Espresso from coffee machine
Food & Drink

18 Coffee Drinks You Can Make Yourself To Feel Like A Real Barista

Learn how to make cafe-worthy coffee drinks at home with copycat coffee recipes from Starbucks & more.

December 21, 2020

If you prepare your morning brew at home, you’re probably tired of having the same old coffee each day, even if you did attempt TikTok’s dalgona. That’s why we rounded up this list of coffee recipes to add to your barista repertoire. The next time you need a little pick-me-up, treat yourself to a new coffee recipe instead of reaching for the drip coffee.

14 recipes for all coffee lovers

1. Caramel Latte

2 mason jars filled with caramel lattes with caramel dripping down sides & foam tops

Source: Unicorns in the Kitchen

If you’re in the mood for a decadent coffee drink, check out this caramel latte recipe. It combines hot, frothy milk, coffee, and caramel. It does require you to use a saucepan and a blender, so it might not be your everyday coffee drink, but it’s great for a lazy Sunday afternoon. 

To make, combine 2 cups of milk, one-quarter cup of caramel sauce, and 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar in a saucepan. Carefully transfer the liquid to a blender and froth the mixture. Always take precautions when blending hot liquids because they can cause the lids of some blenders to pop off, creating a dangerous mess. Finally, add brewed coffee to the caramel froth and serve.

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2. Bulletproof Coffee

Glass mug with bulletproof coffee on rattan tray with cloth napkin & white flowers

Source: Bulletproof Coffee

Butter in coffee? No, this isn’t a ploy by the French Cooking Lobby to sell more butter. It’s a keto-friendly way to take in the type of fats needed to fuel your brain and keep you full. Bulletproof coffee fans swear this coffee drink helps them feel satisfied, alert, and focused. It’s easy to make at home, too, with just a few ingredients and a blender.

To prepare, blend one cup of coffee with 2 tablespoons of melted butter. Pour the mixture into your favorite mug and enjoy. 

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3. Perfect Iced Coffee

Ball mason jar filled with creamy iced coffee drink

Source: Damn Delicious

This iced coffee recipe blends coffee and sweeteners to create a drink that tastes like it came from your favorite café. The key is to create homemade simple syrup flavored with vanilla extract that mellows out any bitterness from the coffee when combined with half and half.

To make simple syrup, combine one-half cup of sugar with 2 cups of water in a saucepan. Dissolve the sugar over medium heat and let the syrup cool before swirling in one-half teaspoon of vanilla extract. 

Consider making coffee ice cubes if you don’t want a watered-down drink. 

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4. Starbucks Iced Coffee

Pitcher & Starbucks cup filled with Starbucks iced coffee near bag of Kenya coffee blend

Source: Starbucks

If you want to know how to make iced coffee the Starbucks way, you’re in luck. The chain’s baristas have written down the Starbucks iced coffee recipe so customers can recreate it at home. (If you’re feeling unmotivated, you can always get an iced pumpkin spice latte or cold brew delivered to your doorstep.) Whatever you do, just make sure you pick up some whipped cream

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5. Espresso in a Drip Coffee Maker

Person putting espresso grounds into a drip coffee maker

Source: Coffee Channel

Although an espresso maker can be a serious upgrade to your kitchen, you can make this variety of coffee in an everyday drip coffee maker

When making drip coffee espresso, the most important thing to do is to use the right ratio of water to coffee, which is roughly 2 ounces of water per tablespoon of ground coffee. If you have a “concentrated” or “strong” brew setting, use that, as espresso needs a good amount of pressure to force water through the grounds. We recommend pouring the resulting brew into a tiny mug to replicate the café experience. 

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6. Classic Macchiato

Macchiato with white milk heart latte art in small espresso cup on saucer

Source: Roasty Coffee

“Macchiato” roughly translates to “stained” in Italian and refers to espresso tainted with a splash of milk. To make a macchiato at home, prepare a shot of espresso and then top it off with a bit of steamed milk whipped to perfection in your electric milk frother. 

