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Salted Caramel Cream Cold Brew: Recipe & Cold Foam

Salted caramel cream cold brew is chilled cold-brew coffee topped with caramel-flavored cream foam and a little salt. The foam brings sweetness into each sip while the coffee base stays unsweetened.

By Jason HarrisReviewed by Online Coffee Guide editorial teamPublished Updated 6 min read
Dark iced coffee in a tall glass with pale cream foam beside an amber syrup vessel and a dish of white crystals
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Drink Snapshot

Caffeine
About 70 mg (named coffee)200 ml STōK UN-SWEET Black, 48 oz bottleApplies to STōK UN-SWEET Black 48 oz used as the reference. Homemade coffee or another bottle needs its own caffeine estimate.
Calories
Estimated 160 kcalOne defined recipe; all foam servedNo added syrup in the coffee or caramel drizzle is counted.
Serving, sugar and sources
Serving
200 ml (6.8 US fl oz) cold brew + 120 g (4.2 oz) ice + foam made with 30 g (2 US tbsp) cream, 30 g (2 US tbsp) milk, 10 ml (2 US tsp) syrup and 0.2 g salt
Made with
Ready-to-drink cold brew + salted caramel cream foam
Sugar
Estimated 10.4 g total. Includes 8 g from syrup and 2.4 g from the dairy ingredients.
Preparation
About 5 minutes; coffee already brewed and chilled

Ingredient labels and USDA references checked 26 September 2026. The whole serving includes all the measured foam. See the full calculation or label comparison.

Key Takeaways
  • Keep the foam pourable so the salted caramel travels into each sip of coffee.
  • Reduce caramel syrup when the drink is too sweet; keep the salt light enough to accent the cream.
  • Dilute cold-brew concentrate before measuring the coffee, then keep the base cold for the foam.
On This Page9 Sections

Salted Caramel Cream Cold Brew Recipe

Recipe

Homemade Salted Caramel Cream Cold Brew

Makes:
1 serving
Time:
About 5 minutes; cold brew already prepared and chilled

Ingredients

  • 200 ml (6.8 US fl oz) chilled ready-to-drink cold brew
  • 120 g (4.2 oz) ice
  • 30 g (2 US tbsp) cold heavy whipping cream
  • 30 g (2 US tbsp) cold whole milk
  • 10 ml (2 US tsp) Monin US regular Caramel Syrup
  • 0.2 g fine salt

Equipment

  • 500 ml (16.9 US fl oz) glass
  • Narrow frothing jug, spoon and handheld milk frother
  • Scale reading 0.1 g for salt
  • Marked liquid measure

Method

  1. If using concentrate, dilute it as directed before measuring. Put 120 g (4.2 oz) ice in a 500 ml (16.9 US fl oz) glass and add 200 ml (6.8 US fl oz) chilled ready-to-drink cold brew.
  2. In a narrow frothing jug, stir 30 g (2 US tbsp) cold heavy cream, 30 g (2 US tbsp) cold whole milk, 10 ml (2 US tsp) caramel syrup and 0.2 g fine salt until the salt dissolves.
  3. Froth briefly with a handheld frother until the cream is lightly aerated and still pourable. Stop before it forms stiff peaks.
  4. Pour all the salted caramel foam over the iced coffee and serve promptly.

Estimated nutrition: 160 kcal · 10.4 g total sugar. Per drink, using STōK UN-SWEET Black and Monin US Caramel Syrup, with all the foam.

Recipe notes

Contains milk.

Use a flowing beverage syrup and fine salt. Measure the 0.2 g salt with a scale reading 0.1 g; coarse salt and an unmeasured pinch are harder to repeat.

Cold cream, milk, caramel syrup and salt frothed into a pourable topping for iced cold brew.
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Stop frothing while the topping still flows from the jug.

