Banana Bread Latte: Starbucks-Style Copycat Recipe (Hot or Iced)

A banana bread latte is espresso and milk sweetened with banana syrup and finished with brown sugar cold foam and a dusting of cinnamon. It is meant to taste like a slice of warm banana bread, without any of the loaf.

The Starbucks version is an iced latte, and it is sweeter than it sounds: a grande has 360 calories and 47 g of sugar. The home version below uses a banana syrup you make in ten minutes, so you control the sugar and the strength. If you have never made a latte at home, our latte guide covers the espresso and milk basics.

What is in a Starbucks iced banana bread latte?

Starbucks describes it as an iced latte sweetened with banana-flavored syrup, topped with brown sugar cold foam and a sprinkle of cinnamon dolce topping. Its published ingredient list is milk, ice, brewed espresso, banana syrup, brown sugar cold foam and cinnamon dolce topping. The cold foam itself is vanilla sweet cream plus brown sugar syrup.

How to make banana syrup

You can make banana syrup with real banana or with banana extract, and the two give noticeably different results. Real banana tastes rounder and more like baked banana, while extract is faster and lasts longer.

Real banana syrup (best flavor)

• 1 very ripe banana, mashed (about 1/2 cup)
• 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) water
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 pinch of fine salt
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Simmer the banana, sugar, water, cinnamon and salt gently for 8 minutes, stirring often and pressing the banana against the side of the pan. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve, pressing lightly, then stir in the vanilla. It makes about 3/4 cup, enough for 6 lattes at 2 tablespoons each, and keeps for about a week in the fridge because it contains fruit.

Quick banana syrup (with extract)

Heat 1/2 cup of sugar and 1/2 cup of water until the sugar dissolves, then take it off the heat and stir in 1/2 teaspoon of banana extract. Taste and add a drop or two more if you want it stronger. Extracts vary a lot in strength, and too much tastes like candy rather than fruit. It keeps for up to two weeks.

How to make an iced banana bread latte

This makes one 16 oz drink. Make the foam last, so it stays cold and thick.

• 2 shots of espresso (about 2 oz or 60 ml)
• 2 tablespoons banana syrup
• 6 oz (180 ml) cold milk
• Ice
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) milk, for the foam
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream, for the foam
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar syrup, for the foam
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon mixed with 1 teaspoon sugar, for the top

1. Pull the espresso and let it cool for a minute so it does not melt all the ice.
2. Build the base. Fill a 16 oz glass with ice, stir the banana syrup into the cold milk and pour it over the ice.
3. Froth the foam. Combine the milk, cream and brown sugar syrup and froth for 20 to 30 seconds until it holds soft, pourable peaks.
4. Add the espresso over the milk, then spoon the foam on top.
5. Dust with the cinnamon sugar and serve straight away.

The foam uses our brown sugar syrup and the ratio from our cold foam guide. No espresso machine? A moka pot or AeroPress makes a strong enough shot, and we walk through the options in making espresso without a machine.

How to make a hot banana bread latte

The hot version swaps the ice for steamed milk and skips the cold foam. Put 2 tablespoons of banana syrup in a mug, pull the espresso onto it and stir. Steam 6 oz of milk to about 140F (60C), which keeps it sweet without scalding, and pour it in. Our milk frothing guide covers the steaming technique.

Finish with a light dusting of cinnamon sugar, and a spoonful of whipped cream if you want it to feel like dessert. Because there is no foam, the hot drink comes in noticeably lower in calories.

Banana bread latte nutrition and caffeine

The homemade figures are estimates from standard ingredient values, so use them as a guide rather than a label. Caffeine assumes two average espresso shots at roughly 63 mg each, which is the average we use in our guide to caffeine in a shot of espresso.

The foam is the main calorie source, which is why dropping it takes the drink from about 370 to about 180 calories. If sugar is the concern, cut the banana syrup to 1 tablespoon first, since it is the largest single source.

Variations

• Banana bread cold brew: use cold brew instead of espresso, following the ratios in our cold brew guide.
• Oat milk: choose a barista version, which foams and tastes better than a standard carton.
• Smoother espresso: pull blonde shots for a lighter, less bitter base, and read whether blonde espresso is stronger before you assume it has more caffeine.
• Banana bread matcha: swap the espresso for matcha, using the method in our iced matcha latte recipe.
• Warmer spice: add a pinch of nutmeg to the foam for a more baked flavor.

Mistakes that make it taste like candy

• Too much extract: banana extract is powerful. Start with 1/2 teaspoon per 1/2 cup of syrup and add drops.
• An underripe banana: use one with plenty of brown spots. A green-tipped banana tastes starchy rather than sweet.
• Boiling the syrup hard: it scorches the banana and turns it bitter. Keep it at a gentle simmer.
• Sweet foam on a sweet base: with both banana syrup and brown sugar foam, use 1 tablespoon of syrup in the foam rather than 2.

If the finished drink tastes flat, a small pinch of salt in the syrup brings the banana forward more than extra sugar does.

The bottom line

A banana bread latte is a basic iced latte with two upgrades, banana syrup and brown sugar foam, and both take minutes to make. Real banana gives the best flavor, and extract is the quick fix. Find more recipes in our coffee drinks section.

Frequently Asked Questions About the Banana Bread Latte

Joel Lewis Contributor Italian espresso conventions, and what survives the trip to the US.