I am a big fan of the vanilla caramel pairing with coffee. Today was the first day of school, I was still half asleep, and I had ready made cold brew in the fridge. I was craving a Golden Eagle from Dutch Bros, or the new Starbucks Caramel Vanilla Swirl Iced Coffee, and I knew I could recreate it quickly using what I had on hand.
So, if you love caramel and vanilla, or maybe you found this post because you love the Golden Eagle, then this is the coffee drink for you. But, if you do want to make the Golden Eagle just like DB, then check out this post where I have a copycat recipe that’ll knock your socks off.
Let’s make some coffee!
Caramel Vanilla Iced Coffee: Ingredients
You don’t need too many ingredients for this, and you need even less if you skip the soft top (but why would you? Why?). I happened to have a batch of my homemade vanilla syrup on hand, which I love and use whenever possible, but you can easily swap for a store bought syrup here for the same flavor.
Here’s what you’ll need:
- Caramel Syrup – I would use syrup instead of sauce here, because it mixes much easier with cold coffee. If you only have caramel syrup, then you’ll want to use your hand frother to combine it. I really love this Monin syrup – it’s one I always have on hand.
- Vanilla syrup – You can use any vanilla syrup you have on hand. I didn’t have any so I made some quickly using my recipe. It’s a 1:1:1 sugar to water to vanilla extract ratio. I use organic sugar. Then simmer, do not boil, until combined. Pour into a bottle. Refrigerate. Get all the details in this recipe.
- Cold Brew – I like Stok. I’ve tried all their flavors and it doesn’t matter, they’re all good. I did do a cold brew taste test awhile back and tried a bunch of the brands available at the store. You can read that here.
- Heavy Cream – You’ll need 3-4 tbsp of this for the sweet cream. I don’t have a substitute for this, I’m sorry. I am dairy intolerant and I’m okay with this amount, but you need to do what is right for you.
- Milk of choice – Use whatever milk you like here. Almond and coconut do change the flavor, but only slightly. I used almond milk today. The barista oatmilk is the absolute best, but now that I know how unhealthy oatmilk is, I’m trying to avoid it. Boo.
- Caramel Sauce – This is just for the drizzle on top. You don’t need this, but it adds a little more caramel flavor. I’m a fan of Hollander sauces. They have a shorter ingredient list and great taste.
Tools You Need:
Not much, friends. I always recommend my hand frother. The best I’ve ever used. It makes perfect cold foam and it’s cute enough to leave out on my counter. Score.
*Affiliate links used here for products I buy with my own money, use, and love. If you make a purchase through my links, I may earn a commission at no cost to you. Cheers!
How To Make a Caramel Vanilla Iced Coffee with Vanilla Cold Foam:
- Add ice to a glass, I used a 16 oz. glass
- Add 1 tbsp creme caramel syrup and 1 tbsp. vanilla syrup
- Add 1 cup cold brew
- In a separate carafe, mix 4 tbsp. heavy cream, 2 tbsp. milk of choice and 1 tbsp. vanilla and froth until soft set
- Pour over. Drizzle with caramel sauce.
- Enjoy!
Easy peasy!
Would you make this coffee at home? I’d love to know what you think!
More Caramel Vanilla Coffee Recipes:
- Cinnamon Caramel Cream Cold Brew
- Iced Caramel Brulee Latte like Starbucks
- The Viral Iced Caramel White Mocha
There’s a lot more recipes to choose from, too, so I hope you find your new favorite.
Get roasted friends,
A