Before You Start

Use a jug deep enough to cover the whisk head with this small portion. Cold-brew concentrate must be diluted first according to its label or recipe, then measured as 200 ml (6.8 US fl oz) ready-to-drink coffee. Melting ice is not a reliable substitute for that dilution.

For a homemade base, follow the cold-brew brewing guide before starting this five-minute assembly.

Start with the whisk submerged to avoid splashing, then introduce a little air. Judge the endpoint by texture rather than a fixed timer. The foam should flow from the jug in a soft ribbon. You can sip through the cap or stir it in for a more even sweetness.

How to Make Salted Caramel Cold Foam Pourable

Keep the dairy cold and stop frothing while it still flows. Cream supplies richness; milk loosens the mixture. Continuing until you can stand up a firm peak gives you a topping to spoon onto the drink, rather than foam that travels into the coffee as you sip.

The salt goes into my topping in very small amounts. I stop when it tastes gently salted, before I reach the point of wanting more sugar to compensate for a cream that's become too salty.

Start with the measured 0.2 g. If you want to change it next time, alter the salt while keeping the syrup and dairy fixed. Increasing syrup and salt together makes it harder to identify which change helped.

Fixes for salted caramel cold foam
Fixes for salted caramel cold foam
What happenedPractical next step
Large bubbles that disappear quicklyStart with colder dairy, keep the whisk deeper and introduce less air
Stiff whipped cream instead of foamStop earlier next time; gently stir a little cold milk into this batch until pourable
Gritty salt crystalsDissolve the measured fine salt in the milk mixture before frothing
Caramel sits at the bottom of the jugMix syrup through the dairy before introducing air
Foam mixes into the coffee immediatelyCheck that the coffee is cold and the foam has some body; gradual mixing is normal
Coffee tastes harsh beneath a sweet capCheck whether you used undiluted concentrate before adding more sweetener

A small hand whisk is an alternative if it reaches the mixture well; it may give less aeration. A spoon alone combines the ingredients but does not produce the same foam. This recipe does not require hot milk or a steam wand.

What Does Salted Caramel Cream Cold Brew Taste Like?

Salted caramel cream cold brew brings a buttery, caramel-like sweetness and a gentle salty edge to black coffee. The foam feels soft and creamy against the colder, lighter coffee beneath it. As the two mix, the coffee’s roast notes become rounder and the caramel lingers in the finish.

I like a coffee with roasted-nut notes underneath salted caramel cream because it makes the caramel taste more like a candy-coated nut than plain sugar.

Caramel Syrup, Sauce and the Starbucks Version

This recipe uses a flowing beverage syrup, not a thick caramel sauce. Sauce may contain dairy and other ingredients, and its sweetness and density can differ. If using sauce, follow its label, dissolve it through the dairy and recalculate the amount you serve.

The US Starbucks menu, checked 26 September 2026, lists vanilla syrup and salted caramel cream cold foam in the default drink customization. Our home version puts its measured caramel syrup in the foam and adds no syrup to the coffee.

For a hot espresso drink with milk throughout, see caramel latte. For a different salted-cream coffee tradition, Vietnamese salt coffee has its own coffee base and serving method.

For espresso with vanilla-sweetened cold milk and a caramel drizzle, choose an iced caramel macchiato.

How Much Syrup Should You Use?

Keep 200 ml (6.8 US fl oz) ready-to-drink cold brew, 120 g (4.2 oz) ice, 30 g (2 US tbsp) cream, 30 g (2 US tbsp) whole milk and 0.2 g fine salt fixed, then change only the caramel syrup:

Caramel syrup changes in the same home servingScrollable table
Caramel syrup changes in the same home serving
Regular caramel syrupEstimated total sugarEstimated drink calories
5 ml (1 US tsp)6.4 g145 kcal
10 ml (2 US tsp), the recipe10.4 g160 kcal
15 ml (1 US tbsp)14.4 g180 kcal

For this named syrup, each extra 5 ml (1 US tsp) adds 4 g sugar and about 17 kcal. That makes syrup a useful first adjustment when the drink is too sweet. Removing the syrup also removes the measured caramel flavor; adding extra salt is not a substitute for reducing sugar.

