Easy Dairy Free Cold Foam Recipe (Starbucks Copycat)
Are you an iced coffee lover? Make your own Starbucks copycat Dairy Free Cold Foam recipe at home with just a few simple ingredients and a milk frother.
Whip up the ingredients for this easy recipe in minutes and enjoy it on the top of your favourite cold brew coffee. It’s vegan, dairy free and can also be made gluten free.
This recipe uses coconut cream and dairy-free milk, maple syrup and vanilla extract and we’ve got several flavor options you can try.
Make your own instagram-worthy cold foam coffee that any Barista would be proud of!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Make Starbucks style coffee at home for a fraction of the price
- Takes only minutes to make
- Vegan and dairy free
What is Cold Foam?
Cold foam is a light and frothy topping that is perfect for cold brew coffee. It is a thick, sweet cream foam made by frothing milk, sweetener, cream and vanilla extract until it becomes a thick foam.
How Do Starbucks Make It?
Traditionally the Starbucks cold foam is served on top of strong coffee but hey, it’s your morning coffee, so serve it on whatever coffee strength you want!
To make vanilla sweet cream cold foam, Starbucks aerates the milk/cream, which is a process which fills it with air bubbles, creating a thick cold foam texture.
Once poured on top of the iced drink, it slowly sinks down, creating wonderful, sweet, creamy coffee.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
Cold Brew Coffee: Get store-bought cold brew, or make your own by brewing ground coffee with cold water in a cafetière for 8-24 hours.
Coconut cream or dairy free double cream / heavy cream: Both coconut or dairy free cream are great options for this recipe, as are cashew cream or half and half. Use anything that has a creamy texture and that froths well. In the UK we are BLESSED to have double cream. The nearest US alternative is heavy whipping cream. Dairy free/vegan versions are available in stores. If you only have canned coconut milk be sure to chill it first and only use the thick part scraped off the top. If you add the watery milk it will not thicken in the same way.
Oat milk: I used Barista oat milk as I like the taste and it froths really nicely. Other vegan barista milk such as almond milk or soy milk will also work, with the additional benefit making the recipe gluten free.
Maple syrup: Hello sweetness! We opted for maple syrup but you could use whatever liquid sweetener you have.
Vanilla extract: You can use vanilla syrup or vanilla bean paste instead if you have it. If you use syrup that is super-sweet you may not need the maple syrup. Taste and adjust amounts to suit your preferred sweetness levels.
In place of vanilla flavoring, you can also try:
- Caramel syrup
- Hazelnut syrup
- Pumpkin pie: If it’s that time of year, add ¼ teaspoon of pumpkin spice before frothing. It’ll definitely get you in the mood for pumpkin season.
Make it Gluten Free
Use almond milk or soy milk in place of the oat milk, or homemade milk made using certified gluten-free oats.
What Kind of Coffee Should I Use?
Vanilla cold foam is usually served on top of cold brew coffee. Brew your favorite strong coffee at home and chill it in the fridge, or use a store-bought cold brew coffee.
How to Make Dairy Free Cold Foam Recipe
Step 1 – Blend: Add the ingredients to a jug or milk frother. If using a handheld milk frother, froth on high speed for 1 minute or until the mixture is thick and foamy. If you’re using an electric frother, or the Nespresso Aeroccino like I do, just press the cold foam button and wait!
Step 2 – Taste and serve: Taste the foam and adjust the level of sweetness if you wish. Pour over your favorite iced coffee and enjoy!
Other Options For Method
I prefer using my Nespresso Aeroccino – it’s by far the best milk frother for oat milk that I’ve found – but not everyone has an electric frother. You could also use:
- Handheld milk frother
- French press/cafetière: Simply put the ingredients in the french press and pump it up and down until it becomes foam.
- Mason jar: Add the ingredients to the jar, secure the lid and shake vigorously until you have a thick creamy foam.
If you make this recipe I’d love for you to give it a star rating ★ below. You can also tag me on Instagram so I can see it!
FAQs
How Can I Store Vegan Cold Foam?
Keep the cold foam in an airtight container fridge for up to 3 days. For best results, froth again before using.
I don’t want my cold foam and coffee to mix. How do I fix this?
Try putting your coconut cream in the fridge before using. This causes it to solidify more inside the can and should create an even thicker foam.
What Other Flavors Can I Make?
Try adding caramel, hazelnut syrup, or add ¼ teaspon pumpkin spice mix before frothing make great flavors for cold foam drinks!
You might also like: Honey Almond Milk Cold Brew, Dairy Free Strawberry and Banana Smoothie Without Yogurt
Dairy Free Cold Foam Recipe (Starbucks Copycat)
Ingredients
- 1 cup cold brew coffee
- ⅓ cup barista vegan milk, We used oat milk
- 1 tablespoon coconut cream, chilled
- ½ tablespoon maple syrup
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- First, brew your favorite strong brew coffee and chill.1 cup cold brew coffee
For Electric Milk Frother:
- Add all the ingredients to the electric milk frother and press the cold foam option. I use a Nespresso Aeroccino (*link in notes). If you want it even thicker, press twice.⅓ cup barista vegan milk,, 1 tablespoon coconut cream,, ½ tablespoon maple syrup, ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Taste the cold foam and adjust the sweetness to your liking. Top your favorite cold coffee and enjoy.
For Handheld Milk Frother:
- Add all the ingredients to a jar and whisk with the handheld whisk on its highest setting until it forms a foam. This will take several minutes.
- Taste the cold foam and adjust the sweetness to your liking. Top your favorite cold coffee and enjoy.
Notes
- If you don’t have an electric milk frother or handheld whisk: pump the cream mixture with a french press (cafetière) or vigorously shake it in a lidded jar.
- Make it gluten free by using almond or soy milk, or oat milk made from certified gluten free oats.
How long can I store this once I’ve made it?
Hi Nico, even though it is best consumed fresh, it would be safe to store in the fridge for 2-3 days. It would most likely lose its froth in that time so you may want to rewhip it before consuming to get some of the texture and consistency back.