A homemade version of the popular Starbucks drink. This easy to make cinnamon dolce latte combines espresso, cinnamon syrup, steamed milk, and sweetened whipped cream topping for one delicious beverage!

What’s the best way to save money on your daily coffee habit?
That’s easy! Skip the trip to Starbucks and whip up a copycat version of your favorite beverages at home!
Become your own home barista! Impress friends and family with your latte making skills. Equipped with the right flavored syrups, you can easily make a copycat version of cinnamon dolce latte.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Espresso : One serving uses a double shot of fresh pulled espresso. Use instant espresso if you don’t have an espresso machine. Alternatively, you may use very concentrated coffee.
- Cinnamon Syrup : Homemade cinnamon syrup combines brown sugar and cinnamon sticks. Or, you may purchase premade syrups. More information below.
- Milk : Use any milk or non-dairy milk of choice. Whole milk will result in a creamier texture. Oat milk is also a great option for steaming.
Homemade Cinnamon Syrup
The iconic flavors of our favorite coffee beverages come from syrups! Starbucks uses their own brand of coffee syrup.
Monin and Torani are the two most common syrup brands widely available at supermarkets and big box stores (such as Target).
Of course, you can easily make your own coffee syrup at home!
This cinnamon dolce latte uses homemade cinnamon syrup. It is a simple mixture of cinnamon sticks steeped in brown sugar and water.
Homemade simple syrup usually lasts in the fridge for about two weeks.
Flavored Latte Ingredients
- 2 oz fresh pulled espresso
- 0.5 to 1 oz flavored syrup of choice
- 5 oz steamed milk
Use this ratio to make any flavored latte.
Simple syrup is made by combining equal parts sugar and water. Add flavor by steeping spices, herbs, or fruits into the simple syrup.
Steamed milk is a key component of hot latte. There are several ways to steam milk at home:
- Use the steam wand of home espresso machine
- Steam milk in a microwave
- Gently steam milk using stovetop heat
Recommended Espresso Machine
I highly recommend this Breville espresso machine. This is the machine I personally use at home.
It is a bit of an investment. However, it is well worth it if you drink espresso based drinks (such as latte, cappuccino, or americanos) often.
This espresso machine has a built in coffee grinder and a powerful steam wand.
Prior to purchasing our espresso machine, we used this Nespresso espresso maker with Aeroccino milk frother.
It seemed a like a good deal as first. Overtime, I did not like purchasing the aluminum capsule pods. They felt wasteful.
Plus, I felt limited by the bean choices. I much prefer being able to purchase any whole beans I wanted to use for the espresso machine.
Espresso Machine Alternative Options
Don’t have an espresso machine? No problem!
There are plenty of instant espresso options. Medaglia D’Oro and Nescafe Gold are great alternatives.
You can also use standard instant coffee to mix a super concentrated version.
How much syrup to use in coffee drinks?
On average, this is how much syrup is added to latte drinks at Starbucks:
- Tall size ( 12 fl oz) has 3 pumps of syrup
- Grande (16 fl oz) has 4 pumps
- Venti (20 fl oz) has 5 pumps
Keep in mind that iced drinks usually have more syrup since the beverage eventually gets diluted with melted ice (water).
Each pump is about 1 tablespoon or 0.5 fluid ounce of homemade simple syrup.
Iced Cinnamon Dolce Latte Version
The iced version of this latte does not require steamed milk.
Add ice to your serving glass. Pour in warm espresso and cinnamon syrup. Top with cold milk of choice. Stir and enjoy!
More Coffee & Tea Recipes
Homemade Cinnamon Dolce Latte
Ingredients
- 2 fl oz fresh pulled espresso , (double shot)
- ½ fl oz cinnamon syrup,, or more to taste if you prefer sweeter drink
- 5 fl oz milk*, steamed
- sweetened whipped cream
- ground cinnamon
Cinnamon Syrup:
- 1 cup cool water
- 1 cup brown sugar, (200 g)
- 4 cinnamon sticks
Instructions
Latte:
- Pour hot espresso into serving glass. Stir in cinnamon syrup. Top with steamed milk.
- Garnish with sweetened whipped cream and dust with ground cinnamon. Enjoy immediately.
Cinnamon Syrup:
- Combine water, brown sugar, and cinnamon sticks in a heavy bottomed sauce pot. Set over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until sugar has dissolved, about 2 minutes.
- Remove from heat. Steep for 15-30 minutes, depending on preferred taste. Strain out cinnamon. Keep cinnamon syrup in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to use.
Notes
- This makes a strong 8 oz serving. If you prefer a lighter coffee flavor, use more milk. Starbucks uses about 8 oz (1 cup) of 2% milk in their tall size latte.
- I prefer to use whole milk for a creamier texture. Oat milk is also great for steaming.
- Adjust cinnamon syrup amount according to your taste preferences.
- Each “syrup pump” is about 1 tablespoon or 0.5 fluid ounce of homemade simple syrup.
- On average, Tall size ( 12 fl oz) has 3 pumps of syrup, Grande (16 fl oz) has 4 pumps, and Venti (20 fl oz) has 5 pumps.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.