The Difference Between Starbucks Cold Foam Vs Sweet Cream

At first blush, you might think Starbucks' delicious sweet cream and cold foam are the same thing. While the ingredients are similar (some combination of dairy product or nondairy milk and sweetener), the final result and texture of these two additions are not. Vanilla sweet cream is made from a combination of heavy cream, milk, and vanilla syrup, creating a silky pour-in addition for coffee. This delicately rich creamer swirls directly into your drink, providing a general vanilla creaminess throughout iced coffees. 

Cold foam, on the other hand, is made from a blend of milk, cream, and a sweetener of choice. The use of milk and cream is part of what makes cold foam different than whipped cream. This blend is frothed in a special blender to create an airy yet luxurious foam. Once made, it sits on the very top of a beverage, greeting you with a fluffy sweetness at the beginning of each sip. 

To further indicate that these two add-ons are different products, both are in separate sections when ordering a custom drink on the Starbucks mobile app. For example, you head to the "creamer" section to add sweet cream to your drink. Meanwhile, cold foam has its own designated "cold foam" section.

Cold foams at Starbucks are sweetened with different syrups to curate memorable drinks. The chain offers a wide variety of flavored foams, from fun flavors like the versatile cherry cold foam, floral lavender, and nutty pistachio, to staples like lush salted caramel, sweet vanilla, or rich chocolate cream.  You can even add powders to it, which opens up a new world of options. Think matcha powder for a fresh, earthy take, or vanilla bean powder for a sweet speckling of flavor. Just make sure to ask your barista if your store permits powders in cold foam before you set your heart on something.

The versatility in flavor options (and the fact that it sits on top of any beverage) makes it an easy addition for more than coffee, but teas too, like the iced lavender oatmilk matcha, which features a lavender foam, or Starbucks' iced cherry chai latte with a cherry version. Another noteworthy aspect is that Starbucks makes nondairy versions of cold foam made from a blend of soy and oat milk.

A significant difference in the Starbucks sweet cream is that it's not as customizable as the cold foam, which can be adjusted with different syrups. This yummy creamer is made with both cream and milk, and it's flavored explicitly with Starbucks vanilla syrup. It's tried and true, and is often added to cold brews or iced coffees for a decadent float of flavor that lifts the drink. Most often, it's found in the popular vanilla sweet cream cold brew, which also features vanilla syrup in the cold brew to really bring out those scrumptious flavors. 

The nondairy version of sweet cream is made using both soy and oat milk with the vanilla syrup, so lactose-intolerant coffee lovers can still get ribbons of buttery vanilla cream in their coffee, too. An added bonus: Starbucks is finally giving customers a break on non-dairy milk upcharges, so you can get the drink you love without paying more next time you want a creamy, delish drink.