Cold brew and vanilla combined into perfection: Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew is a deliciously smooth Starbucks copycat you can make in the comfort of your home.
Have you tried a Starbucks Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew? If you did, and are both a coffee lover and a vanilla fanatic like me, the chances you fell in love with the drink are high.
What if I told you you can get a creamy Vanilla Cold Brew with a few simple ingredients? With cold brew coffee, vanilla extract, cream and sugar, you can make your own Starbucks copycat and save a lot of money in the long run!
Is this a healthy drink?
Although the amount of sugar this drink has might not be exactly healthy on a daily basis, if you’re fine with sugar, you can indulge yourself with it once or twice per week.
But if you can’t have that much sugar, get a sugar-free vanilla syrup, or replace sugar for the sweetener you can consume when making it. Remember that even without sugar, there’s still a high percentage of fat from the vanilla cream.
Yes, this is a sweet drink. The cold brew used is unsweetened, but the vanilla sweet cream has sugar in it, making this coffee beverage a sweet one. You can always make your drink less sweet by adding less vanilla syrup to the cold brew, or substituting it for vanilla extract only.
Vanilla sweet cream from Starbucks is made with dairy ingredients (heavy cream and 2% milk) plus their vanilla syrup.
Ingredients
Cold Brew. This drink, though sweet, still has a strong coffee presence. You can buy it, or make your own cold brew following my cold brew concentrate recipe. Make it using your favorite Starbucks coffee to make it taste even more like theirs.
Heavy Cream. Gives the vanilla coffee cream its smoothness.
Evaporated Milk. I use it instead of the 2% milk used in Starbucks’ original recipe. Making this simple substitution seems to enhance the vanilla flavor. If you don’t have it, or it’s hard to find where you live, keep the 2% milk - your drink will still taste delicious.
Vanilla Syrup. Is what makes this drink vanilla flavored! You can buy the same they use at Starbucks, or make your own vanilla syrup. I’ll teach you how to make your own below!
How to make it
If you’re making your own cold brew, be sure to check out my cold brew recipe and tips for making one just like Starbucks!
Homemade Vanilla Syrup:
You’ll need: 1 cup of hot water, 1 cup of sugar, and 3 teaspoons of vanilla extract.
Mix hot water and sugar, stirring until sugar dissolves. Add the vanilla extract to the sugar syrup and stir. After cooled, place it in a bottle or jar with a lid, and store in the fridge.
Vanilla Sweet Cream:
Mix heavy cream, evaporated milk (or 2% milk if using so) and vanilla syrup, stirring until combined.
If you wish your vanilla cream foamier, you can whip it until you get the desired consistency. Using a milk frother, a whisker or a mixer, whisk the vanilla cream until frothy. Add to your cold brew right away: the cream won’t hold this consistency for longer than 30 minutes.
Putting it all together:
Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of vanilla syrup to an empty cup. Fill it with ice, then pour cold brew until ¾ of the cup. Top with the vanilla sweet cream, and serve it right away.
Storing leftovers
Vanilla syrup should be kept inside the fridge, in a closed recipient. Vanilla sweet cream should also be stored in a closed jar and refrigerated, as should the cold brew coffee.
If stored with no lid, the ingredients, specially the vanilla cream, can get an off taste. And I’m pretty sure you don’t want to drink a vanilla sweet onion cream, so remember the lid.
Vanilla sweet cream is good for up to one week. The amount made in this recipe is enough for 3 to 4 servings.
More Starbucks Copycats
Mocha Latte
Matcha Frappuccino
Starbucks Cinnamon Dolce
Strawberry Frappe
Starbucks Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew
Cold brew and vanilla combined into perfection: Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew is a deliciously smooth Starbucks copycat you can make in the comfort of your home.
Ingredients
Vanilla Syrup
- 1 cup hot water
- 1 cup sugar
- 4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Vanilla Sweet Cream (makes about 4 servings)
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ⅓ cup evaporated milk (or 2% milk)
- 3 tablespoon vanilla syrup
Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew
- 1 cup cold brew coffee
- ¼ cup vanilla sweet cream
- ice
Instructions
- For the vanilla syrup, mix hot water and sugar, stirring until sugar dissolves completely. Add vanilla extract to the sugar syrup and stir.
- For the vanilla sweet cream, mix heavy cream, evaporated milk (or 2% milk if using so) and vanilla syrup, whisking until combined.
- For the vanilla sweet cream cold brew, in a tall glass, pour the cold brew and stir. Add enough ice to fill the glass up to ¾. Remember to leave space for the cream.
- Pour the vanilla sweet cream, serving it right away.
Notes
If you want an extra sweet drink, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of vanilla syrup into the glass before pouring cold brew.
About the cold brew:
If using store-bought cold brew concentrate, don’t forget to follow instructions and dilute in water for a less strong coffee. If following my cold brew concentrate recipe, I use 2 parts of cold brew for 1 part of water, and sometimes omit the water completely, as this recipe uses ice and I like my coffee strong.
About the vanilla syrup:
After cooled, place it in a bottle or jar with a lid, and store in the fridge.
If you want, substitute sugar for your favorite sweetener. Check if you need to use the same amount as you would of sugar (most of sweeteners have the information in the package).
About the vanilla sweet cream:
You can froth the cream until it gets the desired consistency. Use a milk frothier, a whisker or a mixer, and whisk the vanilla cream until frothy. Add to your cold brew right away: the cream won’t hold this consistency for longer than 30 minutes.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
1Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 249Total Fat: 9gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 27mgSodium: 82mgCarbohydrates: 9gFiber: 0gSugar: 9gProtein: 2g
Nutrition information is an estimate only and will vary depending on the substitutions made and/or brands used.
Pam Kitchens
Just tried this recipe delicious
Milk and Pop
Glad you like it, Pam! Cheers 😉