Starbucks Iced Chocolate Almondmilk Shaken Espresso Copycat Recipe

The Starbucks Iced Chocolate Almondmilk Shaken Espresso is one of the easiest Starbucks drinks to make at home.

Made by shaking espresso, chocolate malt and dairy free almond milk with ice, it is a super refreshing, chocolatey coffee perfect for lovers of cold coffee drinks.

If you are a fan of the Starbucks iced shaken espresso recipes, or you are curious to know how to make shaken espresso at home, read on.

Our Starbucks chocolate almond milk shaken espresso copycat recipe is quick and easy to make in a few minutes with just 4 ingredients.

Glass of iced chocolate almondmilk shaken espresso.

What Is A Shaken Espresso?

A shaken espresso is a cold coffee drink made by combining hot espresso shots with ice cubes in a cocktail shaker.

The ingredients are shaken together to form an aerated, foamy and refreshingly cold espresso.

Shaking the espresso with ice changes the taste and texture of the coffee and it tastes very different to a regular iced coffee or cold brew coffee.

History Of The Starbucks Shaken Espresso

Starbucks introduced shaken espresso drinks to their menu in 2021, but variations of this type of espresso drink have been around for many years.

The Starbucks shaken espresso recipe was perhaps inspired by the Italian form of the drink, fondly known as a shakerato – made by shaking espresso, sugar syrup and ice in a cocktail shaker and enjoyed black.

Starbucks have several shaken espresso drinks on their menu including:

  • The standard iced shaken espresso
  • Iced toasted vanilla oatmilk shaken espresso
  • Iced brown sugar oatmilk shaken espresso
  • The iced chocolate almondmilk shaken espresso.

The beauty of the shaken espresso drinks range is they are super easy to make at home, unlike some of their other drinks like the pumpkin cream cold brew.

What Is In a Starbucks Chocolate Almondmilk Shaken Espresso?

The Starbucks chocolate almond milk shaken espresso ingredients listed on the Starbucks website are:

  • Ice
  • Almondmilk
  • Brewed Espresso
  • Chocolate malt powder

Our copycat recipe replicates these ingredients, noting that Starbucks use their own trademarked almond milk and chocolate malt powder.

Top view of glass of chocolate almond milk shaken espresso coffee.

Iced Chocolate Almond Milk Shaken Espresso Ingredients

To make our copycat Starbucks chocolate almond milk shaken espresso at home you will need:

  • Cubed ice – the larger the better to reduce the speed at which it melts.
  • Almond milk – Starbucks almondmilk is sweetened, but unsweetened almond milk also tastes great. I like Califia Farms almond milk.
  • Espresso – Starbucks use blonde espresso, a lighter medium roast coffee.
  • Chocolate malt powder – essential for that sweet chocolatey flavor. Nestle Carnation is an easy to find option, Milois a great choice, but harder to find.
Top view of Ingredients to make Starbucks chocolate almond milk shaken espresso.

What Is Blonde Espresso?

Starbucks Blonde Espresso is a lighter roast compared to their Signature Espresso roast.

Starbucks describe the Veranda blonde roast as having notes of toasted malt and baking chocolate. It is made from 100% arabica coffee beans sourced from Latin America.

While Starbucks describe it as their lightest roast, it is comparable to medium roast coffee beans from other roasters. For more on different roast levels see our guide to coffee roasts.

Starbucks offer the blonde roast as whole beans, ground coffee, k-cup pods and Nespresso Vertuo pods. See the options here.

How To Make Iced Chocolate Almondmilk Shaken Espresso At Home

Now you have your ingredients on hand, it’s time to make your iced chocolate almond milk shaken espresso.

Step 1 – Pull Your Espresso Shots

The first step is to pull a double espresso on your espresso machine.

This equate to around 2 ounces / 60ml of espresso.

If you have a manual or semi-automatic espresso machine, use your large / double brew basket in the portafilter to extract a double shot in a single go.

When using an automatic espresso machine be sure to select 2 x espresso or double espresso.

Tip: If you don’t have an espresso machine, the next best thing to use is a stove top moka pot.

The moka pot makes a strong, espresso like coffee at a fraction of the cost of an espresso maachine.

My favorite moka pot brand is Bialetti. You can see it here.

Step 2 – Add Your Ingredients To A Cocktail Shaker

Next you want to add the ice, chocolate malt powder and espresso to a cocktail shaker or a large mason jar with a lid.

You want to ensure your jar seals well as you are going to shake it quite vigorously!

Top Tip: Put the ice in first (unlike my picture below!). It helps stop the malt getting stuck on the bottom of your shaker.

chocolate malt above tall shaker - process shot for shaken iced espresso recipe.

