What Is Blonde Espresso? How It Tastes and How to Make It
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Order a latte in many coffee shops and you may be asked a new question: regular or blonde? So what is blonde espresso? It is espresso made from beans roasted lighter than a traditional espresso roast. The shorter roast keeps more of the coffee’s natural sweetness and acidity and creates fewer smoky, bitter roast flavors, so the shot tastes softer, brighter and often a little citrusy or caramel-like. There is no secret ingredient and no added flavor: just a different roast level.
Below: where the term comes from, how blonde espresso tastes next to a dark espresso, the truth about its caffeine, and how to brew it well at home, because lighter roasts behave differently in an espresso machine.
Key takeaways
- Blonde espresso is a lighter-roasted espresso, not a different bean or a flavored coffee.
- It tastes sweeter, brighter and less bitter, with a lighter body than a classic dark espresso.
- The caffeine difference is small. Starbucks says its Blonde Espresso has 10 mg more caffeine per shot than its Signature Espresso.
- Lighter roasts need a finer grind, hotter water or a slightly longer shot to taste their best.
In this article
- What is blonde espresso?
- Where the name comes from
- How blonde espresso tastes
- Does blonde espresso have more caffeine?
- How to make blonde espresso at home
- FAQ
What is blonde espresso, exactly?
Roasting turns green coffee into the brown beans you grind. The longer and hotter the roast, the more the bean’s original acids and sugars are transformed into roasty, smoky and bitter compounds. Traditional espresso roasts sit at the darker end, which gives the classic heavy body and bittersweet chocolate profile.
A blonde roast is pulled from the roaster earlier. The beans are lighter in color and denser, and the cup keeps more of the origin character. In espresso form, that means:
- More sweetness and acidity: caramel, honey, citrus and stone fruit come forward.
- Less roast bitterness: fewer smoky, burnt or ashy notes.
- Lighter body: the shot feels smoother and less syrupy.
“Blonde” is a marketing word rather than a technical roast grade. In practice, blonde espresso covers light and light-medium roasts designed to taste good as espresso. Our guide to light vs medium vs dark roast explains the roast levels in more detail.
Where the name comes from
The term went mainstream thanks to Starbucks. The chain first introduced its Blonde Espresso in Canada and tested it in Austin and Tampa before launching it in all US stores on 9 January 2018. It was the first time customers there could choose which espresso went into their drink. Starbucks described the blend as Latin American beans with a crisp, citrus flavor and creamy texture, and pitched it as a gateway espresso for people who found regular espresso too strong and bold.
Since then, the word has spread: many roasters and cafés now sell their own blonde or light espresso roasts.
How blonde espresso tastes vs regular espresso
| Blonde espresso | Classic dark espresso | |
|---|---|---|
| Roast level | Light to light-medium | Medium-dark to dark |
| Main flavors | Caramel, citrus, honey, fruit | Dark chocolate, roast, smoke |
| Bitterness | Low | Medium to high |
| Acidity | Medium to bright | Low |
| Body | Lighter, smooth | Heavy, syrupy |
| In milk drinks | Sweet, mellow, almost dessert-like | Cuts through milk with a strong coffee taste |
| Best for | Lattes, iced drinks, flat whites, people new to espresso | Cappuccinos, macchiatos, people who like bold coffee |
One practical observation: because blonde espresso is less intense, it can get lost in a very large latte. If your blonde latte tastes like warm milk, add a second shot or choose a smaller cup. If you are unsure how many shots your drink should have, see how many espresso shots are in a latte.
Does blonde espresso have more caffeine?
A little, sometimes, but much less than people think. Starbucks states that its Blonde Espresso contains 10 mg more caffeine per shot than its Signature Espresso. Roasting does not destroy much caffeine; the differences come mostly from how coffee is measured. Lighter beans are denser, so a scoop by volume can hold slightly more coffee by weight. Measure by weight with a scale and the gap mostly disappears. Our article on the dark roast caffeine myth explains the science.
The bean species matters far more than the roast: Robusta has much more caffeine than Arabica, so a dark blend with Robusta can easily out-caffeinate a blonde roast.
How to make blonde espresso at home
Light roasts are denser and harder to extract than dark roasts. If you use your dark-roast settings, blonde shots often taste sour and thin. Adjust like this:
| Setting | Typical dark roast | Blonde roast starting point |
|---|---|---|
| Dose (double shot) | 18 g | 18 g |
| Yield (ratio) | about 36 g (1:2) | 40–45 g (1:2.2–1:2.5) |
| Shot time | 25–30 s | 27–35 s |
| Water temperature | 195–200°F (90–93°C) | 200–205°F (93–96°C) |
| Grind | Fine | A step or two finer |
Taste and adjust
- Sour, sharp, thin: under-extracted. Grind finer, raise the temperature or pull a slightly longer shot.
- Bitter, dry, hollow: over-extracted. Grind a little coarser or stop the shot sooner.
- Sweet, juicy, balanced: leave the settings alone.
Our guide to why espresso tastes sour has a full troubleshooting flow, and it applies doubly to light roasts.
No espresso machine?
A moka pot or AeroPress with a blonde roast makes a soft, sweet concentrate that works well in milk drinks. It will not be true espresso, but it captures the same flavor direction.
Try a blonde roast at home
Feel Espresso’s Blonde is a light, sweet blend of coffees from Central America and Africa, made for sweet, smooth espresso and bright filter coffee, with caramel sweetness, a light body and a bright finish. If you like a light-medium cup with a little more body, Gourmet Donut Shop brings cocoa, caramel and toffee notes. And if you want to compare, pull a shot of our dark 6 Bean Blend next to it: tasting the two side by side is the fastest way to learn what roast level you prefer. Every bag is roasted 1–5 days before delivery.
Blonde espresso FAQ
Is blonde espresso stronger than regular espresso?
Not in flavor: it tastes milder and less bitter. In caffeine, the difference is small. Starbucks reports 10 mg more per shot for its Blonde Espresso than for its Signature Espresso.
Is blonde espresso sweeter?
It tastes sweeter because it has less roast bitterness and more of the coffee’s natural caramel and fruit notes. It contains no added sugar.
Is blonde espresso the same as light roast?
Essentially yes. Blonde is a marketing name for a light or light-medium roast designed for espresso.
Is blonde espresso less acidic?
Usually not. Lighter roasts keep more of the coffee’s acidity, so blonde espresso often tastes brighter than a dark roast. If you want low acidity, a darker roast is a better choice.
What drinks are best with blonde espresso?
Lattes, flat whites, iced lattes and shaken espresso drinks, where its sweetness shines. Try it in our brown sugar shaken espresso.
Sources
- Starbucks espresso goes blonde to lure in new coffee drinkers, CNBC, January 2018.
Facts checked in October 2026.
Keep reading: Light vs medium vs dark roast · How to make espresso at home · Our blends