Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew (Starbucks Copycat Recipe) - Happy Mothering (2024)

Are you a coffee lover who enjoys Starbucks Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew? This recipe will teach you how to make my delicious copycat recipe at home.

While I’m a huge hot coffee drinker during the colder months, I much prefer to sip on a fancy iced coffee drink during the warmer months. My favorite Starbucks cold coffee drink to order for years has been the Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew Coffee.

Not every Starbucks location seems to serve it anymore, so I’m glad that it’s so easy to make a copycat version at home. All you need are a handful of simple ingredients to make my vanilla sweet cream recipe.

By mixing this vanilla sweet cream with cold brew coffee, you’ll have the perfect Starbucks Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew drink for a fraction for the price.

Ingredients and Equipment

• 6 ounces of heavy cream
• 3 tablespoons of maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons of collagen powder
• 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
• 8 ounce mason jar
• Measuring cups and spoons
• Cold brew coffee maker
• Mason jar
• Whisk

By the Numbers: How to Make Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew Coffee

Follow these simple steps to learn how to make a copycat Starbucks Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew at home to save you both time and money.

Step 1: Make Vanilla Cream.

The first thing you want to do is add 6 ounces of heavy whipping cream, 3 tablespoons of maple syrup and 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract to a small mason jar and whisk to combine.

Step 2: Thicken Cream.

Next, whisk in the collagen powder until it’s fully dissolved into the sweet cream mixture to help thicken it up a bit.

Step 3: Chill Vanilla Cream.

Once everything is well combined, put the lid on the jar and place it in the refrigerator until you’re ready to add it to your cold brew. Make sure it’s fully chilled first!

Step 4: Mix Sweet Cream with Cold Brew Coffee.

To use, pour your cold brew coffee over ice, then add one ounce of the vanilla sweet cream coffee creamer per cup to the coffee. Add a fun straw and serve!

Tips for Making Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew

Answers to all of your questions about making this sweet drink better than a coffee shop.

What does it taste like?

If you haven’t tried it before, it’s a delicious coffee drink with a sweet vanilla flavor that’s served over ice. I find that all you need is about 1 ounce per cup of coffee. You can always taste and add more to your personal preference, if needed.

What’s different about cold brew coffee?

Cold brew is coffee that is literally brewed with cold water instead of hot water. I love how cold brew coffee doesn’t have the same bitter acids and oils that you taste in traditional full immersion or hot brew coffees.

Instead, cold-brew coffee extracts the natural flavors and aromatics of your coffee without those bitter flavors. It makes for a much more balanced and smooth cup of coffee that’s more enjoyable.

And cold brew coffee makers are typically smaller and non-electric, so they’re easy to store in a cabinet or on the counter along with my my Keurig (and compostable coffee pods).

How much does this recipe make?

This recipe for Vanilla Sweet Cream Coffee Creamer makes 8 ounces (I store it in an 8 ounce mason jar). I like to use one ounce per 8 fluid ounce cup of coffee, so this recipe will sweeten 8 cups (give or take, depending upon your taste preferences).

So you’ll need about 64 ounces of cold brew coffee for the amount of creamer you’ll be making.

Best coffee beans for cold brew?

If you’re still in search of your favorite coffee to make cold brew with, I highly recommend Purity Coffee. It’s the best, cleanest, least acidic coffee I’ve ever tried and it’s all my husband and I drink. You can read my Purity Coffee review to learn why I think they’re the best coffee beans in the world.

Alternatives to maple syrup?

While I love the sweetness and flavor of maple syrup in this iced coffee drink, you can also use simple syrup, vanilla syrup or any liquid sweetener of your choosing.

The reason I don’t recommend granulated sugar is that it dissolves in hot water, not cold and we’re making cold brew coffee here.

Is the collagen powder necessary?

While it’s not imperative to use collagen powder, I find that it gives the creamer that rich, creamy flavor and texture that the gums and other additives you find in Starbucks’ drinks provide.

Is there a dairy free option?

Substitute your favorite non-dairy creamer or canned coconut milk for the heavy cream, and you’ll have a nice, dairy-free option for your coffee.

Best way to make homemade cold brew?

All you need to make your own cold brew is a simple cold brew coffee maker, ground coffee and cold water. Most of them come with a cold brew recipe that’s easy to follow.

While I like the simplicity of non-electric ones, they have some pretty neat electric cold brew makers now.

If you have one, you can also make cold brew in a French Press.

Can you use a cold brew concentrate?

Yes, you can choose to brew your own cold brew, buy a large container at the grocery store or dilute down a concentrate. It’s become so easy to find that even Misfits Market carries it sometimes.

How to make it foamy?

While I don’t typically like foam with my coffee, I know it brings a lot joy to people. You can make sweet cream foam with the creamer with a handheld milk frother that has a cold foam function. Just froth up the cream before adding it to the cold brew and your drink will be extra fancy.

What’s in the Starbucks version?

The ingredients listed on the Starbucks website are: Ice, Brewed Coffee, Vanilla Sweet Cream [Cream (Cream, Mono And Diglycerides, Carageenan), Milk, Vanilla Syrup (Sugar, Water, Natural Flavors, Potassium Sorbate, Citric Acid)], Vanilla Syrup [Sugar, Water, Natural Flavors, Potassium Sorbate, Citric Acid].

They don’t guarantee that anything in the store is gluten free, so there’s no way to know for sure that it’s GF. My version, however, is absolutely gluten free.

What is Starbucks cold brew called?

The cold-brewed Starbucks coffee is called Nitro Coffee because they infuse it with nitrogen to create a sweet flavor without extra added sugar.

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