With Spring break over, it's almost Summer! And teens, you know what that means: Iced Starbucks drinks! (To be honest, Starbucks is for every season, but I think it's the best in the Summer.)

A sip of ice-cold strawberry acai refresher, a delicious slurp of Matcha java-chip frappuccino, a silky gulp of a pink drink. These sips are literally the epitome of happiness after a hot, sweaty day at the beach!

Starbucks is amazing, yet just a grande refresher could cost up to 6$ and a venti even more! With these crazy prices, many, including me, wonder if it's possible to save our bucks and just make these refreshing drinks at home. The answer is yes, it is possible. Here are some tips to make your 2025 Summer that much better!

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1. Find Copycat Recipes!

If you've tried to recreate a caramel mocha frappuccino with some ice, milk, and caramel sauce in your blender at home, you're not alone! And that's not just because I've done that exact same thing, but also because so many people before us thought of the same thing and perfected it. If you are looking to recreate a classic drink from your home kitchen, these copycast recipes are the way to go!

I recommend sites like Tasty's 36 Starbucks drinks recipes as well as We Are Not Martha where the drink recipes are separated into organized sections.

They have great recipe options like: Strawberry Acai Refresher, Iced Pumpkin Cream Chai Tea Latte, Pink Drink with Cold Foam, Matcha Latte, White Chocolate Mocha, and so much more!

Both Tasty and We Are Not Martha even have more drinks that aren't even on the Starbucks Menu anymore. So definitely give those unique and delicious drinks a try too! Some of them include: Butterbeer Frappuccino, Strawberry Matcha Latte, the Purple Drink, the Cran-Merry Drink, Elpheba's Cold Brew, Gingerbread Latte, and more!!

2. Get Starbucks' Ingredients & Copycat Ingredients!

One hack to making your drinks taste exactly like Starbucks is to literally use the ingredients that they actually use or they made.

Starbucks sells its own flavor syrups, including flavors like caramel, vanilla, dolce, halzenut, and mocha. Here is an article that tells you more about it, and here is an Amazon link that sells the syrups. You can also buy them at your local Starbucks. On the other hand, if you don't want to spend all your money on a large bottle of syrup, try creating a homemade syrup! (The Starbucks official recipes page and the recipe sites above can help you make your homemade syrups!)

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Even more, feel free to invest in Starbucks cold brews, coffee powders, and even bottled pink drinks from your local Target!

Some Starbucks ingredients aren't available to the public... However! There are amazing copycat ingredient options to try out, too. A popular one for refresher drinks is the Ocean Spray Cran-Strawberry Juice and the Welch's White Grape Juice! Give those a try too if you're recreating a Strawberry Acai or Mango-Dragon fruit refresher!

3. Follow Starbucks' Official Recipes!

A lot of people don't know this, including me a few minutes ago, but Starbucks actually has its own official recipe page for you to make at home. These recipes are only coffee-focused, though!

They have great recipes like Frothed Vanilla Lavender Creamer Coffee, Smoked Butterscotch Iced Coffee, Pumpkin Spiced Latte, Iced Mocha, and more! The page even includes items out of the regular Starbucks menu, such as an Espresso Martini, Irish Cream Cold Brew Mocktail, Pommegrenate Sparkling Coffee, Eggnog Hot Coffee, and more!

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There is also a super cool syrup-dedicated page that teaches you how to make a series of unique syrup flavors. Some of the coolest ones include Grapefruit Basil syrup, Pistachio syrup, Sugar Cookie syrup, and Brown Sugar Cinnamon.

Another plus to following these official recipes at home is that you know exactly where your ingredients are coming from, which makes everything a little healthier and safe! There's also a factor of care and love that you put into creating homemade ingredients!

4. Watch YouTube/TikTok/Instagram Videos!

Last but not least, YouTube and any video media are wonderful resources when you are recreating a drink. With just a quick search on YouTube for a "strawberry acai refresher starbucks copycat recipe," several great shorts popped up that literally taught me how to make it. YouTube is also a great place to find longer form recipes where the YouTuber walks you through all the steps!

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That's it, teens! I hope this helps you up your drinks game this Summer! Happy sipping and happy recreating.