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I used to treat pumpkin drinks as a once-a-year thing, but Pumpkin Cream Cold Foam is the Starbucks fall add-on I keep coming back to.
The first thing I noticed was the texture. It turns a plain cold brew into something richer, and the pumpkin spice keeps it clearly seasonal.
I’m sticking to the practical stuff here: what Starbucks Pumpkin Cream Cold Foam is, what goes into it, how the nutrition breaks down, and what I noticed when I made a copycat version at home.
How many calories are in pumpkin cold foam?
Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew Nutritional Breakdown (Cold Coffee - Without Modification) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Nutrients | Tall (12 fl oz) | Grande (16 fl oz) | Venti (20-24 fl oz) | Trenta (31 fl oz) |
Calories | 140 | 250 | 310 | 360 |
Total Fat | 7 g | 12 g | 15 g | 17 g |
Total Carbs | 18 g | 31 g | 40 g | 48 g |
Sugar | 17 g | 31 g | 40 g | 48 g |
Protein | 2 g | 3 g | 3 g | 4 g |
Caffeine | 145 mg | 185 mg | 275 mg | 315 mg |
The nutrition side is worth checking because this topping changes a drink faster than the name suggests.
Because of the whipped cream and the added sweetener, this isn’t considered a “health-conscious” topping option.
That’s especially the case for anyone who lives a dairy-free lifestyle or is trying to cut back on sugar and fat. You should opt for a dairy-free Starbucks drink or something from the keto Starbucks menu.
A grande portion of Pumpkin Cream Cold Foam has about 195 calories, which is more than I expected for something that sits on top of a drink rather than being the drink itself.
There are 12 grams of fat in a grande Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew and 31 grams of carbs (all of which come from sugar).
This limited-time-only pumpkin cold foam drink has a whopping 185mg of caffeine per 16 ounces, so if you’re avoiding caffeine , you’ll definitely want to ask the barista to use decaf iced coffee as a substitute.
How to order pumpkin cream cold foam with less calories?
- Choose a Smaller Size: Opt for a smaller size, such as a Tall (12 ounces), instead of a larger one to reduce the calorie content.
- Request Sugar-Free Syrup: Ask for sugar-free syrup instead of the regular pumpkin syrup. Starbucks offers sugar-free options for various flavors, including vanilla and cinnamon dolce. The sugar-free syrups contain fewer calories and carbs.
- Choose Non-Fat Milk: Request non-fat milk (skim milk) or a milk alternative like almond milk or soy milk, which typically have fewer calories than whole milk or 2% milk. Just keep in mind that the texture for the pumpkin foam won’t be as creamy because dairy-free milks don’t perform as well when foamed.
- Specify Light Pumpkin Cream Cold Foam: Ask for a lighter amount of pumpkin cream cold foam. Starbucks baristas can adjust the amount they put on your drink, so request it to be made with less foam.
- No Whipped Cream: To further reduce calories, skip the whipped cream on top of your drink.
- Ask for Fewer Pumps: If you prefer a milder sweetness, you can ask for fewer pumps of the pumpkin syrup or sugar-free syrup. For instance, you could ask for half the usual number of pumps.
Other pumpkin cream cold foam ordering tips
Ordering Pumpkin Cream at Starbucks is straightforward unless you want to change the sweetness or swap out the base drink.
As long as it’s available – remember, this is a limited-time-only drink topping for autumn – just ask your barista for “Pumpkin Cream Cold Foam” on top and they will know what to do.
These are the small details I pay attention to when ordering it in-store or in the app:
Like most pumpkin drinks, I usually start seeing this one in late August, though the exact timing can shift by year and region.
How to make Starbucks Pumpkin Cream Cold Foam at home? (Copycat recipe)
If I grab one often, the price starts to add up fast. I’m not keen on spending $5 every time I want a fall coffee topping.
There are plenty of DIY copycat Pumpkin Cream Cold Foam recipes, and I’ve found it is simple enough to make at home if you keep the ingredient list short.
The homemade version won’t taste exactly like Starbucks, though. The gap shows up quickly in the texture and sweetness.
Brands, ratios, and whipping method all change the result, so the foam can come out lighter, thicker, sweeter, or a little flat depending on what you use. I noticed that most clearly comparing a quick froth with a more thorough blend.
How to make cold brew at home
Be prepared to plan ahead as cold brew requires a minimum steeping time of 12 hours.
