What is Starbucks sauce? (What sauces does Starbucks have year-round + More information)

There is a reason that makes Starbucks coffee drinks incredible, and that reason lies in their sauce collection. Because of this, it is good to answer the question of what is heavy whipping cream at Starbucks, and how different sauces are used in Starbucks drinks.

I will make an odd confession: I am not a fan of coffee, despite being an American and living in a nation of coffee enthusiasts. However, I do enjoy the occasional visit to the Starbucks café just outside my workplace, and I quickly found out why: the sauces in their different drinks. I realized that Starbucks sauces are underrated in terms of the interesting tastes they add, and I will examine four sauces that Starbucks uses in its drinks throughout the year.

Starbucks sauces are semi-liquids that Starbucks adds to their menu on customer requests to enhance the flavor of the drinks. These sauces are made from high-quality ingredients and dairy or honey to add their thickness and sweetness, as well as allow them to work well in various drinks. There are four sauces available all year: mocha, caramel, dark caramel, and white chocolate mocha.

Mocha sauce

Ingredients

Mocha sauce is very similar in taste and appearance to chocolate-type syrup, although it has a thicker texture than regular chocolate. All you need are 1 cup of cane sugar, 1 cup cocoa powder, 1 cup corn syrup (optional), ½ cup water, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, and ¼ teaspoon salt.

The mocha topping is among the few sauces you can get that are vegan-friendly, as it does not contain dairy or honey. This is because it only contains four ingredients – natural flavors, sugar, water, citric acid, and alkali-processed cocoa. If you are unsure of whether it is vegan, you can choose to go for the classic mocha sauce and substitute dairy in your drink with a vegan-friendly milk type like coconut or oat milk.

How to make it

In a saucepan, add the cocoa powder, cane sugar, corn syrup, salt, and ¼ cup of water, and then put it on medium-high heat.

Allow the mixture to come to a boil, but stir as it heats. If you notice the mixture is too thick, add the water slowly and continue stirring for about 10 minutes until it achieves your preferred consistency.

Remove it from the heat and let it cool. Add the vanilla extract after it cools.

Store in a sealed container once it achieves room temperature, then store in the fridge for up to 1 week or use it immediately.

How Starbucks uses it

Starbucks uses the mocha sauce in a wide range of drinks, which are the Mocha Frappuccino, Caffe Mocha, Iced Caffe Mocha, and the Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha.

Nutritional information

Based on one pump of the sauce, you will get about 1.6g of fat, 1.9g of fiber, 15g of carbohydrates, and 0g of protein, with the total calorie count coming to 25 calories.

The fat content consists mainly of saturated fat (1g) equating to approximately 9 calories, while the carbs are made up of sugar. The salt content is less than 0.1g, while its caffeine content (from the cocoa) is 19mg.

Dark caramel sauce

Ingredients

Dark caramel sauce is a very creamy and rich sauce that consists of vanilla extract, caramelized sugar, salt, heavy cream, and butter. Therefore, it is not a vegan-friendly option due to its dairy content.

Its ingredients give it a very smooth and velvet-like texture and a deep amber color, which makes it perfect for drizzling over ice creams, desserts, and coffee. When making it, keep in mind that vanilla extract and heavy cream are essential ingredients, and you will need these alongside other ingredients and a saucepan to make it.

These ingredients are ¼ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ¾ cup water, ½ cup heavy cream, and 1 cup sugar, and you can also have coffee grounds to enhance its flavor (optional).

How to make it

In your saucepan, heat water and sugar on medium heat. As you wait for the mixture to bubble, stir continuously as it cooks.

Reduce the heat to a simmering temperature and leave it for three minutes. Add the salt, vanilla extract, and heavy cream, and stir the mixture and allow it to simmer for about 2 minutes or until its consistency thickens.

Remove and allow it to cool. If you want to keep it for longer, transfer it to a sealed container and keep it in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

How Starbucks uses it

Starbucks uses this sauce in one drink only, the Caramel Ribbon Crunch Frappuccino. It is worth noting though that this is the default drink-sauce pairing, and you can request the barista to add the sauce to any drink you want.

