The caramel flavor is one of those that are unique, inviting, and memorable. Nothing produces a richer caramel flavor than the Starbucks dark caramel sauce.

Starbucks dark caramel sauce is made by cooking a combination of sugar solution and cream. One of my favorite Frappuccino is the Caramel Ribbon Crunch Frappuccino. Since I learned how to make the sauce at home, I have added it to almost every drink. Most people have no idea how this sauce is made at home. In this post, I will explain all about the Starbucks dark caramel sauce and how to make it at home, so keep reading.

Table of Contents

A brief history of the sauce

Starbucks’ use of dark caramel latte can be traced back to 1984 when it introduced its first handcrafted latte. Dark caramel sauce’s history runs back to the 18^th century. Although it is not clear who discovered the sauce, it is thought to have originated from medieval Latin, known as cannamella, a combination of cane and honey. It is also possible that the Portuguese started it because they had what they refer to as caramel. It can also be traced to France and Spain.

Is Starbucks Dark Caramel Sauce still available at Starbucks?

Starbucks still has dark caramel sauce in almost each of its outlets. The caramel sauce is a crucial ingredient in making some Starbucks beverages. One of the popular beverages made using dark caramel sauce is the Ribbon crunch Frappuccino, one of my favorites. The sauce is not limited to use in Frappuccino, and you can use it to customize most of your drinks. When you order from the app, you can edit the flavor section and choose dark caramel syrup for your drink.

Where to buy Starbucks Dark Caramel Sauce

Starbucks dark caramel sauce is available, and you can buy it for use at home in several outlets in the US, including Starbucks shops, eBay, Amazon, and Walmart, among others. Starbucks uses the Fontana brand of caramel sauce, which is commonly packaged in a 63 Fl Oz. The sauce’s prices vary slightly depending on where you purchase it. The cost of acquiring it may differ slightly, especially if you order it online, because the delivery charges vary.

Starbucks Dark Caramel Sauce (Ingredients, Taste, Calories, name variations)

What’s in a Starbucks Dark Caramel Sauce- (ingredients)

Ingredients

What is in Starbucks dark caramel sauce? The Starbucks menu provides the ingredients of each item. The ingredient list includes items used to make a certain sauce or topping. For instance, in the Caramel Ribbon Crunch Frappuccino Blended Beverage ingredient list, you can find coffee, dark caramel sauce, and caramel sauce. A breakdown of what makes them is as follows- Dark caramel sauce is made of sugar, potassium sorbate, water, sunflower lecithin, natural flavors, butter, salt, sweetened condensed milk, and corn syrup.

The ingredients look great, but you only need a few essential elements to make a perfect Dark caramel sauce at home.

Let’s discuss the ingredients below:

Corn syrup – is extracted from and contains corn starch and sugars that naturally occur in corn. It provides a sweet taste and a smooth texture to the caramel sauce.

Sweetened condensed milk – is simply milk and sugar. The milk is evaporated to remove excess water, leaving a sweet concentrated solution. It boosts the nutritional content of the sauce and contributes to a smooth texture.

Water – is an essential ingredient in dark caramel sauce, and its primary role is to dissolve sugar to form a solution before caramelization.

Sugar –is also a primary ingredient and the most significant one. It provides a sweet taste and a caramel flavor after burning.

Butter – is simply cream and salt. It contributes to the nutritional content of the sauce and contributes to the smooth texture. It balances out the strong burning taste of the sauce.

Potassium sorbate – is not an ingredient but is necessary for preservation. Without it, the sauce would expire only after a short time, making it difficult to stock in groceries.

Natural flavors – improve the taste of the sauce. For instance, adding a vanilla flavor to the sauce makes the sauce to be a source of vanilla flavor for your drink.

Starbucks Dark Caramel Sauce: Nutrition & Calories

Nutritional facts

The Starbucks dark caramel sauce has 150 calories every 2 tablespoons or 38 grams. The high level of calories is because it is primarily made of sugar. Customizing your Starbucks drinks by adding several pumps of dark caramel significantly increases the calories of your beverage.

The two tablespoons of the sauce have a total fat content of 8g. The fat mainly comes from milk and butter. It also has 20 mg of cholesterol that comes as well from butter and milk.

Sodium is an abundant mineral in the sauce and comes from salt, an ingredient for butter. There are 55g of sodium in the 2 tablespoons.

Finally, the sauce has 24g of carbohydrates from sugar.

