How To Drizzle Caramel Sauce Like A Starbucks Barista

An extra swirl of caramel or chocolate sauce can be the finishing touch your coffee needs to transform it into a drink that could have been put together by one of your favorite Starbucks baristas. These latte aficionados are trained to make drinks quickly and know how to assemble several orders at a time. Caramel drizzle is the last step for a line of drinks, including Caramel Brulée Frappuccinos and Iced Caramel Macchiatos. Drizzles of caramel sauce not only taste good, but the colorful markings add an aesthetic element to drinks slid across coffee shop counters. 

If you've tried to swirl flavored syrup or other condiments on top of a neat pile of whipped cream and have found yourself disappointed with the result, you may want to follow the lead of Starbucks baristas and keep a particular pattern in mind. First, make two circles around the outside of your drink, then finish your gooey design with a series of hash tags marks or a pattern that resembles a grid. Master the art, and you can feel like you're about to enjoy a professionally-made drink without having to walk out your front door.

Just because you're not a professional barista doesn't mean you can't enjoy a beautifully-made coffee at home. To build caramel-drawing confidence, use a plate as a practice surface area to work on your barista skills. Use the outline of the plate to draw two circles with the caramel sauce before making cross markings over the center of the plate. Once you're comfortable drawing lines over plates and drinks, you may find yourself using the same template while pouring condiments over other dishes. 

When you're ready to advance to the next level of making coffee recipes at home, mix your own sugar-free caramel sauce with dates and store the finished batch to drizzle on top of your next frozen creations, or experiment by adding a touch of miso to your salted caramel recipe. And the sugary topping not only tastes delicious on top of coffees and milkshakes. Caramel sauce can also be drizzled on top of tomorrow morning's waffles — after you've made your first caramel-coated latte, of course.