What toffee nut syrup is Starbucks?

Starbucks offers a wide variety of syrup flavors to customize drinks, including toffee nut syrup. This rich, sweet syrup adds a delicious toffee and nutty flavor to coffee, espresso drinks, lattes, frappuccinos and more. But what exactly is Starbucks toffee nut syrup and how is it used?

What is Toffee Nut Syrup?

Starbucks toffee nut syrup is a concentrated liquid sweetener that provides a sweet, nutty, buttery toffee flavor. It is made from a blend of flavors including brown sugar, butter, vanilla, and hazelnut extracts. The result is a smooth, creamy syrup with notes of buttery toffee and sweet toasted nuts.

Some key facts about Starbucks toffee nut syrup:

  • Made from a proprietary blend of brown sugar, butter, vanilla, hazelnut extracts
  • Provides sweet, nutty, buttery toffee flavor
  • Smooth, creamy texture
  • Used to customize hot, iced and blended coffee drinks
  • Comes pre-bottled in 26 oz bottles
  • Can be purchased at grocery stores or online

The toffee nut flavor profile complements the natural taste of espresso beautifully. Just a splash of syrup transforms a regular coffee into a sweet dessert-like treat.

Nutrition Information

Starbucks toffee nut syrup is high in sugar as you would expect for a flavor syrup. A 1 tablespoon (15ml) serving contains:

  • Calories: 45
  • Total fat: 0g
  • Sodium: 10mg
  • Total carbs: 12g
  • Sugars: 11g

The main ingredients in Starbucks toffee nut syrup are sugar, water, natural flavors, potassium sorbate, and citric acid. So the calories come mainly from added sugars. The small amounts of syrup used to flavor drinks does not add too many calories, but it does make the beverage much sweeter. Those looking to reduce sugar may want to ask for fewer pumps of syrup or consider sugar-free syrup alternatives.

How is Toffee Nut Syrup Used at Starbucks?

Starbucks baristas use toffee nut syrup to customize a wide variety of hot and cold espresso drinks. It is combined with freshly extracted shots of espresso and steamed or foamed milk. Here are some of the most common ways it is used:

Iced Coffee

Toffee nut syrup can be pumped into chilled or iced coffee for a sweeter, more flavored iced coffee drink. The nutty toffee flavor complements the cold coffee nicely.

Lattes

Adding 1-2 pumps of toffee nut syrup to espresso and steamed milk creates a toffee nut latte. The syrup mixes throughout the milk to sweeten the drink.

Cappuccinos

A few pumps of toffee nut in a cappuccino adds sweetness and enhances the foamed milk flavor.

Caramel Macchiatos

Some customers like to substitute the vanilla syrup in a caramel macchiato for toffee nut syrup instead. This creates a nuttier, toffee-flavored take on the classic espresso and caramel drink.

Frappuccinos

Toffee nut is a popular syrup choice in blended coffee Frappuccinos. It adds sweetness and nutty flavor that complements the cold coffee blend.

Mochas

Adding toffee nut syrup to an espresso and chocolate flavored mocha makes it taste like a sweet chocolate-covered toffee or turtles candy in drink form.

Pumpkin Spice Drinks

Some customers will add 1 pump of toffee nut syrup to pumpkin spice lattes, Frappuccinos, or cold brew. This enhances the sweetness and adds a praline-like complement to the pumpkin pie spices.

How Much Syrup is Used?

The amount of toffee nut syrup added to drinks depends on the size of the beverage and personal taste preferences for sweetness. Starbucks typically uses the following toffee nut syrup amounts:

Drink Size Number of Pumps
Tall 1-2 pumps
Grande 2-3 pumps
Venti 3-4 pumps

So a grande toffee nut latte would normally get 2-3 pumps of syrup, while a venti could get 3-4 pumps. But customers can always ask for more or less pumps to customize the sweetness level.

Does it Contain Nuts?

Despite the name, Starbucks toffee nut syrup does not actually contain any nuts or nut products. The nutty flavor instead comes from hazelnut extracts. So it is safe for those with nut allergies.

Difference from Hazelnut Syrup

Starbucks offers both toffee nut and hazelnut syrups. While they may sound similar, there are some key differences:

  • Toffee nut – Richer buttery toffee flavor, brown sugar notes
  • Hazelnut – Sweeter, lighter hazelnut flavor
  • Toffee nut – Smoother, creamier texture
  • Hazelnut – Thinner consistency

So while hazelnut has more of a straight nutty flavor, toffee nut provides a more complex butterscotch-like flavor.

