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Caramel is one of those flavors I keep coming back to. I’ve had it in coffee, tea, desserts, and cocoa, and it seems to work almost anywhere a sweet, toasted note makes sense.
If you order caramel drinks at Starbucks, it helps to know which version is being used, because the sauce and syrup behave differently once they hit the cup.
So, what caramel does Starbucks use? Here is the short answer.
What brand of caramel does Starbucks use?
Starbucks uses its own brand of caramel, and that applies to both the caramel sauce and the caramel syrup.
They can sound interchangeable, but the two taste and behave differently once you actually drink them.
Here is how I break them down.
Starbucks caramel sauce
Starbucks has its own caramel sauce. If you have ever asked for a caramel drizzle, that is usually the version sitting on top of the drink.
Compared to caramel syrup, this flavored sauce is thick and viscous. That’s why most of the time, this caramel is added to Starbucks hot drinks.
It can go on cold beverages too, but I have seen it clump a bit there, so it feels more like a topping than something that fully mixes in.
At the counter, you will usually see sauce bottles with the Starbucks logo. The manufacturer is not always disclosed, which is why Fontana comes up so often in copycat conversations and grocery-store comparisons.
That usually comes down to people trying to match the look and texture of the Starbucks drizzle, not just the caramel flavor.
If you want to make Starbucks-style caramel drinks at home, you can usually find similar sauce bottles at grocery stores like Walmart or online at Amazon without much trouble.
Love Caramel Sauce? Try These Drinks!
- Caramel Macchiato
- Salted Caramel Cream Cold Brew
- Caramel Frappuccino
- Caramel Apple Spice
Starbucks caramel syrup
Starbucks also has its own brand of syrups. This is the type of caramel you’d find in a flavored latte, some Frappuccinos, and other espresso-based drinks at Starbucks.
Unlike Starbucks caramel sauce, caramel syrup is more versatile and can be added to many types of beverages.
You will also see Torani and Monin mentioned in Starbucks copycat conversations, although those names usually come up in the wider home-copycat discussion rather than as a direct Starbucks match.
Starbucks syrups are made by Fontana.
That is one reason Fontana keeps coming up whenever people try to match Starbucks caramel at home.
Like the sauce, the syrup is available through grocery stores and Amazon.
The company also offers other syrup flavors, like vanilla and hazelnut.
In practice, supply can vary, so a store may occasionally use a substitute if something runs short or a shipment is delayed.
Love Caramel Syrup? Try These Drinks!
- Salted Caramel Cream Nitro Cold Brew
- Caramel Cream Frappuccino
What’s in Starbucks caramel sauce & syrup?
Once the brand side is clear, the ingredients and nutrition are easier to compare.
Ingredients
The Starbucks caramel sauce contains the following ingredients:
- sodium bicarbonate
- monoglycerides, diglycerides
- potassium sorbate-a preservative
- natural flavors
- skim milk powder
- water
- heavy cream
- butter
- sugar
- invert sugar
- corn syrup
On the other hand, Starbucks caramel syrup has:
- sugar
- water
- natural flavor
- potassium sorbate
- citric acid
If you avoid dairy, the caramel sauce is the one to watch, since the ingredient list includes skim milk powder, butter, and heavy cream.
Those ingredient details apply to the products served in Starbucks stores and the bottles sold through Amazon or other grocery stores.
Sugar
Caramel is still a sugar-heavy add-in, so once I start adding extra pumps I stop thinking of it as a tiny tweak.
I treat caramel as an occasional add-on rather than something I mindlessly put in every drink.
Knowing the numbers makes it easier to keep the drink in perspective.
The Starbucks caramel sauce has 22 grams of sugar per serving (two tablespoons), while the caramel syrup contains the same amount of sugar per the same serving size.
For reference, a pump of syrup is equal to ½ tablespoon, while two tablespoons are equal to 28.3 grams, or 1 fl. oz.
Barista HQ Tip: Since both have the same amounts of sugar, it doesn't matter which of them you prefer to add to your coffee. I have noticed that the caramel sauce tastes better with hot beverages, like tea, latte, or cappuccino. It makes the flavors of the coffee rich and sweet, with a hint of buttery flavor.
