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The other day I was scrolling TikTok and kept seeing something called the Charli Cold Foam pop up over and over.
It looked good enough that I wanted to try it, but I also wanted to know what actually goes in it, how long it stays around, and how to order it.
So I’m breaking down the Charli cold foam here, from what’s in it to how it’s usually ordered.
What exactly is Dunkin Donuts Charli cold foam?
The Dunkin’ Donuts Charli cold drink is a new twist on the ‘Charli drink,’ which was released during Charli D’Amelio ’s collab with Dunkin’ Donuts in 2020.
Charli D’Amelio built a huge following on TikTok, and Dunkin teamed up with her around one of her favorite coffee orders.
The original Charli drink is basically cold brew with caramel and dairy-free milk, so it never read as a plain black coffee to me.
It’s smooth, refreshing, and sweet iced coffee drink with a big hit of caffeine and a little bit of spice from the cinnamon.
Because it is tied to Charli D’Amelio, the drink feels aimed at a younger, trend-driven crowd more than a coffee-purist audience.
That said, I can see why it caught on. The sweetness softens the cold brew enough that it feels more like a treat than an everyday coffee.
How it tastes
There are no two ways about it; the Charli cold foam is a strong coffee.
The base is Dunkin’s signature cold brew, and one medium has been listed at over 260mg of caffeine .
What stood out to me was how the caramel rounds off the cold brew bitterness without hiding it, while the cold foam adds a thicker, smoother finish.
As I drank it, the vanilla sweet cold foam melted into the coffee and left a light sweetness on the sip instead of a heavy sugary hit.
It’s a rich drink, but it’s can easily be made dairy-free, which is a plus for many. Just trade out the whole milk for a plant-based alternative.
Dunkin also offers coconut, almond, or soy milk.
For me, the appeal is the contrast. The cold brew stays assertive underneath, then the foam and cinnamon keep each sip from feeling one-note.
How many calories does Charli cold foam have?
The drink sounds over-the-top, but the ingredient list is fairly simple.
It starts with regular cold brew, which is low in calories before anything else is added.
Then 3 pumps of caramel syrup and dairy-free milk go in, which is where the sweetness comes from and why it reads more like an easygoing iced coffee than a straight cold brew.
After that, vanilla, sugar, and dairy-free milk are blended into cold foam and spooned over the top.
A cinnamon sugar topping finishes it off and adds a warm, slightly spiced note.
With 250 calories and 52 grams of sugar in a medium, this is the kind of drink I treat as an occasional order rather than an everyday one.
The cold brew base also brings over 260mg of caffeine , so it still tastes like a full coffee order, just a sweeter one.
How to order Charli cold foam drinks at Dunkin Donuts?
The Charli cold foam cold brew is sold at many Dunkin locations, but it is a specialty drink, so I would not expect it to show up on every regular menu year-round.
Even when it is off the menu, the ingredients are usually simple enough that it can still be ordered if the shop has everything on hand.
Just ask for a medium cold brew coffee with 3 pumps of caramel syrup (a caramel swirl), dairy or non-dairy milk, topped with velvety sweet cold foam and cinnamon sugar topping.
It can also be ordered in the Dunkin app.
How much it costs
The Charli Cold Brew Sweet Cold Foam comes in small (16 ounces), medium (24 ounces), or large (32 ounces).
The Medium cold brew Dunkin’ drink will cost you $3, so this Charli cold brew sweet cold foam drink is pretty good value considering all the caffeine in it.
How to make Dunkin Donuts Charli cold foam drinks at home?
Not everyone can get to Dunkin often, and the price adds up if you order it regularly.
That is part of why I like making a version at home when the craving hits.
For a medium at home, you’ll need:
Then follow these steps:
- 1Drizzle the caramel sauce around the inside of the cup.
- 2Add the ice to the cup
- 3Pour in the cold brew and leave for a minute while making the foam
- 4Mix sugar with the half and half and stir together
- 5Froth up the sugar and half and half until it’s foamy
- 6Layer this on top of the cold brew mix; this is the sweet cold foam and it should just sit on top of the drink.
- 7Add the cinnamon sugar powder to the top of the sweet cold foam
- 8Drizzle some extra caramel syrup on top
FAQs
Do any Starbucks stores have Charli Cold Foam drinks?
I would not call this an official Starbucks menu drink, but a similar cold brew build can get you close if that is where you happen to be.
A close custom order is a venti cold brew with 3 pumps of caramel syrup, whole milk, and cold foam on top.
Can cold foam go on hot drinks?
Cold foam can work on hot drinks too. I put it on hot Americanos more often than I expected to, especially when I want a softer top note.
How many pumps of syrup are in cold foam?
Dunkin cold foam gets most of its sweetness from the vanilla syrup in it.
Conclusion
The Charli cold foam drink is all about that caramel-and-cold-brew contrast, and the sweetness from the foam keeps the bitterness from taking over.
It is not the lightest choice, but when I want something dessert-like with a real coffee backbone, this is the sort of drink I come back to.