No espresso machine? See the previous section for tips on making espresso in a drip coffee maker. 

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7. Date-Sweetened Iced Latte

Glass mug with date-sweetened iced latte coffee drink

Source: My Chef’s Apron

The Supreme Court may have ruled that a hot dog is a sandwich, but it has yet to determine what constitutes a smoothie—a debate sparked by drinks like this latte. 

This beverage combines dates, cashew milk, coffee, and an optional tablespoon of peanut butter, all liquified in a blender to create a drink that’s varied enough to be both your breakfast and first coffee of the day. 

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8. Starbucks Caffe Mocha

Glass mug with Starbucks caffe mocha

Source: Starbucks

This classic Starbucks coffee drink pairs espresso with steamed milk and glorious mocha sauce—a rich chocolate syrup made with coffee instead of water.

Prepare one shot of espresso and pour it into your coffee cup. Then, drizzle in mocha sauce and stir to combine. Top with frothed milk and enjoy. 

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9. Cappuccino Punch 

Alt text: glass mug with cappuccino punch on top of blue cloth napkin

Source: Taste of Home

Imagine a root beer float made with coffee. That’s a cappuccino punch. It combines coffee with chocolate and vanilla ice cream for a decadent morning (or afternoon) treat. 

This particular recipe is designed to be made in a punch bowl and served at a party, but you can easily scale it down. To make, combine one-half cup of sugar and one cup of instant coffee and stir in a cup of boiling water. Let the mixture chill completely before pouring it into a large bowl and swirling in 2 quarts of creamy whole milk. Add in as much ice cream as you like and stir to help the frozen bits melt into the liquid.

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10. Coconut Milk Thai Iced Coffee

Short & tall glasses with coconut milk Thai iced coffee on tray

Source: Joyful Healthy Eats

This coffee drink requires a bit of advanced planning, but that just means you’ll need to make cold brew the night before. Alternatively, you can embrace procrastination and start with cold brew from a can. 

To make the creamy coconut mixture that goes into the coffee, combine one can of full-fat coconut milk, 3 tablespoons of maple syrup, one-quarter teaspoon of vanilla extract, one-quarter teaspoon of almond extract, one-eighth teaspoon of ground nutmeg, one-quarter teaspoon of ground cardamom, and one-eighth teaspoon of ground cloves over medium heat until thickened, around 20 minutes. 

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11. Cold brew coffee

cold brew coffee and milk

New Africa – stock.adobe.com

Grabbing a couple of cold brews per day at your local coffee shop can get expensive, and the bottled store-bought kind isn’t much cheaper. Your best bet is to learn how to make your own perfect brew. 

Cold brew coffee is served cold and made without heat. This process extracts rich flavor from the beans. 

First, coarsely grind one cup of coffee beans. Then, place them in a jar with 4 cups of cold water, and stir to combine. Leave the mixture to brew overnight. Strain the coffee through a cheesecloth to remove the grounds in the morning and serve your brew over ice. 

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  • Coarsely ground coffee beans

12. Flat white

Flat white coffee latte

Iuliia – stock.adobe.com

This creamy delight is a 2:1 ratio of steamed milk to espresso. It’s the perfect coffee to accompany an afternoon pastry

Making a barista-level flat white may require some trial and error, but the training is worth it. Plus, you can drink all of the “mistakes.” 

To make, brew a shot of espresso and begin frothing your milk. To get a silky texture from the milk, stir the topmost layer of bubbles back into the liquid as it froths. Then, pour this rich cream over the shot of espresso. 

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  • Milk of your choice

  • Espresso

13. Americano

americano hot black coffee

sutichak – stock.adobe.com

If you plan to become an at-home barista, the americano is a mandatory part of your repertoire. This drink is a mixture of hot water and coffee. The intensity is similar to drip coffee but espresso’s flavor is much richer.

