Skip the daily coffee run and make your own cold foam at home in just 2 minutes! This is the easiest copycat recipe for the Starbucks Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Foam! The cold foam uses only 3 ingredients to make a perfect sweet whipped topping for cold brew and iced coffees.
My absolute favorite drink from Starbucks is their cold brew with vanilla sweet cream swirled in. I initially ordered it by accident on a 10 hour road trip with my parents. And boy, did I regret it as someone who's lactose intolerant. Yikes. But it was SO good.
Vanilla sweet cream cold foam is a whipped, pourable topping made by aerating a blend of milk, cream, and vanilla syrup until light and frothy. It was made famous by Starbucks but is super easy to replicate at home using just a few ingredients and no fancy equipment. It gives your favorite cold coffee drinks a creamy finish without needing whipped cream or heavy syrups.
It's much tastier than any store-bought creamer. I've seen a ton of amazing hacks, too! Some people whipped the cold foam by shaking the mixture in a protein blender bottle, or even a french press.
So if you love the Starbucks Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew, you're going to love being able to replicate this at home. Add it to drinks like an Irish Cream Cold Brew!
Jump to:
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. The bit of cold brew and cold foam makes for the perfect sip with their strawless lids.
If you have an aeroccino from Nespresso, you make a regular foam that is frequently seen in hot drinks like lattes and cappuccinos. For cold drinks, the hot foam simply dissipates which is where the cold foam comes in.
It was popularized by Starbucks in the United States in the recent years and has especially become popular for those who love to brew their own coffees at home. There's also a vanilla sweet cream and then the vanilla sweet cream cold foam to choose from.
| Feature | Cold Foam | Vanilla Sweet Cream | Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Foam |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base Ingredients | Nonfat milk (or low-fat milk) | Heavy cream + milk + vanilla syrup | Heavy cream + milk + vanilla syrup |
| Sweetened? | No (usually unsweetened) | Yes (vanilla syrup) | Yes (vanilla syrup) |
| Texture | Light and airy, like microfoam | Creamy, pourable like half-and-half | Thick, creamy, pourable foam |
| How It’s Used | Floated on top of cold coffee | Stirred into cold brew or iced drinks | Floated on top of cold coffee or tea |
| Frothing Required? | Yes | No | Yes |
| Dairy Content | Low-fat | High (cream-heavy) | High (cream-heavy) |
| Common at Starbucks? | Yes – used in drinks like Cold Foam Cascara | Yes – used in Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew | Yes – signature topping on cold brews |
| Best For | Light foam layer with no added sweetness | Creamy, sweet flavor blended into drinks | Dessert-like topping with sweet vanilla flavor |
Ingredients - Notes and Substitutions
Sweet Cream Cold Foam is a total of three ingredients.
- 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. Mix equal amounts of sugar and water (for this recipe, you only need 70ml of vanilla syrup) and about a teaspoon of high quality vanilla extract.
- Heavy Cream - Use heavy whipping cream or half and half, but heavy whipping cream will whip up the best.
- Milk - Use the milk of your choice, whether it's plant based or not, but 2% milk is the go-to.
Optional Add ins:
- A pinch of salt (to enhance flavor)
- Splash of simple syrup or maple syrup (for a different sweetener)
- Few drops of vanilla bean paste (for a stronger vanilla flavor)
Recommended Kitchen Items
Buy Now → 
Buy Now → How to make Starbucks Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Foam
I use the exact same ingredients and measurements as Starbucks for my dupe.
There are so many vessels to make cold foam in! An electric milk frother, electric handheld mixer, a simple whisk, a blender, immersion blender, a jar, etc.
- Simply pour the 2% milk, vanilla syrup, and heavy cream into a large jar or bowl.
- Blend it until it thickens but not to the point where it starts to form soft peaks. The texture should be cloudy, foamy, and smooth - just a bit thicker than melted ice cream.
Tips and Tricks
- If you're using a whisk, I like to whip the heavy cream first until it gets thick, and then slowly add the milk and vanilla syrup as I continue to whip. Otherwise, I find that the cream sits on the top while the milk sits at the bottom.
- For troubleshooting - If the cold foam isn't whipping, it's either because the whipped cream isn't cold enough or the cream has separated and is chunky at the bottom. Ensure the whipped cream hasn't separated before use or use more whipped cream.
- If it gets too thick, add a bit of milk to thin it out. If it's not thick enough, use more heavy cream. Don’t over-froth—it should be thick and pourable, not stiff like whipped cream
Serving and Storing
Use about ¼ - ½ cup of sweet cream cold foam per iced coffee for the perfect ratio. Pour it directly over cold coffee and if it's been thickened enough, it'll sit on the top. If not, continue to whip or add more cold heavy cream. I like to give it a stir so it mixes into the coffee, but a lot of the foam will still sit at the top.
To store it, keep a jar with the heavy cream, milk, and vanilla syrup in the fridge for up to a week. When ready to use, shake the jar first then pour out the desired amount into another cup or jar, and whisk until it thickens. Do not store already-frothed cold foam—it loses its texture quickly.
Which Coffee to use
Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Foam is best with cold brews, but it is an amazing addition to any iced coffee. I highly recommend it with an iced chai latte, which you can easily make at home using my Chai Concentrate and 2% milk.
If you love Sweet Cream Cold Foam, try the fall version - Pumpkin Cream Cold Foam!
More Starbucks Dupes to try
Recipe
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Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Foam
Equipment
Ingredients
- 200 ml heavy cream
- 120 ml 2% milk
- 70 ml vanilla syrup
Instructions
- Pour the heavy cream, 2% milk, and vanilla syrup into a large mason jar and stir to combine. This is vanilla sweet cream and can be added directly to drinks. Store it in the refrigerator.
To make Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Foam -
- Transfer ¼ - ½ cup of the vanilla sweet cream to a cup or jar. Using an electric whisk, high speed blender, frother, Aeroccino, etc - beat the mixture on medium speed for 1-2 minutes until it froths, and then another minute until it thickens into a foam. Don't overbeat the foam to peaks.
- Pour the cold foam on top of iced coffee.
Notes
- If the cold foam isn't whipping, it's either because the heavy cream isn't cold enough or the cream has separated and is chunky at the bottom. Ensure the heavy cream hasn't separated before use. Add one tablespoon of heavy cream more at a time if the mixture isn't thickening into a cold foam.
Jesse says
I ran out of the chobani cold foam that I normally use and decided to just try to make my own today. My husband was over the moon rattling on and on about how his coffee today was so much tastier than normal. I guess this is a winner!
Shweta Garg says
Lol I love this! It tastes so much better at home for some reason
Debbie says
Thank you for this recipe. I can now made my own and stop spending so much money at Starbucks . ❤️
Cortney Bailey says
Thank you! I bought a nespresoo so I can stop spending money at starbucks but it just wasn't enough without the cold foam recipe😋 Now I'm saving money!
Shweta Garg says
Love that for you!! I also really love the Starbucks Nespresso pods - tastes just like the real stuff with the cold foam 🙂
Sally Hulse says
Thank-you for bringing this into my life 🥰🥰🥰🥰
Shweta Garg says
I'm so happy I could 🙂
Tiffany says
Easy cold foam recipe with great tips and tricks! Saved me from
buying fancy vanilla syrup and made my own which was also easy and saved $$$!!!
Shweta says
I refuse to buy vanilla syrup too! We love saving money with an easy recipe 🙂
CS says
I think I made cheese.
Shweta says
Give me more details! Did you overwhip (I think this is more likely)? Or your ingredients were expired!