Check out our Starbucks inspired Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew recipe.

If you haven’t tried the vanilla sweet cream cold brew from Starbucks before, let me introduce it to you.

It’s their cold brew coffee served with a sweet vanilla flavored cream and served over ice. As the cream mixes into the cold brew, it creates a nice swirl.

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Though it’s a cold coffee drink, it’s my all year round go to because it is so satisfying and easy to make.

Plus, I like making it at home because I can choose my own coffee beans and can control the amount of vanilla and sweet cream I use.

All you need is cold brew coffee, ice, vanilla syrup and the sweet cream, which I recreated in this recipe.

Click here to skip to the recipe.

What is Cold Brew Coffee?

First off, you might be wondering what cold brew coffee is exactly. Unlike most coffee making methods, cold brew coffee does not use hot water.

Coarsely ground coffee beans are steeped in room temperature water for around 12-14 hours to make cold brew coffee.

It tends to be less acidic and while there are cold brew specific beans, you can use any of your favorite coffee beans to make cold brew coffee. The key is to make sure it’s a coarse ground and to give it enough time to steep.

Cold Brew Coffee vs Iced Coffee

This is a common question, what’s the difference between cold brew coffee and iced coffee?

They are not the same thing. Cold brew coffee is different from iced coffee because of the way that it’s made. Again, cold brew coffee does not use hot water and takes time to steep.

Meanwhile, iced coffee can be made using any method – with a drip coffee maker, Keurig, pour over coffee maker, French press. After the hot coffee is brewed, ice is added and this results in iced coffee.

In summary…

Cold brew coffee – takes time and room temperature water.
Iced coffee – any coffee brewing method, just add ice to it.

How to make Cold Brew Coffee?

The great thing about cold brew coffee is that you do not need any special tools. If you have an empty jar like a mason jar or even an empty pasta jar, you can make cold brew coffee.

Here are the steps:

Grind coffee beans coarsely.
Add ground coffee to a jar, French press or a cold brew coffee maker.
Pour room temperature water over the coffee ground. My preferred ratio is 1 part coffee ground to 3 parts water. So if I’m using 1 cup of coffee ground, I’d pour 3 cups of filtered water over it. This creates a concentrate so you can store it in the fridge for a few days and dilute it a little with water or milk.
Leave the coffee ground to steep in the water for 12-14 hours.
Strain and store cold brew in a mason jar.

For more in depth details on how to make cold brew coffee, check out our guide to making cold brew coffee.

Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew Ingredients

1 cup cold brew coffee (I used Stone Cold Jo beans)
2 tablespoons vanilla syrup
¼ cup heavy cream
¼ cup milk
Ice (optional)

Tips for Making Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew

Cold brew coffee

I used Stone Cold Jo from Jo Coffee.

It’s a dark roast with ‘hints of toffee, caramel, chocolate, grape”. I purchase it in whole beans and grind it coarsely myself with a Hario Skerton hand grinder.

You do not have to use a cold brew specific coffee bean. Any coffee bean will work to make cold brew coffee. So feel free to use whichever type of coffee you already have at home, or to keep it a true Starbucks copycat, use one of their coffee beans like a dark roast, Starbucks Caffe Verona.

Vanilla syrup

I used Monin Vanilla Syrup, a syrup made with pure Madagascar vanilla and without any artificial flavors, ingredients, preservatives or sweeteners.

Don’t have vanilla syrup at home but want to make this recipe right now? You can make your own vanilla syrup at home if you have vanilla extract and granulated sugar on hand.

To make a vanilla simple syrup, place equal parts water to sugar in a pot and heat over the stove top until the sugar dissolves. When dissolved, stir in vanilla extract. Wait for it to cool and store in an airtight jar in the refrigerator.

Sweet cream milk ratio

I used ½ heavy cream, ½ milk and vanilla syrup to make my sweet cream.

You can also use half and half. You can also experiment with it. If you find you like the sweet cream really creamy, you can use just heavy cream. Or if you prefer it a little sweeter than just vanilla syrup, try adding a little sweetened condensed milk.

How to Make Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew

Make cold brew coffee by steeping coarsely ground coffee in a jar for 12-14 hours.
In a mason jar, mix heavy cream, milk and 1 tablespoon of vanilla syrup.
Pour cold brew coffee in a glass and mix in 1 tablespoon of vanilla syrup.
Add ice. (Optional)
Pour cream into cold brew coffee.

In pictures…