The Aldi Find That Lets You Recreate Starbucks' Protein Coffee At Home
While you can get a cup of black coffee at Starbucks, the company made a name for itself with its endlessly customizable, often highly sweetened, beverages. But nowadays, Starbucks isn't just caffeine and sugar. In September 2025, the company launched a series of protein-packed beverages, which include both Protein Lattes and Protein Cold Foam Drinks (Chowhound tried the entire new protein lineup, with favorable reviews). While most options in the protein line are still fairly sweet, they also contain roughly 19 to 36 grams of protein per 16-ounce drink. Of course, all that protein comes with a price tag. In this case, over $7.50 for a Grande Iced Sugar-Free Vanilla Protein Latte, depending on your location. So if you like the flavor and crave the protein but don't have the budget, Aldi may have the perfect solution, with its Vanilla Ultra-Filtered Milkshake drink. A pack of four 11.5-ounce bottles (each containing 30 grams of protein) sells for under $9, or slightly over $2 per bottle.
To make a Starbucks protein iced latte dupe, simply pour the Ultra-Filtered Milkshake into a glass over ice, and top with espresso. To replicate the Cold Foam beverages, you'll want to start with cold brew coffee over ice. Pour some of your Aldi milkshake drink into a glass or pitcher, and froth it with a milk frother. Spoon this on top of the coffee. The Ultra-Filtered Milkshake comes in both vanilla and chocolate — so if you're a fan of Starbucks' Chocolate Cream Protein Cold Brew, reach for the latter.
A flexible recipe that uses what you have
While cold brew may be the most convenient way to make this copycat beverage, when Aldi shared a recipe on TikTok, the video featured espresso made using a Breville espresso machine. And while you don't need a fancy machine to brew cafe-worthy espresso, having an espresso machine of some kind will be helpful if you truly want to recreate a Starbucks latte. But if that isn't in the cards, try adding a few ounces of strong coffee brewed in a moka pot or French press instead. Play with the ratios until the coffee flavor comes through to your liking.
@aldiusa Guess I'm a proffee stan now (protein + coffee, duh). 🙄 #fallaesthetic #icedcoffee #protein #ALDI
Several people online compared the Ultra-Filtered Milkshake to Fairlife's Core Power line. So, if you're having trouble finding the Aldi drink (as some have reported), keep an eye out for Fairlife Core Power and try using that in your protein latte instead.