If you've ever wondered how to make a copycat Starbucks sweet cream cold foam like a barista, this is an easy recipe that will teach you how to recreate this delicious foam at home. Pour on top of a glass of cold brew for the perfect Starbucks dupe.
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I cannot get enough of the Starbucks sweet cream cold foam. It's the perfect addition to my morning cold brew, iced lattes, and coffee drinks. I love the creaminess, richness, and decadence that it adds to almost any drink!
If you love Starbucks and want to recreate some of your favorite drinks at home, you have to learn how to make this copycat recipe.
Plus, once you've mastered how to make sweet cream cold foam at home, it's easy to recreate different flavor varieties.
Jump to:
What You'll Learn In This Recipe
- The difference between sweet cream cold foam and regular cold foam.
- A few different ways you can make this recipe at home, depending on what equipment you have access to.
- Easy variations to spice up the flavor - from vanilla to pumpkin spice.
What Is Sweet Cream Cold Foam?
After lots of research on Starbucks barista TikTok, I have finally figured out what makes sweet cream cold foam so unique! The recipe consists of:
- 4 parts: heavy cream
- 2 parts: 2% milk
- 1 part: simple syrup
Sweet cream by itself can just be mixed with a spoon and poured over a drink.
However, if you wish to make it into sweet cream cold foam (the foam that sits on top of many cold brew drinks), you'll need to blend it in a high powdered blender for about 45 seconds.
Sweet cream varies from most other generic cold foams that are made only from nonfat milk.
Ingredients You'll Need
Here are all the ingredients you'll need to make this recipe at home:
- Heavy cream: You might see this labeled as heavy whipping cream at the store. The fat of the heavy cream pairs so perfectly with the bitter notes of coffee.
- 2% milk: To get the correct texture, flavor, and consistency of the Starbucks version, make sure to use 2% milk (not 1% or nonfat). In a pinch, you can substitute 2% for whole milk. The milk helps lighten up the taste of the heavy cream, while also providing some lift and airiness in the cold foam when blended.
- Simple syrup: This ingredient adds some sweetness and stability. Feel free to use store-bought or homemade. You can easily change the taste by adding different flavor varieties, like vanilla syrup to create the Starbucks vanilla sweet cream cold foam.
- Cold brew coffee: This recipe pairs perfectly with cold brew coffee. You can use a homemade cold brew or purchase a concentrate.
Check out the recipe card below for the full details on ingredient quantities.
How To Make This Recipe
Here's your step-by-step instruction guide on how to make the Starbucks sweet cream cold foam recipe.
1. Add heavy cream, 2% milk, and simple syrup (any flavor you'd like) into a high-powered blender. Any blender like a Vitamix or Ninja will work for this recipe.
2. Blend at high speed for about 45 seconds until a thick, creamy foam has formed. This helps to froth the milk so it has a velvety texture.
While the classic Starbucks version is blended, you can also use a handheld milk frother or a whisk (the texture will only vary slightly).
3. Now it's time to serve it up. Prepare a glass with 1 cup of cold brew and lots of ice.
4. Finally, top the cold brew with the prepared cold foam. If you prefer a large amount of foam (as shown in the photos), you'll need to double the recipe.
This recipe is really only for cold drinks since it would melt in hot coffee. However, you could add it not only on top of cold brew but also to your favorite iced coffee or iced drink.
Flavor Variations
The great thing about this recipe is that you can easily customize the flavor of your sweet cream foam through the flavor of your simple syrup. Simply add the same amount of flavored syrup as is noted in the recipe below.
Here are some delicious flavor varieties to try:
- Vanilla: Perfect if you want to make a copycat vanilla sweet cream cold brew. Try my homemade vanilla syrup which is made with vanilla bean paste, for an even more upscale taste.
- Caramel: Try this, along with a pinch of salt, to recreate the salted caramel cream cold brew.
- Pumpkin Spice: Love the pumpkin cream cold brew? This is the one for you!
- Hazelnut: A perfect addition for any fall or winter drink.
- Brown Sugar: This flavor will give you hints of maple syrup and cinnamon.
Expert Tips
- Want to use homemade sugar syrup for this recipe? To make your own, use a one-to-one ratio of granulated sugar to water. Cook the mixture over medium heat, stirring occasionally, just until all the sugar has dissolved, about 2 minutes.
