Starbucks charges $6-7 for their Chocolate Cream Cold Brew. You're paying for cold coffee with a few tablespoons of frothed cream on top. The foam? Heavy cream, milk, cocoa powder, and one ingredient most people don't know exists: malted milk powder.
That last ingredient is what makes you think "wait, this tastes exactly like the cafe version." Skip it and your foam tastes like hot cocoa. Use it and suddenly you've cracked the code.
This guide covers the actual Starbucks recipe, what to do when you can't find that weird malt powder, why your foam keeps turning out gritty (spoiler: you're doing one step wrong), and how to batch-prep for weekday mornings without losing your mind.
Cost breakdown: 60 cents at home versus $6+ at Starbucks. Make this five times and you've saved enough for a bag of great coffee that'll last weeks.
What Makes This Different From Regular Cold Foam
Chocolate cold foam isn't regular cold foam with cocoa stirred in after. The chocolate has to get incorporated during frothing or you end up with chocolate syrup sinking through white foam. Defeats the entire purpose.
What you're actually making: Heavy cream for richness, milk to thin it enough to froth, cocoa powder for chocolate flavor, malted milk powder for depth, and air from frothing for that cloud texture.
Why the Starbucks version works: Malted milk powder isn't just milk powder. It's got malted barley and wheat flour in it. Combined with cocoa, it tastes like melted chocolate malts. That's the flavor people recognize and can't quite place.
Without malted milk? Your foam tastes like hot cocoa on coffee. Not terrible, just not the same thing.
The Actual Starbucks Recipe (Yes, With Malt Powder)
This is what Starbucks actually uses, scaled down for one drink.
What you need:
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream (check the label, needs to be 30% fat minimum)
- 2 tablespoons whole milk (2% works if that's what you've got, skim doesn't)
- 1 tablespoon malted milk powder
- 1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla syrup (or ½ teaspoon vanilla extract + ½ teaspoon sugar)
Making it without screwing up:
-
Mix the dry stuff first – Malted milk powder and cocoa go in your container before anything wet. Stir these together. Prevents the clumping situation.
-
Add everything else – Heavy cream, milk, vanilla syrup.
-
Stir it before frothing – Use a spoon and actually mix until you can't see any powder at the bottom. This step is the difference between smooth foam and grainy disappointment.
-
Froth longer than you think – Handheld frother for 30-40 seconds minimum. Chocolate interferes with foam formation so this takes longer than plain cold foam. Keep going until it's thick and doubled.
-
Check before you pour – Should be thick but still pourable, like melted ice cream consistency. Too thick? You over-frothed or used too much cream. Too thin? Under-frothed or too much milk.
-
Pour it immediately – This doesn't keep. Make it, use it.
Finding malted milk powder: Grocery store coffee aisle, usually next to Ovaltine and hot chocolate stuff. Carnation makes the most common one. Costs $4-5, makes 15+ drinks. Yes, you have to buy the whole container for one recipe. Welcome to specialty ingredients.
When You Don't Have Malted Milk Powder
Can't find it or don't feel like buying a whole container? This version skips it.
Different ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons whole milk
- 2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder (bump it up from 1)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla syrup
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- Tiny pinch salt (makes chocolate taste more complex)
What changes: You lose those caramel and malt notes completely. This tastes like straight chocolate foam instead of malted chocolate foam. Still good, just a different drink. The salt helps but doesn't replace what malted milk brings.
Same process: mix dry ingredients, add wet stuff, stir really well, froth 30-40 seconds.
Why Your Foam Keeps Coming Out Gritty
This is everyone's first problem. Cocoa powder doesn't dissolve in cold liquid—it suspends. If you don't mix it properly before frothing, those particles stay grainy and weird.
Preventing grit:
- Stir dry ingredients into liquid BEFORE touching the frother
- Get a small whisk if you have one, spoon works too
- Make absolutely sure no visible powder sits at the bottom
- Let it sit for 30 seconds after stirring, then stir again before frothing
- Sift your cocoa powder if it's clumpy coming out of the container
Dutch-process versus natural cocoa: Dutch-process cocoa (Hershey's Special Dark, most European brands) dissolves smoother because it's been treated to reduce acidity. Natural cocoa fights you more in cold liquid. Consistently gritty foam? Switch cocoa types.
