How To Make Salted Caramel Cream Cold Brew (Easy Guide)
The Starbucks salted caramel cream cold brew is considered a staple among those who regularly service the institution. But making this a daily routine could drive you into obesity and poverty. Luckily, making your own version of the drink at home is a breeze!
Here’s how to make salted caramel cream cold brew:
- Make the cold brew coffee the night before.
- Make the simple caramel syrup with sugar and water.
- Use an immersion blender to make the cold foam.
- Pour the coffee over ice and add the syrup and foam.
Though constructing your own version of the beverage isn’t tricky, understanding how to make the three core elements of the drink can take a little more detailed instruction. So read on to learn how to make your very own version of the Starbucks salted caramel cream cold brew.
Salted Caramel Cream Cold Brew
The internet is full of dupes that all promise to taste true to the original recipe. Still, my personal favorite is one by YouTuber Katie Aubin:
Katie’s video walks through the process of making the Starbucks salted caramel cream cold brew. Read the steps below to see an easy breakdown of the information she shares.
1. Make the Cold Brew Coffee the Night Before
The first step in making a deliciously flavored coffee is to make the coffee itself!
Cold brew is a great, chilled alternative to regular coffee. It’s lower in some of the bitter, acidic tones that hot coffee develops. Also, by chilling the grounds over a longer period, the flavor seeps out more slowly, resulting in a smoother taste.
Best of all, it’s ridiculously simple to make at home!
Ingredients:
- 6 cups water
- 2 cups coffee grounds (coarse)
Method:
- Mix the coffee grounds with your coffee, stirring until all the grounds are saturated.
- Cover, then place in the refrigerator to chill overnight (8-12 hours).
- The next day, filter out the coffee grounds by pouring the mixture through a coffee filter; this step can get messy. It may take several attempts to filter out the grounds fully.
- Taste the coffee and adjust to desired strength by adding water.
- Enjoy!
Making cold brew coffee at home is so easy; surprisingly, it’s not a regular part of everyone’s nightly routine!
The next step to enjoying a salted caramel cream cold brew is to make your flavored syrup.
2. Make the Simple Caramel Syrup with Sugar and Water
Though you can buy this syrup at the store, you’ll find the process of making it just as easy and twice as gratifying!
The finished product will be sweet and savory, allowing you to enjoy it either as a dessert beverage or as a mid-afternoon pick-me-up.
Ingredients:
- ½ cup white cane sugar
- ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons of water
Method:
- Combine the sugar and two tablespoons of water in a small saucepan, then cook over medium-low heat until the sugar is fully dissolved – about three to five minutes.
- Increase the heat to medium and cook for another 5 minutes until the sugar mixture has developed a golden brown color.
- Stir in the remaining water, remove from heat, and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
This mixture should be good in the refrigerator for up to a week, so feel free to get creative with different uses. Enjoy over pecan- pancakes or mix into icings to create a whole new dessert!
3. Use An Immersion Blender to Make the Cold Foam
This signature drink wouldn’t be the same without the cold cream to provide that signature salt. Luckily, it’s a breeze to make at home!
Ingredients:
- ½ cup whipping cream
- ½ cup whole milk
- Two tablespoons sugar
- ¼ tablespoons salt
Method:
- In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients.
- Whip using an immersion blender on high speed until the mixture is foamy, roughly 2-4 minutes.
Now that you’ve got all the components to the Starbucks salted caramel cream cold brew, there’s only one step left.
4. Pour the Coffee Over Ice and Add the Syrup and Foam
This part is as easy as it must sound.
Start by pouring one cup of cold brew over ice, stir in two tablespoons of syrup, then top with a splash of cold foam.
Though this ratio is most likely to taste exactly like the Starbucks salted caramel cream cold brew, feel free to play around and see what combination you like best!
Just combine your ingredients in a way that suits you and enjoy!
What Is a Starbucks Salted Caramel Cream Cold Brew?
The Starbucks salted caramel cream cold brew is a rich, creamy beverage with a base of smooth, iced cold brew coffee, sweetened with caramel syrup and topped with a spoonful of salted cream.
Before attempting your version of this drink, it’s essential to understand the flavor profile you aim to recreate.
Caramel is made by boiling sugar until it becomes a light brown color, then adding cream, butter, and vanilla. Dark caramel is more bitter than lighter caramel and gets its deeper color by spending longer on the stove.
Salted caramel is made by adding a pinch of sea salt to the caramel as it cooks. The finished product is an intriguing blend of “savory-meets-sweet,” with just enough saltiness to bring out the sugar further.
Is the Salted Caramel Cream Cold Brew Sweet?
The salted caramel cream cold brew is a sweet drink because it contains sugar syrup. However, the salted caramel does allow for a salty-sweet flavor that isn’t overpoweringly sweet.
When making this at home, you can easily adjust the amount of syrup you add, but if you don’t add enough, you won’t get the same results that you would in a Starbucks.
Is the Salted Caramel Cream Cold Brew Good?
The salted caramel cream cold brew is delicious due to the mellow coffee flavor mixed with the salted caramel syrup. Coupled with the foam, this is a smooth and sweet drink.
Salt enhances the flavor of most foods and is often added to coffee to help take away any bitterness.
Salted Caramel Cream Cold Brew Substitutions
While the cold brew coffee fits neatly into almost any diet, the rich saltiness of the cold cream is another thing altogether.
However, a great added benefit of making your own Starbucks salted caramel cream cold brew is the ability to substitute ingredients to fit your own dietary or health needs.
Coconut milk
This substitution may not necessarily be lower or calories. Still, it is a great alternative to simply mixing watery almond milk into your beverage.
For this substitution, replace all dairy products with one can of low-fat, refrigerated coconut milk. Enjoy the additional sweetness that this vegan substitution creates!
By replacing the dairy product with canned coconut milk, you can maintain the creamy consistency that has so many standing in line for the original Starbucks salted caramel cream cold brew!
Collagen Powder
This one might sound a little odd, but hear me out.
In addition to being great for skin, hair, and nails, collagen powder has a mild thickening effect, meaning that you can enjoy a filling kick of protein in your salted caramel cream cold brew without sacrificing the consistency.
To make this substitution:
- Mix your collagen powder with ½ cup of half and half.
- Stir in a bit of additional water to lower the calorie count of your drink while maintaining the creaminess.
MCT Oil
To make this beverage “bulletproof,” mix ½ a tablespoon of MCT oil into your cold cream rather than the additional milk.
MCT oil, standing for medium-chain triglycerides, is a supplement made up of particular types of fat.
Though this will definitely up the calorie count of your drink, MCT oil boasts such health benefits as longer-lasting energy, promotion of weight loss, better brain function, and lower cholesterol.
Some doctors say that the extra calorie intake might actually be worth it in the long run!
Conclusion
While the original drink is hard to beat, it’s also just that: an original. By making your own delicious version of the salted caramel cream cold brew, you have the freedom to play around with the flavors of this beverage at your leisure.
Whether you are trying to ease the burden on your waistline or your pocketbook, there are countless benefits to making your own salted caramel cream cold brew at home. All you have to do is assemble your four main components, then play around with the ratio until you find a drink that’s perfect for you.
