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Brown Sugar Iced Shaken Espresso

Hi, meet my new espresso drink obsession, the brown sugar shaken espresso! I don’t know what prompted me to try making it at home the first time, but all it took was one time and I’ve made one just about every day since, it’s 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.

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!

Iced shaken espresso on coasters

Estimated reading time: 8 minutes

What You’ll Love About Shaken Espresso

  • Lightly sweet and creamy flavor
  • Delicious foamy texture
  • Easy to make at home
  • Made with just 3 ingredients
  • Upscale coffee shop flavors at home
  • Easy ways to customize

Ingredients

  • Brown sugar – 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.
  • Espresso – You have some options with your espresso. You can pull a shot with an espresso machine or for an easier option, use a nespresso machine. I had a nespresso machine for years before I upgraded to the real deal – both are great options! Whatever type of machine you are using, be sure to use quality coffee beans. I use a double shot of espresso in all of my drinks and you’ll want to if you’re going for a
  • Milk – You can use your favorite milk here. For the popular brown sugar oatmilk shaken espresso, you’ll obviously want to use oatmilk. But you can use any variety of cow’s milk (I always go with whole, full fat as it’s what we use) or your favorite milk alternative like almond milk, coconut milk, or soy milk.
  • Ice – You’ll need ice for shaking and ice for serving.
  • Cinnamon – If you want your shaken espresso to taste just like the Starbucks version, you’ll want to add cinnamon to the mix. I prefer it without, but it’s easy to customize according to your own personal preference.
Ingredients to make iced shaken espresso

Emily’s 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!)

How to Make a Shaken Espresso

This is an overview, the detailed instructions can be found below in the recipe card.

  1. Brew espresso. Add brown sugar (and a dash of cinnamon if using) to an espresso shot glass or small mug and brew espresso right over the sugar and cinnamon. Stir to dissolve.
Brown sugar in shot glass for espresso
Glass with ice and milk
  1. Prep glass. Fill a tall glass with ice and pour milk over the top.
  2. Shake espresso. Add ice cubes to a cocktail shaker and pour hot espresso over ice cubes. Cover and shake until frothy.
Shaken espresso pouring over milk and ice
Shaken espresso over milk and ice
  1. Finish drink. Pour shaken espresso over milk and stir to combine. Drink!
Overhead view of shaken iced espresso

FAQs

What is the difference between a latte and a shaken espresso?

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.

What’s the difference between shaken espresso and cold brew?

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.

Why does shaken espresso taste better?

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.

Is a shaken espresso stronger than a 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

Iced shaken espresso

What to Serve with Espresso

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:

Iced shaken espresso on coasters

More Drink Recipes

If you like this iced brown sugar shaken espresso recipe, you might also like some of these other delicious coffee recipes:

Want More?

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Two iced shaken espressos
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Iced shaken espresso

Brown Sugar Iced Shaken Espresso

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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

Units Scale
  • 1 tsp. brown sugar
  • 1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon (optional, see notes)
  • double shot of espresso
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • ice


Instructions

  1. 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.
  2. Fill a glass with ice and pour milk over the top.
  3. Add at least 6 ice cubes to a cocktail shaker and pour brown sugar espresso over the top. Cover tightly and shake until frothy.
  4. Pour espresso over the milk and stir to mix.


Notes

  • Use at least 6-8 ice cubes to cocktail shaker or it wonโ€™t get as frothy and it also can leak.ย 
  • 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.ย 

Food styling and photography by Loren Runion.

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