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Caramel Latte vs. Caramel Macchiato: A Flavorful Distinction

Caramel Latte vs. Caramel Macchiato: A Flavorful Distinction

When you crave a delightful and tasty beverage during winter and summer, you enjoy a walk toward a coffee shop or make one on your own at home. It’s a brewed beverage prepared by utilizing coffee beans, a product of a plant called the Coffea genus.

When you try to recreate your favorite drinks at your place, it gives you immense joy. It enables a person to make significant financial savings while personalizing and customizing beverages. But some people don’t know which one to prefer when they start brewing their coffee.

This article summarizes the difference between Caramel Latte and Caramel Macchiato. The slightest feature change can create a vast difference between them. So let’s delve into this topic to discover more about them and investigate the disparities. If you want to become aware of these two types of beverages, keep enjoying the article.

Let’s Discover Caramel Latte

Let’s find out about this coffee type first.

Caramel Latte is a coffee drink with a sweet flavor. You can try it at home because it’s simpler to prepare.

Latte layers occur by frothing milk using various techniques. The three main components of caramel latte coffee are espresso, lots of frothy milk, and caramel sauce. Firstly, combine espresso and milk, then add syrup to it. The caramel syrup addition produces sweetness, contributing to the drink’s wonderful coffee-caramel flavor.

Add whipped cream that will blend with warm milk for a particular luxurious treat, which will give you a tasty shot in each sip.

Caramel sauce makes your coffee more flavorful
Caramel sauce makes your coffee more flavorful

Let’s Drink Caramel Macchiato Together

It’s an entirely different beverage prepared to appeal general public. People who aren’t espresso lovers can even enjoy its sip. The two of its ingredients are similar to the Latte, which are espresso and milk. However, the difference comes in the poured syrup. You have to start with vanilla syrup, then a layer of foam, and complete it with a drizzle of caramel sauce on the top. It will add more sweetness, making it sweeter than a latte.

If you reverse the latte upside down, you will get a Macchiato in your cup. Let me explain how. You can achieve this by pouring the milk after the vanilla syrup. Espresso and foam come afterwards at the top. After that, add caramel drizzle in the crosshatch pattern, which complements vanilla well.

It’s a terrific option for those who enjoy a thick, dried froth of cappuccino but prefer a beverage with fewer dairy and calories.

Difference between Caramel Latte and Caramel Macchiato

These two unique beverages have few disparities. Both have espresso as their main ingredient along with a thick layer of steamed milk and caramel sauce.

The only ingredient in which they differ is vanilla syrup. The Caramel Latte does not contain vanilla, whereas, it is one of the main ingredients in caramel macchiato.

Moreover, the order in which all these ingredients are added is also different. In a caramel latte, first of all, you’ll have to add espresso, then milk, and then foam. Lastly, drizzle some caramel sauce on the top.

On the other hand, while preparing caramel macchiato, you’ll start by adding vanilla syrup, then milk, froth, and espresso. In the end, decorate it with caramel sauce.

Caramel Macchiato's secret ingredient vanilla syrup gives it a unique flavor
Caramel Macchiato’s secret ingredient vanilla syrup gives it a unique flavor

Let’s look forward to further differences below

Caramel MacchiatoCaramel Latte
It has a single shot of espresso.It also contains a single shot of espresso.
Add milk of your own choice. It requires the addition of ½ cup of milkAdd milk of your own choice. It involves the addition of ¾ cup of milk. You can also add whipped cream on top.
Caramel Macchiato is made by adding vanilla syrup+milk+froth+ espressoCaramel Latte is made by adding espresso+ milk+ froth
Drizzle caramel on top of the coffeeCaramel latte contains caramel mixed with coffee.
The additional sweetener is a vanilla syrupIt does not contain vanilla syrup.
It has a slightly sweeter taste.It has a creamy and rich taste.
A comparison chart

Which is the more caloric beverage?

The more caloric beverage among these two is the Latte. Since it contains more milk, it falls into the caloric drink category. Depending on the milk type, the calorie count can vary. Add whatever milk you like to have in your beverage. It can be dairy or non-dairy milk. Moreover, you can also top it off with whipped cream which will surely increase its calorie count.

A 16-ounce Latte contains 260 calories, while a 16-ounce Macchiato covers 240 calories. For most hot coffee drinks, if you add whole milk, it will become rich in calories.

Caramel Latte & Macchiato: Which one to prefer?

It entirely depends on your choice. Some people love a strong vanilla flavor, which you get in Macchiato, whereas others would go for the creamy Caramel Latte.

