Starbucks’s Chocolate Cream Cold Brew* is cold brew coffee sweetened with vanilla syrup and topped with silky chocolate-malt cold foam. The copycat takes 10 minutes once your cold brew is made, hits the same flavour, and lets you control the sweetness. Makes 1 Grande.
Starbucks launched this as a permanent menu item in 2022. Their official label breaks it into two parts: a cold brew base sweetened with vanilla syrup, and a chocolate cream cold foam made from Vanilla Sweet Cream (cream, milk, vanilla syrup) blended with Chocolate Malt Powder (cane sugar, alkalized cocoa, barley malt flavor). The chocolate-malted-milkshake nostalgia is the pitch.
The cold foam is the move. First time I made this with just heavy cream and no malted milk powder — chocolate was there but the malt note was missing, and what I had was chocolate cream cold brew, not the Starbucks one. Add the malted milk powder. Carnation works fine.
*Starbucks’s exact ratios are proprietary. This copycat is built from their published ingredient label.
Chocolate Cream Cold Brew – Easy Starbucks Copycat
Course: DrinksCuisine: American (Starbucks copycat)Difficulty: Easy1
servings10
minutes10
minutes415
kcalCold brew sweetened with vanilla syrup, topped with a Starbucks-style cold foam blended from heavy cream, milk, vanilla, and chocolate malted milk powder.
Ingredients
- For the cold brew base
1 cup (240ml) brewed cold brew coffee
1-2 tbsp vanilla syrup (homemade or Torani / Monin / Starbucks bottled)
Ice
- For the chocolate cream cold foam
¼ cup (60ml) cold heavy cream
2 tbsp (30ml) cold whole milk
1 tbsp vanilla syrup
1½ tsp malted milk powder (Carnation, Horlicks, or Ovaltine)
½ tsp Dutch-process cocoa powder
½ tsp granulated sugar
- To make ahead — cold brew (yields 4 cups)
1 cup (90g) coarsely ground coffee
4 cups (1L) cold filtered water
Directions
- Method — Cold Brew (make ahead, 12-24 hours)
- Steep. Combine coarsely ground coffee with cold water in a large jar. Stir, cover, refrigerate 12-24 hours.
- Strain. Pour through a fine mesh sieve or coffee filter. Keeps 1 week refrigerated.
- Method — Chocolate Cream Cold Brew (10 min)
- Build the base. Fill a tall glass with ice. Pour in the cold brew. Stir in 1-2 tbsp vanilla syrup.
- Mix the chocolate malt powder. In a small bowl, whisk the malted milk powder, cocoa, and sugar together until evenly blended.
- Make the cold foam. In a separate jar or tall cup, combine the heavy cream, milk, vanilla syrup, and chocolate malt mix. Froth with a handheld milk frother for 30-45 seconds until thick, mousse-like foam forms
- Top the drink. Spoon the cold foam over the back of a spoon onto the cold brew so it floats on top
- Drink. Sip through the foam as it slowly melts into the cold brew.
FAQs
What’s the difference between cold brew and iced coffee?
Cold brew is coffee steeped in COLD water for 12-24 hours, which extracts smoother, less acidic flavour. Iced coffee is brewed hot then poured over ice, which often comes out bitter and watery as the ice melts. Starbucks’s drink is specifically cold brew because the smoother profile works better under a sweet chocolate cold foam.
What can I use instead of malted milk powder?
Carnation, Horlicks, and Ovaltine are the closest brands. If you can’t find any of these, mix 1 tsp powdered milk + ½ tsp dextrose (corn sugar) + a pinch of bicarbonate of soda as a rough substitute. The result lacks the malt flavour Starbucks uses, but you’ll still get the chocolate sweet cream effect. Buy malted milk powder if you can; it lasts months and works in milkshakes, hot chocolate, and ice cream too.
Can I make the cold foam thicker?
Yes, increase the heavy cream to ⅓ cup and reduce the milk to 1 tbsp. The higher fat content whips into a denser foam that sits longer on top of the cold brew before melting in. For maximum thickness, use a stand-up handheld frother (Aerolatte, Bodum) rather than a battery whisk; the consistent speed builds more body.
What kind of cocoa powder works best?
Dutch-process (alkalized) cocoa powder is what Starbucks uses (their label says “cocoa powder processed with alkali”). It’s smoother, less bitter, and darker than natural cocoa. Brands: Valrhona, Droste, Cacao Barry. UK supermarkets stock “cocoa powder” which is usually Dutch-processed by default; check the label for “alkalised” or “processed with alkali.”
How long does the cold brew keep, and can I batch the foam?
Cold brew lasts 1 week refrigerated in a sealed jar. The cold foam doesn’t keep — it deflates within 20 minutes and the chocolate sinks. Always make the foam fresh per drink. For batch convenience, premix the chocolate malt powder (malted milk + cocoa + sugar) in a jar and store dry at room temperature; mix it into the cream at serving time.
