Skip the coffee shop line and make your daily cold brew at home – with a chocolatey twist. This Homemade Chocolate Cream Cold Brew is smooth, refreshing, and surprisingly easy to whip up. With no fancy equipment, you’ll get that rich café flavor without the price tag. I cycle between my vanilla sweet cream cold brew or this chocolate cream cold brew when I want something a little different.
This summer I have really jumped on the cold brew wagon. Making my own cold brew concentrate is really easy and I love that it stays fresh for up to two weeks! But I have to admit, it never stays around long enough for me to worry about it going off. My vanilla sweet cream cold brew and this chocolate cream cold brew have been my go to cool-down drinks with a caffeine pick me up this summer. I’m enjoying them so much, that I don’t really see me changing my ways even when winter comes! I guess we will see.
Why You Will Love This Chocolate Cream Cold Brew Recipe
- Café flavor at home – You get to enjoy the rich, smooth taste of your favorite coffee shop drink without the daily splurge.
- Easy to make – No espresso machine or barista skills required – just simple steps and everyday ingredients.
- Balanced and smooth – The bold cold brew pairs perfectly with the chocolatey cream for a drink that’s rich but not overpowering.
- Customizable sweetness – You can adjust the sweetness or chocolate level to your taste, make it just right every time.
- Perfect for warm days – This drink is refreshing, cool, and satisfying, ideal for summer mornings or afternoon pick-me-ups.
- Make-ahead friendly – You can prep your cold brew and chocolate cream ahead of time so it’s ready when you are.
Ingredients for Chocolate Cream Cold Brew
Cold Brew – Is the base of this coffee drink. Smooth and bold with no harsh acidity or bitterness.
Vanilla Syrup – Adds sweetness and vanilla notes to enhance the chocolate flavor. Make my easy recipe or you can use store bought.
Half and Half – Provides the creamy portion of this drink which makes it amazing!
Malted Milk Powder – adds a toasty, almost caramel-like note that enhances the chocolate without overpowering it. It blends into the cream layer beautifully, making it even smoother and more luscious.
Cocoa Powder – Provides the chocolatey flavor, and makes a pretty sprinkle on the top.
Ice – To keep the drink cold.
EQUIPMENT NEEDED
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No special equipment is really necessary, but a milk frother is optional if you would like to make some froth for the top of the drink.
How to Make a Chocolate Cream Cold Brew
Make the chocolate sweet cream by combining the half and half with the vanilla syrup, malted milk powder, and cocoa powder. If you have a frother, you can give this mixture a little whirl to produce a little foam. Set aside.
Make 1 cup of your favorite cold brew. If using my cold brew concentrate, dilute it 1:1. So in a tall glass I add 1/2 cup of my homemade cold brew concentrate, and 1/2 cup water. If you are using store bought, follow their diluting directions to achieve 1 cup of cold brew. See notes about diluting.
Fill the cup with ice but leave room for pouring on about 1/4 cup of chocolate sweet cream.
Pour approximately 1/4 cup of the chocolate sweet cream over the top of the cold brew. Serve and enjoy!
Pro Tips Tricks and Substitutions
- If you like a frothy top to your drink, a milk frother can be used on the chocolate sweet cream. The froth can be spooned on top of the drink after the chocolate cream is poured in.
- I recommend using half and half in this drink, but you can certainly go all heavy cream for an indulgent drink, or even all milk for a more calorie conscious version. I like them all.
- How much to dilute the cold brew concentrate is really up to you. If unsure, and using my cold brew concentrate recipe start with diluting 1:2, if using store bought, follow the directions on their container. You can decide if you want it stronger or more dilute based on your preferences. But I recommend having a final volume of 1 cup of cold brew before adding the sweet cream.
- If you like your drink a little sweeter, you can add another tablespoon of the vanilla simple syrup to the drink and stir it in.
- You can substitute regular simple syrup for the vanilla syrup if you prefer.
- If you don’t have malted milk powder you can leave it out. I haven’t really found a suitable substitute for it.
FAQs
Can I make this ahead of time? You can make the cold brew ahead of time, and the chocolate sweet cream, but keep them separate until you are ready to serve.
Is this drink sweet? The drink has a subtle sweetness, feel free to add more or less vanilla syrup to your liking.
Can I serve it hot instead of cold? It is meant to be served cold, but you could add this chocolate sweet cream to hot coffee too if you prefer.
How many calories are in a chocolate cream cold brew? As written, if you use 1/4 cup of half and half the drink will be around 170 calories. You can lower the calories by using 2% milk and you will have a total of 122 calories. If you use heavy cream for a really decadent drink it ends up at 272 calories.
Chocolate Cream Cold Brew
Equipment
- 1 milk frother (optional)
Ingredients
Sweet Chocolate Cream
- ¼ cup Half and half
- 1 tablespoon Malted milk powder
- 1 tablespoon Vanilla syrup
- 1 teaspoon Cocoa powder
Coffee
- 1 cup Cold Brew Coffee
- 1 tablespoon Vanilla Syrup
Garnish
- Cocoa Powder
Instructions
- Make the chocolate sweet cream by combining the half and half with the vanilla syrup, malted milk powder, and cocoa powder. If you have a frother, you can give this mixture a little whirl to produce a little foam. Set aside.
- Make 1 cup of your favorite cold brew. If using my cold brew concentrate, dilute it 1:1. So in a tall glass I add 1/2 cup of my homemade cold brew concentrate, and 1/2 cup water. If you are using store bought, follow their diluting directions to achieve 1 cup of cold brew. See notes about diluting.
- Fill the cup with ice but leave room for pouring on about 1/4 cup of chocolate sweet cream.
- Pour approximately 1/4 cup of the chocolate sweet cream over the top of the cold brew.
- Garnish the top with a sprinkle of cocoa powder. Serve and enjoy.
Notes
- If you like a frothy top to your drink, a milk frother can be used on the chocolate sweet cream. The froth can be spooned on top of the drink after the chocolate cream is poured in.
- I recommend using half and half in this drink, but you can certainly go all heavy cream for an indulgent drink, or even all milk for a more calorie conscious version. I like them all.
- How much to dilute the cold brew concentrate is really up to you. If unsure, and using my cold brew concentrate recipe start with diluting 1:2, if using store bought, follow the directions on their container. You can decide if you want it stronger or more dilute based on your preferences. But I recommend having a final volume of 1 cup of cold brew before adding the sweet cream.
- If you like your drink a little sweeter, you can add another tablespoon of the vanilla simple syrup to the drink and stir it in.
- You can substitute regular simple syrup for the vanilla syrup if you prefer.
- If you don’t have malted milk powder you can leave it out. I haven’t really found a suitable substitute for it.
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