Starbucks's Oleato Line Is as Good as It Looks — and You Can Make It at Home

Published on April 4, 2023 at 2:15 PM

POPSUGAR Photography | Kaley Rohlinger

Once I find a new Starbucks favorite, I love trying to re-create it at home, whether it's their seasonal pistachio latte or the tragically retired eggnog latte. It's a trick that saves me money and time and lets me customize my drinks to my exact liking and craving that day.

But this time, Starbucks came out with something that was too good for me to wait and try in stores: its Oleato line, which infuses coffee with rich Italian olive oil. If you've kept up with the bulletproof-coffee trend, this debut might not seem too crazy; but I certainly had friends who were dubious. After all, olive oil? In coffee?

As a lover of both, I couldn't wait to get my hands on the new drinks, but since my local stores haven't released them yet, I took matters (er, olive oil) into my own hands. After scouring the new drink descriptions, user reviews, and Starbucks's own recipes, I developed copycat recipes for three of Starbucks newest drinks and chose the easiest ones to replicate at home: the Oleato Golden Foam Cold Brew, Oleato Caffè Latte, and Oleato Golden Foam Espresso Martini. And I have to say, I think I came pretty darn close. Swipe through for the dupes.

Oleato Golden Foam Cold Brew Review

This golden foam cold brew is absolutely worth making at home. Starbucks sweet cream cold foam is already delicious, and the olive oil flavor complemented it to perfection. When you drink it you get a perfectly balanced sip of smooth cold brew and nutty, creamy foam. But pro tip: skip the straw to make sure you're getting the right ratio in each sip.

It's worth noting a few things about this recipe. For one, the olive oil does thin the cream a little bit, compared to Starbucks' usual sweet cream. But in all honesty, I didn't mind this. The slightly thinner cream mixed into the drink more nicely, rather than just sitting on top.

Second, I recommend drinking the cold brew on the quicker side, as I've read reviews that say the olive oil can separate and stick to the ice if it gets too cold. That said, I had no problem downing mine before that happened; it was absolutely delicious.

Finally, sweetening the cold brew is totally optional. The measurement in my recipe was used with the goal of making the recipe as close to the original as possible, but add as much or as little sweetener as you'd like.

Oleato Golden Foam Cold Brew Recipe

Ingredients

1 cup ice
1 cup cold brew coffee
2 tsp. vanilla syrup, divided
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 tbsp. 2% milk
1 tsp. vanilla syrup
1 tsp. olive oil

Recipe

First, prep the cold brew by adding the ice, cold brew, and one teaspoon of vanilla syrup to a cup and giving it a good stir.
Then, make the Golden Foam: using a blender or milk frother, combine the heavy cream, milk, and the other teaspoon of vanilla syrup, then blend until thick and foamy.
Add the olive oil to the sweet cream and reblend until foamy.
Top the cold brew with the golden foam, and enjoy.

Oleato Caffè Latte Review

My go-to Starbucks order is an oat milk latte with Blonde espresso, so I was excited to try this olive oil twist. The drink did not disappoint. It's warm, creamy, comforting, and has so many flavors that add delicious nuance to the espresso. Who would have thought that oat and olive oil were perfect complements for coffee?

With this latte, you get balanced, rich olive oil flavor in each sip. The olive oil reacts well to being heated up, and it incorporates nicely into the oat milk, for one of the smoothest latte textures I've ever experienced.

Even though this recipe doesn't involve cold foam, a milk frother or blender is key if you're making it at home. Otherwise, the oat milk and olive oil won't incorporate, and that's what gives this drink its magic.

Oleato Caffè Latte Recipe

Ingredients

12 oz. oat milk
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 espresso shot (light roast)

Recipe

Combine the oat milk and olive oil, then heat up either on the stove or in the microwave.
Once hot, use a milk frother or a personal blender to combine until smooth, fully integrated, and foamy.
Add the espresso shot to a mug and pour the milk and olive oil mixture over the espresso. Enjoy!

Oleato Golden Foam Espresso Martini Review

First off, I have to say that Starbucks knows how to make a strong drink. I used the original Starbucks espresso martini as the base for this recipe, then added Golden Foam to top it, and wow. This was a strong one. The vodka was a little too much for my personal espresso martini tastes; next time, I'd probably cut the vodka in half, or replace some of it with coffee liqueur.

Of all the new beverages in the Oleato line, that I was the most hesitant about: I love espresso martinis, but adding olive oil and creamy foam on top seemed like it would be too many flavors. Once again, the Oleato proved me wrong! The cream is almost necessary to cut the strong vodka ratio, and the olive oil pairs well with the coffee and coffee liqueur flavor. Overall, this drink is still a winner, with a smooth, creamy mouthfeel that you could sip all night long.

Oleato Golden Foam Espresso Martini Recipe

Ingredients

1 espresso shot
3 tbsp. vodka
2 tbsp. coffee liqueur
2 tbsp. heavy cream
1 tbsp. 2 percent milk
1/2 tsp. vanilla syrup
1 tsp. olive oil

Recipe

Combine the espresso, vodka, and coffee liqueur in a cocktail shaker with ice, then shake vigorously for 10 seconds.
Pour into a martini glass.
Then, make the Golden Foam: using a blender or milk frother, combine the heavy cream, milk, and vanilla syrup, then blend until thick and foamy.
Add the olive oil to the sweet cream and reblend until foamy.
Top the espresso martini with golden foam and enjoy.