How To Make Cold Cream Foam Like A Pro!

Cold cream foam is tasty, delicious, and I get a lot of questions asking me how to make cold cream foam. 

Thankfully it is so easy to make both with and without special equipment. In this article I’ll talk about how you can make a delicious cold foam at home with a French press, cocktails shake, a whisk and a handheld milk frother.

Keep reading for a simple and easy recipe that you can make at home!

How To Make Cold Cream Foam Like A Master Barista

Starbucks make their cold foam with nonfat milk and use their own bladeless special blender for perfectly smooth cold foam with a great texture.

I suspect that you can replicate this with their Verismo blender at home.

The Starbucks Verismo blender is hard to find. Very few places have it in stock, and you have to be quick to get one. Walmart, Target, Amazon and if you are lucky, eBay.

Starbucks being, well…Starbucks have flavored cold foam which are made with heavy cream and have a number of appetizing flavors like vanilla sweet cream cold foam, pumpkin cream cold foam and salted caramel cream cold foam.

If you know the menu, you can hack the menu and get some real delightful creations like chocolate mint and get that after eight taste to your coffee topping.

You can add your topping to any cold brew or iced drink.

At Dunkin’ Donuts the cold foam is from a can and is sweeter than the one that you get from Starbucks.

Read: Vanilla sweet cream cold brew calories venti

Ingredients

Only two ingredients are needed in this recipe, half-and-half cream and sugar (or simple syrup).

• Half And Half Cream

In my experience and the many times that I have made cold foam, the key to getting it perfect is using half-and-half cream. Of course, you can make your own half-and-half cream by using either 2% milk or nonfat milk and adding an equal amount of heavy cream. If it is convenience that suits you, buy it premade.

• Sugar Or Simple Syrup

Whit granulates sugar can be used. I have a preference for using a simple syrup as there is a much better distribution of sweetness.

For making enough for one person, use 1/3 of a cup of half and cream and two tablespoons of sugar or 1 tablespoon of simple syrup.

How To Make Cold Foam Without A Frother

Let’s get down to making your cold foam without a frother with a few very easy techniques.

For all of these methods, it is highly advantageous that you have all parts of the equipment used ice-cold, including the mixing bowl, to help the fats to emulsify and give you a quality consistency to the cream.

French Press Technique

This method will create a tasty cold foam with uniform bubbles. Put your French press in the freezer to get all parts of it as cold as possible.

Put your ingredients into an ice-cold mixing bowl and mix them together well then transfer to your French press.

Fill your press to only 1/3rd full and no more. You need to allow space for the cold cream foam to expand.

Push down on the plunger evenly and with a pumping action. After a minute or two of pumping the plunger your cold cream foam should expand to twice its original volume.

Pour your cold foam on to a prepared cold brew or iced coffee. If you have difficulties getting it to sit on top, diffuse with the back of a spoon.

Read: Homemade cold foam

The Cocktail Shaker Method

Mix your ingredients together well in an ice-cold mixing bowl and transfer to your cocktail shaker, which for best effects must be as cold as you can get it. Fill to no more than 1/3 full.

Shake with vigor and strength for 2 minutes. Then pour over your awaiting beverage.

The Manual Whisk Method

For this method, make sure your bowl and ingredients are cold, very cold and the mixing bowl is absolutely ice-cold. Also, make sure your whisk is ice-cold too.

It is not difficult to get a quality cold foam manually; just take every advantage that you get.

Simply add your ingredients to your mixing bowl, mix well and whisk with energy and vigor for about 2 minutes until you get the consistency that you need.

How To Make Cold Foam With A Frother

Obviously, much less effort is required to make your cold foam with a handheld milk frother. 

Put your ingredients together in a mixing bowl and mix them well together. Using your handheld milk frother froth your cold foam until it is a nice, frothy and fluffy. 

This should take 20 to 30 seconds. While frothing move your frother through the cold foam from top to bottom, making sure they are touching all parts of the liquid. 

Read: How to make vanilla sweet cream cold foam

What Drinks Can You Add Cold Cream Foam To?

