Skip the line at the coffee shop and make this Starbucks Apple Brown Sugar Syrup recipe right at home! It only takes about 20 minutes and tastes like a sip of fall in all your coffee drinks!
Jump to:
- Why You'll Love This Recipe
- More Starbucks Syrup Recipes
- Four Simple Ingredients
- Recipe Testing Notes
- How to Make Apple Brown Sugar Syrup
- Storage
- How to Make an Iced Apple Crisp Macchiato
- How to Make an Apple Crisp Macchiato (Hot Version)
- Top Recipe Tip
- Recipe FAQs
- More Starbucks Recipes You'll Love
- Still Hungry? Subscribe Here!
- Recipe
- Comments and Ratings
Why You'll Love This Recipe
With the unbelievable popularity of the Pumpkin Spice Latte, Starbucks has since expanded their fall menu to include apple flavored drinks. If you're a fan of Starbucks apple menu, you'll love being able to recreate these drinks at home.
- Easy to make with simple ingredients: So delicious, too!
- Cost effective: It's much cheaper to make your own syrup than buying premade syrups flavored with "natural flavors".
- Flavor Any Drink: This syrup works perfectly for hot drinks or cold drinks, like lattes, iced coffee, iced tea, cocktails, or mocktails!
- Be your own barista: Replicate your favorite Starbucks drinks at home, like the Apple Crisp Macchiato (instructions below) or the Iced Apple Crisp Oatmilk Shaken Espresso!
If you love the fall menu, check out my Starbucks Pumpkin Cream Cold Foam Recipe!
More Starbucks Syrup Recipes
If you enjoy making your own coffee syrups, be sure to check out my other syrup recipes.
- Starbucks Classic Syrup, also known as simple syrup, which has a plain flavor.
- Starbucks Vanilla Syrup, just classic syrup with vanilla.
- Starbucks Brown Sugar Syrup, like this recipe but without cinnamon or apple.
- Homemade Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Sauce - a very popular recipe!
Four Simple Ingredients
- Dark Brown Sugar: Opting for dark brown sugar enhances the depth of flavor in this syrup but you can use light brown sugar if you prefer.
- Small Apple: I used a honeycrisp apple but any flavorful apple variety, such as Granny Smith or Golden Delicious, will also work.
- Cinnamon Sticks: For the perfect cinnamon flavor use cinnamon sticks. They will steep in the liquid and infuse their flavor.
- Vanilla Extract: Add a dash of vanilla extract for an extra sweet boost!
*Refer to the recipe card for full ingredient information.
Recipe Testing Notes
- Avoid Red Delicious apples in this recipe. They do not have much sweet apple flavor to them.
- Instead of an apple, you can substitute apple juice concentrate, if desired. See the notes in the recipe card for amounts.
- I tried this recipe with all variations of apple, including apple juice, unsweetened apple sauce, and apple cider, but I felt using an actual apple produced the most crisp and bright apple flavor compared to the other options.
- I considered using apple extract, but then again it was one more ingredient that needs to be sourced when apples are widely available.
- You can use ground cinnamon, but it will leave the mixture with a cloudy appearance that I did not find appealing.
- The syrup itself tastes delicious! But I have a feeling not everyone will love it in their coffee. It's different for sure! If you know you don't like the Starbucks version, you probably won't like this either. But if you like the Starbucks version, you'll like this too.
How to Make Apple Brown Sugar Syrup
Making this syrup is quite simple. Here's the breakdown!
- Quarter the apple, no need to remove the core.
- Add all of the ingredients to a small pot.
- Then bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Cover and let that simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the apple is soft and the sugar dissolves.
- Once the apple is soft, strain the liquid into a small glass jar.
- You can use the syrup immediately, or refrigerate for up to two weeks. Store in an airtight container, such as a mason jar.
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Storage
This homemade coffee syrup should be refrigerated in an airtight container and will last up to two weeks.
You can freeze any syrup you won't be able to use up portioned into an ice cube tray. This way you have the perfect serving size available when you need it!
How to Make an Iced Apple Crisp Macchiato
- Brew 2 shots of espresso.
- Add 2 tablespoons of apple brown sugar syrup to your cup. 2 tablespoons is equal to 2 "pumps" at Starbucks.
- Line the sides of the cup with caramel drizzle, store-bought caramel sauce is fine.
- Add ice, about halfway full.
- Top with desired milk, Starbucks uses oatmilk. Leave room for espresso.
- Top off with a drizzle of caramel.
How to Make an Apple Crisp Macchiato (Hot Version)
- Add apple brown sugar syrup to the bottom of the cup.
- Steam your desired milk choice in your cup.
- Pour espresso shots on top of the milk.
- Top with caramel drizzle, store-bought caramel sauce is fine.
Top Recipe Tip
Leave the lid on while simmering. Since this recipe simmers for 15-20 minutes, leaving the lid on will prevent too much water from evaporating.
Recipe FAQs
This syrup definitely has a different flavor from other syrups. It's one of those, you'll love it or hate it syrups. It has notes of cinnamon, crisp apple, and vanilla in a brown sugar base. Give it a try and see what you think!
The apple brown sugar syrup is part of the Starbucks fall menu, available from late August through October.
Yes, Starbucks syrups are gluten-free, including the Apple Brown Sugar syrup. See more information about what is gluten-free at Starbucks in this complete guide.
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Recipe
Starbucks Apple Brown Sugar Syrup
Ingredients
- 1 cup dark brown sugar
- 1 ¼ cup water
- 1 honeycrisp apple (quartered)
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Add the dark brown sugar, water, quartered apple, and cinnamon stick to a small saucepan.
- Bring to a simmer over medium heat.
- Cover and let simmer for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the apple is soft and mushy.
- Remove from heat and let cool before straining into a glass jar.
- Store in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
Notes
Nutrition
* Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and should be used as an estimate only. See the nutrition policy for more information.
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Chey says
I was really looking forward to trying this recipe since I love the Starbucks apple syrup. Unfortunately this recipe wasn’t my favorite. It wasn’t much apple flavor which was kind of a disappointment. If anything it just tasted like cinnamon syrup. Of course, I never expect dupe recipes to taste exactly like Starbucks. I know this recipe is also more natural flavoring than artificial, which is good, but it was just OK in my opinion.
Katie Olesen says
I'm so sorry you didn't love it, Chey! If you're looking for stronger apple flavor, I would suggest getting some apple flavoring/extract. I tried this recipe with all variations of apple, including apple juice concentrate, unsweetened apple sauce, and apple cider, but I felt using an actual apple produced the most crisp and bright apple flavor compared to the other options. I also found the type of apple made a big difference, which is why I recommended honeycrisp, but depending on the time of year, you may find your apples aren't quite as flavorful.
Kathy says
Thanks for the recipe!!