quick to make: Made with just a few ingredients and a good shaking.
🍯 Customizable sweetness: Adjust the brown sugar to your own personal liking and easily make it just how you like it!
You’ll also want to try my espresso tonic, iced Americano, and dirty chai next time.
Very easy to make! Love it! –Andrea
Ingredient Notes
You’ll need just a few ingredients to pull off this iced espresso: a double shot of espresso (always a double shot!!!), brown sugar, cinnamon (optional), your favorite milk of choice, and ice.
Emily’s Tips & Tricks
- Pro tip: Give the ice and espresso a good shake! This helps give the drink it’s classic frothy texture.
- Ingredient tip: Use good coffee beans! With simple espresso drinks at home that rely on simple ingredients, it’s really important that you are using good quality beans. I prefer to find a local roaster, but you can also order beans online and many times they will be freshly roasted! Fika and Spyhouse are two of my favorite roasters here in Minnesota, and they both ship. (Go with the Espresso 61 from Fika, plus the Guatemala medium roast for pour overs and the Orion from Spyhouse!)
- Variations: The Starbucks shaken espresso uses cinnamon, but I prefer the flavor without it. It’s easy to add in or skip, so do whatever you prefer.
- Additions: Add in flavored syrup if desired to sip some different flavors.
Brown Sugar Iced Shaken Espresso Recipe
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 1 drink 1x
- Category: Drink
Description
The iced shaken espresso has a lightly sweet and creamy flavor, a lovely foamy texture, and a rich espresso finish. You’ll love it.
Ingredients
- 1 tsp. brown sugar
- 1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon (optional, see notes)
- double shot of espresso
- 1/2 cup milk
- ice
Instructions
- Add brown sugar and cinnamon if using to an espresso shot glass. Brew espresso right over the brown sugar and cinnamon. Stir to dissolve sugar.
- Fill a glass with ice and pour milk over the top.
- Add at least 6 ice cubes to a cocktail shaker and pour brown sugar espresso over the top. Cover tightly and shake until frothy.
- Pour espresso over the milk and stir to mix.
Notes
- Use at least 6-8 ice cubes to the cocktail shaker, or it won’t get as frothy, and it also can leak.
- Storage: Best enjoyed immediately.
- Ingredient notes: The Starbucks shaken espresso uses cinnamon, but I prefer the flavor without it. It’s easy to add in or skip, so do whatever you prefer. The brown sugar is optional unless you want to make the brown sugar iced shaken espresso. I don’t like sweet coffee, but this adds a subtle sweetness to the espresso that is really lovely. You can adjust the amount of brown sugar according to your own personal sweetness preference. You could also sweeten the drink with simple syrup or homemade brown sugar syrup if you prefer.
- Prep ahead: Brew coffee in advance and reheat if needed, but froth milk fresh for the best texture.
- Special tools: Espresso machine, Nespresso, moka pot, or strong coffee maker; cocktail shaker.
- Serve with: Ricotta toast, Greek yogurt parfait, or whipped cottage cheese.
Serving Suggestions
Coffee alone does not a breakfast make, so make sure you pair your coffee with a meal. Here are some tasty breakfast ideas to try:
- Toasts – Avocado toast, ricotta toast, hummus toast
- Yogurt and Smoothies – Peanut butter & chocolate smoothie, acai bowl, Greek yogurt parfait
FAQs
As with many coffee and espresso drinks, the biggest difference in a latte and a shaken espresso is the ratio of espresso to milk. A standard latte is made with a combination of about 6 oz. of milk and 1 oz. of espresso. In this particular iced brown sugar shaken espresso, we’re using 4 oz. of milk and 2 oz. espresso. So the coffee flavor is a bit stronger than it is in a latte and shaking the espresso with ice also gives the drink a frothy texture.
While both of these drinks are served over ice, but they are made with different forms of coffee. Espresso is a strong and concentrated form of coffee that is ready in minutes. Cold brew has a more delicate and mellow flavor and while it can be made in a concentrated form, is typically watered down to a similar strength of coffee. Cold brew takes 12-24+ hours to brew.
I think it’s the texture that makes shaken espresso so special! I also prefer a bit of a stronger flavor (which is why I love cappuccinos!) so I like the brown sugar shaken espresso so much more than an iced latte.
I would have assumed that they would both have the same amount of espresso shots, but, they are different! A grande Starbucks iced shaken espresso has 3 shots of espresso and a grande latte has 2 shots of espresso.
This iced shaken espresso recipe is made with 2 shots of espresso
About the Author
Emily Dingmann is a recipe developer, nutrition expert, and founder of My Everyday Table. She specializes in creating easy, healthy recipes that help busy parents feed their families well every single day, without the stress. With a degree in Nutrition and over 20 years of experience, Emily shares family-friendly meals that are practical, nourishing, and full of flavor. Learn more about Emily’s approach to everyday cooking and nutrition here.
Food styling and photography by Loren Runion.
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I can’t believe how easy this is! I use a nespresso and it works great!
Very easy to make! Love it!
So glad you think so, Andrea! 🙂 Once winter is over, I’ll be back to having them daily!