Last updated on May 20th, 2024 at 12:03
Making a Starbucks caramel cold brew coffee at home is not difficult; it’s easy. What is hard is getting the world’s biggest and most popular coffee shop to make a healthier version of this calories, sugar and fat laden beverage.
…and that is why making one at home is much better. You have full control over the ingredients and can make one that is much better for you!
Keep reading for a great recipe that you can enjoy and easily adjust and knock Starbucks out of the park in terms of taste and actually making a healthy version of this beverage.
What Is Starbucks Caramel Cold Brew?
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Starbucks caramel cold brew is exactly what it sounds like – a Starbucks cold coffee drink that is made with cold brew coffee, caramel syrup, vanilla sweet cream and tastes fabulous!
The proper full name of the beverage is Salted caramel cream cold brew coffee. It is thankfully very easy to make at home, and will save you a small fortune cash wise and, depending on how you make it, you can have a healthier version and with fewer calories, fat and sugar.
While it is a great drink, the Starbucks version is one that will blow apart your daily diet. While we are on that topic, let’s discuss how you can order a skinny salted caramel cold brew at Starbucks – it’s a lot more difficult than you think!
Read: Salted caramel cream cold brew calories
What Is A Skinny Salted Caramel Cold Brew: Starbucks
Ordering a skinny salted caramel cold brew at Starbucks is a challenge and involves a lot of knowledge of their menu, the nutritional details of it and getting what you want – a healthier version of a salted caramel cold brew coffee.
One option is to switch the sweet cream for regular milk or nonfat milk; this obviously shaves both sugar and fat content right away. The second obvious option that is staring us in the face is to have fewer pumps of syrup.
But given that this is compromising flavor, and healthy treats really should not compromise the flavor. You can opt for the vanilla syrup to be switched with a sugar-free vanilla syrup which has all the flavor and none of the sugar.
This is about the best you can do. Unfortunately there is currently no option for a sugar-free caramel syrup.
You can also opt for a smaller drink size to cut the calories, sugar and fat content.
Salted Caramel Cold Brew Starbucks Calories
Coffee lovers and in particular those that love the world’s most popular coffee shop, need to keep a watchful eye on the amount of calories, fat, sugar and caffeine that are in their coffee drinks.
They are a lot higher than you think!
The table below details Starbucks salted caramel cream cold brew coffee for all drink sizes.
Drink Size | Sugar | Fat | Calories | Caffeine | Pumps Of Syrup |
Tall 12 Oz (360 ml) | 19 | 12 | 190 | 145 mg | 3 |
Grande 16 Oz (480 ml) | 26 | 14 | 240 | 185 mg | 4 |
Venti 24 Oz (7200 ml) | 32 | 15 | 270 | 275 mg | 6 |
Trenta 30 Oz (900 ml) | 37 | 15 | 300 | 320 mg | 7 |
As you can see this drink contains a lot of sugar, calories and is highly caffeinated.
Read: Vanilla sweet cream cold brew with caramel drizzle
Salted Caramel Cold Brew: Starbucks Price
At the current price, a Starbucks salted caramel cold brew can vary from US$4.95 to US$6.45 for a Tall and Grande.
The price varies slightly depending on your location as prices vary slightly with New York City and Los Angeles being the most expensive locations.
Starbucks Salted Caramel Cold Brew Recipe
This Starbucks copycat recipe is easy to make and is one that you will love. The smooth ice-cold coffee with the fabulous two-tone taste of the cloud of salted caramel on top is just amazing!
Ingredients Needed For This Tasty Salted Caramel Cold Brew Recipe
There are very few basic ingredients that you need to make a perfect and amazing tasting salted caramel cold brew recipe.
Here is all you will need:
- 3/4 cup of cold brew coffee.
- 2 tablespoons of caramel sauce.
- 1/3 cup of half-and-half cream.
- 1 Cup of ice.
- 1 Dash of sea salt.
