Pumpkin Sweet Cream Cold Foam

Name: Pumpkin Sweet Cream Cold Foam
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Ingredients: Cold Brew (or Tea); 1 cup Heavy Cream; 1/2 cup 2% Milk; 1/4 cup Vanilla Syrup; 1/4 cup Pumpkin Puree; 1 teaspoon Pumpkin Spice

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Welcome pumpkin spice season in style with this delightful Starbucks copycat recipe for Pumpkin Sweet Cream Cold Foam! Made with just 5 ingredients in 5 minutes, this is the tastiest seasonal topper around.

Pumpkin Sweet Cream Cold Foam in a glass with iced tea.

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About This Recipe
Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew Ingredients & Substitutions
Equipment
How To Make Pumpkin Sweet Cream Cold Foam
Optional Variations
Expert Tips
Frequently Asked Questions
More Coffee Shop Recipes
Pumpkin Sweet Cream Cold Foam
Optional Variations

About This Recipe

Starbucks pumpkin cream cold brew is the newest coffee craze taking the internet by storm, and with good reason: it’s pumpkin spice season! Since it’s still pretty warm here down in SoCal, I’m happily slurping iced coffee every morning and see no end in sight. (Apparently, I’m not alone.)

If you’re looking for a quick and easy way to gussy up your morning cup of chilly caffeine, I’ve got just the solution: homemade pumpkin sweet cream cold foam! Made with just 5 ingredients and no more intensive prep than whisking everything together, this creamy, dreamy, extra flavorful layer of sweet pumpkin spice goodness is utterly crave-worthy.

Aside from being delicious, my pumpkin cream cold brew recipe is:

Budget-Friendly. Going to Starbucks and ordering a venti pumpkin cream cold brew will cost you just over of $5 before tax and tip. Making it at home costs just over a dollar per serving. Put the tip you would’ve paid in your piggy bank because you earned it!
Quick & Easy. Stir together the pumpkin sweet cream ingredients and keep it in the fridge for when a coffee craving strikes. To turn it into cold foam, simply froth it up with your hand frother and add to your iced beverage. All in, you won’t spend more than about 3 minutes of active time to make this Starbucks favorite at home.
A Convincing Dupe For Starbucks or Dunkin Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew. Seriously. Give it a sip and try to convince me it doesn’t taste the same. I dare you!
Easy To Make All Year Round. Stop letting Starbucks put the kibosh on your PSL love affair! If you say pumpkin spice season goes until April instead of ending in November, all the power to you.

Adding pumpkin cold brew to iced pumpkin spice tea.

Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew Ingredients & Substitutions

As promised, you don’t need anything crazy to make pumpkin sweet cream cold brew right from your very own kitchen. Here’s what to grab:

Heavy Cream - Slightly lower fat whipping cream will also work.
2% Milk - Surprisingly, lower fat milk tends to make better cold foam. In fact, if you order a plain cold foam-topped drink from Starbucks, it’s typically made from only 2%! Feel free to swap in either non-fat or whole milk depending on what you have on hand.
Vanilla Syrup - I prefer using my homemade vanilla syrup because it is made with just sugar, water, and vanilla. Feel free to swap in your favorite store-bought brand for convenience.
Pumpkin Spice - You can’t have pumpkin spice without the homonymous spice blend! Feel free to mix up your own using cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and allspice if needed.
Canned Pumpkin Purée - Make sure you’re grabbing 100% pure pumpkin here and NOT canned pumpkin pie filling. You’re also welcome to use homemade pumpkin purée!
Cold Brew or Iced Tea - Ok, technically this is a 6th ingredient, but it’s just here to remind you what you’re making the pumpkin cold foam for — pumpkin cream cold brew!

Ingredients needed to make pumpkin cold foam.

Equipment

The best part about this homemade pumpkin cream cold brew recipe is that you don’t need any crazy barista equipment to make it happen. Here’s what to grab:

Mason Jar - Or any other lidded container for keeping your unfrothed vanilla sweet cream in the fridge.
Milk Frother - I love my little $10 handheld milk frother because it does the job without taking up precious counter space in my apartment kitchen. If you’re ready for a splurge, you can also purchase a countertop milk frother that’ll make both hot or cold foam at the touch of a button for about $40. If you don’t want a unitasker in the kitchen, try using an immersion blender instead.

How To Make Pumpkin Sweet Cream Cold Foam

Learning how to make pumpkin cream cold brew is simpler than you might expect. Here’s how it’s done:

Step 1: Make Pumpkin Sweet Cream. Add ingredients into a jar and whisk to combine. Store in the fridge until you are ready to froth. It will keep in the fridge for up to a week!

Step 2: Make Pumpkin Sweet Cream Cold Foam. Add about 3 tablespoons* of the pumpkin sweet cream mixture into a glass or pitcher with tall sides. Using a frother, froth ingredients together until thick and foamed, about one minute making sure to move the frother to the bottom, top and sides of the vessel.

*Note: You can add more or less sweet cream according to your taste preferences and how many drinks you’re making!

Step 3: Add To Iced Coffee. Top your cold brew, iced americano, iced coffee, or even iced tea with a generous dollop of the pumpkin cold foam. Just like at Starbucks, most of the froth will float on top, but some of the sweet pumpkin cream will leech into your coffee for a beautiful, streaky, ombré look.

Ingredients needed to make pumpkin cold foam in a small bowl.

Using an electric frother to make pumpkin cold foam.

Optional Variations

While I love this DIY pumpkin cream cold brew just the way it is, there’s always plenty of room for customization. Here are a few variations to consider:

Swap in a different flavor syrup. Vanilla is great and all, but pumpkin also plays well with cinnamon, honey, brown sugar, or any other warming syrup you can think of!
Make it vegan by swapping in canned coconut cream (NOT sweetened cream of coconut) and your favorite plant-based milk.
Put it on a hot drink for fun temperature contrasts.
Put it on iced tea for a lower octane refresher. Black tea is always a great choice, but rooibos is an excellent option for herbal tea lovers.

Expert Tips

Make the pumpkin sweet cream mixture ahead to save time in the morning. All you’ll need to do is froth it!
Shake the mason jar of pumpkin sweet cream before pouring out the amount you’re frothing to make sure you get all the pumpkin-y goodness in every drink.
Pour the cold foam on top of your iced drink for the prettiest presentation rather than pouring the tea or coffee over it. Bonus points if you sprinkle a little extra pumpkin spice on top!

Pumpkin Sweet Cream Cold Foam in a glass with ice.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make a sugar-free pumpkin cream cold brew?

Absolutely! Simply make your simple syrup with a sugar alternative like monkfruit or stevia instead.

What is pumpkin sweet cream cold foam for?

Why, for making all your pumpkin spice dreams come true, of course! Unlike hot steamed milk foam, cold foam won’t “melt” quite as readily, meaning it’ll stay perky atop your cup of cold java for a longer period of time. Not only does it make for an aesthetically pleasing coffee drink, it also wins major texture points by adding a lovely mouthfeel.

More Coffee Shop Recipes

As always, I love seeing your creations and hearing from you! If you try this recipe for my Starbucks copycat Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew, please share your creation with me on social media! You can find me on Instagram, Facebook, Youtube and Pinterest - for more delicious recipes sent straight to your inbox, sign up for my newsletter!