Already gritty and you want to save it? Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a new container. Froth again for 10 seconds. Not perfect but fixable.
Three Levels of Chocolate Intensity
Barely there chocolate:
- ½ teaspoon cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon malted milk powder
- Everything else stays the same
For when you want a hint of chocolate that doesn't compete with your coffee. Subtle.
Standard Starbucks level:
- 1 teaspoon cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon malted milk powder
- The recipe above
Balanced. Chocolate complements coffee, doesn't overpower it.
Aggressive chocolate:
- 2 teaspoons cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon malted milk powder
- Add ¼ teaspoon instant espresso powder
Dessert territory. The espresso powder amplifies both chocolate and coffee—weird trick but it works.
Every Frothing Method, Honestly Assessed
Handheld frother (best option): 30-40 seconds, most control over texture, easy cleanup. Cocoa sticks to the whisk—rinse it immediately or you'll be scraping dried chocolate later.
French press: 50-60 pumps minimum. More physical effort. Good for bigger batches. Chocolate clings to the plunger so hit it with hot water right after.
Electric frother (Aeroccino style): Press button, walk away. Convenient but you can't adjust if it's not quite right. Some models don't handle cocoa powder well—check your manual. Can clog if you didn't mix the cocoa in properly first.
Blender: Blend on low for 15-20 seconds. Works for 3-4 servings at once. Over-blend and it turns back into liquid. Chocolate residue gets stuck in the gasket—you'll need to take it apart to clean properly.
Mason jar shake method: Fill jar ⅓ full, seal tight, shake for 60-90 seconds. Last resort when you own zero equipment. Inconsistent results but it works. Arm workout included.
Batch Prep for Weekday Mornings
You can't store frothed foam. It deflates. But you can prep everything else.
Sunday prep strategy: Mix your dry ingredients for the whole week:
- 7 tablespoons malted milk powder
- 7 teaspoons cocoa powder
- 7 teaspoons sugar (if you're not using syrup)
Store in a small jar. Each morning: 1 tablespoon of this mix + cream + milk + vanilla, froth. Saves 2 minutes every day.
Coffee side: Make a pitcher of cold brew on Sunday, sweeten with vanilla syrup, refrigerate. Lasts 5-7 days. Pour over ice, add fresh foam. Done.
Sunday investment: 10 minutes. Daily time: 3 minutes for foam and assembly. Weekly savings versus Starbucks: $35-40.
Fixing Common Problems
Won't thicken no matter what: Cream's too warm (needs to be fridge-cold), not enough fat (check your heavy cream is actually 30%+ fat), too much milk ratio (cut milk to 1 tablespoon), or cocoa powder soaking up all the liquid (add a splash more cream).
Tastes bitter: Natural cocoa is more acidic than Dutch-process (switch types), forgot sweetener (cocoa needs sugar or syrup), used too much cocoa (dial back to ½ teaspoon), or your coffee underneath is over-extracted (not the foam's fault).
Separates right after pouring: Under-frothed (go longer until it doubles in volume), too much liquid (more cream, less milk), normal deflation in hot weather (make smaller amounts), or it's been sitting too long (drink within 10 minutes).
Tastes flat: Missing malted milk powder (that's your depth and complexity), no salt added (pinch of salt wakes up chocolate), vanilla extract instead of syrup (syrup has more flavor), or you're using terrible cocoa powder (upgrade to Ghirardelli or similar).
Way too sweet: Using sweetened cocoa by accident (must be unsweetened), too much vanilla syrup (cut to ½ teaspoon), coffee underneath is also sweetened (pick one), or your malted milk powder brand is sweeter than others (Carnation versus store brand varies).
Sticks to everything: Cocoa powder has oils that cling. Totally normal. Rinse your frother in hot water immediately after using it or you're scraping dried chocolate off later. Already dried on? Soak in warm soapy water.
What to Do With That Whole Container of Malted Milk Powder
Bought malted milk powder for this recipe and now you've got most of a container sitting in your pantry? Use it for other things.
