Sweet Cream Cold Foam (Starbucks)

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Sweet Cream Cold Foam is just what you need to take your morning coffee to the next level! A fluffy vanilla cream cloud sits right on top of your coffee drink, to sweeten it from top to bottom, giving you fabulous flavor from the first sip to your last. 

sweet cream cold foam in glass of coffee

We all know that it’s cheaper and healthier to make coffee at home, but Starbucks® just does it so perfectly! And we always say, if we could make coffee as good as Starbucks, then we’d make it at home every day.

Well, now we’re out of excuses, because this scrumptiously sweet vanilla sweet cream cold foam is just like what you get on top of your favorite cold brew. Once you try it, you’ll never want to go without it again. Good thing it’s so quick and easy to make!

ingredients for starbucks sweet cream cold foam

Sweet Cream Cold Foam

Starbucks sweet cream cold foam is an airy and delicate combination of sweet vanilla syrup, 2% milk, and thick heavy cream.

Frothed up and dolloped on top of your favorite iced coffee, its sweetness waterfalls down into your drink while you get a tiny taste of the foam with every sip. It’s almost better than the drink itself! Or try my peppermint mocha copycat that is perfect for the holidays.

Some other coffee toppings that I just adore are my homemade chocolate syrup, orange amaretto syrup, and caramel sauce. You can even add these to the foam for a whole new flavor!

pouring heavy cream into glass

Recipe Ingredients

  • Heavy Cream – Heavy cream is heavy in fat, I know, but that’s what the store uses! You can try evaporated milk instead, or a mix of milk and cornstarch.
  • 2% Milk – The original recipe uses nonfat milk, but I prefer 2% for just a touch of extra creaminess. Whole milk works, too! So you can really use any kind you like.
  • Vanilla Syrup – If you have a favorite brand, then go with that! But nothing quite beats making your own at home.

    I recommend trying out an easy homemade simple syrup with just a hint of vanilla extract.!

    If you’re feeling creative, you can use another flavored syrup instead! Chocolate, caramel, strawberry — any flavor will do!

    You can even leave out the syrup entirely for an unsweetened foam.
  • Iced Coffee or Cold Brew – Any cold black coffee drink is perfect for serving with a spoonful of light and fluffy foam! 
glass filled with milk, heavy cream and vanilla syrup

How to Make Sweet Cream Cold Foam

  1. Chill the ingredients. First, be sure your ingredients are completely chilled. If the vanilla cream is warm, it will be difficult to whip.

    Plus, your foam will flatten much more quickly, so cold ingredients are a must!
  2. Whip the foam. For blending, I recommend using a milk frother. A regular blender isn’t going to do the job at all, and you’ll just end up with a thick flavored cream.

    You could try hand mixing, an immersion blender, a food processor, or whatever other fancy appliance you have sitting around your kitchen, but a frother is really the fastest and most effective. 
using a milk frother to mix ingredients

Storing and Best Practices

This isn’t really a prep-ahead-the-week-before kind of deal. You ideally want to use your foam within 24 hours of making it.

It’s incredibly quick and easy to make, so there’s really no reason to make it days ahead of time!

As for storing, you always want to use an airtight container. Something with a wide opening, like a mason jar, is best so that you can dip your spoon into it without making a mess and flattening the foam.

bowl of sweet cream cold foam with close up of spoonful

Sweet Cream Cold Foam FAQ

What does Starbucks sweet cream cold foam taste like?

A fluffy vanilla cloud! It’s super light and airy. It’s not too sweet, so you can still taste the vanilla flavor.

It’s the best topping when you don’t want a super sugary coffee, but you do want a hint of creaminess.

You’re probably most used to having foam on a vanilla or chocolate cream cold brew, but I think it’s tasty on hot coffee, too!

Is sweet cream the same as sweet cold foam?

So, sweet cream and sweet cold foam are a little different. They’re pretty similar in their ingredients and flavor, but they actually serve different purposes!

Sweet cream is thicker, still a liquid, and mixed right into your drink. The foam, however, sits on top like a yummy, fluffy hat. You get a little taste of it with each sip. Delicious!

close up of sweet cream cold foam in glasses

Enjoy!

With love, from our simple kitchen to yours. 

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vanilla sweet cream cold foam close up on spoon

Other Easy Drink Recipes

vanilla sweet cream cold foam on spoon

Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Foam (Starbucks)

Donna Elick
Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Foam adds joy to your iced coffee. This copycat Starbucks® sweet cream cold foam recipe makes coffee perfection!
5 stars from 2 reviews
Tried this recipe?Please comment and review!
Prep Time 5 mins
Total Time 5 mins
Course Drink
Cuisine American
Method Mixed
Servings 4 makes 2 cups

Equipment

Ingredients
 

  • 1/4 cup heavy cream
  • 1/2 cup 2% milk
  • 2 tablespoons vanilla syrup
  • Iced coffee

Instructions
 

  • Place heavy cream, milk, and vanilla syrup into a tall carafe with a wide opening.
  • Stir mixture together.
  • With an electric milk frother, froth the mixture using an up and down motion until the liquid doubles in volume (at least) and is foamy throughout.
  • Spoon or pour the foam over your favorite iced coffee.

Donna’s Notes

Refrigerate in an airtight container and use within 24 hours.
Using a lower fat milk is consistent with Starbucks (they use nonfat milk), but I had equal success using 2% and even whole milk.
Making sweet cream cold foam at home can be challenging. I have experimented with aerating the mixture using a blender, food processor, immersion blender, French press, hand (manual) frothing whisk and a nitrous oxide whipped cream dispenser. The electric milk frother is fast and the most effective. Using a French press and a nitrous oxide whipped cream dispenser are also workable. Whisking by hand can be effective but is labor intensive. Using blender type appliances does not produce a foam.
All ingredients should be as cold as possible for the best success.
This is a sweetened cold foam and is delicious stirred into a black coffee drink or added to any of your favorite iced beverages.
You can substitute the vanilla syrup for other flavored syrups, or omit the syrup for an unsweetened cold foam.
Use store bought vanilla syrup or make your own by adding vanilla extract to homemade simple syrup.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 | Calories: 65cal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 19mg | Sodium: 18mg | Sugar: 2g | Calcium: 45mg | Iron: 1mg

All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe’s nutritional value will vary depending on the ingredients used, measuring methods, and portion sizes.

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
starbucks sweet cream cold foam close up

Originally Published July 2022

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