This copycat Starbucks vanilla sweet cream cold brew recipe is a delicious iced coffee made with a handful of simple ingredients. This recipe has the best flavor and is so refreshing, you won’t even miss the Starbucks version!
Are you a sucker for a fancy iced coffee drink when the weather is warm? I know I sure am! Vanilla sweet cream cold foam is really the perfect addition to smooth cold brew coffee… I know I’ll be drinking these a ton this summer.
If you’re a coffee lover like me, you’ve got to try making DIY coffees recipes at home. Not only are they delicious, it’s a great way to save money!
In addition to this vanilla sweet cream cold brew, some of my favorite summer coffee drinks to make at home include this iced brown sugar oat milk shaken espresso recipe, a homemade honey almond milk cold brew, and an iced sugar cookie latte (because sugar cookie awesomeness is good all year around in my book!).
Jump to:
- Why You’ll Love this Starbucks Copycat Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew
- Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew Ingredients
- How to Make Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew
- Sweet Cream Cold Foam Variations
- Vanilla Sweet Cream Tips
- Starbucks Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew FAQs
- Love this Recipe? You May Also Enjoy
- Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Foam
Why You’ll Love this Starbucks Copycat Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew
Quick and easy to make. This is such an easy recipe to pull off at home, and it only takes a few minutes to whip together!
Light, sweet, and refreshing. A vanilla sweet cream cold brew tastes like a vanilla-forward sweetened iced coffee. This simple and delicious coffee is perfect to sip on when the weather is warm.
Cost effective. There’s no need to spend a lot of money on these at the coffee shop! This delicious coffee drink is super easy to make at home. Save even more money by making your own homemade vanilla syrup and your own cold brew too!
Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew Ingredients
- Heavy Whipping Cream. You’ll need heavy cream to make the perfect sweet vanilla cream.
- Skim Milk or 2% Milk. Used in addition to the heavy cream to lighten things up a smidge.
- Vanilla Simple Syrup. This is what adds the vanilla flavor and sweetness in this vanilla cold foam recipe. You can make your own vanilla syrup (I’d highly recommend it!) or use store bought syrup. Popular purchased options (that you may even see at your local coffeeshop) are Starbucks vanilla syrup, Torani vanilla syrup, or Monin vanilla syrup.
- Cold Brew Coffee. You can use homemade cold brew or pre-made cold brew in this recipe. I personally use this easy cold brew coffee recipe for mine, using freshly ground medium roast coffee beans from a local coffee shop.
- Ice Cubes. Used to keep your drink nice and cold.
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Helpful Equipment
Using a milk frother to make your vanilla sweet cream cold foam is super helpful in this recipe! I personally love and use this handheld frother for my coffee drinks. You could also use an electric milk frother if preferred.
Serve your drink in a tall glass, like a highball glass or tall juice glass. You could also serve this up in a large mason jar!
I also recommend using reusable straws when you can because they’re a better option for the environment.
How to Make Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew
Step 1: Add milk and heavy cream into a small to medium container.
Step 2: Add vanilla syrup to the milk and heavy cream.
Step 3: Use a handheld milk frother to blend until doubled in size and foamy. Set aside.
Step 4: Fill a tall glass with ice.
Step 5: Top with cold brew coffee until the glass is about ¾ full.
Step 6: Top with vanilla sweet cream cold foam. Give it a little stir and enjoy!
Sweet Cream Cold Foam Variations
- Make it extra creamy by using whole milk instead of the skim or 2%. Want an extra decadent experience? Use whole milk with your heavy cream for your cold foam.
- Use half and half. Cut down on the number of ingredients (or use what you have on hand) by replacing the heavy cream and milk with half and half.
- Amp up the sweetness and vanilla flavor. If you prefer extra sweet coffees, add additional vanilla simple syrup to your milk mixture when making the cold foam. You could even add a teaspoon of vanilla extract straight to your coffee if you want your drink really vanilla-y.
- Make it dairy free. If you need a non-dairy milk option, I’d recommend trying oat milk because it froths really well. You could also try using coconut milk. Please note doing so won’t make an exact replica of the Starbucks version, but it will still be delicious.
Possible Dietary Restrictions?
This Starbucks copycat recipe is vegetarian and gluten free as written. See below for modification to make this a dairy-free coffee recipe.