If still, you are unsure about which one is a better option, the following points are useful

  • The flavor of the Macchiato is sweeter than the Latte because it contains vanilla syrup. Additionally, it tastes more strongly like espresso.
  • The Caramel Latte is creamier because of the sufficient quantity of milk.

Adding more milk develops a creamy taste and thus less strong coffee flavor. It has a hint of caramel.

Remember that any beverage is a delightful way to savor a sweet delicacy.

Best coffee roast for both drinks

While preparing Caramel Latte & Macchiatos, a medium roast coffee is preferable and is ideal. For these cocktails, a light roast coffee is less vigorous, while a dark roast will be more powerful.

A medium roast is recommendable because it will offer you a cup of coffee with a mellower flavor. It allows the taste of the caramel to stand out and add a little more intensity.

Therefore, it’s better to prefer medium roast coffee for these beverages.

The contrast between Iced Latte and Iced Macchiato

The history of both beverages is entirely dissimilar. Iced lattes have always been available on the menu of a coffee shop, while macchiatos recently came into the market.

Both go well with ice cubes and are loved in the summer season. However, the milk type and quantity are equally important. You can easily prepare an iced latte with low-fat and light milk. It generally contains frothed and foamed milk at the top.

Whereas, Iced-Macchiato is a mixture of milk and vanilla syrup. It relies on the quantity of vanilla or caramel syrup at the top of the drink. The strength of the former is slightly lower than the latter.

Is Caramel Macchiato stronger than Caramel Latte?

The addition of caramel drizzle along with other ingredients in Macchiato makes it extremely tasty. The more decadent caramel can effectively offset the espresso’s bitter flavor. Additionally, the caramel and vanilla mixture in the drink complement each other wonderfully. That is the reason behind the tempting and heavenly flavor of Macchiato. It is undoubtedly stronger than the Latte.

The caffeine content in Macchiato can reach up to 100 mg. They contain more caffeine per serving than Latte.

Caramel latte topped with whipped cream and caramel sauce
The caramel latte is more enjoyable when topped with whipped cream and caramel sauce

Can caramel sauce be used instead of syrup?

Individuals sometimes favor adding caramel sauce instead of vanilla or caramel syrup. It is okay to make a different item and try something else. The consistency of caramel sauce is thicker than syrup, and the sauce adds more flavor. One thing to remember is that you need to warm up the sauce slightly to ensure proper sprinkling of it over the foam to make a pretty design.

Try different sauce recipes to buck up your taste buds. Make your drink a little sweeter and thicker than before. And of course, it depends on your preference so do what you like.

Caramel Macchiato and Latte: How to customize them?

You can make several variations in your drink to enjoy it with a twist. Below are some customization points.

Experiment with different types of milk

Milk type is pretty much essential. You can add breve milk, whole, skim, dairy, non-dairy, almond, or coconut milk.

These milk types will help create a decadent, low-fat, foamy, and delicious drink. They will add richness to the beverage. The non-dairy milk is a good choice for those who suffer from milk allergies.

Practice to steam milk of your choice and become familiar with other types.

Play with an extra drizzle

Add more drizzle into the cup to make your coffee extra sweeter. Crosshatch the milk following industry standards.

Add different syrups

Trying new syrup flavors makes your coffee more enjoyable. If you love caramel syrup, enjoy it, or perhaps try a caramel vanilla concoction. Another excellent option could be a French vanilla and hazelnut mixture.

Apply Ristretto Shots in the coffee

If your espresso machine holds this feature, give it a try. A ristretto shot pulls a bit quicker. It has a slightly sweeter and nutty taste.

Drink an iced-coffee

To prepare an iced coffee, make an ice and syrup mixture initially. Then decorate the cooled milk with caramel and espresso shots on the top.

Learn to make Caramel Macchiato

Bottom Line

  • In the winter and summer, you like taking a stroll toward a coffee shop or making one on your own at home when you require a delightful and delectable beverage.
  • You experience great joy when you attempt to make your favorite cocktails at home. It allows personalizing and customizing beverages while saving a lot of money.
  • This article outlines the distinction between Caramel Lattes and Macchiatos. Even a tiny difference in a feature might make a big difference between them.
  • The three significant ingredients of coffee are espresso, a lot of frothy milk, and sauce or syrup.
  • A coffee beverage with a sweet flavor is called a caramel latte. Use various methods, including frothing milk, to create layers for lattes.
  • You will get Macchiato in your cup if you turn the Latte layers upside down. You can get this by adding the milk after some amount of vanilla syrup. The foam and espresso should go on top. The crosshatch pattern of caramel dripping, which goes nicely with vanilla, should be added next.
  • Make your beverage a little thicker and sweeter whenever you try it. Please do what you like because it depends on your preferences.

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