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    Masala & Chai » Recipes » Starbucks Dupes

    Published: Jul 30, 2022 by Shweta Garg · This post may contain affiliate links

    Cold Foam

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    Making the switch to DIYing your Starbucks coffee order at home to save some $$$? Here's a quick guide on how to make the Starbucks Cold Foam in just 2 minutes with 2 ingredients - perfect for any iced coffee or cold brew.

    two glasses of coffee with cold foam on top of one.

    I don't know about you, but I literally cannot have an iced coffee without cold foam anymore. It's an addiction at this point and my mornings are incomplete without it.

    Enter: the Starbucks Cold Foam! It was released nationwide in 2018 which arguably popularized cold foam in the United States in the recent years. It's spun off into creamy chilled foams as well, such as the Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Foam and it's popular seasonal version Pumpkin Cream Cold Foam.

    Cold Foam is made with just 2 ingredients - skim milk and vanilla syrup. You can add your preferred syrup here, a caramel or brown sugar syrup perhaps? This topping is generally low in calorie and makes a great addition to iced drinks.

    You'll be shocked by how easy it is to make at home. No need to pay for an upgrade at Starbucks! It takes, honestly, not even 2 minutes. You just need an electric frother, but I'll provide you with a few other options to make the foam without one.

    Jump to:
    • What is Cold Foam?
    • Ingredients - Notes and Substitutions
    • How to Make Starbucks Cold Foam
    • Tips and Tricks
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • More Starbucks Copycat Recipes
    • Recipe

    What is Cold Foam?

    Starbucks serves a luscious cold foam - a chilled foamy dairy-based topping layered on top of it's cold brews. It's made with a non-fat milk and vanilla syrup which is then whipped in special high speed blenders until creamy and frothy. The bit of cold brew and cold foam makes for the perfect sip with their strawless lids.

    If you've joined the trend of whipping milk until frothy for your coffee, you make a regular foam that is comparable to the steamed milk seen in hot drinks like lattes and cappuccinos. For cold drinks, the hot foam simply dissipates which is where the cold foam comes in.

    Cold Foam was released by Starbucks in 2014 at its Starbucks Reserve Roastery in Seattle. It has especially become popular for those who love to brew their own coffees at home.

    Something to note here is that cold foam is not the same as whipped cream. Cold Foam does not contain any cream, it's simply milk and a flavored sweetener like vanilla syrup. The Starbucks vanilla sweet cream is made to whip into a sweet cream cold foam similar to a homemade whipped cream.

    Ingredients - Notes and Substitutions

    Starbucks lists its ingredients for Cold Brew with Cold Foam as: Ice, Brewed Coffee, Cold Foam [Milk, Vanilla Syrup (Sugar, Water, Natural Flavors, Potassium Sorbate, Citric Acid)]. For this dupe, we use the exact same ingredients!

    Milk - Use the milk of your choice, whether it's plant based or not, but skim milk froths the absolute best. This is because it has a larger percentage of protein compared to other milks, so it has a sturdy structure that keeps it sitting at the top of your cold brew.

    I also tried Lactaid and whole milk and didn't get the same results as using a non-fat milk. The milk should be cold to start.

    Vanilla Syrup - Use any bottled brand of vanilla syrup, i.e. Starbucks, Torani, Monin, etc. It's also really easy to make vanilla syrup at home with vanilla extract, sugar, and water. For this recipe, mix 1 teaspoon of both sugar and hot water and a dash of high quality vanilla extract.

    Coffee - Of course, you'll also need your favorite coffee. I recommend using your favorite store-bought or homemade cold brew concentrate. The cold foam will work with any iced drink!

    How to Make Starbucks Cold Foam

    You won't believe how easy it is to make Cold Foam at home! It genuinely takes 2 ingredients and 2 minutes of your time. You won't be paying for those upgrades at Starbucks anymore.

    Process Collage with numbers and labels of making Starbucks Cold Foam in a Nespresso Aeroccino.

    Add the skim milk and vanilla syrup into a mason jar or frother. Turn on the frother, or insert an electric frother into the mason jar.

    Start with the frother at the base of the mason jar and moving in circular motions. As it starts to get thicker and double in volume, start to bring your frother closer and closer to the surface.

