Here’s how to make cold foam: the Starbucks recipe for a frothy topping fit for iced coffee and cold brew!

What’s the deal with cold foam? It’s just that good. You’ve probably seen this trend at Starbucks lately, and let me tell you: we’re generally wary of any food trend. But this one absolutely holds up! Cold foam is the answer to a whipped topping for iced coffee drinks, and man is delicious. The creamy topping adds just the right frothy charm, without added calories. Even better: you can make it at home! Here’s how to make cold foam: a DIY Starbucks recipe so you can enjoy this treat at home.

What is cold foam?

Cold foam is frothed nonfat milk that makes a frothy topping for cold coffee drinks like iced coffee, cold brew, iced cappuccinos and nitro coffee. It simulates the frothy topping of the steamed milk in a latte or cappuccino, but at a cold temperature so it doesn’t melt when hitting the drink.

Cold foam sits atop a drink with a thick, frothy texture, and gradually settles in as you sip it. Because it’s made with nonfat milk, it adds only a handful of calories to the drink: but the lightly sweet crema topping has a major pay-off in texture! Over here we’re wary of most trends: but this one is absolutely delicious.

Best milk for cold foam

You might think that a full fat milk would make the creamiest, richest cold foam. Some homemade recipes even call for whole milk or heavy cream. But guess what? Skim milk makes the thickest, sturdiest cold foam. That’s because it has a larger percentage of protein when compared to whole milk or 2%.

In contrast, whole milk makes the best steamed milk for a latte! Why? The lipids keep the bubbles small, making the best microfoam texture for latte art. So if you see a cold foam recipe using heavy cream or whole milk: run the other way! Skim milk is your best bet.

Starbucks cold foam

Starbucks launched cold foam in 2014 with the opening of its Reserve Roastery in Seattle. It was first served atop the Americano Con Crema drink, which had a thick dollop of coffee-spiced foam. Today, Starbucks offers cold foam as a topping that you can add to many drinks for an extra 50 cents. Starbucks cold foam drinks include the following:

• Cold brews
• Nitro cold brews
• Iced lattes
• Iced mochas
• Iced cappuccinos
• Iced espresso
• Iced London Fog tea latte, Iced matcha tea latte, or Iced chai tea latte
• Violet drink, pink drink, or dragon drink

How to make cold foam (DIY Starbucks recipe)

How to make cold foam at home? It’s very simple to make this treat to top all your homemade iced coffees and cold brews: and an incredibly impressive! Here’s what you’ll need to do (or jump to the recipe below):

• Grab a milk frother. The absolute best way to make Starbucks cold foam at home is using a special tool: a handheld milk frother. At only $10.90, it’s the best tool for making thick, fluffy foam and absolutely worth the purchase. (Hey, that’s just 22 Starbucks orders of the stuff!).
• Consider other tools. If you prefer not using a milk frother, a French press is your next best bet, if you have one. Head to How to Froth Milk for more. Keep in mind: we don’t recommend using a whisk for cold foam, because the bubbles get very large and the texture is too loose.
• Froth for 15 to 20 seconds. Add skim milk and simple syrup to a tall cup and froth until very fluffy. It takes only about 15 seconds, and it’s amazing how quickly it whips up! (For the French press instructions, click here.)

Variation: add vanilla!

Want to step up your cold foam? You can add a hint of vanilla extract to add a delicious nuance to the flavor. At first we wondered whether this would turn the topping a light brown color. But after testing it, it doesn’t make a perceptible difference in whiteness versus the original. Add a very small dash and you’re in business!

Drinks that use cold foam

You can use cold foam on any type of chilled tea or coffee drink! Try a dollop of thick, lightly sweet foam on a glass of:

• Iced coffee
• Cold brew coffee
• Coffee soda (tastes like nitro coffee)
• Iced latte
• Iced chai latte
• Iced espresso
• Iced matcha latte

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Cold Brew Coffee

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How to Make Iced Coffee

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Coffee Soda

04

Perfect Iced Latte

This cold foam recipe is…

Vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, dairy-free and gluten-free.

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Hot drinks that use frothed milk

There are so many coffee and tea drinks that use frothed milk! Once you’ve mastered this method, you can play barista with these drinks:

• Latte The classic espresso drink! Try this perfect cafe latte.
• Cappuccino Creamy with just the right touch of foamed milk and bitter espresso.
• Mocha Rich and chocolaty, with just the right topping of fluffy milk foam.
• Macchiato A shot of espresso topped with a layer of frothy foam: the perfect drink!
• Perfect Tea Latte A tea latte just like your favorite coffee shop…in 5 minutes.
• Chai Latte or Vegan Chai Latte Everyone’s favorite, using masala chai spices.
• Vanilla Chai Latte A cozy drink flavored with vanilla and perfectly frothy.
• Dirty Chai Latte A tea latte spiked with a shot of espresso.

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