Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew

Stop wasting your hard-earned money and make my copycat Starbucks Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew recipe at home! You only need 4 ingredients and about 5 minutes worth of active time in the kitchen to make this barista-level cold brew with sweet cream — no special equipment required!

⭐ Why You’ll Love This Recipe 

Despite cooler weather rolling in, I’m still on Team Iced Coffee for the time being, and this whole cold brew craze still has me solidly in its clutches.

That said, I’m just not always spending $5+ on a single dose of caffeine. Luckily, I’ve discovered the secret to making the most delightful, fancy coffee shop equivalent of the much-beloved Starbucks creation right from my kitchen.

Before you go running for the hills screaming, “But, Emily! I’m not a trained barista and I don’t have ANY fancy coffee equipment,” take a deep breath. This super simple vanilla sweet cream cold brew coffee recipe is:

• Made Without Any Fancy Equipment. Seriously. 
• Quick & Easy. Even if you go completely from scratch and make your own vanilla syrup, homemade vanilla sweet cream, and cold brew, the max amount of active time you’ll spend in the kitchen is just 10 minutes. That’s shorter than most of the Starbucks lines I’ve ever seen!
• Made With Just 5 Total Ingredients. Coffee beans, heavy cream, 2% milk, a vanilla pod, and sugar. Oh, and filtered water, so 6 ingredients if you’re really counting!

Interested in more coffee recipes? Try these favorites, like this Pumpkin Sweet Cream Cold Brew, Iced Honey Lavender Latte, and a Rose Milk & Vanilla Chai Latte!

🍴Ingredients

Making your own Starbucks sweet vanilla cream cold brew at home is much simpler than you might think. The following ingredients is everything you’ll need:

• Vanilla Sweet Cream - Made with equal parts of just heavy cream, 2% milk, and vanilla syrup, there’s no reason to spend $5+ on a single cup. You can make a huge batch of sweet cream that’ll last you the entire week for that much! Oh, and in case you’re dairy-free, I’ve included the instructions on the original post, with no arbitrary upcharges.
• Cold Brew Coffee - All you need are your favorite beans and some filtered water to make your very own cold brew coffee.

Interested in making your own vanilla bean simple syrup? Head on over to my recipe page for Vanilla Simple Syrup which you can also use to make a vanilla sweet cream cold foam recipe as well!

🛠️ Equipment

Making your own Starbucks vanilla cream cold brew iced coffee drink doesn’t have to be a big process. Here’s every piece of equipment you’ll need:

• Large Container - For brewing your cold brew. Repurpose a pitcher, use a large saucepan, or grab a giant mason jar. You can also use a specially made cold brew maker or French press if you prefer.
• Mason Jar - For storing your vanilla sweet cream. Bonus points if you add a top with a flippable lid for easy measuring.
• Milk Frother - This is totally optional since you can use a blender, immersion blender, or mason jar with a lid to froth the cold foam, but my $10 handheld milk frother is quickly becoming one of my favorite appliances.
• Glass & Reusable Drinking Straw - To serve your fancy coffee shop beverage in without adding to any landfills. DIY FTW!