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How to Make Cold Foam at Home, just like you’d get at a coffee shop, but for a fraction of the cost. Cold foam is perfect for topping your favorite iced coffee, hot coffee, or tea drinks. It adds a creamy flavor and texture to your drinks, and it’s so popular right now!
This post is chock full of info and ideas to help you make the best cold foam for you! If you prefer to skip the info, feel free to use the jump to recipe button, or look through the table of contents. The upshot of all of this is that cold foam is delicious!
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What is cold foam?
Cold foam is simply lightly whipped or frothed milk or nondairy plant-based alternative milk, that’s often flavored and sweetened. The idea is similar to steamed and frothed milk that tops lattes and cappuccinos, but it’s served cool temperature.
The texture is thick and rich, velvety, and it’s poured over the iced coffee. Cold Foam isn’t whipped as much as whipped cream, so it’s thicker with less air, and it’s a more pourable consistency.
And for a fun twist on cold foam, check out my Vietnamese Coffee Gelatin Squares with Vanilla Bean Cold Foam.
What is it made of?
I did a bunch of testing of different milks, both dairy and no dairy, and I wanted to share my results with you.
Most all of the dairy milks work great, so you can choose your fat content. Cream makes the thickest, richest, and tastiest topping, in my opinion. 1% milk makes a lovely thick topper that’s quite impressive, it just doesn’t have the same creamy satisfying flavor.
I tested several plant-based milks as well, and though they were tasty, none of them produced a thick cold foam. They did get frothy, but not that impressive height on them.
So, what you make your cold foam with, is pretty much up to you. For the best flavor, go with cream. For a pretty thick foam, try 1% dairy. And if you’re into plant based, feel free to use nondairy milk, just know that it doesn’t seem to set up as well. Of course, brands may vary.
What is the best milk to use?
Personally, I think the best cold foam is made with cream. It sets up perfectly and has a beautiful flavor.
If you’re just going for looks, skim milk and 1% make the most stable and thickest foam, since they have a higher percentage of protein per ounce than whole milk or 2%.
And really, it’s up to you based on what you’re going for. Maybe you want to cut some of the calories and fat but keep some of the rich flavor and go with whole milk.
You can see some of the various tests with different milks below.
Can I make it dairy-free?
Yes, you can make dairy-free, plant-based, vegan, foam, but it isn’t as thick and foamy as dairy milk. Try your favorite, oat milk, almond milk, soy milk, or coconut cream.
Can you make it with creamer?
Some of my tests were with creamer. But I don’t think that creamer produces the same thick foam that you’re looking for. So, again, you can use it for a frothy topping, but not that impressive foam.
Add-ins
I typically like to make my cold foam plain, with just the cream, and I add all the flavorings to the coffee. But you can feel free to fancy it up as you like.
Add sweetener like simple syrup, vanilla simple syrup, or maple syrup. Or add in a little caramel syrup or other Torani syrup.
Mix in some extract like vanilla, vanilla bean paste, almond extract, or lavender.
A dash of matcha tea powder is a fun pop of color and flavor.
Or add spices to your cold foam; try some pumpkin spice to make a PSL cold foam or add a pinch of cinnamon.
Muddle in some fresh mint.
How do you make cold foam at home
Homemade cold foam is super simple to make at home. And you don’t need any special equipment. There are several ways you can make it depending on what you have.
Whichever method you use to make your cold foam, it should be thick, smooth, and pourable. Not as stiff as regular whipped cream.
Mason jar
Note: the following sections contain affiliate links.
I make my cold foam in the simplest and lowest effort way possible. With a mason jar. I figure that most everyone has a mason jar, and this makes it the easiest for anyone to make at home. No milk frother needed. In addition, I did all my tests with a mason jar.
Just add the ingredients to a mason jar, close it up tightly with the lid, and shake vigorously until the milk is foamy. It’s a great arm workout too.
If your carton of cream or milk is mostly empty, you can actually shake the cold foam right in the container as well.
Milk frother
I think the next easiest way to make cold foam is the milk frother. Just place the ingredients in a container and froth or blend until thick and foam. They sell both handheld wand types and ones that look more like a countertop blender.
Immersion blender
The immersion blender is basically just a bigger version of the milk frother. And, you may already own one. Especially if your immersion blender comes with a whisk attachment, and it might also have a jar container to whip things in.
French press
Pour the ingredients into the pitcher of the French press, plunge the lid down repeatedly until the milk begins to foam.
Regular blender
You can also use a large regular blender or a smaller smoothie blender like a Nutribullet. Add all the ingredients to the pitcher and blend until it’s foamy and increased in volume.
Troubleshooting
Be sure to use cold milk straight from the fridge for the best frothing.
Make sure the mason jar or container is about double the volume of the liquid ingredients to give it room to aerate.
How to store
If you make it and let it sit while pour your coffee, it may begin to separate into a foam layer on top and a milky layer underneath. If it does separate, you can easily whisk it back together before pouring. But I like to make it last just before serving the drink so it doesn’t separate.
If you have any leftovers, pour it into a mason jar with a lid and store it in the fridge for up to three days. Before serving, give the jar a few vigorous shakes until it’s foamy again.
Can you buy cold foam?
Yes, you can just buy it now! It comes in a can like a can of whipped cream. And there are different flavors.
I found these on Amazon {affilaite links}: Coffee toppers and ReddiWip brand. Also look in your grocery store’s dairy section.
And if you want to find a great new coffee shop, check out my Best Coffee in Orange County.
How to use – serving suggestions
- You can use it to top both iced coffee drinks and hot coffee drinks. It’s great on chilled tea as well.
- Make an Iced Lavender Latte, Cardamon Latte with Cardamom Simple Syrup, A Mint Mojito Coffee, or a Chai topped with cold foam.
- Feel free to leave a dollop floating on top or stir it into the drink to make every sip extra creamy. My husband likes his lattes upside down, meaning that the cold foam is placed on the bottom of the glass and topped with the coffee.
- Cold brew coffee
- Nitro cold brew
- Iced latte, Iced mocha, Iced cappuccino, or Iced espresso
- Iced London Fog tea latte or Iced matcha tea latte
- Coffee soda or coffee sparkling water
- Try it on fresh fruit for a great dessert.
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Recipe
Cold Foam
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup cream or milk dairy or plant-based as desired
- 1 teaspoon simple syrup or another liquid sweetener, optional
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract or other extract, spice, or flavor of choice, optional
Instructions
Mason jar
- Add milk, syrup, and extract to a mason jar, place the lid on tightly, and shake vigorously until thick and foamed. Make sure the mason jar or container is at double the volume of the liquid ingredients to give it room to aerate.
frother
- Alternatively, use a tall glass or jar and place the milk frother or immersion blender whisk into the glass, allowing the whisk portion to submerge fully. Turn on the frother and blend until the it starts to thicken, or about 20 seconds.
French Press
- Pour the ingredients into the pitcher of a French press, plunge the lid down repeatedly until the milk begins to foam.
blender
- You can also use a large regular blender or a smaller smoothie blender like a Nutribullet. Add all the ingredients to the pitcher and blend until it’s foamy and increased in volume.
Pour the cold foam over your favorite drink.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations, and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary based on brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes, and more.
Debi
I make cold foam all the time now. It’s so good and budget friendly at home. And it makes every occasion fancy and special. I hope you give it a try at your home too! ~ Debi, author, Life Currents