Karla Walsh is a Des Moines, Iowa-based freelance writer, editor, and former fitness instructor who balances her love of food and drink with her passion for fitness. (Or tries to, at least!) She holds a double major in magazine journalism and kinesiology from Iowa State University. She also passed her level one sommelier exam with the Court of Master Sommeliers, received her personal trainer certification through the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) and group fitness instructor certification through the Athletics and Fitness Association of America (AFAA). She's covered health, food, fitness, psychology, beauty, and beyond for more than 12 years. In addition to BHG.com, her writing has been published in AllRecipes, Runner's World, Shape and Fitness Magazines, as well as on EatingWell.com, Shape.com, ReadersDigest.com, TheHealthy.com, Prevention.com, WomensHealthMag.com, and more.

For decades, steamed and frothed milk has been used to top lattes, cappuccinos, mochas, and more. As of 2018, Starbucks introduced a similar but new concept nationwide: cold foam. Similar to both of those light-as-air toppings, Starbucks' signature cold foam has since been recreated by competitors like Dunkin' and Jamba Juice—and by creative at-home coffee baristas.

Ideal for topping a wide variety of coffee shop favorites, our DIY cold foam can hold its own atop your go-to coffee drink or tea; slowly seeping down to infuse it with just enough richness and vanilla flavor.

Prepare to save time and money by skipping the drive-through or coffee shop line. Ahead, we're spilling all of the details about how to make DIY cold foam right in your own kitchen.

Cold foam is frothed milk (or nondairy milk alternative) that's often flavored with a sweetener and extract. It's similar to the steamed milk that tops lattes and cappuccinos, just at a cool temp.

Since it won't melt into your hot drink, a dollop of cold foam creates a light, sweet layer of crema that gently settles into the beverage as you sip it. For an extra 50 cents, you can add cold foam to many Starbucks drinks. Plus, it is already included in certain menu items like cold brews, iced mochas, iced espressos, iced matcha tea lattes, and the trendy "pink drink."

You need just three ingredients to make our Test Kitchen recipe for DIY cold foam.

Homemade cold foam looks impressive, but is actually a breeze to make. Before we dive into how to make DIY cold foam, round up those aforementioned ingredients and your foaming tool of choice. You have a few options.

To make DIY cold foam, here are the ratios of ingredients you'll need.

If you have any extra foam, transfer it to a mason jar with a lid and store it in the fridge for up to 3 days. Before serving, use a milk frother to bring it back to life—or simply give the jar a few vigorous shakes until it's foamy again.

This DIY cold foam recipe can be utilized instead of the milk or cream in your usual coffee or tea drink, or in addition to it. Feel free to leave it floating on top or give it a stir into the drink; either way, you'll experience the sweet, rich flavor with each sip. To add a special touch to happy hour, you can use this DIY cold foam to top spirit-free mixed drinks or cocktails like eggnog, hot chocolate, or milk punch.

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