Calories
If you order caramel drinks often, the calorie count gives you a rough idea of what you are adding to the cup before you customize anything else.
The sauce has more calories than the syrup, and the gap shows up quickly.
A two-tablespoon serving of caramel sauce contains 160 calories, while the same serving of caramel syrup is only 90 calories.
When I want caramel flavor without pushing the drink too far, I usually lean toward syrup rather than sauce, especially if I already know the drink is sweet.
Other nutritional facts
If you track macros, the grams of protein, fat, and carbs matter too, not just the coffee itself.
That becomes more noticeable once a drink has a few customizations.
The Starbucks caramel-flavored sauce contains 26 grams of carbs, 6 grams of fat, and 0 grams of protein per two tablespoons.
On the other hand, the caramel-flavored syrup has 22 grams of carbs and 0 grams of protein and fat for the same amount.
If you buy commercially available Starbucks caramel products, the nutritional facts are the same.
Starbucks caramel sauce vs syrup - How do they differ?
Taste
The difference is obvious once you taste them side by side, even before you think about ingredients.
The sauce tastes deeper and a little buttery, while the syrup comes across as a cleaner caramel flavor that feels lighter in the cup.
Both are sweet, but the syrup is thinner and reads sweeter faster, almost as soon as it hits the espresso.
I like both, just in different drinks. I usually reach for syrup in hot drinks because it blends in quickly, while sauce stands out more when I want caramel sitting on top of an iced drink or a dessert-style Frappuccino.
Ingredients
The main difference between the Starbucks caramel sauce and syrup is the ingredient list, and that is what you taste first.
Starbucks caramel sauce and caramel syrup are known to enhance any coffee beverage.
The caramel sauce has more ingredients, including butter, heavy cream, and corn syrup, than the caramel syrup does.
Those extra ingredients make the sauce thicker and give it a richer, more dessert-like flavor that sticks around longer.
The caramel syrup is much more fluid, so it works in hot or cold drinks and mixes in faster without much effort.
I like it in my Americano because it sweetens the coffee without leaving a heavy layer behind. Sauce can bury the espresso more easily, while syrup also works well in cappuccinos, cocoa drinks, and other drinks you want to sweeten.
Different uses
Heat helps the sauce loosen up, which is why it works best in hot beverages and looks smoother once it melts.
In cold drinks, it can turn clumpy and act more like decoration, while the syrup stays easy to mix and tastes more even.
That is why I keep both in mind: they taste good in coffee, but they do different jobs.
I have also seen caramel used in tea, hot chocolate, and some desserts, where the flavor acts more like a topping than a mix-in.
How to make copycat Starbucks syrup at home
You can usually find Starbucks caramel sauce and syrup on Amazon and in some grocery stores, especially the larger chains.
If you want to make your own syrup at home–whether for personal or business use or as gifts to friends–you can follow this delicious copycat recipe from the Starbucks website.
I like having the recipe saved for the times I want to make a caramel drink without buying another bottle or opening a new bag of ingredients.
What you’ll need
Instruction
FAQs
Can you buy Starbucks caramel in stores?
Customers can also buy Starbucks caramel in Starbucks stores for home use.
Can you make Starbucks caramel sauce at home?
Yes, you can. The caramel sauce version is similar to the syrup recipe above, but instead of the water in that recipe, you only need three tablespoons of water, plus butter, heavy cream, and salt.
What is the most popular caramel drink at Starbucks?
The iced Caramel Macchiato is often mentioned as one of Starbucks’ best-known caramel drinks, along with the classic Caramel Frappuccino and the signature Caramel Brulee latte.
Summary - Try caramel in your drink!
A pump or two of caramel sauce or syrup can change a Starbucks drink more than you might expect, especially if the base drink is fairly mild.
In a lot of copycat conversations, Starbucks caramel gets linked with Fontana rather than Torani or Monin, at least when people are talking about bottled versions.
That is the name people usually point to when they compare labels or try to get close at home.