Salted Caramel Cream Cold Brew Calories and Caffeine

For 200 ml (6.8 US fl oz) ready-to-drink cold brew, 120 g (4.2 oz) ice and all the foam made from 30 g (2 US tbsp) cream, 30 g (2 US tbsp) whole milk, 10 ml (2 US tsp) Monin US regular Caramel Syrup and 0.2 g fine salt, the estimate is 160 kcal, 10.4 g total sugar and 70 mg caffeine using the named coffee reference. It contains milk.

The caffeine comes from the coffee, not the foam. STōK UN-SWEET Black in the 48 oz bottle is the specific reference here; another brand, concentrate or homemade batch can differ substantially.

Serving calculation and source assumptions

The STōK label lists 15 kcal and 0 g sugar per 360 ml, and approximately 125 mg caffeine per serving: 200 ml contributes 8.33 kcal and 69.44 mg caffeine. USDA heavy whipping cream supplies 340 kcal and 2.92 g sugar per 100 g; 30 g contributes 102 kcal and 0.876 g sugar. Whole milk supplies 61 kcal and 5.05 g sugar per 100 g; 30 g adds 18.3 kcal and 1.515 g sugar.

Monin US regular Caramel Syrup lists 100 kcal and 24 g total and added sugar per 30 ml. The 10 ml portion contributes 33.33 kcal and 8 g sugar. Together that is 161.97 kcal and 10.391 g total sugar, displayed as 160 kcal and 10.4 g. Ice and salt add neither calories nor sugar. The 5 ml and 15 ml variants calculate to 145.3 and 178.63 kcal before rounding.

Salted Caramel Cream Cold Brew Variations

  • Less sweet: top 200 ml (6.8 US fl oz) cold brew and 120 g (4.2 oz) ice with foam made from 30 g (2 US tbsp) cream, 30 g (2 US tbsp) milk, 5 ml (1 US tsp) syrup and 0.2 g fine salt.
  • Decaf: use a ready-to-drink decaf cold brew; its caffeine needs its own reference and is not necessarily zero.
  • Dairy-free: use a plant cream and plant drink intended for cold frothing. Texture and nutrition will differ; check every ingredient label. Omitting the milk alone does not make cream foam dairy-free.
  • Iced coffee instead: use 200 ml (6.8 US fl oz) fully chilled brewed coffee and 120 g (4.2 oz) ice. Top with foam made from 30 g (2 US tbsp) cream, 30 g (2 US tbsp) milk, 10 ml (2 US tsp) caramel syrup and 0.2 g fine salt. Use the brewed coffee’s caffeine information.

Froth near serving time for the best chance of retaining a distinct cap. Keep unused dairy and any prepared foam refrigerated at 4°C (40°F) or below, following the ingredient labels. FDA guidance limits perishable food at room temperature to two hours, or one hour above 32°C (90°F).

Common Questions

Is salted caramel cream cold brew sweet?
The foam in this recipe is sweetened; the coffee beneath it is unsweetened. Stirring makes that sweetness more even. Cafés may also add syrup to the coffee base.
Does salted caramel cream cold brew need espresso?
No. Use already prepared cold brew. An espresso-and-milk caramel latte is a different drink.
Can I make salted caramel cold foam with heavy cream and no milk?
It will produce a richer, more easily whipped topping. The milk in this recipe loosens the cream so it stays pourable; removing it changes the texture and serving estimate.
Does cold foam reduce caffeine?
No. Adding foam or ice does not remove the caffeine in the coffee portion. Changing the amount or type of coffee does.
Can I make salted caramel cream cold brew without a frother?
Use a small whisk in a narrow vessel, keeping the dairy cold. Expect less aeration than a powered frother; stirring alone gives sweet cream rather than much foam.

Editor's Take

Sources and Further Reading

View 7 references