Can Cold Foam Go On Hot Drinks?

Last updated on August 3rd, 2022 at 09:32 am

If you frequent Starbucks then I am sure that you are familiar with the Starbucks cold foam craze. It is a frothy milk topping that adds just the right amount of creaminess to any drink. 

With an array of different kinds of cold foam, the possibilities for the type of beverages you can add the creamy topping to seem endless. However, are the possibilities really endless? Can you add cold foam to hot drinks?

You can certainly add cold foam to hot drinks however the foam will melt quite quickly so most people will use whipped cream instead. Cold foam is most often used only with cold drinks as it will stay on top of them. 

If you are worried about the cold milk in the cold foam curdling or spoiling because of the heat, don’t worry! The milk in the cold foam will react no differently than the milk in whipped cream or creamer. 

It is perfectly safe to consume cold foam on hot drinks however since it will melt into the drink quickly it isn’t done very often.

Does Cold Foam Taste Good On Hot Drinks?

Because cold foam is essentially just milk and syrup, it is not going to taste bad on hot drinks, however, there are probably better options. 

Cold foam will taste good on a hot drink but it is going to melt incredibly fast into your drink. It will still add a creamy component to the hot drink, but it will not be as noticeable as whipped cream or frothed milk would be. 

For this reason, whipped cream or frothed milk made using a steam wand is the more popular choice for hot drinks because it does not melt as quickly on hot drinks. It also tends to make the hot drink creamier than cold foam would.

The main appeal of cold foam is its ability to slowly melt on cold drinks the way that other foams and creams cannot. You don’t need to use cold foam on hot drinks because you have other options that will do the same thing and not disappear as quickly on hot drinks as cold foam will. 

What Is The Difference Between Cold Foam And Frothed Milk?

Frothed milk is simply milk that has air bubbles forced into it causing it to gain that fluffy and creamy taste that we all love. Now, you might be wondering what the difference between cold foam and frothed milk really is? 

The difference between cold foam and frothed milk is mainly in how it is made. Cold foam is made by simply whipping up cold milk while frothed milk is traditionally heated. 

Cold foam is made using absolutely no heat. It is made by using a blender. By blending the milk and syrup, air bubbles are forced into the milk creating that foamy texture. Cold foam is better on cold drinks. 

Frothed milk is made using a steam wand. The steam wand forces steam into the milk which adds air bubbles causing a similar texture to cold foam. The steamed milk is better suited for hot drinks, and it should not be poured over ice since it causes the hot milk to fall into a dangerous temperature zone. 

If you really want to add frothed milk to a cold drink, you should allow it to cool in the refrigerator. 

As you can see, the two really are not that different at all, and they both add a similar component to your favorite coffee drinks. They’re both just simply better suited towards either hot or cold drinks. 

Can You Put Cold Foam On Tea?

Cold foam is typically thought of as an addition to cold drinks like iced coffee or iced lattes. But can it be added on top of tea as well?

You can absolutely put cold foam on tea! Cold foam is definitely not restricted to only cold brews and lattes and would taste good on a cold tea drink.

There are not any options on the menu at the moment for non-coffee beverages that come with cold foam, but you can add it to any drink. It is popular to add cold foam to tea refreshers and iced tea lattes! 

Though cold foam is not typically added to tea, it will still add that extra creaminess that you are after. An iced London fog or iced chai tea latte will definitely benefit from the fluffy topping! 

If you are a big fan of milk tea then adding cold foam to your tea latte will imitate the creamy, sweet taste of milk tea wonderfully!

What Is Cold Foam?

With all this talk of cold foam, you might be curious about what exactly cold foam is even made of. 

Well, plain cold foam is simply non-fat milk that has been whipped in a blender. 

There are other specialty cold foams, of course such as vanilla sweet cream, pumpkin cold foam, and salted caramel cream cold foam. 

Each of these cold foams have different ingredients, and they vary in their complexity. Mainly what makes the specialty cold foams different from the normal cold foam is the presence of syrup and occasionally heavy cream or another type of milk. 

Can You Make Cold Foam At Home?

Starbucks makes their cold foam with a special, bladeless blender. Odds are, you do not have one of those at home. Is that a problem though? Can you make cold foam yourself?  

You can make your own cold foam at home. Typically this is done using a blender, milk frother, or even a glass jar. 

You have two main options to make cold foam at home (although there are other options like the glass jar method that will work as well). 

The first option is to use a French Press to make cold foam. You will want to use nonfat milk, just like Starbucks does, in order to create that creamy texture. Simply fill the French Press with some nonfat milk and move the plunger in the French Press up and down repeatedly until the foam is created

If you do not have a French Press, there is another option. You can use a milk frother. You will want to fill a cup about halfway up with nonfat milk and then froth the milk for about 15 seconds. 

You might want a little bit of flavor or sweetness in your cold foam. If so, you can look up countless recipes online to add that flavor you are looking for. In most cases, you will only have to add a bit of flavoring syrup or heavy cream. 

Final Thoughts

The next time you are craving that frothy, creamy texture on your beverage, don’t forget that you can always add cold foam! It is best to choose whipped cream instead of cold foam if you are adding it to hot drinks since cold foam will melt quickly in hot temperatures.