While it has been said by many other websites that you can add this cold and creamy foam to any drink. This is not true.

It doesn’t go so well with hot coffee drinks. Adding it to a hot caffé Americano is not a good idea. You can get away with using it with a latte since a latte has been cooled due to the amount of milk used (a latte is 2/3rds milk and 1/3 espresso).

Adding your cold cream foam to cold brews and iced coffee works best.

Can I Make Cold Cream Foam Dairy Free?

Yes,

it is very easy to make a cold cream foam that is dairy free. Simply replace the half-and-half cream with a dairy-free cream and the alternative milk that you want to use. You have a number of options, including:

• Coconut milk.
• Almond milk.
• Soy milk.
• Oat milk.
• Rice milk.

You have a lot of options. If you love using alternative milks, I suggest the use of the Barista brand as they are specifically made for coffee with a little more fat added to make them steam, foam and emulsify better without curdling.

Frequently Asked Questions About How To Make Cold Cream Foam

Can I Make My Own Cold Foam?

Yes, making your own cold foam at home is very easy and more enjoyable as you can make it exactly how you want it. All you need is the ingredients and a high speed blender. After two minutes of blending, you will have a high-quality, fluffy smooth cold foam.

How Is Cold Foam Made?

Cold foam is made easily, very easily. For one person, use 1/3 cup of half-and-half cream, 2 tablespoons of sugar or 1 tablespoon of simple syrup and mix them together well.

To make the foam you can use your French press and pump it until the foam expands. You can also use a handheld milk frother or a cocktail shaker.

What Is The Tool To Make Cold Foam?

To make cold foam you can use a milk frother. Any quality handheld milk frother will help you to make a quality homemade cold foam. You can also use a high speed food blender a French press or an ice-cold cocktail shaker. 

Is Cold Foam Just Whipped Cream?

No, cold foam and whipped cream are very different. Cold foam is a pourable liquid that you can use as a topping for your lattes, cold brews and iced coffee and can be flavored with a simple syrup of your choice.

Whipped cream is thicker and has the ability to hold its shape. Both share a lot of commonalities such as forcing air into heavy cream or milk and creating tiny air bubbles.

How Long Is Homemade Cold Foam Good For?

Your homemade cold foam is good for 3 days after you make it. Store it in your fridge in a container with an airtight lid. When you want to use it, don’t forget to froth it.

Why Isn’t My Cold Foam Thickening?

The most common reasons for your cold foam not thickening are:

• Your cream has separated and has become chunky at the bottom.
• Your whipped cream is not cold enough.

Simply ensure that your cream has not separated by giving it a good shake. If it gets too thick, add a little more milk to thin it out. Whip it for longer, starting at a low speed and then moving to high speed gradually.

Final Thoughts – How To Make Cold Cream Foam

Now that you know how to make cold cream foam, you can make it at home and impress your coffee loving friends next time they are over!

What I love about a tasty cold cream foam is the way it sits on top of the drink, giving me a two layered drink with a layered taste.

Join our active, fun, informative and vibrant coffee community on Facebook/Meta and share your cold foam coffee creations and recipes with the whole community.

Derek Marshall

Derek Marshall, a certified barista by the Specialty Coffee Association possesses over two decades of experience in specialty coffee shops. He holds professional certifications for coffee brewing and barista skills. Derek is also an author with authoritative books covering various coffee topics including specialty coffee, sustainability and coffee, coffee brewing, coffee recipes, coffee cocktails and books focusing on Brazilian coffee, Vietnamese coffee, Indonesian coffee and Malaysian coffee. As a barista for over two decades, Derek Marshall has worked in specialty coffee shops across the United Kingdom, Spain, Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia, Indonesia, and Vietnam. His expertise extends to the distinct coffee cultures, specialty beverages, and brewing techniques of each nation. Functioning as a coffee consultant, Derek charges US$50 per hour. To learn more about Derek Marshall and Latte Love Brew, visit his About Me Page. For coffee inquiries, contact him at +34-639-410-375 or Derek@LatteLoveBrew.com, mentioning your name and location