This copycat Starbucks pumpkin cream cold brew is so easy to make and cost less than $2 per drink. The best part? It can be customized to ANY and ALL your preferences with no additional charge!
Why I Love This Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew Recipe
- Cost saver: make this homemade pumpkin cream cold brew at home for $1.74 compared to $5.82 for the Starbucks version!
- Make your own version: easily customize this pumpkin iced cold brew to your preference! Make it decaf, add extra foam, extra pumpkin sauce, lite ice, extra ice, etc. with no extra cost!
- Quick to make: have this copycat starbucks pumpkin cream cold brew made by the time it would take you to get to the end of your neighborhood.
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
- Sweetened condensed milk: provides a rich, smooth, sweet base for the pumpkin sauce
- Pumpkin: make sure to use real pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling). You'll also want to squeeze the excess water out so it doesn't make your pumpkin sauce watery.
- Spices: grab some cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice. You can use store-bought or homemade pumpkin pie spice if you have some on hand.
- Vanilla extract: helps balance the flavors of our pumpkin sauce
- Heavy whipping cream: the fat content in the heavy whipping cream helps create a stable foam and allows it to maintain its structure. It's super important for creating a study cold foam that won't immediately dissolve into your drink. You can also use regular heavy cream but your foam will be a bit thicker as it has an even higher fat content.
- Milk: use any kind of milk here! Whole milk, 2% or skim. You could also use your favorite non-dairy milk like oat milk or almond milk (for no extra charge!). It's only 1 tablespoon so really won't make too much of a difference.
- Cold brew: I use the Starbucks brand cold brew but use your favorite cold brew coffee. Use any store-bought cold brew or own cold brew coffee if you like to make it yourself. You can also use regular brewed coffee and place it in the fridge for a few hours if you don't want to run out and grab anything else!
How to Make This Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew
This is super easy to whip up in one bowl, no stovetop required!
Step 1: Make pumpkin sauce
- Fold a few layers of paper towels together, then squeeze the pumpkin puree (½ cup) between the layers until most of the moisture is soaked up.
- Whisk together the sweetened condensed milk (1 can), cinnamon (1 teaspoon), pumpkin pie spice (1 teaspoon), vanilla extract (½ teaspoon), and squeezed pumpkin puree.
- Store in airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.
Tip: there are a couple different ways to strain pumpkin purée. You can place it in a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth and set it over a bowl to drain. Or place the pumpkin on a few layers of paper towels, then gently press down to absorb the moisture.
Step 2: Make cold foam
Place heavy whipping cream (¼ cup), cold milk (1 tablespoon) and pumpkin sauce (2 tablespoons) in a sealed mason jar and shake until thick and creamy. Or, you can whisk in a small bowl until peaks form and it becomes a whipped cream texture.
Tip: use a cheap electric frother from Amazon to easily whip the cold foam ingredients in a small bowl or glass!
Step 3: Make cold brew & enjoy!
- Step 1: Fill the glass halfway with ice, then pour cold brew until the glass is 80% full.
- Step 2: Add the pumpkin sauce (2 tablespoons).
- Step 3: Stir to combine.
- Step 4: Top with cold foam if desired. For a sweeter flavor, add extra pumpkin sauce.
Tips & Variations
- Use a ice cube tray to freeze cubes of cold brew. Then use the coffee cubes as your ice for your drink so it doesn't get watered down!
- Making this pumpkin cream cold brew at home means you can customize it to your liking! Add more or less pumpkin sauce depending on your taste. You can also use more or less cold foam than I recommend here if you like or leave it off if you like things less sweet.
- If you want to make this cold foam recipe in advance, go ahead and mix all of the cream ingredients together and keep them stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. When ready, take them out and whip up using your handheld milk frother before adding to your coffee.
- If you don't love the taste of super strong coffee, you can dilute your cold brew with a little bit of cold water before adding pumpkin sauce and cold foam.
- Love all things pumpkin? Enjoy this sweet pumpkin cream cold brew with my copycat starbucks pumpkin bread, pumpkin snickerdoodles or soft pumpkin cookies!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes you can make this pumpkin cream cold brew coffee with chilled brewed coffee or bottled iced coffee. I think cold brew taste the best in this drink because it's less acidic and smoother, however, regular cold coffee works just as well if you prefer a stronger coffee taste!
The temperature in Nashville has definitely not dropped enough for me to try this copycat recipe as a hot version but I don't see why it wouldn't work! I'm sure you can use the pumpkin sauce and regular cream to make a delicious hot coffee version. If you give it a try, be sure to report back!
Storage Instructions
This drink is best made fresh! You can make the pumpkin sauce in advance and store in the fridge for up to 1 month.
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Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew
Ingredients
⭐️ Before you begin! If you make this, will you do me a huge favor afterwards and leave a review and rating letting me know how you liked this recipe? This helps my small business thrive so I can continue providing free recipes and high-quality content for you.
Instructions
- Make Pumpkin Sauce: Fold a few layers of paper towels together, then squeeze the ½ cup canned pumpkin between the layers until most of the moisture is soaked up.
- Whisk together the 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk, pumpkin puree (½ cup with water squeezed out), 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, and squeezed ½ cup canned pumpkin.
- Make Cold Foam: Combine the ¼ cup heavy whipping cream, cold 1 tablespoon milk and 2 tablespoons pumpkin sauce in a sealed mason jar and shake until thick and creamy. Or, you can whisk in a small bowl until peaks form and it becomes a whipped cream texture.
- Assemble: Fill the glass halfway with ice, then pour cold brew until the glass is 80% full. Stir in 2 tablespoons pumpkin sauce, and top with cold foam if desired. For a sweeter flavor, add extra pumpkin sauce.
- Store pumpkin sauce an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 month.
Notes from Melissa
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