✔ Updated · fixed servings + safer no-frother foaming method
My Starbucks snickerdoodle latte is a copycat-style take on a cinnamon-sugar cookie in a mug: strong coffee topped with hot milk that's been sweetened with brown sugar, cinnamon, vanilla and a pinch of nutmeg.
At a glance
The one tip that matters: Fill the jar no more than halfway with hot milk, hold it with a towel while you shake, and open the lid slowly, pointing it away from you.
There's no milk frother or steam wand involved. The hot milk is shaken in a sealed jar until it doubles in volume and turns thick and foamy, then poured over the coffee and finished with a dusting of cinnamon sugar. It takes about 10 minutes and works with espresso, French press or instant coffee.
Why You'll Love This Latte
- No frother needed: a sealed jar and 30 seconds of shaking makes thick, cafe-style foam.
- Pantry ingredients: coffee, milk, brown sugar, cinnamon, vanilla and nutmeg.
- Easy to adjust: make it sweeter, iced, decaf or dairy-free.
What Is a Snickerdoodle Latte?
A snickerdoodle is a soft, buttery cookie rolled in cinnamon sugar before baking, and it is the cookie I bake most. A snickerdoodle latte takes those flavors into a coffee drink: warm cinnamon, caramel-like brown sugar and a little vanilla, with a cinnamon-sugar dusting on top that echoes the cookie's crackly coating.
I build the flavor straight into the milk, so every sip tastes of cinnamon sugar. For the cookie itself, try our snickerdoodle cookie recipe, and for more coffee shop drinks see our Starbucks copycat recipes.
Step-by-Step Photos
Here's how it comes together. Exact amounts, times and temperatures are in the recipe card below.
How to Froth Milk Without a Frother
The shaken-jar method in the recipe card is the easiest, but any of these works. Heat the milk to steaming first in every case, except for an iced latte.
| Method | How | Foam |
|---|---|---|
| Sealed jar or insulated bottle | Fill no more than halfway, seal, shake 30 to 60 seconds | Thick and airy |
| French press | Pump the plunger quickly 20 to 30 times | Fine and creamy |
| Whisk | Whisk hard in the saucepan, tilting the pan | Light and bubbly |
| Blender | Blend 15 to 20 seconds with the lid vented and covered with a towel | Thick and even |
Tips for Success
- Use strong coffee. Espresso or double-strength brewed coffee keeps the cinnamon and brown sugar from tasting watered down. Instant coffee works too: dissolve 2 teaspoons in 1/2 cup hot water.
- Shake safely. Fill the jar or insulated bottle no more than halfway, hold it with a towel and open the lid slowly, pointing it away from you. Hot milk builds a little pressure when it's shaken.
- Don't boil the milk. Milk heated to about 150 to 160°F tastes sweeter and foams best. Boiled milk tastes flat and the foam collapses quickly.
- Shake until it stops sloshing. When the milk no longer sloshes in the jar, it's full of fine foam and ready to pour.
- Dissolve the sugar in the milk. Adding the brown sugar and cinnamon to the hot milk, not the coffee, spreads the flavor through the foam and stops the cinnamon from clumping.
Starbucks Snickerdoodle Latte (Copycat)
1
large latte5
minutes5
minutes225
kcal10
minutesA copycat-style Starbucks snickerdoodle latte: strong coffee or espresso topped with hot milk shaken with brown sugar, cinnamon, vanilla and a pinch of nutmeg until thick and foamy, then finished with cinnamon sugar. No milk frother needed.
Ingredients
- For the Latte
1/2 cup strong brewed coffee (or 2 shots espresso, about 1/4 cup)
1 cup whole milk
4 teaspoons light brown sugar, packed
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pinch ground nutmeg
- For the Topping
1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar mixed with a pinch of cinnamon
whipped cream (optional)
Directions
- Make the Latte
- Brew the coffee or pull the espresso shots and pour it into a large (16-ounce) mug.
- Warm the milk in a small saucepan over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes, until it steams and small bubbles form around the edge (about 150 to 160°F). Don’t let it boil. You can also microwave it in a large mug for 60 to 90 seconds.
- Pour the hot milk into a heatproof jar or insulated bottle that it fills no more than halfway. Add the brown sugar, cinnamon, vanilla and nutmeg.
- Screw the lid on tightly, hold the jar with a kitchen towel and shake hard for 30 to 60 seconds, until the milk has roughly doubled in volume and feels thick and foamy. Open the lid slowly, pointing it away from you, to release any steam.
- Pour the milk into the coffee, holding back the foam with a spoon, then spoon the foam on top.
- Add whipped cream if you like, sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar and serve right away.
Notes
- If you have got a milk foamer or steamer and want to be all fancy, feel free to use it. The traditional method will work just as well and won’t affect the flavor of the drink and you won’t have a sore arm after making it (lucky you)
- The key to this recipe is cinnamon and sugar. This is what gives it that classic snickerdoodle taste, so don’t scrimp on these ingredients.
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Variations
- Iced snickerdoodle latte: dissolve the sugar and spices in 2 tablespoons of hot water, then mix with cold coffee and cold milk over ice.
- Sweeter or lighter: use 2 to 6 teaspoons of brown sugar, or a sugar-free brown sugar substitute.
- Buttery cookie flavor: add a tiny drop of butter extract with the vanilla.
- Dairy-free: use barista-style oat milk, which foams best, and skip the whipped cream or use a dairy-free one.
- Decaf or kid-friendly: use decaf coffee, or skip the coffee and serve the shaken cinnamon milk on its own.
- More cinnamon drinks: try our Starbucks cinnamon dolce latte or Starbucks vanilla latte.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is in a Starbucks snickerdoodle latte?
This copycat-style version uses the flavors of a snickerdoodle cookie: brown sugar, cinnamon, vanilla and a pinch of nutmeg, shaken into hot milk and poured over strong coffee or espresso, then topped with foam and cinnamon sugar.
How do you make a snickerdoodle latte without a milk frother?
Heat the milk until it steams, pour it into a heatproof jar no more than half full, seal it tightly and shake for 30 to 60 seconds with the jar wrapped in a towel. The milk doubles in volume and turns thick and foamy. Open the lid slowly.
Can I make an iced snickerdoodle latte?
Yes. Stir the brown sugar, cinnamon and vanilla into 2 tablespoons of hot water until dissolved, mix it with cold coffee and cold milk, then pour over ice. Shake cold milk in a jar for a light foam on top if you like.
What is the best dairy-free milk for this latte?
Oat milk, especially a barista-style version, foams best and has a mild sweetness that suits cinnamon. Coconut milk beverage and soy milk also work. Almond milk tastes good but makes thinner foam.
Can I make it ahead or in a batch?
Make a snickerdoodle syrup ahead: simmer 1/2 cup packed brown sugar with 1/2 cup water and 1 teaspoon cinnamon for 2 minutes, then stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla. Refrigerate it for up to 2 weeks and use about 1 1/2 tablespoons per latte.
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