How To Make Cold Foam Without A Frother: 4 Easy Ways

Cold foam is a blend of frothed milk and often some flavorful extract or syrup that tastes great with coffee. While it goes best with cold brew, it can also be used on iced or hot coffee to sweeten the bitter taste. It’s also easy to make at home, and there are many methods you can use.

While a frother is the easiest way to make cold foam since it’s a dedicated tool, it’s not the only way. You can also make cold foam using a blender, handheld mixer, french press, or even just a mason jar. Cold foam can also be spiced up with a variety of different flavors.

Let’s take a closer look at the various ways to make cold foam at home, as well as what flavors you can use and how Starbucks makes theirs.

How to Make Cold Foam at Home

Woman making coconut milk in a blender

Cold foam is made by frothing milk, with optional other ingredients you can add to it. You can buy a frother (on places like Amazon) that will do the job for you in around twenty seconds, but if you don’t want to spend the money on a dedicated tool or don’t have it handy, there are other options, such as:

  • Using a blender
  • Using a handheld mixer
  • Using a french press
  • Shaking the milk in a mason jar

You can do this with most kinds of milk and plant-based alternatives. Some people may also mix milk and heavy cream for a fluffier mixture at the end.

You should do that before frothing if you add syrup or extract to your cold foam. Then, once the cold foam is made, you can gently spoon it on top of your coffee.

How is Starbucks Cold Foam Made?

It might surprise people that despite how creamy it is, Starbucks uses nonfat milk for its cold foam. It froths more quickly but not as easily as other kinds of milk. It’s a little denser, which is excellent for balancing other things on top of it or creating latte art.

Starbucks has many different flavors of cold foam, and they were the ones to popularize it in the United States. From vanilla to pumpkin spice, there’s something for everyone; they can be recreated at home. But, of course, you’ll have to make the syrup to pour it on top of your coffee beforehand.

Starbucks allows you to add cold foam to any iced drink for an additional upcharge. However, they do not serve it on hot beverages, as it doesn’t work as well (though they probably would if you asked nicely, and that’s what you want).

What’s the Best Milk to Use for Cold Foam?

If you’re into creating latte art, nonfat milk is the best to use before it creates a creamy consistency without being too light. However, it’s best to use 2% or low-fat milk for a regular coffee drinker. This has the frothiest texture and isn’t dense, meaning it should sit nicely on top of your coffee.

You can also use a variety of plant-based kinds of milk, such as oat milk, almond milk, and soy milk. Any one of these should also froth nicely.

If you aren’t on a plant-based diet, you can use a mix of heavy whipping cream and milk. But, again, measures will depend on how fluffy you want the cold foam to be. 

Method One: Use a Blender

The first way you can make cold foam without a frother is to use a blender (on Amazon), and it’s very easy to do. Pour milk into a blender cup and start the speed on the slowest setting. As the milk begins to get frothier, increase the speed until it’s on high and then stop. Your cold foam should now be ready to use.

Method Two: Use a Handheld Mixer

An alternative but similar method is to use a handheld mixer (on Amazon). You can pour the milk (and whatever other ingredients you choose) into a bowl and, much like a blender, start the mixer on a low setting and slowly increase it. After around thirty seconds, you should have perfect cold foam.

Method Three: Use a French Press

French press with whipped milk

You can also use a french press (on Amazon)! Place the milk into a clean french press beaker and add the plunger. After that, you’ll have to press up and down for around forty-five seconds to a minute. Then the cold foam will be ready for consumption!

Method Four: Use a Mason Jar

If you’re ready to use your arm strength to create cold foam, you can also use a mason jar. Pour the milk into the jar and ensure it’s sealed tightly; otherwise, you will end up with a mess. You can also add whatever spices and seasonings you choose at this point.

You should then shake the jar vigorously for around a minute. Afterward, you’ll be left with cold foam that should be as good as if you made it with a frother.

