Pumpkin Cream Cold Foam Recipe at Home

I have never been a huge pumpkin fan. There, I said it. Pumpkin spice lattes have never been a thing I mark on my calendar. If I had to choose I would 100% say that I am Team Apple as the flavor of fall. However, two things have kept me from closing the door on pumpkin entirely. 1) A delightful donut called a pumpkin pillow that I used to get for free when my room mate worked at a donut shop in grad school. 2) this pumpkin cream cold foam recipe.

This is, without a doubt, the superior pumpkin drink in my opinion. I love a good cold foam and pumpkin delivers here. It’s the perfect match to an iced coffee on one of those is it not or is it cold fall days. But, we recently moved to an area where Starbucks is not convenient. Or any coffee shop for that matter. And I’ve found that the real reason I go to Sbux or any coffee place is convenience. So, good for my budget, I learned to make this cold foam at home. And it is good! Dare I say, better than the pros? Let me know what you think.

Why You’ll Love This Pumpkin Cream Cold Foam

There is a lot to love about making pumpkin cold foam at home:

• It takes just a few minutes to make.
• You only need a handful of ingredients.
• You can adjust the sweetness and pumpkin spice to your taste.
• It works with iced coffee, cold brew, iced espresso, and even chai.
• It gives an everyday cup of coffee that coffee shop feeling without the coffee shop price.
• You can make it literally any time you want without having to leave your house.

Plus, unlike a pumpkin spice latte where pumpkin flavor takes over the entire drink, the pumpkin is concentrated in that creamy layer on top. You get coffee, creamy pumpkin foam, and warm fall spices all in one sip.

What Is Pumpkin Cream Cold Foam?

Pumpkin cream cold foam is a cold, frothy coffee topping flavored with pumpkin, vanilla, and warm pumpkin pie spices.

Instead of stirring creamer directly into your coffee, cold foam sits on top of the drink and slowly mixes in as you sip. That gives you a creamy layer with every drink while still letting the coffee flavor come through.

My version uses heavy cream to create an extra-rich, thick foam that holds up well over iced coffee.

If you love this style of coffee topping, you might also want to try my Brown Sugar Cold Foam or Banana Bread Cold Foam.

Pumpkin Pie Filling vs. Pumpkin Puree

This is one ingredient distinction worth paying attention to.

For this particular recipe, I use pumpkin pie filling rather than plain pumpkin puree.

Pumpkin pie filling already contains sweetener and spices, which gives the cold foam more flavor without requiring a long list of additional ingredients. Also, because the sweeteners and spices are already stable in the filling, you don’t have as much to worry about with spices falling out of the emulsion and becoming a gritty mess on the bottom of your cup.

Plain canned pumpkin is simply pumpkin and doesn’t have that additional sweetness or seasoning.

If you substitute pumpkin puree, you’ll likely want to increase the powdered sugar and pumpkin pie spice to taste, and brace yourself for more separation.

Pumpkin Cream Cold Foam Ingredients

For the Pumpkin Cold Foam

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons pumpkin pie filling
• ½ tablespoon powdered sugar, or more to taste
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

If you don’t have pumpkin pie spice, you can use a combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger instead.

For the Coffee

• Brewed cold brew or iced coffee (using your Nespresso, I love the bianco doppio or Starbucks blonde espresso capsules)
• Ice cubes

Equipment

• Nespresso machine (for brewing coffee) or literally any coffee maker, the coffee is not the star here. That being said, I do think a nespresso double espresso capsule over ice makes a superior, more coffee shop quality beverage.
• Milk frother – okay this. is. important. Get a good milk frother, it is crucial to a good cold foam. I highly suggest this one, but knowing that’s quite an investment, this one is my second place frother. But this is one area where substitutes don’t cut it. Don’t try shaking it. Or a whisk. Or one of those cute hand frothers.
• Mixing bowl or mason jar with lid
• Whisk or spatula

Instructions

1. Brew Your Coffee

Start by brewing a shot of coffee or cold brew using your Nespresso machine. Choose your favorite coffee pod, and prepare your coffee over ice. Set aside.

2. Make the Pumpkin Cream Cold Foam

In a mixing bowl or Mason jar with lid, combine the heavy cream, pumpkin pie filling, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and pumpkin pie spice. Using a whisk or spatula, mix until everything is well combined. Or shake to combine if using a Mason jar.

3. Froth the Mixture

Pour the pumpkin cream mixture into your milk frother. Let the frother do it’s magic.

4. Assemble Your Drink

Fill a glass with ice and pour your brewed coffee over the top. Gently pour or spoon the pumpkin cream cold foam on top of your coffee. For an extra touch, you can add a sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice.

5. Enjoy

Dive into your homemade Pumpkin Cream Cold Foam coffee. Sip and savor the flavors of fall!

Tips for the Best Homemade Pumpkin Cold Foam

Start with cold ingredients. Cold cream froths better, so keep everything refrigerated until you’re ready to make your foam.

Adjust the sweetness. Start with the listed amount of powdered sugar and taste the mixture before frothing. Add a little more if you prefer sweeter coffee drinks.

Don’t over-froth it. You’re making cold foam, not whipped cream. You want the finished pumpkin cream to be thick and fluffy while still being pourable.

Adjust the spice. Pumpkin pie spice blends can vary quite a bit. Taste yours and add additional cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, or allspice if you want a stronger fall spice flavor.

Use plenty of ice. If you’re adding freshly brewed espresso to your glass, plenty of ice will keep the drink cold enough that your foam stays thick on top.

Can You Make Pumpkin Cold Foam Ahead of Time?

For the best texture, I recommend mixing the pumpkin cream ingredients ahead of time but waiting to froth the mixture until you’re ready to make your coffee.

Store the unfrothed pumpkin cream mixture in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Give it a good stir or shake before pouring a serving into your frother.

This is actually one of my favorite ways to make homemade cold foam easier during the week. Mix once, then froth individual servings whenever you want coffee.

Can I Put Pumpkin Cold Foam on Hot Coffee?

You can, but I think this recipe is much better on cold drinks. Cold foam is designed to sit on top of iced coffee and slowly blend into the drink. Hot coffee will cause it to melt much faster. If you’re craving something warm, I would absolutely experiment with adding the pumpkin cream mixture to a hot latte instead.

An Easy Pumpkin Coffee Treat at Home

Making pumpkin cream cold foam at home is one of the easiest ways to give your everyday iced coffee a fall upgrade. You only need a few ingredients and a good frother to make a thick, creamy pumpkin topping without making a coffee shop run.

And coming from someone who still chooses apple over pumpkin almost every time, that’s saying something.

If you try this pumpkin cold foam recipe, let me know what you think! And if you have another pumpkin recipe capable of convincing a lifelong Team Apple person to switch sides, I’m listening.