How To Make Starbucks' Best Fall Drink at Home, According to a Barista

Fall is in the air in many parts of the country—and certainly at Starbucks. Despite the fact that the first day of fall occurs at the end of September, many people consider Starbucks' Pumpkin Spice Latte launch date as the unofficial start of the season.

Starbucks obviously knows the power it has over autumn, seeing as every year the brand makes a big splash when it announces its seasonal menu—plus, any new fall offerings. The PSL is the classic choice, of course, but there's another fall drink that has garnered a cult following amongst cold coffee drinkers: Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew.

More specifically, the Pumpkin Cream Cold Foam topping that goes along with it.

What Is Pumpkin Cream Cold Foam?

The cold brew coffee (which is topped with a sweet, creamy cold foam and pumpkin spice topping) joined the menu in 2019 and was an instant success, earning it a continued appearance on the fall menu. The reappearance of the cold brew also means customers can order the Pumpkin Cream Cold Foam (and pumpkin spice) topping on most Starbucks drinks.

You can add the cold foam to hot coffees, cold coffees, and tea lattes. The pumpkin spice topping can be added to almost every handcrafted beverage on the menu. However, if you want to add either item, you'll have to pay an upcharge.

The Pumpkin Cream Cold Foam costs $1.25, and the pumpkin spice topping costs $.50. Luckily for you, we got the inside scoop from a former Starbucks barista on how to make the tasty foam at home. So you don't have to fork over an extra $1.75 every time you want a festive fall drink.

The former barista explained that the Pumpkin Cream Cold Foam starts with the same base as Starbucks' Sweet Cream—then the baristas add pumpkin sauce to it. Starbucks makes its sweet cream in two-liter batches. We obviously did not need that much, so we scaled it down to half a liter, or about two cups of cream. This recipe will result in about five servings of cold foam.

How to Make Pumpkin Cream Cold Foam at Home

Starbucks Pumpkin Cream Cold Foam Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup and 2 tablespoons 2% milk
• 1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons vanilla coffee syrup
• 2 tablespoons pumpkin sauce
• Pumpkin pie spice, to top

Directions

1. Make the sweet cream: Combine heavy cream, milk, and vanilla syrup in a pitcher or jar. Store in refrigerator until ready to use.
2. Add 3 1/2 ounces of sweet cream and pumpkin sauce to a blender. Blend until frothy.
3. Pour cold foam on top of desired drink and top with pumpkin pie spice.

The Cost Breakdown

If you order just the Pumpkin Cream Cold Foam and pumpkin spice topping at Starbucks, you'll be paying $1.75 every time (on top of the cost of your drink). If you make it at home with the above recipe, you'll pay $2.76 for the entire sweet cream recipe alone—which is about $.69 per serving—plus $.50 per serving of pumpkin sauce and $.01 per serving of pumpkin spice topping. That comes to about $1.19 per serving, meaning you'll save about $.56 every time you make it at home.

The most expensive part of the recipe is the pumpkin sauce, so instead of buying it, you can also make your own.

The recipe itself is really simple. Whip up a batch of sweet cream at the beginning of the week, then add the pumpkin sauce and froth it when you're ready to make your morning coffee. Honestly, it's probably quicker than sitting in the drive-thru at your local Starbucks.

How to Make Starbucks Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew Coffee

If you like to go all in on the Starbucks fall menu and order the Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew, we have even more good news. You already know how to make the cold foam that goes on top, but the former Starbucks barista also shared how to make the cold brew base. All you need is cold brew coffee and the same vanilla coffee syrup used in the cold foam.

• For a venti cold brew, add 1 1/2 tablespoons vanilla, 16 ounces of cold brew coffee, ice, cold foam, and pumpkin spice topping.
• For a grande cold brew, add 1 tablespoon vanilla, 10 ounces of cold brew coffee, ice, cold foam, and pumpkin spice topping.
• For a tall cold brew, add 1/2 tablespoon vanilla, 8 ounces of cold brew, ice, cold foam, and pumpkin spice topping.

Now, you can enjoy Pumpkin Cream Cold Brews from the comfort of your home all season long. And, hey, since you have the recipe, you can make the delicious fall drink any time of year—sorry, Starbucks, you can't beat that.