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    Home » Recipes » Beverages

    Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Foam

    Published: Oct 3, 2022 · Modified: Apr 1, 2024 by Emily Laurae · This post may contain affiliate links.

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    Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Foam.
    Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Foam.
    Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Foam.

    Skip the coffee shop and save tons of money by learning How To Make Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Foam at home! This homemade copycat Starbucks cold foam recipe adds delightfully rich flavor and a dramatic ombré effect to any iced coffee or tea drink that you add it to. 

    Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Foam in a glass with ice.
    Jump to:
    • ⭐ Why You’ll Love This Recipe 
    • 🍴Ingredients
    • ⏲️ Substitutions & Variations
    • ⚒️ Equipment
    • 📖 Step by Step Instructions
    • 👩🏻‍🍳 Expert Tips
    • 💭 Recipe FAQs
    • More Coffee House Favorites 
    • Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Foam
    • Optional Variations
    • 💬 Comments

    ⭐ Why You’ll Love This Recipe 

    With inflation running rampant this year, I’ve dedicated myself to learning how to be my own barista to keep my budget in check. As it turns out, making coffee shop drinks at home (entirely from scratch!) is easier than you might think.

    Aside from knowing exactly what’s going into your caffeinated bliss (i.e. no more artificial ingredients, preservatives, or colors), there’s also no more absurd upcharges for wanting to use plant-based or organic milk — HOORAY!

    Once you make a batch of this sweet cream cold foam, you can easily make a copycat Starbucks vanilla sweet cream cold brew by adding a dollop to your favorite iced coffee drink, all for a fraction of the cost you’d pay in shop. 

    Aside from being rich, delicious, and a superbly convincing dupe for the coffee shop favorite, this vanilla sweet cream cold foam recipe is:

    • Budget-Friendly. Going to Starbucks and ordering a grande vanilla sweet cream cold brew will cost you just shy of $4 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 vanilla 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.
    • Made With Just 3 Ingredients, and they’re all easy to procure!

    🍴Ingredients

    As promised, this sweet cold foam recipe requires just 3 simple ingredients. Here’s what to grab at the grocery store:

    • Heavy Cream - Slightly lower fat whipping cream will also work. 
    • 2% Milk - Surprisingly, lower fat milks tend 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% cold milk! Feel free to swap in either non-fat, skim milk 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 and backs a ton of vanilla flavor and delightful sweetness. Feel free to swap in your favorite store-bought brand for convenience or add some vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste to your simple syrup to heighten the flavor of your vanilla cream. 
    Labeled ingredient shot with ingredients in small bowls for making sweet cream cold foam.
    Milk frother equipment on the countertop.

    ⏲️ Substitutions & Variations

    While this copycat Starbucks vanilla sweet cream cold foam is delightful and delicious, there’s plenty more flavors and customizations to explore. Here are a few of my favorite variations:

    • Swap in a different flavor syrup. Vanilla is great and all, but you can also make cinnamon, lavender, honey, brown sugar, turbinado syrup, or dang near any other flavor sweet cream you can think of! Or add a few homemade coffee ice cubes for some extra caffeine!
    • 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 like a caramel macchiato for fun temperature contrasts.

    ⚒️ Equipment

    While some coffee shop-style drinks require a bit more barista gear, I’m happy to report that this sweet cream foam isn’t one of them. All you’ll need to grab is:

    • Mason Jar - Or any other lidded airtight container or large jar for keeping your unfrothed vanilla sweet cream in the fridge.
    • Milk Frother - I love my little $10 handheld frother because it does the job of blending 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 like an electric milk frother in the kitchen, try using an immersion blender instead - or shake the ingredients in a small jar!

    📖 Step by Step Instructions

    Once you learn how to make Starbucks cold foam at home, you’ll never want to go back to paying for it! Here’s how it’s done:

    Step 1: Make Vanilla Sweet Cream. Add ingredients into a jar and stir to combine. Store in the fridge until you are ready to froth. 

