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This Starbucks sugar cookie latte recipe tastes just like the holiday drink, made at home with blonde espresso, a buttery homemade sugar cookie syrup, milk, and red and green sprinkles. Make it iced like the Starbucks version or hot and cozy for sipping by the tree. The sugar cookie latte is back on the Starbucks holiday menu for 2026, and this copycat skips the $6 to $8 price tag and the long line!!
I’ve made this homemade sugar cookie latte every holiday season since 2021, and 67 of you have rated it a near-perfect 4.98 stars. It’s the closest Starbucks sugar cookie latte dupe I’ve found, and the secret is the syrup: three extracts turn plain simple syrup into something that tastes like a fresh-baked sugar cookie. If you love nostalgic coffee flavors, my Teddy Graham latte is another cozy one to try.
Quick Look: Starbucks Sugar Cookie Latte Recipe (Hot or Iced Copycat)
- ☕ What it is: Blonde espresso, homemade sugar cookie syrup, and milk, finished with red and green sprinkles.
- ⭐ Why it works: Vanilla, almond, and butter extract make plain simple syrup taste like a sugar cookie.
- 💛 Why you’ll love it: The Starbucks drink, hot or iced, without the $6 to $8 price tag.
- ⚠️ What to watch for: Almond extract is strong. Readers who aren’t almond fans halve it.
- 🎯 How close to the original: Readers say it tastes just like Starbucks. Use dairy milk to match today’s version.
- ❄️ Make ahead: The syrup keeps 2 weeks in the fridge, or freeze it in ice cube trays.
Why This Recipe Works
- Three extracts (vanilla, almond, and butter) give plain simple syrup real sugar cookie flavor
- A little brown sugar adds the warm, buttery note of a cookie fresh out of the oven
- Blonde espresso keeps it smooth so the cookie flavor shines, just like at Starbucks
- One small batch of syrup makes several lattes and keeps for 2 weeks in the fridge
- Works as a hot or iced sugar cookie latte recipe, with almond milk, oat milk, or dairy
Table of Contents
- Quick Look: Starbucks Sugar Cookie Latte Recipe (Hot or Iced Copycat)
- Why This Recipe Works
- What Is the Starbucks Sugar Cookie Latte?
- Ingredients You’ll Need (and Why)
- Substitutions and Variations
- How to Make a Starbucks Sugar Cookie Latte at Home
- Sugar Cookie Cold Foam Topping
- Watch How to Make This Sugar Cookie Latte
- Expert Tips
- Starbucks Sugar Cookie Latte FAQs
- More Starbucks Holiday Copycats
- Starbucks Sugar Cookie Latte Recipe (Hot or Iced Copycat)
What Is the Starbucks Sugar Cookie Latte?
So how does Starbucks make their sugar cookie latte? It launched as the Iced Sugar Cookie Almondmilk Latte in 2021: sugar cookie syrup, Starbucks Blonde Espresso, almond milk, and ice, finished with red and green sprinkles. In 2025, Starbucks dropped “almondmilk” from the name and started making the Starbucks iced sugar cookie latte with regular milk. The sugar cookie latte at Starbucks returns with the holiday menu on November 5, 2026, and usually sticks around into early January.
This DIY Starbucks sugar cookie latte follows the same build, and it’s one of my favorite Starbucks copycat recipes to make at home. Use almond milk for the original 2021 version, or dairy milk for the way Starbucks makes it now. And if you’re more of a caramel person, my copycat Starbucks caramel brulée sauce is the other holiday drink I make on repeat.
Ingredients You’ll Need (and Why)
- Brown sugar + granulated sugar: Granulated sugar sweetens the syrup, and a little brown sugar adds that warm, baked-cookie flavor.
- Vanilla, almond, and butter extract: This trio is what makes the syrup taste like a sugar cookie. Almond extract is strong, so go light if you’re not a fan. Butter extract is optional, but it’s the buttery part of the cookie.
- Blonde espresso: Starbucks uses Blonde Espresso for this drink. I use the Starbucks blonde roast Nespresso pods, but any espresso shot works.
- Milk: Unsweetened or regular almond milk gives you the original version, light and nutty. Dairy milk matches how Starbucks makes it today.
- Christmas sprinkles: Red and green sprinkles are the Starbucks finish, but any festive mix works.
Full ingredient amounts are in the recipe card below.
Substitutions and Variations
- No espresso machine: Dissolve 2 to 3 teaspoons of instant coffee in 3 tablespoons of hot water, or use the same amount of strong brewed coffee. One reader made it with brewed coffee and loved it.
- Decaf: Decaf espresso or strong brewed decaf keeps all the sugar cookie flavor without the caffeine. I make it this way sometimes too!
- No butter extract: A reader stirred a small pat of real butter into the warm syrup instead, and it worked beautifully.
- Dairy free: Use almond or oat milk and skip the whipped cream. Check your butter extract label, since some brands contain dairy.
- Extra creamy: Use half oat milk and half almond milk.
- A sugar cookie latte with no syrup to make: Jordan’s Skinny Mixes Sugar Cookie Syrup works in a pinch, though homemade tastes richer.
- Big batch: For a jar that lasts all week, make my Starbucks sugar cookie syrup recipe, which makes 8 servings. For more flavors to keep on your coffee bar, my homemade coffee syrup recipes guide has them all.