- Add a dash of vanilla extract to amp up the flavor of this sweet cream.
- Make Ahead: Place all of the ingredients in a mason jar. Seal with a lid and store in the fridge (up to 7 days) until you're ready to use. Once you're ready to serve, blend for 45 seconds.
- Storage: Un-blended sweet cream will last for up to 7 days when sealed in an airtight container in the refrigerator as long as your cream is fresh.
- Meal prep: Meal prep a large batch of sweet cream for the week. Mix 12 ounces (1 ½ cups) of heavy cream, 8 ounces (1 cup) of 2% milk, and 4 ounces (½ cup) of simple syrup in a jar. Seal and store in the refrigerator until you're ready to use. Before serving, blend the foam for 45 seconds.
Recipe FAQs
It tastes like a rich dairy cream (similar to ice cream) that adds a foamy, frothy taste to coffee that helps to mellow out the flavor. The taste can also vary depending on the flavor of the syrup you use.
Sweet cream is a mixture of heavy cream, 2% milk, and sugar syrup. This can be stirred together with a spoon and poured over coffee. To make sweet cream cold foam, blend the ingredients until a frothy foam has formed.
Other cold foams are typically made by only using nonfat milk.
Sure! A frother will also work to blend the ingredients together. The texture will vary slightly depending on the method you use to blend (frother, blender, hand whisk). However, they all create a delicious final product.
The classic Starbucks sweet cream is made with real dairy products. So unfortunately, this recipe cannot be made with oat milk or almond milk.
Yes, here are some other methods:
Stir the mixture with a hand whisk for 1 minute until you've achieved a thick foam, or use a handheld frother.
Add the ingredients to a mason jar and vigorously shake for 1 minute. The foam won't be exactly the same texture, but it will still be delicious.
More Starbucks Copycat Recipes
If you enjoyed this recipe, check out my other favorite Starbucks coffee recipes:
Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating in the recipe card below. Don't forget to follow along on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Pinterest for more recipes.
Starbucks Sweet Cream Cold Foam (3 Ingredients)
Equipment
Ingredients
- ¼ cup (2 ounces) heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons (1 ounce) 2% milk
- 1 tablespoon (½ ounce) simple syrup plus more for serving
- 1 cup (8 ounces) cold brew coffee for serving
Instructions
- Add heavy cream, 2% milk, and simple syrup to a high powdered blender. Blend for 45 seconds until a thick foam has formed.
- To serve, add ½ cup ice, cold brew coffee, and additional simple syrup as desired to a serving glass. Top with sweet cream cold foam mixture.
Emily
In LOVE with this sweet cream cold foam recipe (and it's so easy)! Can't wait to make it again!!
Kainat Hamid
How long does this last ? How to store ? If we want to make extra.
Jessica Mode
You can place all the ingredients in a mason jar if you are prepping it ahead of time, and stir it together with a spoon. It should last about 1 week assuming all your ingredients are fresh. I'd only blend the cold foam when you're ready to use it!
Jason
Your description of this shows that the ingredient ratios are 3 parts cream, 2 parts milk, and 1 part simple syrup. However, the recipe card ratio equates to a 4:2:1 ratio, not a 3:2:1. Which one should be followed for this?
Jessica Mode
Hey Jason! Thanks for catching that typo! Go ahead and follow the recipe in the recipe card (4:2:1)
C
Made it day 1 and it was awesome. Day 2 I did it again and the cream curdled up. It was like whipped butter floating in milk. Double checked my ingredients and all were well before expiration. Not sure what happened…..
Jessica Mode
Hmmm that's weird that it didn't work on day 2. First, ensure you're using a bit of simple syrup as the recipe calls for. Without this ingredient, the cold foam doesn't bind together well. Second, make sure you blend it for the full 45 seconds. This ensures the mixture is able to homogenize. Let me know if this helps 🙂
Samantha
Hi, if I'm using Starbucks vanilla syrup with the pump, how many pumps for the cold foam to be vanilla sweet cream cold foam? Thanks!
Jessica Mode
Hi Samantha - about 1/2 a pump should do the trick! And then you can add additional syrup into your cold brew for serving! 🙂