This Orange Cream Cold Brew is Starbucks' bright, citrusy summer 2026 cold brew — and it's every bit as dreamy as it sounds. We're talking bold, smooth cold brew coffee topped with a silky orange cold foam that tastes like a creamsicle melted right into your cup.
Save This Recipe to Your Email!
We'll email this recipe to you, so you can come back to it later!
The star of the show is that orange cold foam — sweet, citrusy, and beautifully orange with just a drop or two of food coloring. It's the same dreamy foam from my Iced Orange Cream Chai, but this time it's sitting on top of bold cold brew for a more coffee-forward, refreshing take on the orange cream trend.
The orange syrup is made using the exact same method as my Blood Orange Syrup — just swap the blood oranges for regular oranges and you've got the perfect homemade orange syrup in minutes. It makes all the difference in this drink!
Ready in just 5 minutes and so much cheaper than Starbucks, this Orange Cream Cold Brew is about to become your new summer obsession. Let's make it!
Jump to:
- What Does the Orange Cream Cold Brew Taste Like?
- Why You'll Love This Starbucks Orange Cream Cold Brew
- Ingredients Needed
- Substitutions
- Optional Variations
- How to Make Orange Cream Cold Brew
- How Does This Compare to the Orange Cream Chai?
- Recipe Success Tips
- FAQs
- Nutritional Info
- Other Cold Brew Recipes
- Orange Cream Cold Brew (Starbucks Copycat)
What Does the Orange Cream Cold Brew Taste Like?
This drink tastes like a creamsicle and a cold brew decided to become best friends — bold, smooth coffee with a sweet, bright orange twist. The cold brew base is rich and coffee-forward, while the orange cold foam adds a light, citrusy sweetness that perfectly balances the boldness of the coffee.
It's less spiced than the Orange Cream Chai and more purely coffee-forward — think refreshing, bright, and just indulgent enough to feel like a treat. The orange cold foam slowly melts into the cold brew as you sip, giving you a little orange cream swirl in every sip.
Why You'll Love This Starbucks Orange Cream Cold Brew
- Ready in 5 minutes — Faster than any drive-through line, and so much more satisfying to make at home.
- Cheaper than Starbucks — This homemade version gives you the same gorgeous drink at a fraction of the Starbucks price!
- Totally customizable — Adjust the sweetness, skip the food coloring, make it dairy-free — this recipe is completely flexible.
- A new Starbucks summer drink you can make any time — This new Starbucks summer cold brew is available year-round when you make it at home!
Ingredients Needed
- Cold brew coffee — The bold, smooth base of this drink. The stronger the cold brew, the better it balances all that orange sweetness on top!
- Orange syrup — The key to that bright, sweet orange flavor in both the cold brew base and the cold foam. Make it at home using the exact same method as my Blood Orange Syrup — just swap blood oranges for regular oranges. So easy and absolutely worth it!
- Heavy cream and whole milk — Together they give the orange cold foam its rich, silky, pourable texture.
- Orange food coloring — Totally optional, but one or two drops gives the cold foam that gorgeous, vibrant orange color that makes this drink look absolutely stunning.
Substitutions
- No homemade orange syrup? This store-bought orange syrup is a great store-bought alternative that works perfectly in this recipe!
- No food coloring? No problem — leave it out entirely. The drink tastes exactly the same without it, it just won't have that vibrant orange hue.
- Dairy-Free: Swap the heavy cream and whole milk in the cold foam for full-fat coconut cream and oat milk. It'll still be creamy and delicious!
- Prefer it less citrusy? Swap the orange syrup in the cold brew base for vanilla syrup instead. You'll still get all that gorgeous orange cold foam flavor on top with a more neutral coffee base underneath.
Optional Variations
- Orange Cream Cold Brew Frappuccino — Blend the cold brew and orange syrup with ice and cream for a frozen, frappuccino-style version. So good on a hot day!
- Orange Mocha Cold Brew — Add a drizzle of mocha sauce to the cold brew base for a rich, chocolatey orange coffee combo. If you love that flavor pairing, you'll also want to try my Orange Mocha Latte!
- Vanilla Orange Cream Cold Brew — Swap the orange syrup in the cold brew base for vanilla syrup for a creamier, more dessert-like flavor.
- Blood Orange Cream Cold Brew — Use actual blood orange syrup in place of regular orange syrup for a deeper, more complex citrus flavor.
How to Make Orange Cream Cold Brew
Just two steps and you're done — this might be the easiest Starbucks copycat on the site!