Nutritional information

One pump of Starbucks Dark Caramel sauce contains 17 calories, with most of its composition consisting of sugar (carbs) at 13g, and negligible fats present.

White chocolate mocha sauce

Ingredients

The white chocolate mocha sauce consists of condensed skim milk, sugar, white chocolate, coconut oil, salt, natural flavors, monoglycerides, and potassium sorbate. The white chocolate and milk are what make it non-vegan.

It is among the most popular sauces in Starbucks’ collection because of its sweet and rich flavor, and Starbucks charges more for it because of the demand – so it is always a good idea to learn to make it at home. If you need to make it, the ingredients you should have are white chocolate, evaporated milk (for a more concentrated flavor), half-and-half (to keep it in a liquid state), and sweetened condensed milk to add thickness.

How to make it

Chop the white chocolate roughly and put it in a heat-proof bowl. Ensure the bowl is microwave-safe if you will put it in the microwave. Add half and half to the chocolate, and then heat them in the microwave for 30 seconds.

Take the bowl out, mix the ingredients well, and if the chocolate has not melted put it back for 15 seconds. If you are using a pan, mix the chocolate and half and half, heat over medium heat, and mix them well as the chocolate melts. Remove from the heat.

In a separate saucepan, combine the evaporated milk and sweetened condensed milk, and heat the mixture over medium-low heat until it simmers.

Once the milk mixture simmers, remove it from the heat and pour it over the white chocolate mixture. Allow it to sit for a minute. Stir the mixture again until the chocolate melts completely.

Transfer the sauce to a heat-proof bowl or jar and allow it to cool to room temperature.

How Starbucks uses it

Similar to its mocha sauce cousin, the white chocolate mocha sauce is very versatile and works well with a wide range of drinks including Cinnamon Toast Crunch Frappuccino and the White Chocolate Crème Frappuccino.

Nutritional information

One pump of the Starbucks white chocolate mocha sauce contains about 60 calories, with most of its calories coming from carbohydrates at 11g (representing 72%). Other nutritional components are fat at 2g (about 13.5 calories or 22.5%), 1g of protein (representing 7%), 30mg of sodium, and 40mg of calcium.

Caramel sauce

Ingredients

The ingredients in the sauce are 4 tablespoons of butter, ½ cup of heavy whipping cream, 1 cup of sugar, 3 tablespoons of water, and ½ teaspoon of salt. If you are lactose intolerant or vegan, simply omit the heavy cream and you will be left with caramel syrup instead.

How to make it

In a saucepan, melt the sugar, butter, and water, then bring to a boil until it browns. Reduce the heat to a simmer and add the cream.

Stir the mixture continuously until it smoothens out.

Add the salt and vanilla and stir them. Remove from the heat and allow cooling.

How Starbucks uses it

Caramel sauce is very popular, and Starbucks adds it to all-year drinks as well as seasonal drinks. These include Caramel Macchiato, Caramel Frappuccino, Salted Caramel Mocha, Coffee Jelly Frappuccino, Caramel Ribbon Crunch Frappuccino, and Raspberry Caramel Macchiato.

The sauce also works excellently on desserts like ice cream, smoothies, French toast, sticky buns, cakes, donuts, and pancakes.

Nutritional information

The caramel sauce contains 50 calories per pump, with most coming from its carbohydrate content (13g of sugars or 8%) and fat content (1.5g or 2%). It also includes 5mg cholesterol and 5mg sodium.

Conclusion

The sauces I have talked about in this article are easily available in your Starbucks drinks on request, and you can make them easily at home as well.

FAQ Section

Can I buy Starbucks sauces?

No, you cannot buy Starbucks sauces because they are made in-store.

How many pumps of sauce are in a Venti?

By default, the venti-size cup has five pumps, which equate to about 132.5 calories.

Are syrup and sauce the same thing?

No, they are not the same. Sauces have a thicker consistency due to dairy or honey, a richer taste, and work best in hot drinks. Syrups are vegan-friendly, have a watery consistency with a very sugary taste, and work best in iced and cold drinks.