Mix into regular coffee – Stir 1 teaspoon into hot coffee with milk. Adds that malty, slightly sweet flavor without making foam. Works in regular iced coffee too.
Upgrade hot chocolate – Add 1 tablespoon to any hot chocolate recipe. Makes it taste like malted chocolate milkshakes instead of regular cocoa.
Baking – Add 2-3 tablespoons to chocolate chip cookie dough, brownie batter, or chocolate cake mix. Deepens chocolate flavor and adds complexity. Works especially well in anything chocolate.
Milkshakes and smoothies – Tablespoon in vanilla or chocolate milkshakes, or add to banana smoothies for that malt shop flavor.
Pancake and waffle batter – Mix 2 tablespoons into your batter for malted pancakes or waffles. Pairs well with chocolate chips or berries.
Oatmeal – Stir a teaspoon into your morning oatmeal with a bit of cocoa powder. Chocolate malt oatmeal situation.
Homemade ice cream – If you make ice cream, malted milk powder is excellent in vanilla or chocolate bases. Classic malted milk ball flavor.
Regular cold foam – Use it in vanilla or caramel cold foam recipes for added depth. Not just for chocolate.
Container will last 3-4 months in your pantry once opened. Enough time to work through it without forcing malted everything onto your family.
Beyond Basic: Variations Worth Trying
Mocha mint foam – Add ⅛ teaspoon peppermint extract. Mint chocolate on coffee. Better than it sounds.
Mexican chocolate foam – Pinch of cinnamon + tiny pinch cayenne. Spicy chocolate complexity.
Salted dark chocolate foam – Use dark cocoa, sprinkle flaky sea salt on top after pouring. Sweet-salty contrast that works.
Nutella foam – Replace cocoa with 1 teaspoon Nutella. Chocolate hazelnut situation.
White chocolate foam – Skip cocoa entirely, melt 3-4 white chocolate chips in the milk (microwave 10 seconds), proceed. Completely different but good.
Coconut chocolate foam – Add ¼ teaspoon coconut extract. Bounty bar vibes.
Orange chocolate foam – 2-3 drops orange extract. Terry's Chocolate Orange energy.
Bourbon chocolate foam – Add ½ teaspoon bourbon. Adults only.
Double coffee chocolate foam – Add ¼ teaspoon instant espresso powder. Coffee-flavored chocolate on coffee. Yes, intentionally.
What Coffee Actually Works Best
Cold brew – Classic pairing. Strong, smooth cold brew gets balanced by rich chocolate.
Iced Americano – Espresso + water + chocolate foam. Clean and intense.
Iced latte – Already creamy, chocolate foam makes it dessert-adjacent. Basically a chocolate milkshake with caffeine.
Iced mocha – Chocolate syrup in the coffee plus chocolate foam on top. Excessive? Yes. Good? Also yes.
Regular iced coffee – Standard drip coffee, cooled and iced. Most practical daily option.
Nitro cold brew – If you have access, chocolate foam on nitro is exceptional. Creamy on creamy.
Vietnamese iced coffee – Strong coffee with sweetened condensed milk underneath, chocolate foam on top. Next-level sweet.
Making It Dairy-Free (With Realistic Expectations)
Standard version needs heavy cream and milk. Dairy-free options exist but texture won't match exactly.
Cream substitute: Full-fat coconut cream (the thick part from a can, refrigerated until cold). Froths okay but less stable than dairy. Adds coconut flavor whether you want it or not.
Milk substitute: Barista-blend oat milk froths best. Almond and soy work but create thinner foam.
Malted milk problem: Contains dairy. Substitute with 1 tablespoon almond flour + ½ teaspoon maca powder. Approximates the malt flavor somewhat.
Dairy-free version:
- 3 tablespoons coconut cream (cold)
- 1 tablespoon oat milk
- 1 teaspoon cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon almond flour
- ½ teaspoon maca powder
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup
- Pinch salt
Froth longer (40-50 seconds) because non-dairy fights foam formation harder. Creates thinner foam than dairy version but functional.
