Kat's Kitchen

I recently tried the Toasted Coconut Cream Cold Brew from Starbucks, and while I loved the idea of it, I’ll be honest, it just didn’t have enough coconut flavor for me.

So of course, I came home and made my own version. This at home recipe is richer, more coconut-forward, and way more affordable to make at home.

Price Comparison to Starbucks

At Starbucks, a grande (16 ounce size) Toasted Coconut Cream Cold Brew costs $5.89!

At home, this drink costs $2.00–$2.38 per drink to make at home, depending on whether you use homemade or store-bought vanilla syrup. That’s significantly cheaper than grabbing one from Starbucks!

You save over $3.50 per drink, and in a week or a month, those savings really start to add up.

Equipment Needed

• Handheld milk frother – this one is my favorite and only costs $8!
• 16 ounce glass – I love these with the lid and straw! See ALL MY FAVORITE CUPS HERE.
• 8 ounce jar – this is the perfect size for making cold foam at home.

Ingredients

For the Cold Brew

• 1–2 tablespoons vanilla syrup (homemade or store-bought), adjust to your preference
• 12 ounces cold brew, unsweetened
• Ice cubes

Coconut Cream Cold Foam

• ½ tablespoon vanilla syrup (homemade or store-bought)
• 1 tablespoon Homemade Toasted Coconut Syrup (or store-bought)
• 2 tablespoons 2% milk
• 3 tablespoons heavy cream

Alternatively you could use:

• 2 ounces Homemade Starbucks Vanilla Sweet Cream and
• 1 tablespoon Homemade Toasted Coconut Syrup (or store-bought)

Topping

• Toasted coconut flakes (Pro-tip: If you make your own Homemade Toasted Coconut Syrup, you can use the strained coconut pieces as the topping)

How to Make Toasted Coconut Cream Cold Brew

1. To a glass, add vanilla syrup, cold brew, and ice. Stir to combine.
2. In a separate glass, combine the toasted coconut syrup, vanilla syrup, milk, and heavy cream. (If you’re using Homemade Starbucks Vanilla Sweet Cream instead, combine 2 ounces of the sweet cream with 1 tablespoon toasted coconut syrup).
3. Froth using a handheld milk frother until thick and creamy (about 15 seconds). You want the texture to be creamy and pourable, not stiff like whipped cream.
4. Pour the cold foam over the cold brew.
5. Top with toasted coconut flakes and enjoy!

Starbucks Size Ratios

I like my coffees to be less sweet than Starbucks, but if you want identical Starbucks sweetness at home, follow the amounts on this table.

	TALL	GRANDE	VENTI	TRENTA
VANILLA SYRUP	1/2 TBSP	1 TBSP	1 1/2 TBSP	2 TBSP
COLD BREW	8 OUNCES	10 OUNCES	12 OUNCES	18 OUNCES
ICE	LEAVE ROOM FOR COLD FOAM	LEAVE ROOM FOR COLD FOAM	LEAVE ROOM FOR COLD FOAM	LEAVE ROOM FOR COLD FOAM
COLD FOAM	3 OUNCES*	3 OUNCES*	4.5 OUNCES*	4.5 OUNCES*
TOASTED COCONUT FLAKES	1 TBSP	1 TBSP	1 TBSP	1 TBSP

*For a tall or a grande cold brew, do 2 ounces of vanilla sweet cream and 1 tablespoon toasted coconut syrup. (Or 1/2 tbsp vanilla syrup, 1 tbsp toasted coconut syrup, 2 tbsp 2% milk, 3 tbsp heavy cream).

*For a venti or trenta cold brew, do 3 ounces of vanilla sweet cream and 1 tablespoon toasted coconut syrup. Or 1/2 tbsp vanilla syrup, 1 tbsp toasted coconut syrup, 3 tbsp 2% milk, 4 tbsp heavy cream).

Make It with Homemade Cold Brew

If you want to make this completely from scratch, you can use my blog post: 3 Ways to Make Cold Brew at Home

I walk through:

• French press method
• Cold brew bag method
• Nut milk bag method

But if you’re short on time, a good store-bought cold brew option like Stok (my personal favorite), Califia Farms, or Chameleon works perfectly here too.

Homemade Toasted Coconut Syrup

For the best flavor, I highly recommend using my homemade toasted coconut syrup—it gives this drink a rich, nutty, coconut flavor that really makes it stand out.

That said, you can absolutely use a store-bought coconut syrup option if that’s what you have on hand!

Dairy-Free Substitutions

You can easily make this dairy-free with a few swaps:

• Use a dairy-free milk (like oat or coconut milk)
• Swap the heavy cream for:
  • Coconut whipping cream (just note it can be thicker)
  • A dairy-free heavy cream (Silk and Country Crock have great options at the store)
• Use a dairy-free sweet cream alternative if using that version

For Starbucks nondairy cold foam, they use a combination of barista style oat milk and soy milk.

Lower Sugar Options

To reduce the sugar, try:

• Using a sugar-free vanilla syrup (I have a homemade recipe here)
• Using a sugar-free or reduced sugar coconut syrup (use allulose instead of cane sugar in my homemade recipe here)
• Cutting the syrup amounts in half and adjusting to taste

You can also:

• Skip the vanilla syrup in the base
• Keep the sweetness mostly in the cold foam for better balance

Want to Make This as a Latte Instead?

If you prefer espresso drinks, you can easily turn this into a latte:

Iced Latte Version

• 1-2 tablespoons vanilla syrup (or toasted coconut syrup)
• 2 shots of espresso
• 6–8 ounces milk of choice
• Ice
• Coconut cream cold foam on top
• Toasted coconut flakes, for topping

Hot Latte Version

• 1-2 tablespoons vanilla syrup (or toasted coconut syrup)
• 2 shots of espresso
• 6-8 ounces steamed milk
• Coconut cream cold foam (lightly frothed) on top
• Toasted coconut flakes, for topping

Same flavors, just a different base (espresso coffee versus cold brew coffee).

If you tried the Starbucks version and felt like it was missing something, of if you love this Starbucks drink and want to save money, this is your upgraded version. It’s creamy, refreshing, perfectly coconut-y, and honestly better than the original!

More Starbucks Recipes to Try

• Starbucks Iced Ube Coconut Macchiato
• Starbucks Pistachio Cream Cold Brew
• Starbucks Banana Cream Cold Foam
• Starbucks Iced Dubai Chocolate Matcha
• Starbucks Iced Lavender Cream Oatmilk Matcha