- Step 1 — Make the orange cold foam. Combine the heavy cream, orange syrup, whole milk, and food coloring (if using) in a small glass or jar. Froth with a milk frother for 20-30 seconds until foamy. Set aside.
- Step 2 — Stir together the cold brew and orange syrup in a tall glass, then pour over ice. Spoon the orange cold foam on top and drink up!
How Does This Compare to the Orange Cream Chai?
If you've already tried my Iced Orange Cream Chai, you'll notice the orange cold foam is exactly the same — it's that same silky, sweet, citrusy foam that makes both drinks so special. The difference is all in the base.
The Orange Cream Chai uses warm, spiced chai tea concentrate as its base, giving it a cozy, spiced flavor with cinnamon, cardamom, and ginger. This Orange Cream Cold Brew uses bold cold brew coffee instead — making it more coffee-forward, slightly less sweet, and perfect for anyone who wants that citrusy orange twist without the chai spices.
Both are incredible — it really just comes down to what you're in the mood for. Chai lover? Go for the Iced Orange Cream Chai. Cold brew obsessed? This one's for you!
Recipe Success Tips
- Use a strong, bold cold brew. Since the orange cold foam is sweet and citrusy, you need a bold cold brew to balance it out. Weak coffee will get lost under all that orange sweetness!
- Don't over-froth the cold foam. 20-30 seconds with the milk frother is the sweet spot — just until it's foamy and pourable. Over-frothing makes it too stiff!
- Add the food coloring for that stunning presentation. It's optional, but one or two drops of orange food coloring makes this drink look absolutely gorgeous. Worth it for the photos alone!
- Make your orange syrup fresh. Freshly made orange syrup has a brighter, more vibrant flavor. Use my Blood Orange Syrup method with regular oranges for the best results!
- Adjust the orange syrup in the base to taste. Love it extra citrusy and sweet? Add a little more syrup. Prefer it more coffee-forward? Scale back slightly or swap for vanilla syrup.
FAQs
The Orange Cream Cold Brew is a new Starbucks summer 2026 drink featuring cold brew coffee topped with a sweet, creamy orange cold foam. This homemade copycat nails the flavor perfectly and is ready in just 5 minutes!
Absolutely! Any store-bought cold brew concentrate works great here. Just make sure it's strong enough to stand up to the sweetness of the orange syrup and cold foam — the bolder the better!
Yes! If you don't have cold brew on hand, strong brewed coffee cooled to room temperature works great. You can also dissolve 2 teaspoons of Nescafé Gold instant espresso into ½ cup of warm water as a quick alternative!
Absolutely! The homemade orange syrup keeps in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks or in the freezer for 3 months. Make a big batch at the start of the week and you'll have gorgeous orange cream cold brews ready in minutes every single day!
Nutritional Info
Each serving of this Orange Cream Cold Brew comes in at 230 calories, with 32g of carbs, 30g of sugar, 11g of fat, and 2g of protein.
It's actually one of the lighter orange drinks on the site — lower in calories than the Orange Cream Chai, making it a great option when you want that gorgeous orange cream flavor without the extra indulgence!
If you're looking to lighten it up, try reducing the orange syrup by half. You'll still get that bright, citrusy flavor with a bit less sugar.
Total nutritional content per serving is:
- Calories: 230 calories
- Total Fat: 11 grams
- Protein: 2 grams
- Sodium: 17 grams
- Carbohydrates: 32 grams
- Sugar: 30 grams
*This nutritional information is an estimate and calculated based on the ingredients used to create the recipe. The nutritional value of your ingredients may differ slightly. Furthermore, this food is not intended to prevent, diagnose, cure, or treat any disease.
Other Cold Brew Recipes
Orange Cream Cold Brew (Starbucks Copycat)
Equipment
Ingredients
Orange Cold Foam:
- 2 tablespoon heavy cream
- 1 ½ tablespoon orange syrup
- 1 tablespoon whole milk
- 1-2 drops orange food coloring (optional for color)
Orange Cream Cold Brew:
- 1 ½ cups cold brew coffee
- 1 tablespoon orange syrup (or vanilla syrup)
- ice
Instructions
- Make the cold foam. Add the heavy cream, orange syrup, whole milk, and orange food coloring (if using) to a small glass or mason jar and froth with a milk frother for 20-30 seconds or until foamy. Set aside.
- Add ice to a tall glass, then stir together the cold brew and orange syrup and pour over the ice. Top with orange cold foam, then drink up!
Nutrition
xoxo Megan
Leave a Reply