Can You Make Cold Foam Without A Frother?

Last updated on August 3rd, 2022 at 08:27 am

Cold foam is exactly what it sounds like, cold frothy milk that is used to top iced beverages. This foam is made without heat or steam. 

When you pour it on top of your drink it will slowly make its way down into the beverage. Cold foam is not just frothy milk though, it can be sweetened with sugar or a simple syrup. 

You can add flavors to your cold foam as well. Cold foam is relatively easy to make at home but do you have to have a frothers to make it? 

You do not need a frother to make cold foam at home. Instead you can just use a normal blender, a whisk, or even a jar with a lid. 

Although making it with a frother might be easier you can certainly do it without one. 

A frother is a tiny utensil which is used to make your milk frothy. You simply place the frother into the milk and then turn it on. It will spin quickly and aerate the milk, creating tiny little bubbles which makes your milk frothy and light. 

You can make frothy milk without this utensil and I will go into more detail about that in the next section.

What Can You Use To Make Cold Foam Instead Of A Frother?

Making your own cold foam at home doesn’t mean you need to go out and purchase a frother. You probably already have something in your home that you can use to make it. 

To make a cold foam at home without a frother you can use an immersion blender, a handheld mixer, a regular blender, a jar with a lid, or even a handheld whisk. 

If you are wanting to make cold foam then you might want to use half-and-half. You do not need to use half-and-half but it will give you more lift than using regular milk. 

Half-and-half is half milk and half cream and the cream will make your froth fluffier and more decadent than regular milk. 

Cold foam can also contain sugar. You will want a half a cup of half-and-half or milk and then 2 tablespoons of sugar or 1 tablespoon of simple syrup. 

If you are using a stand blender then you will pour your half-and-half and your sweetener into the blender then push the blend button and let it blend for twenty seconds or until it is nice and frothy. Then pour it on top of your drink. 

If you are going to use an immersion blender you will need to make sure that the head of the blender is completely submerged into the half-and-half so you will want to use a tall narrow container. Place your ingredients into your container and then submerge the immersion blender. Turn it on for twenty seconds. 

You can also use a regular handheld mixer to create your foam, any attachment should work. I use the same ones that I use to mix cookie dough and it works just fine. 

If you start out with a cold bowl and cold beaters that will help your half-and-half to foam more quickly but that is not a necessary step. 

Place all your ingredients into a bowl and then beat them with the mixer for twenty to thirty seconds. This will make your half-and-half nice and creamy. Then you can place it on top of your drink. 

A hand-held whisk will also work. I have had my kids use a hand whisk to make a foam for their hot chocolates in the past and they enjoyed doing it. 

You can also place all the ingredients into a clean jar with a tight-fitting lid. Then simply shake the jar until it is nice and frothy. 

If you do not want a cold foam but do want to froth some milk to put onto your coffee then you can use any of the above methods to froth your steamed milk as well. 

Is Cold Foam Just Frothed Milk?

Cold foam is frothed milk that has not been steamed. While some people do add sugar and flavorings to their cold foam it is not necessary. 

Cold foam is the cold version of frothed milk. Frothed milk is steamed milk that has been frothed until it is nice and foamy. Cold foam is cold milk or half-and-half that has been frothed until it is foamy. Some people do add sugar and flavorings to cold foam. 

Starbucks’ cold foam is made with nonfat milk. They do have flavored cold foams that use heavy cream as well.

How Do You Make Cold Foam With A Hand Mixer?

You don’t need a fancy frother to make cold foam at home. You can use the same hand mixer that you use to make cookies with. 

To make a cold foam with a hand mixer all you need is a bowl, your milk, and the hand mixer. Place about a half a cup of milk into your bowl. Then insert the beaters into your hand mixer. 

Beat the milk on a medium speed for twenty to thirty seconds until your milk is nice and frothy. Then pour it on top of your drink. You can gently stir the cold foam into your drink, allow it to seep down into your drink on it’s own, or start drinking your beverage and sip the foam off the top.

Can You Use A Whisk To Froth Milk?

If you don’t have access to anything but a whisk you might be wondering whether you can use it to froth milk. 

You can use a whisk to froth your milk. If you are using a handheld whisk it will take considerably longer than if you were going to use a frother however. 

Your frothed milk will not get as foamy if you are going to whisk it by hand either. If your whisk is an attachment to your hand mixer then feel free to go ahead and insert it into your hand mixer. 

Using the whisk attachment on the hand mixer will give you wonderfully frothy milk in about twenty seconds.

How Do You Froth Half-And-Half Without A Frother?

You do not need a frother to froth your half-and-half. 

You can use a variety of things to get a frothy half-and-half, such as an immersion blender, a regular blender, a hand mixer, or even a whisk or jar with a lid. 

If you are going to use an immersion blender you will want to make sure that the head is completely submerged in the half-and-half before you turn it on. This will give you the best results and create nice, fluffy results. 

Likewise, you could use a regular blender. Pour your half-and-half into the blender and secure the lid. Once the lid is secure, hit the blend button for about thirty seconds. 

You could use a hand mixer in the same way that you would use an immersion blender. 

Whisking by hand or shaking your half-and-half in a jar will aerate your half-and-half but the results will not be as satisfying as they will be if using an appliance.