Salted Caramel Cashew Latte

Make a delicious homemade Salted Cashew Caramel Latte with a homemade vegan caramel sauce, cashew milk, and cold brew coffee for a creamy and satisfying morning drink. Added chopped raw cashews create a beautiful crunch for the final round of sips.

For the new year, one of my goals is to make more of my coffee-based drinks at home as opposed to a retailer like Starbucks. To be honest, I’ve gotten frustrated with ordering a venti cup of coffee and always having to adjust it myself at home because it wasn’t made perfect. So, why not just make the entire thing yourself—right? Right.

You’re going to love this creamy cashew milk drink. It’s made with a cold brew for an extra caffeine kick and has a sweet homemade caramel sauce you can use to flavor your morning brew all week long without any need for an additional sweetener. 

So without any further ado, let’s get started!

How to Make Salted Caramel Cashew Latte

I love creating foods and sweets with a healthy twist. If you’ve tried some of my other work, you’ll know that I’m always rooting for real, organic stuff as ingredients. I’m also always trying to come up with dairy-free, gluten-free, and vegan versions of your favorite recipes! This Salted Caramel Cashew Latte is no different. 

Simply make the vegan caramel sauce and let it cool. Then mix together your latte ingredients, top everything generously with garnish ingredients, and wallah!

Salted Caramel Latte Ingredients

The two components in this simple homemade latte are the homemade caramel sauce and the coffee. Here’s what you need to make the sauce:

• Brown sugar. I use organic to make sure it’s vegan.
• Vegan butter. I love using the brand Earth balance.
• Full-fat coconut milk. You can also use the coconut cream version for a creamier texture.
• Sea salt. This creates a nice balance with the sweet and helps to heighten the flavor.

To make your lattes, you’ll use:

• Cold brew. You can also use chilled brewed coffee.
• Cashew milk. Make your own! Or use store-bought cashew milk.
• Coconut whipped cream. This is also easy to make with a chilled can of full-fat coconut cream.
• Caramel sauce. This is the highlight of the entire drink and can be store-bought or homemade.
• Chopped cashews. These raw cashews chopped up adds such a nice crunch and bite towards your final sips.

How to Prepare Caramel Sauce for Latte?

Here’s a step-by-step guide to preparing your vegan caramel sauce:

• Get a medium-sized skillet and toss in some brown sugar. 
• Keep the heat about medium-high and stir the sugar constantly using a rubber spatula or a basting brush.
• Add vegan butter slice and continue to stir until the mixture has melted.
• Once the mixture is bubbly, add coconut milk to the skillet.
• Add salt and keep stirring until the sauce thickens.
• Remove the pan from heat and allow it to cool.
• You’ve now got your dairy-free, healthier, and delectable caramel sauce ready. Make sure to prepare it in excess so you can make your salted caramel latte on the go later on!

Caramel Latte at Starbucks Vs. this Salted Caramel Cashew Latte Recipe

If you like the regular Caramel Latte from Starbucks, you can just purchase their instant sachet and follow the instructions on the packet. Did you not know it was a thing? Well, it is! You could just buy the sachet, make it as they do it (which is usually just adding hot water and stirring), or make your own adjustments as we talked about earlier.

So if you’re looking for a hot cup of caramel latte, you can go down that road. Doesn’t get any easier, right?

On the contrary, if you’d rather try an iced caramel latte with a twist of salt and cashew toppings, let’s just call you Mr./Ms. Right place at the right time. 

Jokes apart, I find my version to be a super refreshing morning brew, especially in the summer. Excuse me if I don’t feel like pouring hot lava down my throat as soon as I wake up. Haha! 

So you could say that it serves me well for my caffeine for the day and delivers enough of a kick to start my daily grind!

Caramel Latte Iced, Chilled, Or With Crushed Ice?

You don’t want your latte with crushed ice—the sugar crystals will make it taste like a coffee shake. Instead, you want to drizzle your ingredients on a couple of ice cubes. 

Start by pouring the milk, followed by the cold brew, vanilla, and caramel sauce. The thin stream of liquids pouring over the ice cubes will chill your latte for you. No need for ground ice cubes or to leave your latte to chill in the refrigerator. Keep it simple!

Make-Ahead Tips

If you want to drink this chilled salted caramel latte every morning, it’s helpful to have the caramel sauce prepped and ready to go. Once you make and cool the sauce fully, you can store it in an airtight container or glass jar in the fridge for up to two weeks.