Cost Reality
Per serving at home (with malted milk):
- Heavy cream: $0.20
- Milk: $0.05
- Malted milk powder: $0.25
- Cocoa powder: $0.10
- Vanilla syrup: $0.05
- Total: $0.65
Starbucks Chocolate Cream Cold Brew: $6.29-$6.99
Savings per drink: ~$6
Daily for a month: Save $180
Equipment costs:
- Handheld frother: $12-15 (lasts years)
- Malted milk powder: $4-5 (makes 15+ drinks)
- Cocoa powder: $4-6 (makes 30+ drinks)
Break-even after 4 homemade drinks. Everything after that is pure savings.
Storage Straight Talk
Frothed foam: Use immediately. Lasts 15 minutes max before deflating. Cannot be stored, period.
Unfrothed base: 2 days refrigerated if you mix everything but don't froth yet. Stir before frothing since cocoa settles.
Dry mix: 1 month in airtight container at room temperature. Combine cocoa + malted milk + sugar, measure portions.
Malted milk powder (opened): 3-4 months in pantry, tight lid.
Cocoa powder (opened): 1 year in cool, dry place.
Cold brew: 5-7 days refrigerated in sealed container.
Short answer: Make foam fresh each time. Takes 2 minutes. Prep everything else if you want to save time.
Questions People Google
Do I actually need malted milk powder or is it optional? Depends what you're going for. Want it to taste like Starbucks? Need the malted milk. Just want chocolate foam on coffee and don't care about replicating anything specific? Skip it, increase cocoa, save yourself $5. Both are good, they're just different drinks.
Can I use chocolate syrup instead of cocoa powder? Yes but texture changes. Use 1 tablespoon chocolate syrup, skip or reduce other sweeteners. Froths thinner than cocoa version. More like chocolate milk foam than chocolate cream foam.
Why is mine brown and weird instead of that pretty light tan color? Too much cocoa or you're using dark cocoa. Starbucks version is lighter because malted milk powder is tan-colored. Cut cocoa to ½ teaspoon or switch to lighter cocoa.
Does this work on hot coffee? Technically yes but foam melts on contact with hot liquid. You're just stirring chocolate cream into coffee at that point. Better to add chocolate milk or mocha syrup to hot coffee instead of bothering with foam.
Can I make this without buying a frother? Yes. French press (pump 50+ times), shake in sealed jar (60-90 seconds), or blend on low (15 seconds). All work, just require more effort than a $12 handheld frother that you'll use for years.
How long before I need to drink this? 10-15 minutes before foam deflates noticeably. Still tastes fine after, just looks less impressive. Don't make it and let it sit for half an hour.
Can I put this on hot chocolate or smoothies? Absolutely. Works on iced tea too. Chocolate foam isn't coffee-exclusive, that's just the most common use.
Quick Assessment
This tastes better than Starbucks when you use fresh ingredients and decent cocoa powder. Starbucks makes big batches that sit around. Yours is made to order.
Texture might vary slightly depending on your frothing equipment but flavor-wise, homemade wins because you control sweetness and chocolate intensity.
Effort: 2 minutes active work. After making it three times you can do this half-asleep.
Worth it if you drink chocolate cold brew more than twice monthly. Not worth it if this is an annual treat you'll make once and forget about.
Getting Started
Start with good cold brew underneath. Weak or bitter coffee makes even perfect foam taste mediocre. Grab quality beans and you'll taste the difference immediately.
For the foam, don't stress about perfection the first time. Even slightly deflated chocolate foam tastes good on cold coffee. You're learning a technique, not building furniture.
Make it once with malted milk to understand what Starbucks is actually doing. Then mess around with variations, chocolate levels, and different coffees to find what you prefer.
After a week of making this daily, paying $7 at a café will feel absolutely absurd.
Want to level up your home coffee game? Check out our cold brew blend—roasted specifically for cold brewing. Smooth, never bitter, strong enough to hold up under chocolate foam without disappearing.
Standard version or jumping straight to dark chocolate? Malted milk or skipping it? Let us know what works.
P.S. – If you make this and think "this tastes exactly like the cafe version," that's because it is. The recipe isn't complicated. They just charge $6+ because most people assume it's harder than it actually is.
