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Salted Caramel Cream Cold Brew
About the Starbucks salted caramel cream cold brew coffee recipe and how to make your own.
Published January 19, 2022
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Jennie Backteman
Coffee experts@The Coffee Lab
There’s a reason why Starbucks is one of the most popular coffee chains out there. While some people might argue that it’s not real coffee, you can’t deny that they serve rich, sweet, and refreshing drinks that hit the spot – and their cold brew coffee is one of the best things to drink on a warm summer day. If you love coffee and also have a sweet tooth, then you might love the salted caramel cream cold brew coffee from Starbucks. It’s a sweet, refreshing combination that’s definitely worth trying. Read on to find out more about the ingredients that are used to create this drink, its nutritional content, and how to recreate the recipe yourself if you prefer to make your own coffee.
Ingredients
The salted caramel cream cold brew by Starbucks is made with three key ingredients, which are cold brew, caramel syrup, and a vanilla cream topping. Let’s take a look at these three ingredients in more detail.
Cold Brew Coffee
Unlike iced coffee that is first brewed hot and then cooled down over ice, cold brew coffee is made with a slow extraction process that involves steeping coffee grounds in cold water for at least twelve hours. During this process, all the delicious coffee flavors are extracted from the beans, resulting in a brew that is sweeter and less acidic compared to hot brewed coffee. Cold brew is the perfect type of coffee for this drink, with sweet, rich flavors that mix particularly well with the vanilla and caramel flavors.
Vanilla Sweet Cream
Vanilla sweet cream is the second ingredient to be added, giving the coffee a creamy and thick texture. The cream is made from a combination of milk, cream, and vanilla syrup that is whipped to create a thick foam topping.
Caramel Syrup
The final main ingredient that provides the caramel cold brew Starbucks with its distinct flavor is caramel syrup. Four pumps of caramel syrup are mixed with the Starbucks salted caramel sweet cream cold brew before it is topped with the vanilla sweet cream.
Nutritional Information
If you are interested in learning more about nutrition, then the first thing to be aware is that if you’re looking for a coffee drink to enjoy, the salted cream cold brew from Starbucks is not the healthiest choice on the menu – but it is certainly a delicious treat. If you go for the Grande option, it has 230 calories, and 14g of fat. There’s also 45mg of cholesterol and 23g of carbohydrate, which unfortunately all comes from sugar rather than fiber, which may be a risk factor if you are diabetic. There’s 2g of protein and 330mg of sodium. It contains 185mg of caffeine, which is a safe amount as the daily recommended intake for an average person is 400mg. If you want a lower-calorie option, you could get the smaller Tall size with just 160 calories. On the other hand, the Venti has 280 calories, and the Trenta has 340 calories, if you want to treat yourself.
Overall, it might not be a drink that you want to have every day if you are health-conscious, but once as a treat is nothing to worry about.
Nitro or Regular Cold Brew?
Depending on the Starbucks coffee shop where you order your caramel sweet cream cold brew, you may be served it using nitro cold brew. The other ingredients remain the same, and the only difference between this drink and one made with regular cold brew is that the coffee passes through a nitro frother. The purpose of this is to infuse the coffee with nitrogen, which gives it a bubbly and creamy effect.
As a result, it tastes even sweeter in comparison to a regular cold brew and has a rich, thick mouthfeel. Since a nitrogen infuser is needed to make this coffee, you won’t find it at every Starbucks. However, if you do see a caramel salted cream cold foam cold brew made with nitro cold brew option on the menu, it’s definitely worth trying for an even more indulgent version of this popular drink.
Final Thoughts
If you are looking for a drink that offers a gorgeous balance of rich, intense coffee flavor and sugary sweetness, the Starbucks salted caramel cold foam brew might be the perfect option for you, especially on a hot summer’s day when you are looking for something sweet and refreshing. It’s definitely more of a drink for people with a sweet tooth.
Recreating the Recipe at Home
If you like making your own coffee at home and coming up with copycat recipes for your favorite coffee shops, then you may be keen to learn how to make salted caramel cold foam brew at home. The good news is that the caramel cold foam cold brew is actually quite an easy drink to make at home if you have some basic skills and knowledge about coffee. Bear in mind that the cold brew ingredient itself will need quite a lot of time to steep, so you will need to start preparing to make this coffee at least twelve hours in advance.
Making Cold Brew
The first thing that you will need to do to make your favorite salted caramel cold foam coffee at home is make cold brew. This can feel quite daunting if you have never made cold brew at home before, but don’t stress over this step as it is actually quite a lot easier than you might think. No specialist equipment is needed, either. To make cold brew, get pre-ground coarse coffee or grind your own on a coarse setting. Then add seven parts water to one part coffee. You can even buy the beans from Starbucks directly if you want your drink to taste just the same.
Once you have combined the water and coffee together, put it in the refrigerator and let it steep for around twelve hours. Take it out before eighteen hours have passed. Then, filter the grounds from the water. There are various methods that you can use to do this including a tea strainer, French press, fine-mesh sieve or similar. You will then have cold brew concentrate ready to use; dilute it with water if needed to get the taste that you want. If you have any left over, you can leave it in a sealed glass jar in the fridge for between 48 hours and one week.
Making Vanilla Cream
There are several options to make the creamy topping for this drink. You can use a simple syrup with some vanilla extract or get a vanilla syrup which is folded and whipped into heavy cream. Or, if you prefer, you can find vanilla-flavored whipped cream for an easier option. A milk frother rather than whipping the cream is the best way to get the really foamy texture like Starbucks when making your Starbucks salted caramel cold foam at home. To do this, use half a cup of milk combined with half a cup of cream, and mix together with the syrup. Then, use a milk frothing wand or milk frother jug that is designed to create cold-frothed milk. A coil or spiral whisk is a good alternative to aerate the combination.
Caramel Syrup
While you can make your own caramel syrup at home if you want, it’s often easier and cheaper to buy caramel syrup, or use caramel sauce designed for ice cream. Syrup tends to be a better option for adding to cold coffee and will result in a smoother drink, while caramel sauce is more likely to settle to the bottom of the cup. Add one pump of syrup for each four ounces of coffee in your cup and add a pinch of sea salt before adding the coffee to get that salted caramel flavor.
Non-Dairy and Vegan Alternatives
The great news is that if you are vegan or have a dairy-free diet, you can still enjoy this awesome caramel cold brew either at Starbucks or at home. Coconut cream and coconut milk can be used instead of dairy milk to make the cold foam topping, resulting in a rich, creamy coffee with stunning tropical flavors. Any non-dairy milk of your choice including almond milk, soy milk, oat milk or hazelnut milk can easily be used with a cream alternative depending on what you prefer. If you are making this drink at home, barista blend options for non-dairy milks are the best choice since they are designed to hold the foam better once frothed.
If you like super-sweet coffee recipes, there’s no denying that Starbucks is one of the best brands to turn to with lots of menu items perfect for people with a sweet tooth. And the salted caramel cream cold brew coffee is definitely one of the most popular items on the menu for people who love sweet and creamy coffee. While it might not be the healthiest option available at Starbucks, it definitely tastes amazing and is a refreshing iced drink to enjoy on a hot day that’s easier than you think to recreate at home.
About the author
Jennie Backteman
I´m a ultramarathon runner, landscape designer and a coffee lover.
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