- To prepare it at home, simply mix ground coffee with water in a 1-ounce-to-1-cup ratio, give it a good stir, and allow it to steep overnight.
- Once the 12-hour mark has been reached, strain the brew and keep it in the refrigerator until you're ready to enjoy it. It's a straightforward process.
An even faster shortcut is to start with grocery-store cold brew. I’ve also used bottled Starbucks Cold Brew when I wanted the closest store-bought base.
Either way, I start by gathering everything before I make the foam.
How to make the cold foam at home
Here’s the ingredient and supply list I use for a copycat Starbucks Pumpkin Cream Cold Foam:
- To make the pumpkin cold foam base, start by whisking together your whipping heavy cream (or non-dairy alternative), sweetened condensed milk (or coconut milk), and vanilla extract.
- You'll have to put some muscle into this step, but once you're finished whisking, you should be left with an absolutely delicious sweet heavy cream base similar to the sweet cream used at Starbucks.
- Next up, add the pumpkin puree, pumpkin spice sauce, and pumpkin pie spice mix to the vanilla sweet cream.
- With these ingredients, your normal sweet cream will be transformed into a delicious autumn-flavored pumpkin foam.
- The last step is to whip the cream into a foam. The easiest way to do this is to use a blender, such as a NutriBullet or Ninja, but any blender or handheld milk frother will work just fine.
- After a minute or two of blending, the cream will turn into cold foam, which you'll slowly pour on top of your cold brew or iced coffee. That's it!
- If you have any leftover cold foam you can put it in a mason jar, or leave it in the French press is you're using one, and store in the fridge until you're ready for another pumpkin foam iced drink.
Tips When Using The French Press Method
- If you want to froth milk with a French press, you'll need to pour the vanilla syrup, heavy cream, pumpkin spice sauce into the base of the French press and secure the lid tightly.
- Then, push the French press plunger up and down repeatedly until you see the milk start to froth.
What exactly is pumpkin cream cold foam?
Put simply, cold foam is a foamy dairy-based topping layered on top of cold beverages.
It’s typically made from non-fat milk and vanilla syrup, then whipped in a barista-grade blender, electric milk frother, or handheld frother.
Starbucks baristas make pumpkin cream cold foam by blending heavy cream, milk, sugar, condensed skim milk, pumpkin puree or real pumpkin spice sauce, fruit or vegetable juice for color, a pinch of salt, natural flavors, and vanilla syrup.
I pour the foam over iced cold brew and let the pumpkin spice sit on top. On the first sip, it softens the coffee without taking it over, which is why it feels different from plain cold brew and not just like a sweet garnish.
The coffee still matters, but the foam is what pushes the drink into fall territory.
After the first sip, I understood why I kept ordering it. I’ve also added the foam to other iced Starbucks drinks when I wanted a softer finish without changing the whole drink.
It’s perfect for when it’s not yet sweater weather but I still want to get in the spirit of fall.
FAQs
Can you put pumpkin cold foam on hot drinks?
Technically, you can put pumpkin cold foam on hot drinks, but it melts quickly, so I usually think of it as a cold-drink topping.
When does Starbucks get rid of Pumpkin Cream Cold Foam for the season?
Starbucks usually drops the pumpkin cream cold foam around Thanksgiving, or toward the end of November.
What kind of pumpkin syrup does Starbucks use?
Starbucks uses their own brand of pumpkin syrup made by the Fontana company.
How many pumps of pumpkin spice are in a venti?
If you order a venti, you get 5 full pumps of pumpkin syrup in the foam unless you ask for more or less.
Does Dunkin’ Donuts have pumpkin cold foam?
Yep! Just like Starbucks, Dunkin’ Donuts is taking advantage of the fall season with unique pumpkin-flavored coffee drinks… including its very own version of the Pumpkin Cream Cold Foam.
Try this delicious drink this fall!
I keep coming back to Pumpkin Cream Cold Foam on cold brew because it adds body without turning the drink into something unrecognisable.
It adds a clear pumpkin-spice note and a creamy layer on top, which is why it feels more like an autumn upgrade than a plain add-on. The aroma hits first, then the sweetness.
If spending $5 for a grande Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew sounds steep, I’d rather make the copycat pumpkin cold foam at home. The difference shows up quickly if you order it more than once.