Step 3 – Shake

Pop the lid on and shake shake shake for a minute or two until the ingredients are well combined and you have a nice frothy mixture.

Shaker with ingredients to make chocolate almondmilk shaken espresso.

Step 3 – Pour

Grab your glass and pour the shaken espresso mix into your glass, ice and all.

If some of the ice has melted while shaking, top up your glass with a little more fresh ice.

Process shot for making almond milk iced shaken espresso coffee drink recipe.

Step 3 – Add Almond Milk

Finally, pour your almond milk over the top of the iced chocolate shaken espresso. Add more to taste, serve and enjoy!

Pouring milk into glass of chocolate almondmilk shaken espresso.

Iced Chocolate Almondmilk Shaken Espresso Recipe FAQs

Does The Iced Chocolate Almondmilk Shaken Espresso Have Caffeine?

Yes, both the Starbucks and my homemade version of the iced chocolate almondmilk shaken espresso have caffeine. This is thanks to 2 shots of Starbucks blonde espresso.
You could make this shaken espresso recipe with decaf coffee for a caffeine-free version.

What Is The Difference Between Iced Shaken Espresso Vs Cold Brew?

The difference between iced shaken espresso and cold brew is in the coffee brewing method. Shaken espresso is hot espresso shaken over ice. Cold brew is made by immersing ground coffee in cold water over many hours.

Is The Iced Chocolate Almond Milk Shake And Espresso Sweet?

Yes there is natural sweetness in the chocolate almondmilk shaken espresso thanks to the sugar in the chocolate malt powder. The Starbucks iced chocolate shaken espresso also has sweetened almond milk for extra sweetness.

How To Shake Espresso At Home?

A cocktail shaker is the easiest and quickest way to make a shaken espresso – and it comes in handy for coffee cocktails too! Thankfully cocktail shakers aren’t expensive and they make great gifts too.

What Is The Difference Between Shaken Espresso Vs Latte?

The difference between a shaken espresso and latte is how the drink is combined.

An iced latte combines ice, espresso and cold milk – the ingredients are not stirred or shaken together.

A shaken espresso combines the same ingredients, but they are shaken together to quickly cool the espresso, aerate the mix and generate a light and frothy mixture.

Is the Iced Chocolate Almondmilk Shaken Espresso Vegan?

Whilst not vegan certified, the Starbucks chocolate shaken espresso uses vegan-friendly ingredients. When making a homemade shaken espresso, check the chocolate malt powder ingredients as many include milk powder.

Two glasses of iced almondmilk shaken espresso.

More Starbucks Copycat Recipes

If you loved this DIY iced shaken espresso recipe, here are some more Starbucks copycat recipes to make at home.

Hop over to all our coffee drinks recipes or browse all our coffee recipes.

Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Yield: 1

Starbucks Iced Chocolate Almondmilk Shaken Espresso Recipe

Glass of iced chocolate almondmilk shaken espresso.

An easy copycat Starbucks iced chocolate almondmilk shaken espresso recipe. With chocolate malt powder, espresso and almond milk it is a delicious dairy free iced shaken espresso coffee drink you can make at home in just a few minutes.

Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons chocolate malt powder
  • 2 shots of espresso
  • 1/2 cup almond milk
  • 2 cups ice cubes

Instructions

  1. Pour ice cubes, chocolate malt and espresso into a cocktail shaker or mason jar with lid.
  2. Shake vigorously for at least a 1 minute until all ingredients are well combined and the chocolate malt powder has dissolved.
  3. Pour mixture into glass (including ice) and top with almond milk.
  4. Add more milk and ice to taste and serve immediately.

Notes

  1. I prefer unsweetened almond milk, but for a sweeter drink use sweetened almond milk, which is what Starbucks use in their shaken espresso recipe. You can also use regular dairy milk if preferred.
  2. If you don't have a cocktail shaker, you can use any jar with a lid.
  3. Use Starbucks Blonde roast espresso coffee beans for the closest tasting drink to the real thing. Starbucks Blonde espresso is available as whole beans, ground coffee and as capsules. The best alternative to Starbucks Blonde espresso beans is a medium roast coffee.
  4. If you don't have an espresso machine, a good alternative is a stove top coffee maker (moka pot).

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

1

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 122Total Fat: 2gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 75mgCarbohydrates: 24gFiber: 1gSugar: 18gProtein: 2g

Please note that nutrition information is a computer generated estimate and should not be interpreted as a dietitian's advice. Values can vary greatly among brands, amounts and ingredients used.

About Rachel Rodda

Founder of Creators of Coffee, Rachel is a passionate coffee lover, SCA member and former barista, who also loves to research and share practical tips on everything to do with coffee. Favorite way to make coffee: With an Espresso Machine

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