DIY Dining Hall: How to be a BU Barista
Looking to get creative with dining hall coffee? Here are some must-try recipes.
By: Sophia Keohane
I am a major coffee fan. In my first week at BU, I spent so much money on coffee that I had to wean myself off. There are plenty of good spots around campus for coffee, but sometimes, my wallet needs a bit of a break. I decided to remedy my coffee-spending habits by making some coffee from the comfort of the dining hall. Here are some recipes that you can make yourself – and some ways to avoid going broke from buying coffee.
Iced Caramel Coffee
My first concoction stems from my love of flavored iced lattes. Start by making the coffee portion separate so the sugar has time to dissolve and permeate within the coffee itself. Then, add a spoonful of sugar and two pumps of caramel syrup into a mug. Next, go to your Starbucks machine (shoutout to West Campus) and hit the light roast option. Once the coffee is in the mug, stir. Let this cool.
Grab a plastic cup and fill it with ice and a quarter of oat milk. Be sure to let your coffee portion cool significantly; otherwise, the ice will melt. Once it has cooled, pour the coffee over the ice, and voila! You’ve made yourself a caramel iced coffee.
Hot Hazelnut Coffee
If you’re more of a hot coffee person, then this one’s for you. Take a mug, go to your Starbucks machine, and select the Pike Place blend. Once your coffee has brewed, add hazelnut creamer, sugar, and one pump of vanilla syrup. This one is my personal favorite of the three options!
Iced Milk Tea
Not a coffee person? No problem! This recipe is courtesy of my friend Mark Castro (CAS ‘26), a former Starbucks barista. Grab a plastic cup and add some ice. Then, add two pumps of vanilla syrup. To finish it off, fill half the cup with the Starbucks black tea and fill the other half with your choice of milk.
Don’t knock any of these until you’ve tried them. And keep experimenting – you never know what killer recipes you might discover!