    Turn the frother off once the milk is thick, creamy, and frothy. Carefully remove it from the mason jar. The cold foam is ready to spoon or pour over any iced coffee or cold brew.

    Tips and Tricks

    You don't have to make Cold Foam with an electric frother. Here are some other methods:

    • Use a Nespresso Aeroccino. Press and hold the power button for 5 seconds. The button will be blue, indicating that it's on a cold foam setting.
    • Add the ingredients to a French Press. Pump the handle a few times and it'll froth the milk!
    • A blender, handheld mixer, or immersion blender will also work to froth the milk.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Can I add cream to the cold foam?

    Absolutely! Try out this Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Foam that's also a Starbucks Dupe.

    Can I use other sweeteners?

    You don't have to use vanilla syrup for cold foam. You can use any syrup you'd like, and even honey or maple!

    What's the best kind of coffee to use with cold foam?

    Always use a cold coffee with cold foam. I recommend cold brew or icing any freshly brewed coffee beforehand. It's also delicious with Chai Concentrate.

    My cold foam didn't get super frothy! What did I do wrong?

    I tried several different types of milk with cold foam, none of them compare to using skim milk! Skim milk has more protein and can therefore hold a bubbly structure better.

    two glasses of coffee with cold foam on top of both of them and the milk cascading down.

    More Starbucks Copycat Recipes

    • two irish coffee mugs with foamy chai tea lattes with whole cinnamon sticks and cardamom pods.
      Chai Latte (Starbucks Dupe)
    • a glass of chocolate cream cold brew on a wooden board with chocolate pieces
      Chocolate Cream Cold Brew (Starbucks Dupe)
    • a glass filled with cold brew and sweet cream cold foam cascading down the glass topped with cocoa powder
      Irish Cream Cold Brew (Starbucks Dupe)
    • sweet cream cold foam cold brew in a glass on a plate
      Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Foam

    I love seeing when you share my recipes! Tag me on Instagram @masalaandchai so I can enjoy them virtually with you! You can also find me on Pinterest, Facebook, Tik Tok, and YouTube.

    I'd love to know what you thought of this recipe! Don't forget to leave a comment and ⭐️ star rating below!

    Recipe

    two glasses of coffee with cold foam on top of one.

    Cold Foam

    Making the switch to DIYing your Starbucks coffee order at home to save some $$$? Here's a quick guide on how to make the Starbucks Cold Foam in just 2 minutes with 2 ingredients - perfect for any iced coffee or cold brew.
    5 from 4 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Drinks
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 1 minute
    Total Time: 1 minute
    Servings: 1 serving
    Calories: 50kcal
    Author: Shweta Garg

    Equipment

    • Electric Frother
    • Mason Jar
    • Tall Glasses

    Ingredients
      

    • ¼ cup skim milk
    • ½ tablespoon vanilla syrup
    • 8 oz cold brew
    • ice, as necessary

    Instructions

    • Add skim milk and vanilla syrup into a mason jar. Insert the electric frother into the mixture, close to the base of the mason jar.
    • Whisk the mixture for 1-2 minutes in circles. The milk will double in volume. Start to pull the frother towards the top of the froth. It'll be thick and creamy when done.
    • Pour the cold brew over ice in a tall glass. Spoon or pour the cold foam over the top.

    Notes

    You don't have to make Cold Foam with an electric frother. Here are some other methods:
    • Use a Nespresso Aeroccino. Press and hold the power button for 5 seconds. The button will be blue, indicating that it's on a cold foam setting.
    • Add the ingredients to a French Press. Pump the handle a few times and it'll froth the milk!
    • A blender, handheld mixer, or immersion blender will also work to froth the milk.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1serving | Calories: 50kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 0.1g | Saturated Fat: 0.03g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.04g | Cholesterol: 2mg | Sodium: 35mg | Potassium: 220mg | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 125IU | Calcium: 87mg | Iron: 0.4mg
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    ABOUT SHWETA

    Shweta at the Glenfinnan Viaduct in Scotland

    I’m Shweta, a self taught recipe developer and food photographer living in New York City. I’m a full time cloud consultant who also enjoys eating out at restaurants, discovering and supporting small business, and cozying up with a cup of chai.

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