    Cold foam in a small container.

    Step 2: Make Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Foam. Add about 3 tablespoons* of the sweet cream mixture into a glass or pitcher with tall sides. Using a handheld milk 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. 

    Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Foam in a glass with ice.

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

    👩🏻‍🍳 Expert Tips

    • Make the vanilla sweet cream mixture ahead to save time in the morning. All you’ll need to do is froth it!
    • Pour the cold foam on top of your iced drink for the prettiest presentation.
    • Make a big batch of your own homemade simple syrup or your own homemade vanilla syrup to add to all kinds of morning coffee beverages.
    Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Foam in a glass with ice.

    💭 Recipe FAQs

    Is sweet cream and sweet cream cold foam the same?

    Nope, but they’re similar! Vanilla sweet cream is simply the cream, milk, and vanilla mixture before frothing. You’re welcome to add that to your coffee drinks as is; it’ll be super tasty, but won’t sit atop the beverage. To turn it into vanilla sweet cream foam, simply froth it until pillowy and luscious.

    What is the difference between cold foam and vanilla sweet cream?

    If you were to order from Starbucks, plain cold foam is made from frothing just 2% milk until it turns into a milk moustache-worthy consistency. The Starbucks vanilla sweet cream recipe calls for milk, cream, and vanilla syrup. Take it a step further and whip the vanilla sweet cream to make a flavored, sweetened cold foam. 

    What is sweet cream cold foam for?

    Unlike hot steamed milk foam, cold foam won’t “melt” quite as readily, meaning it’ll stay foamed 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.

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    If you try this recipe for Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Foam, please leave a 🌟 review and 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! 📧 

    Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Foam.

    Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Foam

    Skip the coffee shop and save tons of money by learning How To Make Sweet Cream Cold Foam at home! This homemade copycat Starbucks cold foam recipe adds delightfully rich flavor and a dramatic ombré effect to any iced coffee or tea drink that you add it to.
    5 from 3 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate Recipe
    Course: Beverages
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 5 minutes minutes
    Servings: 12
    Calories: 94kcal
    Author: Emily Laurae

    Equipment

    • Large Container
    • Mason Jar
    • Milk frother
    • Reusable Straws

    Ingredients

    • Cold Brew

    Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Foam

    • 1 cup Heavy Cream
    • ½ cup 2% Milk
    • ¼ cup Vanilla Syrup

    Instructions

    • Add the heavy cream, milk and vanilla syrup in a container and stir to combine.
      1 cup Heavy Cream, ½ cup 2% Milk, ¼ cup Vanilla Syrup
    • To make the cold foam, add the vanilla sweet cream 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.
    • Add vanilla sweet cream cold foam on top of cold brew coffee with ice.
      Cold Brew

    Notes

    Optional Variations

    The best part about making your own vanilla sweet cream is you can make it exactly to spec without paying any extra surcharges. How great is that?!? Here are a few ways to customize this Starbucks copycat recipe to your needs:
    • Swap in an Iced Americano for the cold brew coffee.
    • Make it decaf by using decaffeinated coffee beans. OR, if you’re super sensitive to caffeine, make it completely caffeine free by using roasted chicory in place of coffee.
    • Use a different flavor syrup to flavor your sweet cream. Feel free to get whimsical with it! 
    • Make it vegan by swapping in coconut cream and the non-dairy milk of your choice.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 94kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 23mg | Sodium: 16mg | Potassium: 41mg | Fiber: 0.1g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 315IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 25mg | Iron: 0.3mg
    Enjoyed this recipe?Mention @emilylaurae or tag #emilylaurae!

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    About Emily Laurae

    Emily is the recipe developer, writer, and food photographer behind Emily Laurae. After finishing Pastry School and working as a chef in the restaurant industry, she created this blog to share those skills with home bakers and creators all over the world!

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