Starbucks Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew
on Apr 28, 2025
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Recreate this delicious vanilla flavored cold brew with sweet cream at home with just 4 ingredients in 5 minutes.
Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew
Starbucks Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew is a cold coffee drink that’s made with vanilla flavored cold brew coffee and a splash of vanilla sweet cream. It’s a delicious caffeinated drink. If you love strong coffee mellowed down with a little sweetened cream, this drink is for you.
Cold brew coffee is made in-store at Starbucks by steeping ground coffee in cold water for 20 hours. It’s super easy to do the same at home.
Note from Jee
One of the things I learned when I was studying to get certified in coffee was the difference between cold brew coffee and iced coffee.
We like to call all iced coffee drinks iced coffee but technically, iced coffee is hot brewed coffee from a coffee machine that has been cooled down. Cold brew coffee is ground coffee that gets steeped in cold water for hours in the refrigerator. Cold brew is smoother and mellower than iced coffee.
If you look at the Starbucks menu, you’ll see that they name the section for cold brews, iced coffees, and iced lattes as cold coffee instead of iced coffee for this same reason.
Recipe Summary
- This copycat Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew recreates the exact Starbucks recipe.
- Cold brew coffee can be store-bought or can be made at home.
- It takes only 4 ingredients and 5 minutes to make a grande size (16 ounces) at home.
RELATED: Starbucks Iced Caramel Macchiato
Ingredient Notes
- Cold brew coffee: Use store-bought or homemade cold brew coffee.
- Vanilla syrup: Store-bought or homemade vanilla syrup can be used. I use homemade since it’s super easy to make with just 3 ingredients. The vanilla syrup is used in the cold brew and the sweet cream.
- Half & half: Starbucks uses heavy cream and 2% milk to make their sweet cream but I’m using my shortcut with half & half, which is half cream and half milk.
- Ice: Use filtered water to make ice.
For full ingredients and detailed instructions, please see the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Stir together half & half and vanilla syrup to make sweet cream.
Step 2: Pour vanilla syrup, cold brew, ice, then the sweet cream into a cup.
Recipe Notes
Make syrup and cold brew ahead of time.
If you’re using homemade vanilla syrup and cold brew, make these ahead of time and store in the refrigerator in airtight containers. Keep them separate until the drink is ready to be assembled.
Starbucks sweet cream recipe.
I use half & half as a shortcut to make sweet cream, but to recreate it just like Starbucks, stir together 6 ounces of heavy cream, 3 ounces of 2% milk, and 1 ounce of vanilla syrup.
No cold brew? Used chilled brewed coffee.
If you don’t have cold brew, you can use strongly brewed coffee in a coffee drip machine that has been cooled down. Note that the flavor won’t be exactly the same since cold brew and brewed coffee taste a little different. Cold brew will taste mellower.
Expert Tips
- Cold brew can be made using any kind of coffee you like from light to dark roast, but stick with the one by Starbucks if you want the flavor as close to the original.
- Starbucks vanilla syrup can be purchased at a Starbucks location if they have extra in stock, for about $25. Ask at the register if they have any available they can sell you.
- Add as much sweet cream you like to make it creamy and sweet.
Related
- TikTok Starbucks Iced White Mocha
- Starbucks Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew
- Starbucks Iced Pumpkin Spice Latte
- Iced Brown Sugar Oatmilk Shaken Espresso
- Iced Chocolate Almondmilk Shaken Espresso
- Starbucks Iced Shaken Espresso
If you tried this Starbucks Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew recipe, please leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ star rating and let me know how you like it in the comments below!
Starbucks Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew
Ingredients
Vanilla Cold Brew
- 2 tablespoons vanilla syrup
- 1 cup cold brew
- 1 cup ice
Sweet Cream
- ¼ cup half & half
- 1 tablespoon vanilla syrup
Instructions
- Stir together half & half and vanilla syrup to make Sweet Cream.Set aside.¼ cup half & half, 1 tablespoon vanilla syrup
- Pour vanilla syrup, cold brew, then ice into a cup. Add sweet cream.2 tablespoons vanilla syrup, 1 cup cold brew, 1 cup ice
Notes
- If you’re using homemade vanilla syrup and cold brew, make these ahead of time and store in the refrigerator in airtight containers. Keep them separate until the drink is ready to be assembled.
- I use half & half as a shortcut to make sweet cream, but to recreate it just like Starbucks, stir together 6 ounces of heavy cream, 3 ounces of 2% milk, and 1 ounce of vanilla syrup.
- Cold brew can be made using any kind of coffee you like from light to dark roast, but stick with the one by Starbucks if you want the flavor as close to the original.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
