Cold Foam

Cold foam is frothed cold milk — light, airy, and non-fat. Whipped cream is heavy cream beaten with air until thick and rich. The key difference: cold foam is made from skim milk (0% fat), which creates a stable foam that floats on cold drinks. Whipped cream is 35–40% butterfat — it’s dense, sweet, and melts quickly into hot or iced drinks. At Starbucks, the cold foam distinction created the “cold foam” drink category starting in 2018. At home, the choice between the two depends on your drink, your equipment, and what you’re going for: a barista-style float, or a dessert-style topping. ...

Pumpkin cream cold brew is cold brew coffee sweetened with pumpkin spice syrup and topped with pumpkin-flavored cream cold foam. At Starbucks it’s a seasonal menu item — at home, you can make it year-round in 10 minutes. The two-layer presentation — dark cold brew below, pale orange pumpkin cream on top — is visually striking and functionally smart: the unsweetened cold brew provides the coffee base, while the sweet, spiced cream delivers the pumpkin flavor without overwhelming the coffee. ...

Cold foam is cold milk frothed without heat until it’s thick, airy, and pourable — the no-steam alternative that sits on top of iced coffee instead of sinking in. It takes under 3 minutes and requires nothing more than a handheld frother or a mason jar. What Is Cold Foam? Cold foam is frothed cold milk — whipped at room temperature or below to create a light, creamy layer that floats on top of cold drinks. Unlike steamed milk foam (which is hot and airy), cold foam is thick enough to stay on top of an iced latte or cold brew for several minutes before slowly incorporating. ...