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Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew (DIY Starbucks Recipe!)

Coffee in a glass topped with cinnamon, served with rolled cookies.
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This pumpkin cream cold brew recipe is a DIY version of a popular fall drink sold in coffee shops. It's a combination of pumpkin spice cold brew and sweet pumpkin cream cold foam on top - the perfect iced coffee to transition from summer to fall. Plus, it's easy to make; all of the components can be prepped in just 15 minutes of hands-on time!

  • Author: alexandra
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Chill Time (for cold brew): 12 hours (overnight)
  • Cook Time: 5 minutes
  • Total Time: 15 minutes
  • Yield: 1 drink 1x
  • Category: beverages
  • Method: stovetop
  • Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Scale

Cold Brew

  • 1 cup ground coffee
  • 3 cups cold filtered water

Pumpkin Spice Syrup

  • 1 cup water
  • 2-3 cinnamon sticks 
  • 10 whole cloves
  • 1 ¼” piece ginger root, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 a whole nutmeg, chopped
  • 1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
  • 1 cup, packed brown sugar
  • ¾ cup canned pumpkin puree

Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew (single-serving):

  • 4 ½ tablespoons whipping cream
  • 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon pumpkin spice syrup, divided use
  • pinch of salt
  • 6 ounces cold brew coffee
  • ice

Instructions

Cold Brew

  1. Combine coffee and water: Add ground coffee to a quart-size (32 ounce) jar and pour filtered water on top. Cover with a lid and shake well to combine. (You can also do this in a pitcher or even a French press, and simply stir the grounds and water together). Transfer the mixture to the refrigerator to "brew" overnight - or for about 12 hours.
  2. Strain the grounds from the water; you can do this with a coffee filter, your French press, or even a nut milk bag. Keep refrigerated until ready to use.

Pumpkin Spice Syrup

  1. Steep spices in syrup: Combine water, cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, sliced ginger root, chopped nutmeg, and vanilla bean in a small saucepan. Bring the mixture to a low boil on medium-high heat, and then reduce to medium-low and add brown sugar, cooking and stirring occasionally until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat, cover, and let the spices steep for 30 minutes.
  2. Add pumpkin: Using a fine-mesh strainer, strain the spices from the syrup and pour it back into your saucepan. Add pumpkin puree, and continue to cook the syrup on medium-low heat for another 2-3 minutes, until the pumpkin is fully and smoothly incorporated.
  3. Chill: Pour the syrup into a jar or other sealed container and refrigerate until cool. Shake before using.

Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew (for one)

  1. Make the cold foam: Froth, whip, or shake together the whipping cream, 2 tablespoons of pumpkin syrup, and salt until smooth, thick, and creamy (see notes).
  2. Combine with coffee: Stir together cold brew and remaining teaspoon of pumpkin spice syrup in your glass of choice. Add ice if desired. Pour the pumpkin cream on top and stir lightly before drinking.

Notes

Modifications: 

  • Feel free to adjust the amount of syrup used in each drink to taste.
  • You may also wish to dilute your cold brew with water before drinking, depending on how strong you like your coffee. 

Frothing Options:

  • To froth the cold foam mixture for this drink, it's easiest to use a standalone milk frother or handheld frother. However, you can also combine ingredients in a jar and shake them vigorously, or whip them by hand. Either way, the mixture should be thick and silky before adding it to your coffee. 

Ingredient Notes: 

  • Coffee: Any variety of beans can be used, but for best results, they should be coarsely ground, like you would use for pour over coffee. Use decaffeinated beans to make this drink decaf. You can also buy pre-made cold brew for this drink (nitro or regular), or even use freshly brewed and chilled coffee. 
  • Vanilla bean can be substituted with 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Add the extract in step 2, after the syrup has finished cooking. 
  • Regular or heavy whipping cream can be used for this recipe. I've tried half-n-half, and it just doesn't have the same creamy effect. If you want to attempt a dairy-free version of this drink, I'd try using well-chilled, canned coconut cream.

Storage and Shelf Life:

  • Cold brew can be kept refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.
  • The pumpkin syrup should stay fresh in the refrigerator for about a month. 

This recipe makes enough coffee and syrup for multiple drinks. Nutrition facts below are for one prepared drink. 

Find it online: https://www.brighteyedbaker.com/pumpkin-cream-cold-brew-diy-starbucks-recipe/