The table below shows the nutritional content of Starbucks dark caramel syrup

Calorie count (out of 2,000 calories daily intake)	150
Nutrient Content (per two pumps serving)	% of Daily Value
Total fats (8.0g)	10%
Saturated fats (3.50g)	18%
Trans fat (0.00g)
Cholesterol (20mg)	7%
Sodium (55mg)	2%
Total carbohydrates (24.00g)	9%
Dietary fiber(0.00g)	0%
Sugars (21.00g)
Protein (0.00g)	0%

It is crucial to consider the number of pumps you add to your drink, considering the number of calories the sauce adds.

So, what does Starbucks Dark Caramel Sauce taste like?

The Starbucks dark caramel sauce is sweet with a slightly smoky flavor of burnt sugar. The smoky flavor is more profound than regular caramel because the sugar burns longer. Some Starbucks customers described the taste as pretty good, sweet, smoky, and burnt sugar flavor. All customer reviews describe the taste as good, sweet, and desirable.

Drinks (or foods) that use Starbucks Dark Caramel Sauce

After making your homemade bottle of Starbucks Dark Caramel Sauce, you could be wondering what type of drinks you can make with it.

Starbucks’ menu can provide excellent examples of the best drinks to pair with the sauce.

Some of the Starbucks drinks made with Starbucks Dark Caramel Sauce are:

Iced Caramel Macchiato
Caramel Frappuccino
Caramel Ribbon Crunch Frappuccino
Caramel Macchiato
Salted Caramel Cream Cold Brew
Caramel Ribbon Crunch Crème Frappuccino
Caramel Apple Spice

On the secret menu, drinks with dark caramel sauce include:

TikTok Iced White Mocha
Caramel Snickerdoodle Macchiato
Caramel Brulee Latte
Fall Breeze

The drinks list is crucial if you want to order a drink with sauce. It also gives you an idea of the drinks you can make at home and add the sauce.

Starbucks Dark Caramel Sauce: Other names

Customers use several names for Dark caramel sauce, some of which include dark caramel; Spanish nationals call it Salsa de Caramelo Oscuro, while French nationals call it Sauce caramel noir.

How to make Starbucks Dark Caramel Sauce at home – Starbucks Dark Caramel Sauce Copycat Recipe

Starbucks Dark Caramel Sauce Copycat Recipe

Kai Jordan

Making 2 cups of dark caramel sauce

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Equipment

Heavy-bottomed saucepan
Stirrer
Source of medium heat
Pastry brush
Airtight container

Ingredients

1 cup of sugar at room temperature
½ cup of water
2 cups of sugar

Instructions

Mix sugar and water inside the deep saucepan
Place the mixture on a source of medium heat and begin to stir using the stirrer and ensure to wash down with a pastry brush any content of the saucepan that sticks to the sides
Continue stirring until you notice a color change to medium amber.
Pay keen attention as the color changes from amber to dark mahogany brown. The process takes a short time, hence the need to be extra keen. You can reduce the heat to avoid sudden burning.
Remove the saucepan from the heat immediately after you notice the bubbles turn tan, which a whisp of smoke might accompany.
Carefully, slowly, and cautiously pour the heavy cream into the hot caramel. Note that pouring the cream into the caramel will cause sudden and heavy bubbling.
When the bubbling subsides, stir thoroughly until the mixture is smooth and consistent. If the cream was cold and caused the caramel to seize, place it over the heat for 30 seconds as you stir.
Let the caramel cool to room temperature and pour it into an airtight container. Refrigerate it and use it for one month.

Notes

You can warm your refrigerated dark caramel sauce using a microwave or a double boiler, especially when you want to use it for warm or hot drinks
You can use dark caramel in various drinks, and if you bake cakes, it is perfect for a sweet caramel flavor. You can also use it on homemade ice creams.
You can eat the dark caramel sauce off the spoon or use it as a warm dip for tart apple slices.

FAQ Section

What brand of dark caramel sauce does Starbucks use?

Starbucks uses the Fontana brand of dark caramel sauce

Is Starbucks dark caramel sauce vegan?

No, the Starbucks dark caramel sauce has milk and butter from cow and therefore is not vegan

Is Starbucks dark caramel sauce gluten-free?

Yes, Dark caramel sauce is gluten-free

Is Starbucks dark caramel sauce sweet?

Yes, dark caramel sauce is sweet and sweetens your beverage

Does Starbucks’ dark caramel sauce contain caffeine?

No, Starbucks dark caramel sauce does not contain caffeine

What is the best drink to order that uses dark caramel sauce at Starbucks?

Caramel Ribbon Crunch Frappuccino

Does Starbucks’ dark caramel sauce contain allergens?

It contains dairy products which are potential allergens

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Starbucks Dark Caramel Sauce (Ingredients, Taste, Copycat Recipe, Calories, where to buy & more information)