Chocolate Cream Cold Brew is a refreshing and indulgent coffee drink made with cold brew, a touch of vanilla syrup, and a silky chocolate cold foam. This easy homemade Starbucks copycat delivers café-quality flavor with minimal effort—perfect for warm days or anytime you want a decadent iced coffee.
Try our Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew recipe next for another seasonal favorite.
If you enjoy Starbucks cold brew drinks but prefer making them at home, this recipe is a simple and satisfying option. It’s quicker than you might expect and doesn’t require special barista training. The only tool you really need for the signature foam is a handheld milk frother, though a small blender or a French press works well too.
Ingredients You Need To Make This Recipe
Chocolate Cold Foam
- Heavy cream. Combining heavy cream with milk creates a rich, stable foam with a luxurious mouthfeel.
- 2% milk. This provides the right balance of body and froth. Whole milk can be used if preferred; avoid skim for best texture.
- Malted milk powder. Often found near powdered drink mixes, malted milk powder adds subtle caramel and nutty notes that help replicate the Starbucks flavor.
- Vanilla syrup. Homemade or store-bought vanilla syrup both work. Use the amount you prefer for sweetness.
- Cocoa powder. Cocoa gives the foam its chocolate character—use unsweetened or dutch-processed according to taste.
Coffee
- Cold brew coffee. Use your favorite cold brew—store-bought or homemade. Unsweetened cold brew lets you control the sweetness with the vanilla syrup.
- Vanilla syrup. Adds sweetness and rounds out the flavor in the base coffee as well as in the foam.
How To Make This Recipe
- Combine the heavy cream, 2% milk, malted milk powder, vanilla syrup, and cocoa powder in a large cup or glass. Froth with a handheld milk frother until the mixture doubles in volume and becomes light and airy. Set aside.
- Fill a tall glass with ice and pour cold brew over the ice. Stir in the vanilla syrup, leaving about an inch of space at the top for the foam.
- Spoon or pour the chocolate cold foam over the cold brew and enjoy immediately.
Variations and Substitutions
This recipe is designed to mimic the Starbucks Chocolate Cream Cold Brew closely, but you can experiment with flavors and ingredients to make it your own.
Swap the vanilla syrup for other flavored syrups to create new variations:
- Caramel
- Butterscotch
- Hazelnut
- Almond
If you don’t have malted milk powder, these alternatives may work though they will alter the final flavor:
- Regular milk powder
- Coconut milk powder
- Almond milk powder
- Ovaltine
- Malt syrup or a small amount of molasses (adjust sweetness to taste)
If you don’t have a handheld frother, use a small blender or a French press: blend or plunge until the foam doubles in volume.
What Is Starbucks Chocolate Cold Foam?
Starbucks chocolate cold foam blends cream, milk, cocoa powder, and malt powder, frothed until light and airy, then used to top cold coffee drinks. The foam adds a creamy, slightly chocolatey cap that’s both visually appealing and delicious.
Can I Make Chocolate Cold Foam In Advance?
It’s best to make the chocolate cold foam just before serving. The foam loses volume and texture over time, and it takes only a minute or two to prepare, so fresh is best.
Can I Use Chocolate Cold Foam In Other Beverages?
Yes. Chocolate cold foam is an excellent topping for many iced drinks, including:
- Regular iced coffee
- Iced espresso
- Iced lattes
- Blended iced coffees
- Iced chai beverages
- Iced London Fog
It will melt quickly on hot drinks, so for warm beverages a regular sweetened cream is usually a better choice.
Storage Instructions
Store sweetened cold brew in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week so it’s ready when you want it. Make the chocolate cold foam fresh each time for best texture and flavor.
Recommended Tools For This Recipe
- Handheld milk frother (or small blender or French press)
- Tall drinking glasses
- Reusable stainless steel straws (optional)
Enjoy This Chocolate Cream Cold Brew With These Treats
- Carrot Cake Loaf with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Chocolate Chip Oat Muffins
- Chewy Chai Spiced Molasses Cookies
- Spiced Apple Crumb Cake
📖 Recipe
Chocolate Cream Cold Brew (Starbucks Copycat)
Ashley Boyd
Pin Recipe
Equipment
-
Handheld milk frother
Ingredients
Chocolate Cold Foam
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons 2% milk
- 1 tablespoon malted milk powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla syrup – homemade or store-bought
- 1 teaspoon cocoa powder
Coffee
- 8 ounces cold brew coffee
- 1 tablespoon vanilla syrup – homemade or store-bought
Instructions
-
Add the cream, milk, malted milk powder, vanilla syrup, and cocoa powder to a large cup or glass. Froth with a handheld milk frother until the mixture doubles in volume and becomes light and frothy. Set aside.
-
Fill a tall glass with ice and pour the cold brew over the ice. Add the vanilla syrup, leaving about an inch at the top of the glass for the foam.
-
Pour the chocolate cold foam over the coffee and enjoy immediately.
Video
Notes
- If you don’t have a handheld frother, use a small blender or French press to froth the cold foam ingredients until doubled in volume.
- Make large batches of sweetened cold brew and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.