To prepare, brew two espresso shots. In the meantime, heat 4 ounces of water in a tea kettle. When the shots are ready, pour them into a mug and top with hot water. 

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  • Ground espresso

14. Frappe

Cold frappe coffee with cream

olyina – stock.adobe.com

If you’re seeking a dessert-like coffee treat on a hot day, the frappe is for you. It’s no wonder this drink is so popular at chain cafés. 

The four basic ingredients in this drink are coffee, milk, sugar, and ice, but you’ve likely seen all sorts of other flavored varieties by now. To make the original version at home, liquify one-half cup prepared espresso, 1 cup of ice cubes, one-quarter cup of milk, and 2 tablespoons of sugar in a blender. This will result in two frosty frappes.

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  • Milk of your choice

  • Espresso

  • Sugar 

15. Cappuccino

Cup of cappuccino coffee

Nitr – stock.adobe.com

Cappuccinos are traditionally prepared with equal parts foam, steamed milk, and espresso. To prepare your own version of this Italian staple, brew a two-ounce shot of espresso and pour four ounces of creamy frothed milk over it.  

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  • Milk of your choice

  • Espresso

16. Irish coffee

Irish coffee in glass

chandlervid85 – stock.adobe.com

This boozy drink is the perfect accompaniment for a late-night dessert, not breakfast

To make, heat 1 ⅓ ounces of Irish whiskey, two-third ounces of hot coffee, and 1 teaspoon of brown sugar in a saucepan just until warm. Then, pour the contents of the saucepan into a mug and swirl in some fresh cream.

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  • Brown sugar

  • Whiskey 

  • Heavy cream

  • Ground coffee

17. Cortado

Cortado - Spanish coffee

milanchikov – stock.adobe.com

This 1:1 ratio of coffee and steamed milk is a balanced drink. You’ve likely noticed that cappuccinos, flat whites, lattes, and now, cortados are mostly the same drink with different ratios of milk and coffee. You’re not wrong. However, coffee experts ferociously battle over those little details, so it’s worth learning the difference. 

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  • Espresso

  • Milk of your choice

18. Café au lait

Café au lait

SB – stock.adobe.com

Consider café au lait the bigger sibling of a cortado. This drink is also a 1:1 ratio of steamed milk and coffee. The difference is that café au lait uses strong-brewed coffee instead of espresso. The proportions of each ingredient are often larger too, resulting in a tall drink to enjoy for a while.

  • Coffee grinds

  • Milk of your choice

How to make good coffee at home

Before you try making any of these coffee drinks, it’s important to learn the fundamentals of brewing at home. The National Coffee Association has an in-depth coffee-making guide, but here are the basics: 

  1. Thoroughly clean your equipment. Leaving coffee grounds or coffee-oil buildup in your machine can make future brews taste rancid.

  2. Use fresh beans. Purchase your beans close to their roasting date. Try to buy your coffee in small amounts for maximum freshness.

  3. Follow the “Golden Ratio.” Use 1 to 2 tablespoons of ground coffee for every 6 ounces of water. You can adjust this ratio to taste if you prefer a stronger or weaker brew.

  4. Use cold tap water. Run the tap for a few seconds before filling up your coffee maker. If your tap water doesn’t taste good on its own, use filtered or bottled water.

  5. Maintain a proper water temperature. That means it should be between 195 and 205 degrees Fahrenheit for optimal extraction—except when making cold brew.

  6. Focus on brew time. In a drip coffee maker, the water should be in contact with the grounds for about 5 minutes. In a French press, the contact time should be 2 to 4 minutes. For espresso, the contact time is only 20 to 30 seconds. Cold brew should steep for about 12 hours or overnight.

You can make a lot of these coffee drinks using ingredients you have at home or order from GoPuff. Heat up your coffee maker because GoPuff will deliver in no time.


Do you have the GoPuff app yet? Download it from the Apple Store or Google Play to make ordering even easier. 

Make sure to follow GoPuff on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook!

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