I’ve been working since the age of 14 and among all the jobs I’ve ever had (and there have been many) working as a barista at a local coffee shop is at the top of the list. Fueled by free coffee and shifts with friends, working there was FUN! That said, I was a horrible barista. Unsurprisingly, at 16 years old I was much better at making the shop’s signature, Triple-Cheese Grilled Cheese Croissant Sandwich (drool) then figuring out what amount of foam officially differentiates a latte from a cappuccino. Priorities! Anyway, neither you nor I need to be a barista on any level to whip up a refreshing Sea Salt Caramel Cold Brew with Caramel Cold Foam from the comfort of your own kitchen — no coffee shop required!
Cold Brew + Caramel Cold Foam
Cold brew season has arrived (though I see you “every season is cold brew season” folks!) and the base of this gorgeous, coffee-shop-quality drink is the Sea Salt Caramel Cold Brew Blend from Cameron’s Coffee. Cameron’s Sea Salt Caramel Cold Brew features the company’s always smooth, never bitter, coarse-ground coffee with a hint of caramel and sea salt flavors. Poured over ice then topped with velvety Caramel Cold Foam — ie frothed milk + homemade caramel syrup — it makes morning time an actual good time!
The Cameron’s Coffee Difference
I’ve been exclusively drinking Cameron’s Coffee, who this recipe is sponsored by, for the past 6+ years — needless to say, I’m a super fan! The company aims to bring high quality coffee directly into people’s homes, and is so, so smooth. Each morning during the fall and seasoned that shall not be named I brew an EcoPod in my single-serve Keurig. The pods aren’t made of plastic which makes a huge difference in the flavor of the brewed coffee. In the spring and summertime I switch over to their cold brew blend which I brew in our Cold Brew Coffee Maker. You don’t need a special cold brew coffee maker to whip up this drink — it’s just that my husband Ben falls into the aforementioned “cold brew or no brew” category, so we bought one a few years ago. One piece of equipment you WILL want to get ahold of is a handheld milk frother. This little gadget turns regular milk into creamy, velvety cold foam that rivals any coffee shop’s. It’s the best $12 I’ve spent in ages!
Tips for Success
This cold brew recipe + caramel cream cold foam is pretty straight forward: brew the coffee > make the caramel syrup > whip the syrup with milk > pour it over the coffee. That said, I’ve got a few tips for ya: Now, who’s thirsty?!
How to Make this Recipe
Step 1: Make the Cold Brew
Start by (cold) brewing Cameron’s Sea Salt Caramel Cold Brew Blend. You can use a Cold Brew Coffee Maker, large glass pitcher, French Press — whatever you’ve got on hand. The bag of cold brew has directions on the side, plus Cameron’s Coffee has a great video tutorial of the process.
The cold brew blend is coarse-ground resulting in smooth, non-bitter coffee. If you’ve ever experienced bitter cold brew, likely the coffee beans were ground too fine and/or it was brewed for too long.
If you’re using a cold brew coffee maker, add the grounds to the filter then place it inside the pitcher and refrigerate for 12-24 hours. The longer it sits in the fridge, the stronger the coffee will be. I like 1 cup grounds + 8 cups water, steeped overnight.
Step 2: Make the Caramel Syrup
Meanwhile, make the syrup which will add irresistible caramel flavor to the cold foam. This simple syrup is delightfully easy and requires zero stirring! Add granulated sugar to a small saucepan with water then turn the heat to medium-high. DON’T stir it. DON’T touch it.
Once the syrup begins to simmer, turn the heat down to medium then let the syrup simmer and bubble until it turns a light amber color, about 20 minutes. Again, NO TOUCHING during this entire process.
Once the syrup turns light amber, turn the heat off then carefully whisk in water that’s been heated to boiling in the microwave or in another small pot on a burner next door.
Tip 1: if you try and add cold water to the syrup it will harden. Be sure the water is piping hot. Tip 2: USE CAUTION while adding the hot water, as it will steam and spit slightly when it hits the syrup. I recommend wearing pot holders if possible, or wrap the hand that’s whisking in a towel.
Next add vanilla extract, whisk to combine, and voila — you’ve got homemade caramel syrup!
Let the syrup cool slightly then pour it into a mason jar or container with a lid. Once cooled to room temperature, place a lid on top then refrigerate for up to several weeks. I’ve been adding the caramel sauce to warmed almond milk for my kids (one of the few drinks I actually excelled at making back in my barista days!) then frothing with a milk frother. They go CRAZY for Mama’s dairy-free Caramel Steamers!
Step 3: Make the Caramel Cold Foam
The last step is to add the caramel syrup to very cold milk. I recommend whole milk for the fluffiest cold foam, and personally prefer 1 Tablespoon caramel syrup to 1/4 cup milk. Feel free to play around with the ratios depending on how sweet you want your iced coffee.
Use a battery powered milk frother held just below the surface of the milk to whip and froth it into cold foam. This takes approximitely 10 seconds. Voila! SO velvety – it will truly delight you!
Step 4: Assemble the drink.
Fill a 16oz cup halfway with ice, followed by the cold brew. Drizzle the caramel cold foam on top then pop in a straw and get to sipping.
Whether you’re looking for an easy way to jazz up your morning coffee, save money by making fancy coffee drinks at home, or any reason in between, I know you’re going to love this Sea Salt Caramel Cold Brew with Caramel Cold Foam drink! Enjoy!
Photos by Ashley McLaughlin Like this recipe? Share it with friends!
