Last verified 17 September 2026
Copycat Sweet & Salty Recipe
How to build the 7 Brew Sweet & Salty at home — 4 ingredients, 9 minutes, 452 calories a serving, and roughly $4.03 cheaper per drink than the $6.26 you would pay at the window. This is the recipe I keep coming back to when I am not standing in line.
What you are aiming for — a Sweet & Salty off the board. The stand's Medium is 452 calories; this version comes in at 452.
A Sweet & Salty is a latte build. Sweet and salty only works if the salt is actually perceptible. A pinch of flaky salt on the cream at the end is what makes it read as salted caramel rather than just caramel.
At a glance
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Prep time | 5 minutes |
| Cook time | 4 minutes |
| Total time | 9 minutes |
| Difficulty | Medium |
| Yield | 1 drink (16 oz) |
| Calories (per serving) | 452 kcal |
| Sugar | 45 g |
| Caffeine | 192 mg |
| Home cost | $2.23 |
| Stand price (Medium) | $6.26 |
| You save | $4.03 (64%) |
Ingredients
- 2 shots espresso (60 ml)
- 240 ml whole milk
- 2 tbsp salted caramel syrup plus a pinch of flaky salt
- whipped cream and a light salt flake
Equipment
- Espresso machine, moka pot or double-strength coffee
- Milk steamer, frother or saucepan + whisk
- 16 oz mug
How to make it
- Pull 2 shots of espresso (60 ml). Without a machine, brew 60 ml at double strength — 30 g of grounds to 120 g of water.
- Measure 240 ml of whole milk into a pitcher while the shot pulls.
- Stir 2 tbsp salted caramel syrup plus a pinch of flaky salt into the hot espresso and give it 5 seconds. Syrup dissolves properly in coffee, not in cold milk.
- Steam the whole milk to 60 °C. No steamer? Heat it until it just steams, then whisk hard for 20 seconds.
- Pour from a height into the centre of the espresso in one steady stream, then drop the spout close to the surface to set a foam cap.
- Finish with whipped cream and a light salt flake. Taste before adding anything else — 2 tbsp salted caramel syrup plus a pinch of flaky salt already carries a lot of sweetness.
Tips that actually matter
- Add the salt at the end, on the cream — salt dissolved into the drink just tastes sweet.
- Flaky salt, not table salt. Table salt dissolves and you lose the contrast.
- Salted caramel syrup plus a tiny pinch extra is better than either alone.
Variations
- Sweet and salty macchiato: pour the espresso over the foam instead of mixing it in.
- Iced version with cold foam on top.
- Add 1 tsp of vanilla to soften the salt edge.
What it costs to make at home
| Component | Estimated cost |
|---|---|
| 2 shots espresso (60 ml) | $0.55 |
| 240 ml whole milk | $0.48 |
| 2 tbsp salted caramel syrup plus a pinch of flaky salt | $0.35 |
| whipped cream and a light salt flake | $0.35 |
| Total per serving | $2.23 |
| Stand price (Medium 24 oz) | $6.26 |
| Saving per drink | $4.03 |
Costs assume supermarket prices and a syrup bottle amortised over roughly 25 drinks. The first drink is more expensive than $2.23 because you are buying the bottle; by the fifth drink you are clearly ahead.
How this recipe compares
Across all 46 copycat recipes on this site, this one is the 32nd fastest at 9 minutes and the 41st lightest at 452 calories — 150 calories above the 302-calorie average.
Same technique (latte)
More 7 Originals recipes
Verified · prices & nutrition are estimates — confirm at your stand