I'm A Former Barista. Here's How To Make The Best Salted Caramel Iced Espresso

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It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that I absolutely love coffee. In fact, it's become an expensive habit visiting cafés too frequently, so I've been putting my barista skills to work. Over the last few years, I have become obsessed with creating the best drinks I can at home. By crafting my favorite go-to coffee drink, an iced salted caramel espresso, I must admit, I no longer feel the need to purchase coffee at Starbucks. Yes, my homemade coffee drink is really that much better.

What about the experience of visiting a café, you say? Well, I'll admit that making your coffee at home can't totally replace that atmosphere, but you can still enjoy creating one of these shaken caramel espressos from your own kitchen. My hope is that by sharing the recipe with you, perhaps I can save you a few dollars and help you make your own perfect iced coffee at home, too.

You'll need to start with a great salted caramel. Of course, you can purchase your own salted caramel sauce, but my husband has become something of an expert at making it right at our stove. Caramel day is something I look forward to for the smells alone.

He uses 1 cup of white sugar, 6 tablespoons of unsalted butter, ½ cup of heavy whipping cream, and 1-¼ teaspoons of salt. The recipe requires a good amount of stirring, so be sure to do your stretches before you begin. Sugar goes in the pan first — stir it until it melts into an amber liquid. He then adds the butter, allowing it to fully come together. Next, pour in the whipping cream, all while giving it a nice whisk. The salt comes in at the end, and while I love salted caramel, if you prefer unsalted caramel, consider leaving this out.

From there, you'll want to get yourself a quality coffee. My family has become obsessed with Onyx Coffee, and we subscribe to the Roaster's Choice line, so there are frequently new blends showing up in our mailbox. We've loved everything from Onyx we've received.

Perhaps the most important part about making a quality coffee drink over and over again is having a consistent, measurable process that you can repeat easily at home. Over the years, my chosen espresso machine has changed. For many years, I relied on my AeroPress for great espresso-like coffee. For a more automated, simple system, the Ninja Luxe Café Pro is a great choice for beginner-friendly espresso machines. Though on the pricy side, the upcoming Fellow Espresso Series 1 looks to be an excellent option when it becomes available, but for now, my favorite is a manual-level espresso machine, the Flair PRO 3.

I use 20 grams of ground Onyx beans with the help of the DF54 coffee grinder. Using the Flair PRO 3, I push the level, aiming to keep pressure at about nine bars until I reach 49 grams of espresso. In the bottom of a 20-ounce Owala SmoothSip Slider, I add a rounded tablespoon of homemade caramel, a small pinch of salt, and another rounded tablespoon of brown sugar. Then, I pour the espresso on top of that, giving the caramel time to melt with the espresso. 

After a stir to help all those goodies get to know each other, I fill most of the rest of the cup with ice, and pour in my oat milk. If I want the espresso to be very strong, I'll add less oat milk, but if I want it very milky, I will add more. The best part about the Owala SmoothSip Slider is that you can shake the espresso right in the cup and enjoy it from there (just be sure you know how to clean your Owala). After some solid shaking, your espresso is ready, and you'll have unlocked a new favorite drink.