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Homebody Eats » Coffee

How To Make Cold Foam Without A Frother (3 Ways)

Published: Oct 10, 2021 · Modified: May 2, 2022 by Jessica Mode · This content may include affiliate links.

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Learn how to make foam for coffee without a frother in 3 easy ways

If you've wanted to learn how to make cold foam for coffee, this post will teach you three different ways to do so! Depending on what equipment you have on hand, you'll be able to make different variations of cold foam - bubbly, frothy, or in between. This guide will walk you through different ingredient options as well.

cold brew coffee with cold foam on top

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Jump to:
  • What Is Cold Foam?
  • How To Make Cold Foam At Home
  • What Ingredients Do I Need?
  • Overall Results
  • More Coffee Recipes

I think we can all agree that cold foam makes almost any cold brew coffee so much better! It adds a decadent and creamy touch that blends so perfectly with coffee's bitter notes.

If you've been following along in our coffee series, chances are you love finding new ways to drink your morning coffee. This guide is going to help you explore a whole new way to drink coffee with cold foam.

What Is Cold Foam?

Cold foam is a popular dairy product typically poured on top of cold brew coffee. It creates a dramatic effect on not only the appearance of the drink but also the flavor.

If you've ever had cold foam from Starbucks, it was likely made from nonfat milk then whipped up in a blender. There are also other variations of this type of cold foam, like the sweet cream cold foam made with heavy cream and 2% milk.

The key to any cold foam is creating good texture. Through each of these methods we discuss today, you will achieve various level of air, bubbles, and creaminess. It's up to you to decide which ingredients and equipment creates the cold foam you like best!

How To Make Cold Foam At Home

Up first let's chat through three ways to make cold foam without a frother. Each of these methods will get you very different results depending on what type of dairy you use.

Mason Jar

Grab a mason jar. Add 3.5 ounces (100 milliliters) of your dairy product of choice (options below) and 2 pumps (½ ounce) of simple syrup.

Shake the jar for a full 60 seconds, then pour over cold brew coffee.

Whisk

Add 3.5 ounces (100 milliliters) of your dairy product of choice (options below) and 2 pumps (½ ounce) of simple syrup to a metal or glass bowl. Be sure not to use ceramic dishes as the whisk may scratch them up.

Hand whisk for 45 seconds, then pour over cold brew coffee.

Blender

Grab your favorite high powered blender. Add 3.5 ounces (100 milliliters) of your dairy product of choice (options below) and 2 pumps (½ ounce) of simple syrup.

Blend on high for 45 seconds, then pour over cold brew coffee.

As you can see from the photo below, each method results in a very different texture, depending on the type of dairy product you use. The cold foam in the glasses on the left is made from a mason jar, in the middle from a hand whisk, and on the right from a blender.

various types of dairy cold foam
From left to right: Made with a mason jar, hand whisk, then blender.

What Ingredients Do I Need?

While the Starbucks cold foam is generally made with nonfat milk, I wondered what results I would get from various dairy products. Since we aren't using a frother to achieve the perfect consistency, I wondered if the traditional nonfat milk would be the best option.

In order to find the perfect cold foam at home, I wanted to test three different ingredients using each of the methods listed above - with a mason jar, hand whisk, and blender.

For this experiment, I tested out:

  • Nonfat milk
  • 2% milk/heavy cream
  • Heavy cream

Below, you'll find a photo result of each experiment, as well as the ingredients used.

Nonfat Milk

  • 3.5 ounces (100 milliliters) nonfat milk
  • 2 pumps (½ ounce) of simple syrup

From this test, the blender option achieved the consistency most like Starbucks. It was creamy, smooth, and had the perfect number of bubbles.

The mason jar and whisk resulted in too many bubbles and not enough creaminess. These were a fail in my opinion.

nonfat milk made into cold foam

2% Milk and Heavy Cream

  • 1.5 ounces (50 milliliters) 2% milk
  • 1.5 ounces (50 milliliters) heavy cream
  • 2 pumps (½ ounce) of simple syrup

The additional fat in this recipe helped achieve better results than the nonfat version, in my opinion. Each of the methods nicely incorporated air into the 2% milk and heavy cream mixture. The result was a light, smooth and airy texture for the cold foam no matter what type of equipment you use.

The combination of 2% milk and heavy cream was my personal favorite taste and texture for the experiment of how to make cold foam without a frother.

2% milk and heavy cream made into cold foam

Heavy Cream

  • 3.5 ounces (100 milliliters) heavy cream
  • 2 pumps (½ ounce) of simple syrup

Last, but not least, I tested out heavy cream. To my surprise, the hand whisk resulted in my favorite cold foam. Though, all the options were good, the hand whisk had a slightly different texture that combined the right amount of air and cream.

I noticed that each of cold foams made with heavy cream seemed more thick than the milk versions. This is due to the higher fat in heavy cream.

heavy cream made into cold foam

Overall Results

Depending on what ingredients and equipment you have on hand, you can make very different types of cold foam. Here is an overall chart with a description for each type of cold foam discussed above.

While everyone has different taste preferences, I've marked the fan-favorites (based on taste and consistency) in the chart below.

Nonfat Milk2% Milk & Heavy CreamHeavy Cream
Mason JarLight layer of bubblesCreamy and silky smooth
(fan favorite)
Thick and airy
WhiskVery bubblySmooth but airyCreamy and silky smooth
(fan favorite)
BlenderCreamy and silky smooth
(fan favorite)
Fairly smooth but still airyThick and creamy

More Coffee Recipes

If you've enjoyed learning about this coffee topic, here are some recipes you should try:

  • pumpkin cream cold brew in a glass.
    Starbucks-Style Pumpkin Cold Foam
  • homemade and Starbucks brown sugar oat milk shaken espresso.
    Iced Brown Sugar Oatmilk Shaken Espresso
  • glass filled with cold brew coffee and cold foam on top.
    Salted Caramel Cold Brew (6 Ingredients)
  • jar of vanilla syrup next to glasses of cold brew.
    How to Make Vanilla Coffee Syrup (3 Ingredient Recipe)

More Coffee

  • espresso martini shots on a wooden tray.
    Espresso Martini Shots (4 Ingredients)
  • salted caramel cold foam with cold brew coffee.
    Salted Caramel Cold Foam (5 Ingredients)
  • various colored Nespresso vertuo pods laying next to each other.
    How to Reuse Nespresso Vertuo Pods (In 3 Steps)
  • lowball glass filled with coffee and cold foam.
    Greek Freddo Cappuccino (3 Ingredients)

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Hi, I'm Jessica! Here, you'll find delicious & fresh recipes that will help you learn to master a new skill in the kitchen!

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