To Make Your Iced Caramel Macchiato Dupe You Will Need:

Coffee grounds

Milk of choice

White granulated sugar

Water

Vanilla extract (optional)

Caramel

Helpful tip: place a glass in the freezer to chill. Doing this ensures that no ice will be needed and you will be able to enjoy your beverage longer without it being watered down!

Step 1: Begin by making and cooling your coffee.

For the best results, use a strong brew and cool for a minimum of 30 minutes on your countertop. After your coffee has cooled to room temperature, you can place your coffee into the refrigerator until you're done completing the next few steps. Should you decide to skip the room temperature cooling and simply decide to place your warm coffee in the refrigerator or freezer, beware that the warmth from your coffee will warm the refrigerator and your drink isn't likely to be as cold as you would like it unless you leave it to cool for hours.

(Quick Directions for First Time Coffee Makers!)

And for the lovely folks who maybe don't drink warm coffee therefore they don't ever make it on their own and are here to find a cheaper alternative to Starbucks, making home brewed coffee is easy! Fill your coffee pot with water to the amount of coffee you're wanting to make. For example, if you want 4 cups of coffee, fill your coffee pot with 4 cups of water. Then place a coffee filter into the filter basket of your coffee maker. A general rule of thumb for making a basic cup of coffee is to use two tablespoons of coffee grounds per cup. Sticking with the 4 cups of coffee goal, you would add 8 tablespoons of coffee grounds to your filter. Place the filter back into the coffee maker and pour the water from your coffee pot into the water vessel that is usually found on the top of your coffee maker. Be sure to flip the On/Off button to the On function. Regardless of whether you do this, your coffee will make and it will be hot, so do not add your water until you have your coffee grounds ready unless you just want a pot of hot water. Once the water is added it will be exchanged for already warmed water. By flipping the On/Off button, you are turning on the hot plate beneath the coffee pot. This hot plate keeps your coffee hot after it has been made. (In the making of iced coffee, flipping the On/Off button is unnecessary as you're not trying to keep the coffee warm, but in the event that you find yourself hosting for someone with a hot coffee affinity, flip the switch on and you're good! No microwave needed!)

Step 2: You will make a simple syrup

To make a simple syrup you only need two things: white sugar and water. For this syrup, we will be adding a dash of vanilla extract, but it is not required. To make a single serving of simple syrup, place 1 tbsp of white sugar into a microwave safe ramekin (small bowl) and add 2 tsps of water. Mix this together then place the bowl into the microwave for 15 to 30 seconds. The goal is to melt the sugar and create a thickened syrup. It does NOT take long to do this. If you let this combination bubble/boil, you will end up with hard candy when the mixture is cooled. It is vitally important that you are vigilant during this part of the process. It is extremely easy to make simple syrup, however, it's even easier to make hard candy. Once the sugar has melted into the water and the two have combined to make a thicker syrup add a dash of vanilla and place this combination into the refrigerator. Placing it into the refrigerator is not required; however, the combination is warm and will warm your drink if you don't.

Step 3: Combine!

We're almost done! Now's the time to get excited! It's time to take your chilled glass and pour your store-bought (or homemade if you're ambitious!) caramel over the inside of your glass. You can add ice if you want, but if you've cooled everything as you've gone along, then ice shouldn't be necessary to have a cold drink! Then pour your cooled simple syrup into the glass. Pour roughly a ¼ of your glass with your choice of milk. Then mix your syrup with your milk using a spoon. Slowly pour your chilled coffee on top and add as much additional caramel as your heart desires! Enjoy!