I love Starbucks, especially the girlie coffees like the Caramel Macchiato. However, Starbucks is expensive and high in calories. A few years back, I had an espresso machine, but now I don't, so I began researching more affordable ways to get my caffeine fix.
According to Starbucks, a tall Caramel Macchiato with 2% milk has 180 calories! To give you an idea how much that it, it's the equivalent of nine (plain) McDonald's side salads, three Miller Lites or nearly 2.5 servings of Cheerios without milk.The cost? Somewhere between $3.25 and $4, depending on where you live. That's a lot of calories and a lot of cash -- especially if you indulge frequently.
I made my caramel coffee at home with Dunkin' Donuts French Vanilla grounds ($7.99 per lb.), steamed 2% milk, a calorie-free but natural sweetener called Truvia, whipped cream and Smuckers Caramel Flavored Sundae Syrup. (If you don't have a machine to steam your milk, get instructions on how to do it at home here.)
I used a 3/4 cup of coffee (10 calories), one packet of Truvia (zero calories), 1/2 a cup of 2% milk (65 calories), one teaspoon of caramel for both topping and to mix into coffee (one-fourth recommended serving and 30 calories) and three tablespoons whipped cream (23 calories) for a 128-calorie version.
My Version
If you want to save more calories, try plain coffee, skim milk, sugar-free syrup (I can't have it because sucralose gives me migraines) and foregoing the whipped cream.
Overall, it's healthier, a lot cheaper and just as yummy.
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