- 1 Tablespoon of vanilla syrup
Using caramel sauce that is store bought is more convenient than making your own, as is vanilla syrup. You can use brands like Torani or DaVinci Gourmet who have sugar-free versions of both.
Step-By-Step Instructions
Step 1: Make Your Vanilla Salted Cream
Using a pitcher or deep bowl, add your half-and-half cream and add a dash of sea salt and vanilla syrup.
Whip well with your handheld electric milk frother or blender. Whisk until it has a great, nice and thick consistency and is light and very fluffy.
Step 2: Add Your Caramel And Cold Brew Coffee
Now the foam is ready, add a drizzle of caramel sauce to your cup. Use an abundance of caramel sauce. A tall clear glass will have an amazing effect.
Pour your cold brew coffee into your glass and add some ice.
Step 3: Top Your Cold Brew Coffee With Your Foam
Add your salted cream foam on top of your cold brew coffee. You will need to spoon it on or if it is liquid enough, pour it over the back of a tablespoon to diffuse it.
Enjoy your great coffee!
Note: Making the coffee is the easy part and since this is a copycat recipe, use the Starbucks RTD, Ready To Drink 72 Oz box that you can order from Starbucks or on Amazon, or use their cold brew pitcher packs and have your Starbucks cold brew coffee EXACTLY as they serve it in their coffee shops.
Frequently Asked Questions About Starbucks Caramel Cold Brew
Is Starbucks Caramel Cold Brew Good?
Yes, and of course this is subjective and everyone’s own tastes are different. I love a cold brew as it is a very mellow tasting coffee and love salted caramel, added to a coffee it makes for a delicious delight and a nice once in a while treat.
The salted caramel cream cold brew from Starbucks is worth trying. As a matter of clarity, I’m not a big fan of Starbucks or the fancy coffees that they make. I’m more of “tasty beans” kind of guy.
Which Starbucks Cold Brew Is The Strongest?
The strongest cold brew coffee at Starbuck is their plain cold brew coffee with no topping or no flavored syrup added and the Trenta 30 Ounce (900 ml) size has 360 mg of caffeine, that is 90% of the 400 mg daily limit.
Is Cold Brew Healthier Than Coffee?
Cold brew coffee is every bit as healthy as regular coffee or other coffee brewing methods. Due to being less acidic it might be considered as healthier than other brewing methods due to being easier on your teeth and stomach.
The nutritional profile is similar and more concentrated due to a high ratio of coffee to water which is typically 1:8 which means it has a greater concentration of nutrients, antioxidants and phenolic compounds.
Is Starbucks Cold Brew Stronger Than Regular Coffee?
Yes, even though it is brewed with cold water to get the low temperature compounds and caffeine being easier extracted at higher temperatures, there is more caffeine in a cold brew coffee than regular coffee. The reason being a very strong concentrate of coffee is used due to the ratio of water and coffee.
The coffee to water ratio is typically 1:8, making it a concentrated coffee drink. Due to the cold extraction that is low, it is a very mellow tasting coffee.
Read: Salted caramel cream cold brew
Is Starbucks Salted Caramel Cold Brew Sweet?
Yes, this is a pretty sweet coffee drink. The salt used to make the thick foam topping is to balance out the sweet taste of the caramel syrup.
There are also two types of syrup used, vanilla syrup and caramel syrup, both of which are sweet.
Is Cold Brew Stronger Than Espresso?
Yes,
in terms of caffeine content, a shot of espresso has 75 mg of caffeine on average while a cold brew, tall size. 12 Oz (360 ml) has 155 mg of caffeine, almost twice as much caffeine as a shot of espresso.
You get more caffeine without the bitter flavor due to the cold water extraction.
Final Thoughts – Starbucks Caramel Cold Brew
Now that you know all about Starbucks caramel cold brew, what it is and how to make a much healthier version of their sugar, fat and calorie laden salted sweet cream caramel cold brew, something that is difficult to order from their menu.
Join our fun, active and informative online coffee community on Facebook/Meta and share your Starbucks caramel cold brew creations!