This Vegan Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew is a Starbucks copycat recipe that combines store-bought or homemade cold brew with an easy pumpkin cream cold foam that is completely dairy-free!
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Infused with warming pumpkin spice flavors, this creamy vegan cold brew is the sweetest way to welcome pumpkin spice season!
The pumpkin cream cold brew is a seasonal drink at Starbucks that is made with a sweet cream cold foam that contains dairy but luckily for us, it's super easy to whip a vegan version of this popular fall drink up in a blender right at home.
Ingredients
This vegan pumpkin cream cold brew recipe is made easily by combining all the ingredients in a blender and blending until smooth. It is thick, creamy, full of pumpkin spice flavors, and can be made at home in under 5 minutes!
- Coconut Milk: See below for a list of coconut brands I recommend. It must be creamy and fluffy, not hard or gritty.
- Oat Milk: I prefer a barista blend but as long as you choose non-dairy milk that is creamy and not watery- it’ll be good!
- Pumpkin Purée: Just a tablespoon for some pumpkin flavor because it is a pumpkin cold brew after all. It must have pumpkin! Make sure to pick up real pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling.
- Pumpkin Spice Syrup: You'll want to prep ahead the homemade pumpkin spice sauce. It is completely dairy-free, gluten-free, and contains minimal and simple ingredients.
- Vanilla Extract: For flavor!
- Pumpkin Pie Spices: You can use a premade pumpkin pie spice blend or mix together your own blend.
Equipment
You will need to use a blender in order to create a light and fluffy vegan version of cold foam. I use a Nutribullet and it works wonderfully. I have tried this with a handheld frother and the texture wasn’t right.
For best results, use a blender and a quality brand of coconut milk.
Pumpkin Syrup
The sweetness in this recipe comes from homemade Pumpkin Spice Simple Syrup. It’s made with light brown sugar, water, canned pumpkin, and fragrant fall spices and comes together within 5 minutes.
Allow it to cool at room temperature and it can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Coconut Milk
Not all canned coconut milk should be treated equally. For this pumpkin cold foam, we need canned coconut milk that is creamy and fluffy but not gritty or grainy or chunky and hard.
I highly suggest the brand Native Forest Organic Classic Coconut Milk for this homemade pumpkin cream. This is the one I used and it is extremely creamy even without refrigeration. The liquid and the creamy parts are naturally separated when the can is opened so I simply scooped the coconut milk into my blender along with the remaining ingredients and it creates the perfect creamy foam.
A few more brands that I would recommend are Savoy Coconut Cream, 365 Whole Foods Brand, Nature's Charm Coco Whipping Cream, and Aroy-D.
Trader Joe's and Goya are good examples of what kinds of coconut milk to avoid. Those brands of coconut milk are gritty and not recommended.
Cold Brew
I make my own homemade cold brew coffee with this Cold Brew Maker.
You could also use a store-bought cold brew concentrate or cold brew. Starbucks and Califia are the ones that come to mind- and are sold in most groceries including Whole Foods and Target.
You can even buy individual serving-size cans of cold brew.
How to Make This Recipe
Add the creamy part of the coconut milk to the blender along with the remaining pumpkin cream ingredients. Blend until smooth and creamy.
Toss ice in a glass cup and pour in the cold brew. Top with the pumpkin cream cold foam and a dusting of pumpkin spice.
Tips & Tricks
Refrigerate the coconut milk overnight. For the Native Forest brand, I didn't find the refrigeration necessary but it does help keep the coconut milk more firm and creamy.
Blend until the texture becomes whipped and creamy. The texture should be thick, not runny or watery.
Pick a cold brew you enjoy! If you dislike cold brew, you can use iced coffee. I also recommend sweetening the coffee with a touch more pumpkin spice syrup depending on how sweet you enjoy your coffee.
Substitutions & Additions
Barista Blend Oat Milk: Almond milk, cashew milk, soy milk, and regular oat milk will work as well. Just make sure you aren’t using a watery brand of plant milk.
Pumpkin Spice Syrup: The pumpkin spice syrup adds the majority of the spice flavor and adds a touch of sweetness.
Pumpkin Pie Spice: If you don't have a pumpkin pie spice blend, you can use a mix of spices. I recommend ⅛ teaspoon of cinnamon, a dash of nutmeg, a dash of ginger, a dash of allspice, and a dash of cloves.
Cold Brew: You can add this on top of your favorite coffee drinks- not just cold brew.
Frequently Asked Questions
Unfortunately, no. The coconut milk is what gives our vegan cold foam body and helps it stay afloat on top of the coffee. Without it, it will still taste good but the texture won't be right.
I tried it in a milk frother and the texture wasn't right. Blending it helps create a light and whipped texture.
Unfortunately, no. The Starbucks version contains dairy and can’t be made vegan. Luckily, it’s easy to make at home!
Yes, you can leave out the pumpkin purée if desired and stick to the pumpkin spice seasoning blend and vanilla for flavor.
More Coffee Recipes You’ll Love:
Recipe
Vegan Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons Canned Coconut Milk creamy part only
- 2 tablespoons Barista Style Oat Milk
- 1 tablespoon Pumpkin Purée
- 2 teaspoons Pumpkin Spice Syrup more to taste
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- ¼ teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Spice see notes
- Cold Brew
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth and creamy.
- Toss ice in a glass cup and pour in the cold brew. Top with the pumpkin cream cold foam and a sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice.
Notes
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