When I was in college, I got a part-time job at Caribou Coffee on campus, and ever since, my love for both Caribou and coffee have only grown. Now, years later, as a stay-at-home mom to 3 little ones, I’ve found myself frequenting the Caribou drive-thru down the street more often than I’d like to admit. So, in an effort to save money and still enjoy my fancy coffee drinks, I’ve been on a mission to recreate my favorite Caribou beverages at home. First up, was my current favorite drink, a White Chocolate Crafted Press Coffee!
This one was pretty easy to replicate at home, because I already knew the recipe for the base of this drink, which is Caribou’s Cold Press Iced Coffee! You can find the recipe for their cold press, HERE.
From there, it was just a matter of finding the right amounts of flavor syrups, add-ins, and the equipment needed to make both the hot and iced version of this drink! Before we get started, I want to add that I do have the Nespresso Aeroccino Milk Steamer, which I use for the hot version of a crafted press. I use this thing almost daily, whether I’m making this drink, a latte, mocha, you NAME it! I LOVE my Aeroccino and recommend it to all my friends who love their fancy coffee drinks like I do (this is not sponsored, I’m just a true fan)!
As for the iced version of this drink, the only equipment you’ll need is a blender. We got this Vitamix about a year ago, and it has been worth every single penny (we use it almost daily). However, any old blender will do!
WHAT YOU’LL NEED:
- Iced Coffee – You can find my recipe for Caribou’s Cold Press Iced Coffee, HERE, which will give you the most authentic copycat drink!
- Flavor syrup/sauce of choice. I recommend Torani Chocolate or Caramel sauce for the most authentic copycat iced crafted press, or Caribou’s chocolate chips, for a hot crafted press. My personal favorite is white chocolate in both hot and iced!
- 2 % Milk
- Half & Half
- Raw Cane Sugar
- Sea Salt
- Ice
- Blender (for Iced Crafted Press) or Aeroccino steamer (for Hot Crafted Press).
- 16 oz glass – I love using these Mason Jar tumblers.
(Click on any of the ingredients above to see where I purchase them)
DIRECTIONS:
- Add 10 oz of iced coffee to your blender (for iced) or steamer (for hot).
- Pour in a splash of 2% Milk and a splash of Half & Half (approx. 1 tsp each), or feel free to substitute with a non-dairy creamer of choice.
- Add in 1/4 tsp. of Salt Sugar Mix (Recipe below).
- Add in 2 tbsp of your flavor of choice. I personally like white chocolate, but you could also do vanilla, caramel, or any combination of your favorite flavors!
- For iced: Blend 20-30 seconds, pour over ice, and enjoy!
- For hot: Simply steam all ingredients together in your Aeroccino steamer, and enjoy! I highly recommend using 2 tbsp. of Caribou’s chocolate chips for the hot version, as the Aeroccino will steam them right into your drink, just like they do at Caribou! I find them on their website, here.
“Salt + Sugar Mix” Recipe:
Mix together 5 parts raw cane sugar + 1 part sea salt. Store in well-sealed container and use as needed!
And that’s it! Now, tell me that isn’t one of the yummiest coffee drinks you’ve made at home!? And the best part is, you can play around with the quantities to suit your own personal taste! Want it sweeter? No problem! Extra coffee? No problem! Mix caramel and chocolate? Done and DONE.
PS. If you love iced coffee, be sure to also check out my recipe for a Starbucks Iced Caramel Macchiato (hint: this “copycat” macchiato tastes identical to the real thing and is so, SO good!)
Caribou Crafted Press Coffee Copycat Recipe
Ingredients
Crafted Press Coffee
- 10 oz Cold Press Iced Coffee
- 2 tbsp Torani White Chocolate syrup Or flavor syrup of choice
- 1 tsp Half & Half
- 1 tsp 2% Milk
- 1/4 tsp Salt Sugar Mix Recipe below
Salt Sugar Mix
- 5 tsp Raw Cane Sugar
- 1 tsp Sea Salt
Instructions
- In blender, pour in 10 oz of iced coffee.
- Add in Milk, Half & Half, Torani White Chocolate syrup (or flavor syrup of choice), and Salt Sugar Mix.
- Blend for 20-30 seconds until well mixed, pour over ice, and ENJOY!
Salt Sugar Mix
- Mix together 5 parts Raw Cane Sugar and 1 part Sea Salt, then store in an air tight container or ziplock bag to use as desired.
Notes
PIN it for later:
Yaaassss!!!! One Minnesota mama to another, just tried this recipe. Followed it up by successfully flossing (the ridiculous dance move, that is) for the first time ever. All before 7am, even with both kids awake. You. Are. Amazing. Thank you for sharing!!!
It makes me happier than you know to hear another mama discovering they can make this at home! haha! Love this so much!!
Thank you so much for sharing!! This has been my favorite coffee drink forever, but when I moved from Minneapolis to Chicago, I could no longer find it! Since discovering this recipe I’ve been making many times a week, and LOVE IT! It’s also pretty cost effective, and I’ve gotten compliments from everyone I’ve made it for. Thanks so much!
Nothing could make my heart happier!! But seriously! So glad you love it as much as I do :) #coffeeaddictsunite
Does it store well in the fridge over night? I would prefer to have it ready to go at 5 am rather than waking my husband with a blender, haha!
Hey Lauren! I probably wouldn’t recommend storing overnight. It would probably separate! Instead, I’d just mix in the flavor + salt sugar mix really well using a spoon or straw in the morning! That’s what I do a lot when I’m in a rush! While a blender will give you the most authentic copycat, you definitely don’t need to mix it that way!! XO!
YES!! I love the iced crafted press from Caribou, favorite drink!! I have been trying to replicate it at home but didn’t know what ratio to use for their special salt/sugar blend. I can’t wait to try this out. Thank you so so much!!