Are this TikToker’s copycat Starbucks recipes all-stars for less bucks?
“In this economy, you’re made to believe that if you pay for something expensive, that means it’s high-quality and it’s the best thing ever, but that’s not always the case,” content creator TK, who also goes by Taekook on TikTok, tells TODAY.com.
“Sometimes, random brands make affordable things for people with the same ingredients as the pricy stuff.”
TK’s dedication to Dollar Tree shows up in his videos about frozen pizza, ramen and skin care.
One particularly sweltering day in his native Texas, he walked into his favorite store, inspired to re-create what he’d normally order at Starbucks, using only using Dollar Tree items.
“People go to Starbucks every day and get a Refresher every day,” he says. “That adds up. Those flavors — mango, strawberry — we can get that at Dollar Tree.”
He says his Refresher dupe uses fewer ingredients, too, combining items into one, like a caffeinated lemonade.
TK says he created other Refresher recipes but got so many requests to make Starbucks’ coffee, on June 24, he posted a re-creation of a Caramel Ribbon Frappuccino.
“I did the math and it’s around $1.12 per cup,” he notes in the video.
Using just six ingredients, including instant coffee, nondairy creamer, caramel and chocolate sauce, the budget barista blended his way to 2 million views.
“I guess you could say, after that, I started realizing that people really do love my recipes,” TK says — and his comments sections confirm this.
“At first I was skeptical, then I was like… okaaay!” commented one person.
“I’m not using dollar tree to its full potential,” wrote another.
TK has posted more than 10 recipes for Starbucks drinks, like the Apple Crisp Oat Shaken Espresso and White Chocolate Mocha, but says he’s just getting started.
“I have this love and obsession with Dollar Tree, but I didn’t have anyone to share it with,” he says. “My friends and family in real life don’t really get it. They’re like, ‘Why are you going over there?’”
His request list is “pretty huge,” with items from other beverage-focused chains pouring in, too.
“A lot of people are asking like, ‘Hey, you gonna make some hot drinks because fall’s coming?’” he says. “OK, OK, I got you.”
TK’s Top Dollar Tree ‘Starbucks’ Tips
I compared Starbucks’ Brown Sugar Shaken Espresso with TK’s recipe, spending $6.10 at Starbucks compared to $1.25 (around 33 cents per serving) at Dollar Tree. (For transparency, I already had brown sugar, cinnamon, instant coffee and ice at home, and I just needed Dollar Tree’s shelf-stable milk.)
The two drinks tasted pretty similar, and making brown sugar syrup from scratch means it’s fresher in the dupe drink.
I feel like a winner, thanks to TK, and here’s how you can, too, using his tips:
Keep It Simple
In his video, he buys four ingredients at the discount store: brown sugar, cinnamon, instant coffee and oat milk — that’s it.
Use What You Already Have
I have a bottle of sea salt caramel from long ago languishing in the fridge. TK says use it, or whatever other caramel you have, for the most frugal Frappuccino you’ll ever make.
Make It From Scratch
TK makes brown sugar simple syrup at home by heating one part brown sugar with one part water until it boils, then letting it cool completely and pouring it into a Dollar Tree bottle. This is a quick and inexpensive process compared to DoorDashing a bottle to your door for $35.
Backups or Substitutions are OK
Other creators posted their own videos using his recipes, and one pivoted because her store was out of caramel — which TK says “might be sold out from my Frapps going viral” — and made some from scratch instead.
(My store was out of caramel, too.)
