Cold foam was introduced at Starbucks a few years ago and has since taken its place alongside other regular menu items, being featured prominently with cold brew drinks.
However, if you’ve never witnessed a barista making cold foam, you may wonder how it’s done. If you’d like to find out, keep reading!
Key Takeaways
How Does Starbucks Make Cold Foam In 2022?
Starbucks’ standard cold foam is made using nonfat milk, which is frothed in a special blender. Flavored syrups and powders may be added to the milk before blending to create different types of cold foam. Starbucks also makes cold foam with sweet cream, as well as non-dairy milks upon request as of 2022.
If you want to know more about how Starbucks makes cold foam, what ingredients they use, and how to make cold foam at home, carry on reading for more useful information!
What Is The Cold Foam At Starbucks Made Of?
Starbucks cold foam is made using nonfat milk, and can include syrup or powders such as matcha or cinnamon for flavoring.
Cold foam is made without heating or steaming the milk, as Starbucks baristas blend the nonfat milk in a small blender, giving the foam a thick and creamy consistency (which comes from the tiny air bubbles that are produced by the blending or frothing process).
Cold foam can be made with 2% and whole milk as well, but lower or zero fat content makes for better and more airy foam.
Additionally, cold foam lasts longer than foam made with heated or steamed milk, so that you can get its taste blending with the drink until the end.
Recently, Starbucks introduced cold foam made with nondairy plant-based milks such as almond milk and oat milk.
What Is Sweet Cream Cold Foam?
Sweet cream cold foam is a variation of regular cold foam made with the sweet cream mixture, which contains heavy cream, 2% milk, and vanilla syrup.
Sweet cream cold foam has a richer and sweeter taste than regular cold foams due to the added heavy cream.
Sweet cream cold foam is used in a number of Starbucks drinks such as the Irish Cream Cold Brew and secret menu items such as the TikTok Iced White Mocha.
What Are The Ingredients In Cold Foam?
Starbucks’ cold foam is made with nonfat milk. In addition to this basic ingredient, flavored syrups and powders can be added to give it a different flavor.
Cold foam can also be made with Starbucks’ non-dairy milks such as almond milk, coconut milk and soy milk.
However, note that non-dairy milks don’t foam as well as regular milk, making the foam more runny and causing it to lose stiffness quite fast.
As well, the Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Foam contains heavy cream, 2% milk and vanilla syrup, which can also have other flavors added, such as pumpkin purée when making the Pumpkin Cold Foam.
What Are Starbucks Cold Foam Nutrition Values?
Starbucks doesn’t list the nutritional value for their cold foam separately, as these will vary depending on what type of milk is used.
The nutrition values will also change with extra ingredients, such as additional syrups being added. However, you can get the nutrition values for various cold foam drinks from the Starbucks website.
For example, listed below is the nutritional information for a 16 fl. oz serving of Starbucks’ Cold Brew with Cold Foam:
- Calories 35
- Calories from Fat 0
- Total Fat 0 g
- Saturated Fat 0 g
- Trans Fat 0 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Sodium 30 mg
- Total Carbohydrates 7 g
- Dietary Fiber 0 g
- Sugars 7 g
- Protein 2 g
- Caffeine 205 mg
Drinks made with sweet cream cold foam will have more calories. For comparison, listed below are the nutritional values for the Vanilla Sweet Cream Nitro Cold Brew for a 16 fl. oz serving:
- Calories 79
- Calories from Fat 50
- Total Fat 5 g
- Saturated Fat 3.5 g
- Trans Fat 0 g
- Cholesterol 15 mg
- Sodium 20 mg
- Total Carbohydrates 4 g
- Dietary Fiber 0 g
- Sugars 4 g
- Protein 1 g
- Caffeine 265 mg
Drinks served with cold foam made from non-dairy milks will also have a higher calorie content than cold foam made with nonfat milk.
How Do You Make Cold Foam?
You can easily make cold foam at home using nonfat milk and any flavorings like syrups or powders such as cocoa or vanilla.
You can use very simple kitchen tools that you already have at home, or a special milk frother with settings for cold foam.
The simplest way is to use a milk frother or blender to create the foam. You can also use a French press to froth the milk, or even a mason jar with a lid.
For serious cold foam-making, there are also countertop milk frothers that come with special settings for cold foam.
How Do I Make Cold Foam With Almond Milk?
It takes a little more effort to make cold foam with almond milk, as almond milk has a higher fat content, meaning it won’t foam as easily and will lose stiffness quickly.
However, you can make cold foam with almond milk using a blender, frother or French press, just as you would for nonfat milk, and will simply have to blend it for a longer period of time.
It’s also possible to make cold foam with other plant-based milks such as oat milk and coconut milk.
Where Can I Find A Starbucks Cold Foam Recipe Card?
Starbucks is serious about educating the world about coffee, and that includes how to make their recipes at home as well.
Therefore, you can find recipes and tips on how to make Starbucks cold foam in the Coffee at Home section of the company website.
If you are looking to learn more, you can also see our posts on the Starbucks Chocolate Chip Frappuccino, how to order coffee at Starbucks, and if Starbucks has boba.
Conclusion
Starbucks cold foam is made with nonfat milk, with added syrup or powders for customization, and is frothed in a small blender.
Cold foam can also be made with non-dairy plant-based milks like almond milk, coconut milk and oat milk. Additionally, Sweet Cream Cold Foam is made with heavy cream, 2% milk and vanilla syrup.