salted caramel iced coffee with caramel cold foam

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!

Glass of iced coffee with cold foam on top

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!

bag of cameron's coffee with caramel simple syrup

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!

cold foam being poured into cold brew

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:

  1. Plan ahead: The cold brew coffee grounds need to steep for 12-24 hours in the fridge before drinking. While you CAN use hot coffee that’s been refrigerated for this recipe, Cameron’s Cold Brew Blends are coarse-ground to make super smooth cold brew.
  2. Choose your milk: You’ll get the best cold foam using cold cow’s milk. The higher the milk fat the better — I use whole milk. Heavy cream or whipping cream would be a dream. Plant-based milks like almond or oat milk will work, but the foam won’t hold for too long.
  3. Hands off: When making the 3-ingredient caramel syrup which flavors the cold foam, it’s important you don’t touch the pan while it’s cooking. Don’t overthink it. Don’t touch it. I’ll share more below. ;)

Now, who’s thirsty?!

glass of iced coffee with caramel cold foam

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.

bag of cameron's coffee salted caramel cold brew

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.

bold brew coffee grounds in a measuring cup

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.

iced coffee maker brewing cold brew

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.

sugar and water in a saucepan

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.

caramel simple syrup simmering in a pan

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!

caramel simple syrup in a saucepan

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!

caramel simple syrup in a mason jar

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.

caramel simple syrup being added to milk

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!

spoon dunking into cold foam

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.

cold foam being poured into a glass of iced coffee

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!

a glass of iced coffee mixed with cold foam

Sea Salt Caramel Cold Brew with Caramel Cold Foam

5/5 (2 REVIEWS)

Description

Sea Salt Caramel Cold Brew with Caramel Cold Foam is a coffee-shop-quality drink you can easily make at home! Sponsored by Cameron's Coffee.

Ingredients

makes 6-8 drinks

  • 1 cup Cameron’s Coffee Sea Salt Caramel Cold Brew Blend
  • 6 - 8 cups water
  • 2 - 4 Tablespoons milk per drink (see notes)
  • Special equipment: milk frother
  • For the Caramel Syrup (makes 1 cup):
    • 1 cup sugar
    • 1 cup water, divided
    • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

    Directions

    1. For the Cold Brew: to a large pitcher, iced coffee maker, or french press add the cold brew coffee grounds plus 6 - 8 cups water, depending on how strong you like your iced coffee. Six cups of water will yield a stronger cup of cold brew than eight cups. Place in the refrigerator to steep for 12 - 24 hours then strain out coffee grounds and discard. Here’s a great video tutorial!
    2. For the Caramel Syrup: add sugar and 1/2 cup water to a small saucepan then turn heat to medium-high and bring to a simmer — do not stir at all. Turn heat down to medium then continue to simmer until the sugar turns light amber in color, 18 - 20 minutes — again, do not stir at all during this process.
    3. When the syrup has 2 - 3 minutes of simmering left, bring remaining 1/2 cup water to a boil in the microwave or in another small pan on the stove.
    4. 4. When the syrup turns light amber in color, turn off the heat then carefully pour in the hot water while whisking — it’s helpful to wear oven mitts as the syrup will steam and may spit slightly. Add vanilla then whisk to combine. Let syrup cool slightly before pouring into a mason jar or other storage container with a lid. Let cool to room temperature before covering and refrigerating — syrup can be refrigerated for 2 - 3 weeks.
    5. For the Cold Foam: Fill a 16oz glass half full with ice then fill 3/4 of the way up with Sea Salt Caramel Cold Brew coffee. Add desired amount of milk plus 1 - 2 Tablespoons caramel syrup (I like 1 Tablespoon syrup to 1/4 cup milk) to another glass then use a milk frother to create cold foam. Alternatively, you can simply stir the milk and caramel syrup together to combine. Pour the cold foam over the cold brew then serve.

    Notes

    • The higher the milk fat content in the milk, the more fluffy and foamy your cold foam will be - I like using whole milk. Plant/nut-based milks will not foam as much but will still taste delicious.
    • I love this inexpensive, hand-held milk frother.

    This recipe is courtesy of Iowa Girl Eats, http://iowagirleats.com.

    photo collage of caramel cold foam and iced coffee

    Photos by Ashley McLaughlin