- Make this into a dairy-free iced coffee replace the heavy whipping cream and other milk with oat milk! Note your vanilla sweet cold foam may not be quite as creamy, but it will still make a lovely cold coffee drink.
Vanilla Sweet Cream Tips
Make sure to use a liquid measuring cup (or vessel) that has at least 2x the capacity needed for frothing the vanilla sweet cream cold foam. Bigger is better here because frothing your heavy cream, milk, and vanilla syrup will nearly double your liquid’s volume! Having a large enough liquid measuring cup (or whatever vessel you want to use) helps ensure you’re not creating a tidal wave over the edge (I maybe know this from experience…learn from my mess, no need to create your own).
Starbucks Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew FAQs
You may see both of these items on the Starbucks menu, but they are different! Sweet cream is a vanilla-flavored cream that gets mixed into drinks whereas sweet cream cold foam is a frothed and airy milk and cream mixture that sits on top of a variety of drinks.
This depends on the brewing method and coffee-to-water ratios used when making the cold brew and your regular coffee. As a baseline, the Mayo Clinic has estimated that 12 ounces of cold brew contains 144mg of caffeine whereas 12 ounces of regular coffee contains anywhere from 109mg – 285mg of caffeine.
No, the ingredients used and the resulting texture is different. Cold foam is a frothed or aerated milk and cream mixture (with vanilla cold foam being made by whipping a mixture of heavy whipping cream, 2% milk, and vanilla syrup together), resulting in a light and airy froth that is pourable. Whipped cream is made with heavy whipping cream, a sweetener (usually powdered sugar), and sometimes a small splash of vanilla extract, resulting in a cream that holds hit shape.
While “healthy” is a relative term depending on your dietary needs, cold foam generally has fewer calories, less fat, and less sugar that whipped cream.
Love this Recipe? You May Also Enjoy
Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Foam
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon heavy cream
- 2 tablespoon skim or 2% milk
- 1 tablespoon vanilla syrup
- ice cubes
- 8-12 oz cold brew coffee (depends on glass size, fill glass ¾ full)
Instructions
- In a medium sized liquid measuring cup (or container of choice), make the vanilla sweet cream cold foam by adding the heavy cream, milk, and vanilla syrup and frothing until nearly doubled in size and foamy. Set aside.
- Fill a tall glass with ice.
- Fill the glass ¾ full with cold brew coffee.
- Top with vanilla sweet cream cold foam.
- Sip and enjoy!
Notes
- Make it extra creamy by using whole milk. Do so by replacing the skim or 2% milk one-for-one with whole milk.
- Use half and half. Option to replace the heavy cream and milk one-for-one with half and half.
- Amp up the sweetness and/or vanilla flavor. Adjust to your desired sweetness level by adding additional vanilla syrup to your cold foam before frothing. Option to increase vanilla flavor (without adding more sweetness) by adding a small splash of vanilla extract straight to your cold brew coffee before topping with the vanilla sweet cream cold foam.
- Make it dairy free. If you need a non-dairy milk option, I’d recommend trying oat milk because it froths really well. You could also try using coconut milk. Please note doing so won’t make an exact replica of the Starbucks version, but it will still be delicious.
Meredith says
we’ve had spring-like weather here this week, and this DIY vanilla sweet cream cold brew is the perfect coffee to sip on to enjoy it! so good!
Della says
Trying to save $$$$ so making this at home. So delicious! I’ve tried it with dairy and oat milk and it’s great both ways!
Meredith says
YAY! So happy to hear you’re enjoying this DIY coffee at home!
Chelsea Vetre says
This recipe is so creamy and flavorful! Who needs Starbucks when you have this: awesome recipe for a nice little morning treat.
Meredith says
So happy to hear you loved this recipe Chelsea! Thanks so much for giving it a try 🙂
Nikki says
Do yourself a favor and make this! It tastes just like Starbucks but it’s cheaper, requires little effort, and really elevates your morning coffee! Thank you for sharing this recipe with the world!
Meredith says
This makes me so happy! Thank you for giving the recipe and try, and I’m so glad to hear that it rivals Starbucks for you 🙂
Brad V says
Super tasty! I’m more of a straight-up iced coffee guy, but my wife saw this and wanted to try it. No regrets!
Meredith says
So happy to hear you gave this a try Brad, and that you and your wife both enjoyed it!