Other Flavor Pairings

While delicious on its own, toffee nut syrup also pairs well with other Starbucks syrup flavors. Some popular flavor combinations include:

  • Toffee nut + Caramel – Buttery, rich caramel taste
  • Toffee nut + Vanilla – Enhances vanilla and adds nuttiness
  • Toffee nut + Cinnamon Dolce – Slightly spiced flavor
  • Toffee nut + Peppermint – Hint of minty chocolate
  • Toffee nut + Mocha – Chocolate-covered toffee flavor

Drizzling an extra pump of a secondary syrup adds more complexity and customization to the drinks.

Ways to Make it at Home

While best fresh-made at Starbucks, there are a few ways to recreate toffee nut flavor at home:

DIY Homemade Syrup

Make your own by simmering brown sugar, butter, milk or cream, vanilla, and hazelnut extract. Cool, bottle, and refrigerate up to 2 weeks. Use in coffee, tea, oat milk, or cocktails.

Monin Toffee Nut Sauce

Monin makes a ready-to-use toffee nut coffee sauce/syrup that contains similar brown butter and hazelnut flavors. Add it to brewed coffee or espresso.

Jordan’s Skinny Syrups Toffee Nut

Jordan’s sugar free toffee nut syrup is a lower calorie option. Use in lattes, cappuccinos, etc for the toffee nut taste without all the added sugar.

Nutty Coffee Creamers

Try adding flavored coffee creamers like Coffee-mate’s English Toffee, Italian Sweet Cream, or Natural Bliss Caramel Brownie to hot or iced coffee. The creamers provide a bit of the toffee, butter, and nutty notes.

Buying Bottled Toffee Nut Syrup

For the real Starbucks experience at home, bottled Starbucks toffee nut syrup can be purchased at many grocery stores or online:

  • Comes in 26 oz bottles
  • Store in refrigerator after opening
  • Will last several months unopened or up to 1 month once opened
  • Also available on Amazon, at Walmart, Target, some wholesale clubs
  • Use pumps from the bottle or simply pour into drinks

Having it on hand makes it easy to add the flavor to homemade lattes, iced coffees, cappuccinos, and other specialty coffee drinks.

Toffee Nut Coffee and Drink Recipes

Here are some delicious ways to use Starbucks toffee nut syrup or sauce at home in your own coffeehouse-style beverages:

Toffee Nut Latte

– Make strong espresso
– Heat and foam milk
– Add 2-3 pumps of toffee nut syrup to an 8-12 oz mug
– Pour in espresso
– Top with foamed milk

Toffee Mocha

– Add 2 pumps each of chocolate sauce and toffee nut syrup to a mug
– Brew espresso and pour over syrups
– Top with steamed milk and chocolate shavings

Iced Toffee Coffee

– Brew coffee and let chill
– Add milk, cream or oat milk over ice
– Pour coffee over ice
– Drizzle 2-3 pumps toffee nut syrup over top

Toffee Nut Frappe

– Combine coffee, milk, toffee nut syrup, and ice in blender
– Blend until thick and frothy
– Top with caramel sauce, whipped cream, and butterscotch chips

Pro Tips

Here are some extra toffee nut syrup tips and tricks from the Starbucks baristas:

  • Ask for an extra pump or two for maximum toffee flavor
  • Pair with caramel drizzle for an extra buttery taste
  • Try it in chai tea lattes for a delicious twist
  • Salted caramel and toffee nut are amazing together
  • Add a bit to oat milk or cream for nutty coffee creamer
  • For a lighter option, ask for less pumps and sugar free syrup
  • Kids love it in steamers with steamed milk
  • Use it to rim the glass on cocktail drinks

Conclusion

Starbucks toffee nut syrup provides a delicious way to customize your coffee with a sweet, nutty, buttery flavor. While simple in ingredients, the brown sugar and hazelnut extract blend creates a syrup mimicking the taste of rich toffee candy in liquid form. A touch of toffee nut transforms espresso drinks into dessert-like treats. Use it to make specialty lattes, iced coffees, frothy Frappuccinos, and more delicious coffeehouse beverages at home. So next time you visit Starbucks, consider livening up your usual coffee with a pump or two of their signature toffee nut syrup.

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