Salted Caramel Cream Cold Brew
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Take your coffee game up a notch with this my copycat Starbucks salted caramel cream cold brew recipe. It features smooth cold brew topped with a thick, creamy salted caramel cold foam that’s surprisingly easy to make at home.
After many cold foam coffees, I’m finally ready to cut ties with Starbucks and start making my favorite signature Starbucks drinks at home. Today, we’re tackling my current obsession: salted caramel cold brew!
I’d already mastered homemade cold brew, so the tricky part was perfecting the cold foam. If you’ve ever tried making it yourself, you know the biggest challenge is getting it thick enough to sit on top of the coffee instead of disappearing straight into it.
My first few attempts tasted fine, but the foam simply wouldn’t hold its shape. After some testing, I realized the culprit was the half-and-half I was using (facepalm). Switching to heavy cream made all the difference, creating that thick, luxurious foam Starbucks is known for. From there, all I had to do was add caramel and a pinch of salt, and it was spot on. Goodbye, $8.75-plus-tax coffees!
Table of Contents
Why I love this recipe
- Affordable. I still can’t believe people willingly fork out over $8 for a grande. My homemade version costs a fraction of that.
- Easy to customize. I’ve made this dairy-free, sugar-free, and even extra salty depending on what I’m craving.
- Lighter than the coffee shop version. You still get that creamy salted caramel flavor, but with far fewer calories than a traditional coffee shop drink.
- Quick and easy. I like to prep the cold foam in advance, so all that’s left to do in the morning is pour and enjoy.
★★★★★ REVIEW
“Just made this and it is SO much better than Starbucks.” – Suzanne
Key Ingredients
Here’s what goes into caramel cold brew, along with my kitchen notes. Full measurements are in the recipe card below.
- Caramel syrup. I used store-bought caramel syrup, but you can make your own. Half of the syrup will be blended into the cold brew, and the other half will be blended with the cream for the rich cold foam topping.
- Cold brew. Skip the expensive bottled cold brew you can find at some grocery stores and make your own with ground coffee, cold water, and vanilla. I always have this in my fridge.
- Ice. This is NOT the coffee beverage you should enjoy warm.
- Cold foam. A mix of heavy cream, caramel syrup, and salt.
Variations
- Make it vegan. Use coconut cream and vegan caramel.
- Cut the carbs. Use sugar-free caramel syrup.
- Make it decaf. Use decaffeinated coffee in your cold brew coffee recipe.
- Substitute the caramel. If you have other types of syrup on hand (like vanilla or chocolate), you can easily swap the caramel syrup for a different flavor.
How to make salted caramel cream cold brew
Step 1- Make the caramel cold brew coffee. In a glass mason jar, whisk together half the caramel syrup and the cold brew. Pour the mixture into two glasses filled with ice.
Step 2- Make the cold foam. Add the caramel syrup and cream to a bowl. Using a handheld milk frother, beat together until smooth and fluffy. Pour the cold foam over each large glass, sprinkle with salt, and serve immediately.
Arman’s recipe tips
- Save time. I often make the cold brew and cold foam a few days in advance and store them separately. Before serving, I quickly blend the foam again until it’s thick and fluffy.
- Don’t have cold brew? No problem. I’ve made it with chilled coffee before, and it still tastes great. The difference is that cold brew has a smoother, less acidic flavor.
- Taste as you go. Depending on the caramel sauce and milk you use, you may want a little more sweetness or an extra pinch of salt.
Frequently asked questions
You can, but it won’t be nearly as thick or stable. When I tested this recipe with milk and half-and-half, the foam disappeared into the coffee within a few minutes. Heavy cream creates the rich, fluffy layer that sits on top of the cold brew and gives it that coffee shop-style finish.
More Starbucks copycat drinks
Salted Caramel Cream Cold Brew
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon caramel syrup
- 2 cups cold brew
- 1 cup ice
For the salted caramel cream foam
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon caramel syrup
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- In a glass jar, whisk together half the caramel syrup with the cold brew. Pour into two glasses filled with ice.
- To make the cold brew foam, add the caramel syrup and heavy cream in a large bowl. Using a hand mixer, beat them together until smooth and fluffy. Pour the caramel sweet cream over the top of both glasses and serve immediately.
- Pour the caramel cream foam over the top of both glasses, sprinkle with salt, and serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
Originally published August 2022
Salted caramel is one of my favourite tastes so I should try this recipe!
Mario, I’m so glad you tried it out and shared your photo on Instagram- it looked great!
Number 1 of your instructions tells you to have, ” a glass full of glass” not a glass full of ice. I would love to try your recipe but I’m allergic to all low sugar low calorie syrups <3
Oh gosh thank you- It’s been fixed!
What is your preferred brand of allulose?
Anthony’s 🙂 The best allulose out there 🙂
I love your recipes. I would like to suggest that you change fill glass with glass to fill with ice before someone makes a snarky comment.
Fixed- Thank you, June xx