Elevate Your Favorite Starbucks Refreshers With Cold Foam

What's better than an ice cold Starbucks Refresher with passionfruit, strawberry açaí, mango, or dragonfruit? One topped with frothy cold foam, according to a whole lot of people. If you're new to either or both of these Starbucks fan faves, the Refresher drinks come in many fruity variations, including the kid-embraceable Pink Drink. And the company's cold foam topping is basically frothed, cold nonmilk with an array of flavor options. Adding the basic Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Foam elevates any Refresher drink to indulgence status, but that's only the beginning. 

Cold foam flavors come and go, especially with seasonal holiday introductions, but there are always several to choose from. Some favorites, along with the ever-present Vanilla Sweet Cream, include Cinnamon Sweet Cream, Salted Caramel Cream, Chocolate Cream, Matcha Cream, White Chocolate Macadamia Cream, and Pumpkin Cream. Meanwhile, Starbucks' 2023 winter holiday cold foam flavors include Peppermint Chocolate Cream, Caramel Brûlée Cream, Chestnut Praline Cream, and Sugar Cookie Cream. 

Mixing and matching the creamy cold foam flavors to the various Refresher drinks comes down to your own creativity and daring spirit. But Tasting Table can help out with an explanation and rating of 12 Starbucks cold foam flavors that can be added to any Starbucks drink. Vanilla Sweet Cream is the perfect starting point for layering, and, for more intense flavor, just ask for an extra pump of vanilla in the cold foam. Topping your Refresher with cold foam costs an additional $1.25 regardless of size.  

Starbucks cold foam, which got a test run in 2014 at Seattle's Reserve Roastery and entered mainstream Starbucks stores in 2018, differs from the company's other milky add-ins, including Sweet Cream, in that it's made with nonfat milk instead of regular milk or heavy whipping cream. It also utilizes no heat to froth the milk, making it suitable for any cold drink, including Refreshers. 

Since there's low or no fat in the milk, the cold foam keeps its structure after frothing rather than liquifying and seeping into the drink it tops. In addition to that, the cold nonfat milk gets blended for as long as it takes to create stable, creamy layers, essentially removing the need for actual cream. That makes it an ideal smooth and sweet topping for cold Starbucks Refreshers. The cool, sweet milk blends with the tart fruit as you sip it, creating an experience similar to biting into a creamsicle.

If you're ordering one to go, ask for a domed lid to keep those creamy layers intact. Not planning a trip to a Starbucks coffee shop anytime soon? No worries, as the company shared some tips for making your own Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Foam at home. All it takes is some vanilla extract, powdered sugar, and, for the at-home recipe, 2% milk. You can froth it by hand or with an electric milk frother.