Love Starbucks and pumpkin spice? Then you just gotta try this Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew recipe! It’s a Starbucks copycat with a lightly sweetened cold brew plus a rich pumpkin cream foam topper. Sprinkled with pumpkin pie spice, it’s the perfect fall drink.
Copycat Starbucks Cold Brew
Pumpkin season at Starbucks is back, and we’re here for it. Our youngest daughter would order their famous Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew year round if that was an option. And now she can enjoy that coffee + pumpkin combination at home, whenever she wants!
This pumpkin cream cold brew recipe is one fantastic Starbucks copycat! Cold brew is sweetened with a bit of vanilla syrup and then finished with a rich pumpkin cream cold foam. A sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice adds the finishing touch, for the perfect fall drink – just like you’d get at the coffee shop.
From start to finish, you can make your very own Starbucks pumpkin cream cold brew at home in less than 10 minutes. I can’t even get through the Starbucks drive-thru that quickly!
Iced Coffee vs Cold Brew
What’s the difference between cold brew and iced coffee? If you’re not a coffee lover, the two may sound quite similar but in reality, they’re two totally different things.
Iced coffee is coffee that has been brewed normally at double-strength, then cooled. This results in a lighter body.
Cold brew, on the other hand, is made by steeping coarse coffee grounds in cold water for 12-24 hours (no heat involved), and tends to have a naturally sweeter, less acidic taste. In most cases, it has more caffeine than iced coffee – sometimes up to double the caffeine, depending on how it’s brewed.
What You’ll Need
Your favorite Starbucks copycat recipe requires just a handful of ingredients. Be sure to scroll down to the recipe box for measurements.
- Heavy cream – Heavy cream makes the richest foam, most similar in texture to the original Starbucks drink. You could substitute with half & half, but the foam will be more airy and its volume will disintegrate faster in the drink – so be sure to enjoy the drink right away!
- Sweetened condensed milk – Sweetened condensed milk adds a deep rich sweet flavor, plus some creamy body to the pumpkin cream cold foam. You could substitute for vanilla coffee syrup if desired, but the flavor won’t be quite as rich.
- Pumpkin puree – Pumpkin puree adds the classic earthy pumpkin flavor to the foam.
- Light brown sugar – Light brown sugar adds another deeper level of sweet flavor.
- Pumpkin pie spice -Pumpkin pie spice adds that classic warm, spiced flavor that we all love with pumpkin!
- Cold brew – For the most authentic copycat recipe, I recommend using Starbucks Cold Brew, which you can find online or in the grocery store’s refrigerated section. But your own favorite cold brew will absolutely do!
- Vanilla coffee syrup – We use Starbuck’s vanilla coffee syrup, found online or next to the coffee and tea in the grocery store. But you could use any vanilla coffee syrup – or this beautiful brown sugar syrup – or just leave additional sweeteners out entirely.
How to Make Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew at Home
Making your favorite Starbucks drink at home is as easy as 1-2-3!
- Make the pumpkin cream cold foam. Stir together the heavy cream, sweetened condensed milk, pumpkin puree, brown sugar, and pumpkin pie spice in a mason jar. Froth until thickened and foamy.
- Prepare the coffee. Fill two glasses halfway with ice. Add the vanilla coffee syrup or brown sugar syrup, plus a cup of cold brew into each glass.
- Add the foam. Divide the foam between the two glasses. Top with pumpkin pie spice. Enjoy.
The Key To Perfect Foam
Sweetened condensed milk gives the creamy cold foam a deep, rich flavor that’s perfect with the pumpkin. But its texture is thick – so here’s a couple tips for you, if you’re having issues getting your cold foam to froth and thicken.
For the foam to froth properly, make sure your frother is working well. Our frother runs on batteries, so I replace the batteries whenever the frother is acting sluggish. If your foam isn’t frothing, I’d recommend checking/changing your batteries.
If you’re still having trouble getting the foam to froth, trying swapping the same amount of sweetened condensed milk for vanilla coffee syrup or brown sugar syrup. This will still give the foam a similar level of sweetness, just not as thick.
Can I Make Pumpkin Cream Cold Foam Without a Frother?
You can find a good handheld frother online for less than $10, to enjoy special coffee drinks at home any time you choose. If you don’t already own a frother and don’t want to buy one just to try out this recipe, there are a few things you can try.
First, you can use a French press and just plunge the foam mixture up and down several times.
Or, if you don’t have a French press either, vigorously shake the ingredients in a sealed mason jar until frothy.
These methods aren’t perfect – and will not give you the exact same result – but it’s certainly better than no foam at all!
Can Cold Foam Be Stored?
If you don’t want to make two servings, divide the cold foam mixture in half before frothing and store it in the fridge for 5-7 days. Then froth right before serving.
This also works if you want to double, triple, etc. the cold foam mixture, to keep some pre-mixed in the fridge for the week ahead.
More Cozy Drink Recipes:
- Pumpkin Spice Latte
- Hot Buttered Rum Coffee
- Mexican Coffee
- Vanilla Almond Steamer
- Creamy Hot Chocolate
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Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew
Ingredients
For the Pumpkin Cream Cold Foam
- ⅓ cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon sweetened condensed milk or vanilla coffee syrup
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin puree
- 2 teaspoons light brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
For the Drinks
- 2 cups cold brew
- 2 teaspoons vanilla coffee syrup or brown sugar syrup
- Pumpkin cream cold foam above
- Pinch of pumpkin pie spice for garnish
Instructions
For the Pumpkin Cream Cold Foam
- In a pint mason jar or small bowl, stir together the heavy cream, sweetened condensed milk, pumpkin puree, brown sugar, and pumpkin pie spice. Then use a milk frother to froth until thickened and foamy (it should increase in volume by at least 50%), about 1 minute or so.
For the Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew
- Fill two glasses halfway with ice and add half of the vanilla coffee syrup to each one. Pour 1 cup of cold brew into each glass, and give a quick stir to combine.
- Divide the pumpkin cream cold foam between the two cups and top with a pinch of pumpkin pie spice. Enjoy immediately.
Notes
Nutrition Information:
5 stars