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–+ servings
A single glass mug of Starbucks apple cider topped with whipped cream and caramel drizzle

Starbucks Apple Cider (Caramel Apple Spice Copycat)

A copycat of the Starbucks apple cider, the Caramel Apple Spice: hot apple juice stirred with a homemade cinnamon dolce syrup, topped with whipped cream and a caramel drizzle. The syrup takes ten minutes and keeps for six weeks, so every mug after the first takes five.
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Servings 2 mugs
Author Nayla
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Ingredients
 

Cinnamon Dolce Syrup

  • 1/4 cup brown sugar light or dark, packed
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 cinnamon sticks or 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, strained out
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

For the Drink

  • 2 cups apple juice 100 percent juice, no added sugar
  • 2 to 4 tbsp cinnamon dolce syrup from above, to taste
  • whipped cream sweetened, for topping
  • caramel sauce thick and squeezable, for drizzling

Equipment

  • Saucepan
  • Spoon
  • Mug
  • Measuring cups and spoons
  • Heatproof jar (for syrup storage)

Instructions
 

Make the Cinnamon Dolce Syrup

  1. Combine the sugars. Put the brown sugar, granulated sugar and cinnamon sticks in a small saucepan.
    Brown sugar, white sugar and a cinnamon stick in a small saucepan
  2. Add the water and simmer. Pour in the water and set the pan over medium heat. Stir until the sugars dissolve, then let it come to a gentle boil and bubble for 3 to 5 minutes, until glossy and lightly coating a spoon. Do not cook it thick; it thickens as it cools.
    Water poured from a pitcher over the sugars and cinnamon stick in the saucepan
  3. Finish with vanilla. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the vanilla. Let the syrup cool for 15 minutes with the cinnamon sticks still in it, then pour it into a clean jar. Refrigerate; it keeps for up to 6 weeks.
    Vanilla extract poured into the dissolved sugar syrup in the saucepan

Heat the Juice

  1. Warm the apple juice. Heat the juice in a small saucepan over medium heat until it steams and small bubbles gather at the edge, about 4 minutes. Do not let it boil. Or microwave it in the mugs in 30-second bursts.
    Juice poured from a glass pitcher into a saucepan to warm

Sweeten and Top

  1. Stir in the syrup. Pour the hot juice into two warmed mugs and stir 1 to 2 tablespoons of syrup into each, tasting as you go.
  2. Top and serve. Pile whipped cream on each mug and drizzle caramel sauce over the cream in a zigzag. Serve right away, while the cream still holds its shape.

Notes

Pictured: the drink exactly as written, with clear apple juice, homemade cinnamon dolce syrup, whipped cream and caramel sauce piped from a bag.
Make ahead: the syrup keeps in a sealed jar in the refrigerator for up to 6 weeks and makes about 3/4 cup, enough for 6 to 12 mugs. Warm the jar briefly if it is too thick to pour. For a crowd, heat a half gallon of juice with 2/3 cup syrup in a slow cooker and hold it on warm for up to 3 hours.
Storage: the mixed drink without toppings keeps 3 days in the fridge; reheat and add fresh cream and caramel. Do not freeze.
Substitutions: bottled cinnamon dolce or brown sugar cinnamon coffee syrup in the same amount; fresh pressed cider for the juice with a little less syrup; coconut whipped cream and a dairy-free caramel for a dairy-free mug; an ounce of bourbon or spiced rum per mug for a spiked version.
Doneness: the syrup is ready when it is glossy and coats a spoon, 215 to 220°F; the juice is ready when it steams with small bubbles at the edge, about 165°F. Do not boil the juice.
Nutrition values are an estimate.

Nutrition

Calories: 275kcal | Carbohydrates: 58g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 15mg | Sodium: 60mg | Potassium: 260mg | Sugar: 52g | Vitamin A: 150IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 40mg | Iron: 0.4mg
Nayla
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