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How To Make Cold Foam

Here’s how to make cold foam: this delicious Starbucks recipe has a sweet, frothy topping perfect for your cold brews and iced coffees. This recipe is so great because it only takes 2 minutes and uses 2 ingredients!

Cold foam on iced cold brew in a glass with a reusable straw

What is Cold Foam?

Cold foam is a milk foam made especially for cold beverages. It usually uses low-fat milk because it has a higher protein percentage giving you an airer foam.

It became popular in the USA after Starbucks started featuring it on their menus, but instead of using pure milk, they added Starbucks vanilla syrup as a sweetener. This is what gives Starbucks cold foam its signature taste.

Cold Foam Ingredients

Low Fat Milk – To make the most frothy foam, use no fat or low-fat milk. If you don’t want to go out the way to get more milk, anything up to 2% works well too!

Vanilla Syrup – Use a high-quality vanilla syrup brand or a homemade vanilla syrup. Avoid using cheaper, worse quality brands as many have an artificial taste.

Starbucks vanilla syrup works the best if you want it as identical to Starbucks as possible!

Expert Tips & Tricks

Cold ingredients – Make sure that your ingredients are cold, or at least your milk. It will give foaminess to your homemade cold foam and decrease the chances of it being over-whipped.

Add the milk first – It will stop the vanilla syrup from sticking to the bottom of the jug.

Foam evenly – To get the best results, make sure to slowly and constantly move the foamer around the milk. The idea is to hit every part of the mixture.

How to Make Cold Foam at Home

1) Pour cold milk and then vanilla syrup into a cool measuring jug.

Pouring low fat milk into a jug
Pouring vanilla syrup into a jug of milk

2) Tilt the measuring jug and foam with an electric foamer for 20 to 30 seconds or until it’s doubled in volume.

Foaming together milk and vanilla syrup in a jug with a electric foamer
Vanilla syrup and milk doubled in volume in a jug

3) Pour over your cold brew or iced coffee and serve.

Pouring cold foam on to a cold brew in a glass

3 More Ways to Make Cold Foam

Blender (big batches) – Increase the ingredient quantities 4x. Add all the ingredients to the blender. Start the blender on low and slowly increase to medium, blending until the volume has doubled in size.

French Press (medium batches) – Double the ingredient quantity. Add all the ingredients to the French Press. Press the plunger up and down until the milk has doubled in volume; this usually takes around 30 to 45 seconds.

Mason Jar – Add the ingredients to a mason jar and shake vigorously until the mixture has foamed; this will take around 1 minute.

FAQs

What does cold foam taste like?

Cold foam has a refreshing, light and slightly sweet taste. It pairs deliciously with cold brew and iced coffee, adding a tasty contrast in flavour.

When did Starbucks start serving cold foam?

Starbucks launched cold foam onto its menu in Seattle in 2014 with the Americano Con Crema. Now Starbucks has added it across hundreds of stores with many variations.

Cold foam on top of a iced cold brew in a glass with a french press and bottle of vanilla syrup in the background

More Starbucks Recipes You May Like

Cold foam on iced cold brew in a glass with a reusable straw

How To Make Cold Foam

Jack Slobodian
Here's how to make cold foam: this delicious Starbucks recipe has a sweet, frothy topping perfect for your cold brews and iced coffees. This recipe is so great because it only takes 2 minutes and uses 2 ingredients!
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Prep Time 2 minutes
Total Time 2 minutes
Course Drinks
Cuisine American
Servings 2 servings
Calories 56 kcal

Equipment

  • Electric Foamer

Ingredients
 
 

  • 60 ml Milk
  • 1 tbsp Vanilla Syrup

Instructions
 

  • Pour cold milk and then vanilla syrup into a cool measuring jug.
  • Tilt the measuring jug and foam with an electric foamer for 20 to 30 seconds or until it's doubled in volume.
  • Pour over your cold brew or iced coffee and serve.

Notes

Cold ingredients – Make sure that your ingredients are cold, or at least the milk. It will give more potential to the foaminess of your cold foam and decrease the chances of it being over-whipped.
Add the milk first – It will stop the vanilla syrup from sticking to the bottom of the jug.
Foam evenly – To get the best results, make sure to slowly and constantly move the foamer around the milk. The idea is to hit every part of the mixture.

Nutrition

Calories: 56kcalCarbohydrates: 12gProtein: 1gFat: 2gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 19mgPotassium: 15mgFiber: 1gSugar: 12gVitamin A: 63IUCalcium: 39mgIron: 1mg
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