How to Make a Starbucks Sugar Cookie Latte at Home
- Make the sugar cookie syrup. In a small saucepan over medium heat, stir the water, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until the sugar dissolves. Take it off the heat, stir in the vanilla, almond, and butter extract, and let it cool.
- Add ice and syrup. Fill a large glass with ice and add 2 to 4 tablespoons of the sugar cookie syrup.
- Add the milk and espresso. Pour in the milk, top with the fresh espresso shots, finish with sprinkles, and give it a stir. Serve it with a plate of my soft almond sugar cookies!
Sweetness note: Starbucks drinks are sweet. Start with 2 tablespoons of syrup and add more to taste. One reader uses just 1 teaspoon for a half-sweet latte.
Making it hot: Steam the milk, add the syrup and espresso to a tall mug, then pour in the steamed milk and top with whipped cream (optional) and sprinkles. If you like your lattes simple, my hot vanilla latte copycat is the classic version.
Sugar Cookie Cold Foam Topping
Starbucks also sells a Sugar Cookie Cream Cold Foam, made with its vanilla sweet cream and sugar cookie syrup. To get the same topping at home, stir a spoonful of this syrup into my vanilla sweet cream cold foam before you froth it. One reader skips the cream entirely and froths 1/4 cup of milk with 2 tablespoons of powdered sugar and a splash of the syrup. So good on the iced version! Starbucks tops its Irish Cream Cold Brew with a sweet cream cold foam too, and my Starbucks Irish Cream Cold Brew copycat is a fun one to try next.
Watch How to Make This Sugar Cookie Latte
Expert Tips
- Not an almond fan? Halve the almond extract. A few readers found the full amount too strong.
- Let the syrup cool before making the iced version so it doesn’t melt your ice.
- Pour the espresso over the milk last for that pretty layered look in the glass.
- Triple the syrup for a week of lattes and keep it in a jar in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
- Want it richer? Add whipped cream or a sugar cookie cold foam on top.
Starbucks Sugar Cookie Latte FAQs
Yes! To serve Starbucks sugar cookie lattes for a crowd, make a big jar of the sugar cookie syrup ahead of time and keep the milk and espresso separate until serving. Set everything out with ice and sprinkles so guests can build their own.
To make a Starbucks iced sugar cookie latte at home, fill a glass with ice, add 2 to 4 tablespoons of homemade sugar cookie syrup, pour in 3/4 cup of milk, top with 2 ounces of blonde espresso, and finish with sprinkles.
Yes! For a Starbucks sugar cookie latte without an espresso machine, dissolve 2 to 3 teaspoons of instant coffee in 3 tablespoons of hot water, or use the same amount of strong brewed coffee.
Keep the sugar cookie syrup for your Starbucks sugar cookie latte in an airtight jar in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. For longer storage, freeze it in an ice cube tray and thaw a cube or two per latte.
The original Starbucks sugar cookie latte was made with almond milk, and this copycat stays dairy free with almond or oat milk. Check your butter extract label, since some brands contain dairy, and skip the whipped cream.
More Starbucks Holiday Copycats
If you tried this Starbucks Sugar Cookie Latte Recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it goes in the comments! I love hearing from you!
Starbucks Sugar Cookie Latte Recipe (Hot or Iced Copycat)
Ingredients
Sugar Cookie Syrup
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp almond extract use 1/8 tsp for a lighter almond flavor
- 2 drops butter extract optional
Latte
- 3/4 cup milk almond milk for the original, or dairy milk
- 2 oz blonde espresso 2 shots, or any espresso you like
- Christmas sprinkles
- ice for the iced version
- whipped cream optional, for the hot version
Instructions
Sugar Cookie Syrup
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, stir the water, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until the sugar fully dissolves.1/4 cup water, 2 tbsp brown sugar, 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla, almond, and butter extract. Let it cool, then store it in an airtight jar.1 tsp vanilla extract, 1/4 tsp almond extract, 2 drops butter extract
Iced Sugar Cookie Latte
- Fill a large glass with ice and add 2 to 4 tablespoons of the sugar cookie syrup.ice
- Pour in the milk, top with the espresso shots, finish with sprinkles, and give it a stir.3/4 cup milk, 2 oz blonde espresso, Christmas sprinkles
Hot Sugar Cookie Latte
- Steam the milk. Add 2 to 4 tablespoons of the syrup and the espresso to a tall mug, pour in the steamed milk, then top with whipped cream and sprinkles.3/4 cup milk, 2 oz blonde espresso, whipped cream, Christmas sprinkles
Notes
- Not an almond fan? Start with 1/8 teaspoon almond extract. Several readers found 1/4 teaspoon too strong.
- No butter extract? Stir a small pat of real butter into the warm syrup. Some butter extracts contain dairy, so check the label if you need it dairy free.
- The syrup keeps up to 2 weeks in an airtight jar in the fridge. Triple it for a week of lattes.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I think I’m gonna try using oat milk instead because a lot of other recipes used oat milk. Do you know which would be better? Any IM SO exited to try this,thanks❤️
Go for the oat milk, Emma! Just make sure you grab the extra creamy kind. It makes a richer, more velvety latte and froths really nicely for the hot version. Almond milk is lighter and a little nutty, more like the original. Either way you’ll get that sugar cookie flavor. Let me know how it turns out!