Copycat Starbucks Vanilla Sweet Cream Recipe (Only 2 Ingredients)

What is Starbucks Vanilla Sweet Cream?

Starbucks Vanilla Sweet Cream is a lightly sweetened coffee creamer made with heavy cream, milk, and vanilla syrup. It’s commonly used in drinks like the Starbucks Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew and can be frothed to make cold foam.

This homemade version simplifies it to just heavy cream and vanilla syrup, while still delivering the same creamy, lightly sweet flavor.

You can also use it in iced coffee or make a Starbucks vanilla sweet cream cold brew at home for a coffee shop–style drink.

Ingredients

See recipe card for exact amounts.

Ingredient Notes

• Cream: We use heavy whipping cream for this recipe. It has about 36-40% fat and is ideal for this.  
• Vanilla Syrup: This is vanilla flavored simple syrup and only requires sugar, water, and either a vanilla bean or vanilla extract for vanilla flavor. We use our own homemade vanilla syrup because it’s really easy and inexpensive to make. 

To make a dairy-free version of this vanilla creamer a plant based heavy cream alternative can be used. Almond milk, oat milk and soy milk can be used but the end result will be much thinner and not as rich.  

How to Make Vanilla Sweet Cream 

We use a mason jar, but any jar with a lid that seals well will work. It can be mixed in a bowl with a whisk.

1. Pour the cream and vanilla syrup into a jar.
2. Shake vigorously until it’s well mixed.
3. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a week or two. Shake it well before each use. It’s best to throw it out if you notice a change in appearance, smell, or consistency. 

Vanilla Sweet Cream vs Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Foam

Vanilla sweet cream and vanilla sweet cream cold foam are not the same.

Vanilla sweet cream is a liquid coffee creamer made with heavy cream, milk, and vanilla syrup. It’s poured into drinks like iced coffee or cold brew.

Vanilla sweet cream cold foam is a thick, frothy topping made by blending or frothing sweetened milk and cream with vanilla. It sits on top of the drink instead of mixing in.

The key difference is texture and how each is used: sweet cream blends into your coffee, while cold foam stays on top as a creamy layer.

Cold foam is usually made with lower-fat milk so it can froth easily, while sweet cream uses more heavy cream for a richer, smoother texture.

How to Make Vanilla Syrup

We use vanilla extract instead of a vanilla bean because it only requires simple ingredients that we always have on-hand. Plus it’s much cheaper than whole vanilla bean pods, even at the regular grocery store.

Add 1 cup of water and 1 cup of sugar to a small saucepan. Bring it to a boil over high heat, reduce heat to medium and cook stirring often until the sugar melts, usually just a couple of minutes. Take it off the heat and add 1 ½ tablespoons of vanilla extract. Let cool to room temperature before mixing with the heavy cream.

To make this with a vanilla pod just add it to the mixture before you cook it and then strain out the vanilla bean. 

Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew vs Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Foam

Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew and Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Foam are two different Starbucks drinks.

Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew is a cold brew coffee drink that has vanilla syrup and liquid vanilla sweet cream mixed in. The cream blends into the coffee for a smooth, lightly sweet flavor.

Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Foam is made by topping cold coffee with a thick layer of frothed vanilla sweet cream foam. Instead of mixing in, the foam sits on top of the drink.

The main difference is how the cream is used: in the cold brew it’s mixed in, while in cold foam drinks it’s whipped and layered on top.

Starbucks Drinks Made With Vanilla Sweet Cream

These are some of the most popular Starbucks drinks that use vanilla sweet cream:

• Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew
• Iced Coffee with Vanilla Sweet Cream
• Vanilla Sweet Cream Nitro Cold Brew

Make These Easy Drink Recipes Next!

• Maple Syrup Coffee (hot or iced)
• Brown Sugar Oat Milk
• Iced Coffee with Sweetened Condensed Milk