When you’re ready to serve, stir the homemade salted caramel sauce into your cashew milk and add your favorite toppings. Enjoy!

Best Ways to Use Homemade Caramel Sauce

When it comes to using this vegan caramel sauce (or any leftovers), I've gathered a list of ways that you can best use it:

• Drizzle creamy caramel over oat milk, almond or coconut ice cream.
• Add a dollop to vegan brownies (yum!).
• You can even add homemade caramel sauce to your favorite desserts like vegan cheesecake, cake, cupcakes, etc.
• Also, add a bit of sweetness to your chia pudding, overnight oats, or french toast for a morning kick!

What is the Difference Between a Wet Cappuccino and Latte?

Before I move on to the ingredient notes and detailed preparation instructions, I’d like to answer this very frequently asked question.

The next time you’re in a coffee shop, order a latte, dry cappuccino, and wet cappuccino side by side so you can figure out the difference by yourself. Here’s how you can differentiate between the three:

A traditional cappuccino will have an equal distribution of steamed milk, foamed milk, and espresso. The dry one will have less steamed milk and more foam. The wet cappuccino will have more steamed milk and less foam.

A latte, on the other hand, has steamed milk, espresso, and far less foamed milk—none at all in most cases.

In my salted caramel cashew latte, you’ll find no foam except for the whipped cream topping. 

More Homemade Latte Recipes to Try

• Starbucks Copycat Iced Sugar Cookie Latte
• Iced Maple Cinnamon Oat Latte
• Dairy-Free Iced Pumpkin Spice Latte
• Iced Chai Tea Latte
• Easy Warm Apple Chai Latte
• Brown Butter Maple Cookie Latte
• Peanut Butter Caramel Iced Latte
• Caramel Biscoff Cookie Butter Iced Latte

MADE OUR RECIPE(S)?

If you make this Iced Salted Caramel Latte, tag @orchidsnsweettea_ on Instagram and hashtag it #orchidsandsweettea!

Salted Caramel Cashew Latte

January 5, 2022 •

By Shanika

5 from 2 votes

This iced salted caramel cashew latte is the perfect seasonal sip to satisfy your coffee shop cravings this winter with a burst of sweet caramel flavor.

Prep Time: 5 minutes mins

Total Time: 5 minutes mins

Serves: 1 serving

Units:

US Customary|Metric

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Ingredients

VEGAN SALTED CARAMEL SAUCE:

• 1 cup organic brown sugar
• 6 Tbsps vegan butter
• ½ cup full-fat coconut milk
• 1 teaspoon sea salt

LATTE:

• ½ cup cold brew
• 1 ½ cups cashew milk, homemade or store-bought
• ⅓ cup salted caramel sauce (Save a bit for the drizzle!)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Pinch of ground cinnamon
• Ice cubes
• Coconut whipped cream
• Chopped raw cashews

Instructions

HOMEMADE VEGAN CARAMEL SAUCE:

• Heat the brown sugar in a medium skillet over medium-high heat and stir constantly using a rubber spatula until clumps are formed. Add vegan butter and continue to stir until everything has melted and become a dark 'amber-like' color. Continue to stir consistently until fully melted and bubbly, about 2-3 minutes.
• Now, slowly whisk in the coconut milk and continue stirring until well incorporated and sauce has fully thickened. Stir in the salt. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly before using. Set aside.

MAKE THE LATTE:

• To serve, fill ice into a 12 or 16-ounce glass and pour in the milk followed by the cold brew, vanilla, ½ cup salted caramel sauce, stirring them together until the mixture becomes a light color. Top with coconut whipped cream, drizzles of caramel sauce, and chopped cashews, if desired.
• Sip and enjoy!

Tips & Tricks

• WHAT PLANT-BASED MILKS ARE GOOD FOR THIS RECIPE? My go-to plant-based brand for Cashew milk when using store-bought is the Forager Project. However, you can always use your fave or one of the following: Almond, coconut milk, homemade oat milk (froths/foams VERY WELL), homemade cashew milk, flax milk, etc.
• STORAGE (CARAMEL SAUCE): Leftover caramel sauce can be stored in a tightly sealed mason jar for up to two weeks. When ready to use, simply reheat sauce in the microwave at 15 second intervals until softened and at room temp.

Nutrition

Calories: 213kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 500mg | Potassium: 114mg | Sugar: 43g | Vitamin A: 68IU | Vitamin C: 0.4mg | Calcium: 40mg | Iron: 0.01mg

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