Irish Cream Cold Brew with Cold Foam

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Starbucks-inspired drink that’s a combination of cold brew coffee and Irish cream syrup. Top it all off with cafe-quality vanilla cold foam made at home.

Pouring cold foam onto an Irish Cream Cold Brew with Cold Foam drink.

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Recipe Highlights

Inspired the popular Starbucks drink, this Irish Cream Cold Brew recipe is made with alcohol-free Irish cream flavored cold brew coffee and topped with vanilla cold foam.
Cold brew can easily (and perfectly) be made at home with a cold brew maker or using Starbucks Cold Brew Pitcher Packs. Strong coffee from a coffee machine, Nespresso or a Keurig will also work if you don’t want to use cold brew.
To make cafe-quality cold foam, all you need is a French press!

RELATED: 8 Easy Cold Foam Recipes

Ingredient Notes

Irish Cream Cold Brew with Cold Foam ingredients.

Cold brew coffee: To get perfect cold brew coffee every time, use a cold brew maker. See my step-by-step guide. Or use Starbucks Cold Brew Pitcher Packs as seen in this post.
Irish cream syrup: An easy way to instantly flavor coffee with Irish cream. This syrup is non-alcoholic and doesn’t have any whiskey.
Half & half: Half & half is half cream and half milk and it’s what the cold foam is made out of. It gives the drink a nice, creamy taste. If you don’t have half & half, use milk (any kind) or heavy cream.
Vanilla syrup: Used to flavor the cold foam topping, go for homemade or store-bought.
Salt: The best sea salt. EVER. You’ll wonder how you lived without it once you try it. It’s used in the vanilla cold foam to make it salty and sweet.
Ice: To keep the drink nice and cold.
Cocoa powder: This is an optional garnish and it’s completely up to you if you want sprinkle it on top of your drink the way Starbucks does. (You can use this cocoa powder to make homemade chocolate syrup.)

For full ingredients and detailed instructions, please see the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Make cold foam.

Half & half, vanilla syrup, and salt go into a French press. Use the French press plunger and pump it a few times.

Step 2: Combine cold brew coffee and Irish cream syrup.

Vanilla cold foam poured onto cold brew.

Step 3: Assemble drink. Pour Irish cream cold brew into a cup of ice. Top with vanilla cold foam.

Optional: sprinkle cocoa powder.

My Irish Cream Pick

Turn any coffee or latte into Irish Cream with this syrup. There’s no whiskey in this syrup. It’s creamy and nutty with chocolate and vanilla flavors.

SHOP NOW

Expert Tips

Cold brew coffee is what’s used to make this drink but you can use coffee made in a coffee machine, Nespresso, or a Keurig. Make strong coffee in a coffee machine using 2-3 tablespoons of ground coffee for a cup of water.
To cool down hot coffee made in a coffee machine, Nespresso, or Keurig, put coffee in the freezer for 15 minutes or in the refrigerator for an hour.
The recipe uses vanilla syrup to flavor the cold foam but you can use the Irish cream syrup instead if you don’t want to use another syrup.

Questions You May Have

Is there alcohol in this drink?

Nope, the Irish cream syrup doesn’t have any alcohol in it. It’s made without any whiskey unlike traditional Irish cream coffee.

Can I make cold foam with a handheld milk frother?

You can but you’ll get the frothiest cold foam using a French press.

What does Irish Cream Cold Brew taste like?

It tastes slightly sweet (not cloying) with hints of vanilla and chocolate. The drink is made with cold brew so the coffee flavor really comes through.

Can I make this drink hot?

Yup! Just replace the cold brew with hot coffee and take out the ice. You can top the drink with the same cold foam used in the recipe or with warm half & half that you can froth using the French press.

Pouring cold foam onto Irish Cream Cold Brew.

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