Is a Frother Best for Making Cold Foam?

Although a frother is the most convenient tool for making cold foam, it doesn’t necessarily produce the best cold foam. Each of these other methods will produce the same quality of cold foam as long as you follow the instructions and take the time to ensure the technique is correct.

However, a frother is a relatively inexpensive tool if you have one dedicated instrument for making cold foam—often worth it for coffee lovers who might want to make it frequently.

Fun Ingredients to Spice Up Your Cold Foam

Although cold foam is a nice enough addition to sweeten the bitter taste of coffee, it’s also much tastier if you add other ingredients. Starbucks, for example, has a wide variety of syrups they mix in and some toppings that should sit nicely on top of the foam.

Cinnamon

Cinnamon is a great sweet spice to add to your cold foam. You can get sweet cinnamon syrup in a store or choose to make it yourself. 

To make cinnamon syrup:

  1. Boil equal parts of water and sugar together until the sugar has dissolved.
  1. Then, add a few cinnamon sticks and cover the pot for five minutes to simmer.
  1. Lastly, pour the mixture through a strainer and bottle the liquid. 

You can also top the cold foam with an extra cinnamon sprinkle to make it pop and add to the aesthetic!

Vanilla

Vanilla syrup is another popular addition to cold foam. You can boil equal parts sugar and water the same as you would for cinnamon syrup, but add vanilla extract simultaneously. Make sure it’s just a dash, as vanilla extract is potent!

If you’d rather buy your vanilla syrup, Starbucks sells its own version (on Amazon), so you make your Starbucks coffee at home without paying their prices. Buying a bottle of the syrup is much cheaper than buying a vanilla latte from them every day.

Mocha

Mocha is yet another flavor of coffee popularized by large chains like Starbucks. To make your cold foam mocha flavored, boil a few tablespoons of water and sugar with one tablespoon of cocoa powder. When frothing, you can then strain this mixture and add it to your cold foam.

Add store-bought chocolate syrup to your cold foam if you want a stronger or sweeter taste. Caramel also goes very well with mocha.

Matcha

If you want a matcha flavor, you can also choose to add a little matcha powder to your cold foam. However, if you want it to taste just like a Starbucks matcha latte, it’s essential to know that Starbucks uses sweetened matcha powder. Unsweetened matcha powder has a slightly bitter taste and may call for more sugar in your coffee if sweet is your preference.

Fruit

You can even use fruit to spice up your cold foam! For example, Starbucks has wonderful strawberry syrup. In addition, you can make your own fruit syrup by:

  1. Boiling water and sugar together in equal parts with a dash of vanilla extract.
  1. When boiled, add some fruit (such as strawberries) to the pot, cover it, and let it simmer for a few minutes.
  1. Pour it through a strainer like any other syrup, and you’re ready to add the flavor of the fruit.

Starbucks’ famous “pink drink” uses strawberry cold foam, so this is the way to go if you want to recreate it.

Is Cold Foam the Same as Whipped Cream?

Milk and milk frother

Although the process for making whipped cream is similar (adding air), it’s not the same as cold foam. This is because whipped cream is much thicker and will hold a shape better than cold foam. 

Can You Use Cream Instead of Milk?

Yes, and many people choose heavy cream instead of milk for their cold foam (or a blend of both). This is generally for people who want a much sweeter coffee and can almost make the drink feel like a dessert.

There are many ways to make cold foam at home, and it often takes experimenting before finding the right ways and ingredients. If you do only consume a plant-based diet, however, cream is dairy, so you should stick with an alternative to milk for the base ingredient.

In Conclusion

Overall, cold foam is a delicious addition to coffee, and it’s so easy to make that most people have tools available in their kitchen to do the job. Although 2% or low-fat milk is best, you can use various ingredients, and any plant-based alternative should work too.

You can also add different extracts and syrups to the cold foam to customize it to your taste and add a little (or a lot of) sweetness to your drink.

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