Not a traditional espresso macchiato
In Italy, a macchiato is a shot of espresso marked with a small amount of milk foam. The Starbucks Caramel Macchiato is a different drink: vanilla syrup and steamed milk are combined first, then espresso shots are poured through the milk and finished with caramel drizzle. The name refers to the espresso marking the milk, but the construction is closer to a flavoured latte.
The published caffeine is 75 mg in a Short or Tall and 150 mg in a Grande or Venti. That matches a regular Starbucks Caffè Latte of the same size because the espresso shot count is the same. The vanilla and caramel add sweetness but no caffeine.
Watch the late-day Venti
A Venti Caramel Macchiato at 150 mg is the same caffeine as a Grande, not double. Starbucks uses two espresso shots for both Grande and Venti hot sizes in this drink, with the extra volume made up by milk. If you are trying to stay under a 400 mg daily total, a Grande or Venti is still a significant single drink, but it is below the 200 mg that EFSA assessed as a safe single dose for healthy adults. EFSA also notes that 100 mg close to bedtime can disturb sleep in some adults.
Ordering and customisation do not change the espresso count
Asking for extra caramel drizzle, non-dairy milk or less syrup changes the flavour profile but not the caffeine number, because the caffeine is in the espresso shots. The only way the caffeine increases is to add an extra shot, which Starbucks lists at 75 mg. Iced Caramel Macchiato matches the hot version at Tall and Grande, 75 and 150 mg, but its Venti is a bigger 24 oz cup with a third shot, 225 mg, not 150 mg.
Source
The caffeine by size is taken from the Starbucks published nutrition page for Caramel Macchiato, checked 19 September 2026.