Cliniophiles around the world love a cup of hot chocolate on a lazy rainy day, but what if you could take that up a notch? Instead of a cuppa of chocolate (maybe with one of the toasted marshmallows… yum), what if your drink was iced coffee? And was a shaken espresso, with almond milk in it? The luxurious result is the Iced Chocolate Almondmilk Shaken Espresso, a haven for dark chocolate lovers ready to move on to the next level.

What’s So Special About The Iced Chocolate Almondmilk Shaken Espresso?

The Iced Chocolate Almondmilk Shaken Espresso is a hand-shaken drink that mixes espresso with milk (almond milk in this case) with ice and a number of flavouring ingredients. When properly made, it has a light froth on the top too that you’re going to love sipping on. The Starbucks version of this drink also has a more subtle espresso flavour, tempered by the addition of malt chocolate into the mix.

Blonde espresso. Malt chocolate. Ice to give it that sharp taste, and an almond milk topping to make the resulting drink a little slice of heaven in its own right. What more could you ask for?

What Does Starbucks Use To Make Their Iced Chocolate Almondmilk Shaken Espresso?

A normal-sized grande Iced Chocolate Almondmilk Shaken Espresso is made from a number of items that set it out from the java-chain’s usual lineup. Instead of the usual darker-roasted coffee, they use Blonde-roasted coffee for this drink, which doesn’t taste as intense (read: bitter) as the darker-roast but actually has more caffeine for that early morning pick-me-up.

An Iced Chocolate Almondmilk Shaken Espresso has 3 shots of Blonde espresso, a good bit of ice, malt powder, and a splash of almond milk for a topping. Home cooks can experiment with their version of the drink and switch out the Blonde espresso for regular if they prefer a stronger flavour.

Making Your Own Iced Chocolate Almondmilk Shaken Espresso: Everything You Need To Know

Before you set out to make your own cup of Iced Chocolate Almondmilk Shaken Espresso, you should note that unless you’re willing to wait extra long, it’s probably not going to taste the same as the Starbucks version.

This is because Starbucks uses 3 shots of Blonde espresso to make their drink, while most home espresso machines only make about 2 at a time. A great tip is to try the drink with 2 shots at first, and then make more if you feel like the flavour’s too weak.

That’s enough jibber-jabber. Now we’re going to move on to the best part: learning how to make yourself a cup of Iced Chocolate Almondmilk Shaken Espresso!

Ingredients For Our Iced Chocolate Almondmilk Shaken Espresso Recipe

Here’s what you’re going to keep at home to make a cup of Iced Chocolate Almondmilk Shaken Espresso without having to hop out to the market first:

1. Chocolate Malt Powder: You absolutely need it for this drink, and it can be found on the shelves of almost all supermarket shelves. 3 tablespoons are perfect for a tall cup and create the best balance between chocolate, coffee, and malt.

2. Espresso: You have two options for the espresso. Starbucks uses 3 shots of their Blonde espresso for their version of the drink, which gives the drink a subtle espresso taste. On the other hand, if you like the kick of regular espresso (or have some at home and feel lazy), you can use that too. Just make sure it’s brewed with filtered water!

3. Almond Milk: You might’ve noticed we were calling it “almondmilk”, one word. That was because Starbucks calls their in-house blend “almondmilk”. You can find some in supermarkets easily, but get vanilla-flavoured, unsweetened almond milk if possible: it’s going to make your drink delicious.

4. Sea Salt: Just a little bit of salt brings out the sweet flavours of this drink a lot.

5. Sweetener: Any sweetener or syrup works here, but cane sugar and maple sugar work the best.

6. Cinnamon: Want to make your drink the best it can be? Add a sprinkle of cinnamon to the drink before shaking!

7. Ice: Buy one of the packets with a polar bear on them, or make some at home. Filtered water again, though.

Four Easy Steps To Making Your Iced Chocolate Almondmilk Shaken Espresso

1. Making the Espresso

You start by brewing 2 shots of espresso in an espresso maker (duh, right?). Starbucks uses 3 shots for their drink, but 2 shots work just as well if you like a softer flavour for your drinks. You can also make a second batch of espresso for the third shot, but it’s going to make you wait extra long, so it’s optional.

You also have options in the espresso itself. Blonde espresso is ideal: it doesn’t pack as big a punch as regular espresso but has more caffeine surprisingly.

2. Start Mixing the Ingredients

Grab a mason jar or a drink mixing glass and add 3 tablespoons of chocolate malt powder, enough ice to fill the jar to the top, and pour in the espresso shots. Add the sweetener (about 1, maybe 1 ½ tablespoon of maple syrup or cane sugar), and sprinkle in both a pinch of sea salt and cinnamon into the mix.

3. Start Shaking!

Now all that’s left is to mix the drink and serve. You want to leave just a little room at the top for the ingredients to mix well. Once everything’s in the mason jar, grab it firmly and shake vigorously until it’s cold and frothy inside the jar. There shouldn’t be any lumps in the mixture inside, and it should be a light brown colour.

4. Add The Almond Milk And Serve

Once you’re done shaking, pour the frothy espresso (and the ice) into a tall glass, and add the almond milk. Traditional versions of the drink use about ¼ to ⅓ cup of almond milk, but you can add more if you like the taste. The cinnamon can also be dusked on the top of the cup instead of mixed in for a more immediate taste.

Enjoy your delicious cup of Iced Chocolate Almondmilk Shaken Espresso!

How Much Chocolate Malt Powder Should You Use?

Chocolate malt powder is sweet but tastes more like slightly bitter dark chocolate than over-sweetened regular chocolate. The best thing about this ingredient is that you can experiment and find the amount that’s perfect for you.

Tall cups will need about 3 tablespoons to balance out the coffee flavour. But, if you prefer a lighter flavour overall, 2 tablespoons will do the job just as well.
On the other hand, if you like the luxurious chocolatey taste, you can add an extra tablespoon into the mix.
For a sweeter drink, the sweetener we listed above is great. Add just before shaking to mix it well into your drink.

Your Options If You Can’t Find Chocolate Powder

With that said, though, chocolate malt powder can be pretty hard to find in hole-in-the-wall shopping markets. The good news is, that you can make your own chocolate malt powder, at home, with three simple ingredients:

1 tablespoon of normal cocoa powder,
1 tablespoon of malt powder,
And 1 tablespoon of normal granulated sugar.

Mix well in a small container, and you’ve made yourself enough chocolate malt powder for a single serving of this delicious drink.

How To Store Leftover Iced Chocolate Almondmilk Shaken Espresso

Make a larger jug and store it in the fridge instead. It’ll stay good for two weeks in an airtight container, but note that the chocolate and syrup on the bottom might get thicker as a result.

The Tips You Need To Know

You should know that sweetener as a whole is optional in this drink since the malt powder (and the almond milk if you bought it sweetened) contain sugar. Add a tablespoon of maple syrup, cane sugar, or honey only if you like your drinks extra sweet.
While Starbucks’ Blonde espresso is best for this drink, it’s absolutely not a necessity.
You can make a decaf version of this drink too. Just replace the espresso with normal decaf coffee.
If you’re going for the full 3 shots of espresso, you should know that taking it up a notch to 4 isn’t a good idea. You’re going to be jittery from all the caffeine.

Recipe Card For Iced Chocolate Almondmilk Shaken Espresso