Sugar Free Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew

This Sugar-Free Pumpkin Spice Cream Cold Brew recipe provides the perfect indulgence of the cozy flavors of fall. This delightful Starbucks-inspired drink captures the essence of the season, combining the rich and bold notes of cold brew coffee with a velvety-smooth pumpkin cream topping. Whether you're looking for a refreshing morning pick-me-up or a delicious afternoon treat, this drink is sure to become your go-to favorite.

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Why You Will Love this Recipe

• The drink has a rich and creamy texture that is velvety smooth. The pumpkin cream adds a luxurious and indulgent element.
• The drink is often praised for its well-balanced flavor profile. The bold flavors of the coffee pair wonderfully with sweet and spiced cream on top.
• The fall flavors evoke cozy and warm vibes thanks to the aroma of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.
• The layered presentation with the foam floating on top of the coffee is gorgeous and often draws attention.

What is Cold Brew

It's a method of brewing coffee or tea that involves steeping coarsely ground coffee beans or tea leaves in cold water for an extended period of time. Unlike traditional hot brewing methods that use hot water to extract flavors quickly, cold brew relies on a slow extraction process that takes place over several hours.

Cold brew is known for its smooth, mellow, and less acidic flavor profile compared to traditional hot-brewed coffee. The cold extraction process creates coffee that is refreshing and less bitter, making it a popular choice, especially during warmer months.

What Type of Pumpkin to Use

You should use canned pumpkin puree. Canned pumpkin puree is smooth and already cooked, making it easy to incorporate into your cold brew and providing consistent flavor and texture.

Make sure to choose plain canned pumpkin puree without added sugars or spices. Look for "100% pure pumpkin" on the label.

Avoid using pumpkin pie filling, which is a pre-sweetened and spiced mixture used for making pumpkin pies. You want to start with plain pumpkin puree to control the flavor and sweetness of your pumpkin cream cold brew.

How to Make the Coffee Yourself

1. Measure Coffee: For a starting point, use a coffee-to-water ratio of about 1:4. For every 1 cup of coarsely ground coffee, use 4 cups of cold water. Adjust this ratio based on your taste preferences.
2. Combine Coffee and Water: Place the coarsely ground coffee in a large jar or pitcher. Add the cold water and stir gently to ensure all the coffee grounds are wet.
3. Steep: Cover the jar or pitcher and let the mixture steep in the refrigerator for 12 to 24 hours. The longer you steep, the stronger the brew will be. You can experiment with different steeping times to find your preferred strength.
4. Strain: After steeping, strain the cold brew to remove the coffee grounds. You can use a fine mesh strainer lined with a coffee filter or a nut milk bag to ensure a smooth brew.
5. Dilute (Optional): Cold brew concentrate is quite strong, so you might want to dilute it with water or milk before serving. A common ratio is 1 part cold brew concentrate to 2 or 3 parts water or milk, but adjust according to your taste.

How to Shop and Buy

• Decide whether you are looking for ready-to-drink coffee or cold brew concentrate that has to be mixed with water or milk.
• Check the packaging for a description of the flavor. Some coffee may have specific flavors added to it.
• Consider the strength of the coffee you want. If you're buying concentrate you may have to dilute it to suit your taste preference. You can grab some here from Amazon.

What Type of Sweetener to Use

I like to use Lakanto’s monkfruit sweetener. Monkfruit is zero-calorie, zero-carb, and is made without the use of artificial sweeteners. The best thing about it is it measures 1:1 to like table sugar. This makes it super easy to convert conventional recipes. No need to look into a conversion table, it’s an even swap, which is super convenient!

It also tastes like sugar. There’s no aftertaste or cooling effect like you find with some sweeteners. The perfect mix of monk fruit extract and erythritol with no fiber, no maltodextrin, and no artificial flavoring or sweeteners.

How to Make Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew

Detailed measurements and full instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

1. Combine heavy cream (or half and half) in a bowl or cup along with brown sweetener, pureed pumpkin, pumpkin pie spice, and vanilla extract.
2. Use a frother or hand blender to combine the cream.
3. Pour the cream over cold brew coffee.

Heavy Whipping Cream vs Half and Half

Both heavy whipping cream and half-and-half can be used to create a creaminess. The choice between the two depends on your preference for richness and creaminess.

Using heavy whipping cream will result in a richer and creamier texture. It has a higher fat content and will create a thicker layer of cream on top of your cold brew.

Half-and-half is a mixture of equal parts milk and cream. It's lighter than heavy whipping cream and will create a less dense layer of cream on top of your cold brew.

You can adjust the ratio of heavy whipping cream or half-and-half to cold brew according to your taste preference. Keep in mind that heavy whipping cream will create a more decadent and indulgent treat, while half-and-half provides a slightly lighter option.

If you want to reduce the calorie and fat content, you can consider using whole milk or even a milk alternative like almond milk or oat milk. Just note that the creaminess and richness may vary with different options.

Curdling

Curdling can occur when certain ingredients in the pumpkin cream mixture interact with the acidity of the cold brew coffee.

Ensure that both the pumpkin cream and cold brew are cold when you mix them. This reduces the likelihood of a drastic temperature difference that could cause curdling.

When adding the pumpkin cream to the cold brew, stir gently and avoid aggressive mixing, which could encourage curdling.

How Long the Pumpkin Cream Will Last

It should last around 3-5 days when stored in the refrigerator. It's important to keep it in an airtight container to prevent contamination and maintain freshness.

How to Store

After making the pumpkin cream cold foam, allow it to cool to room temperature before storing it. This helps prevent condensation inside the storage container, which can lead to a loss of texture and quality.

Transfer the pumpkin cream cold foam to a clean, airtight container. Glass or plastic containers with tight-fitting lids work well for this purpose. Make sure the container is clean and dry before adding the foam.

When you're ready to use the cold foam, gently shake or stir the container to ensure that the ingredients are well mixed and any separation that may have occurred during storage is re-incorporated.

More Sugar Free Recipes

Caramel Apple Cider
Sugar Free Pumpkin Spice Latte
Sugar Free Hot Chocolate
ChickFilA Frosted Lemonade
Strawberry Lemonade
Watermelon Lemonade
Frozen Blended Strawberry Lemonade

Top this with our Sugar Free Whipped Cream recipe and pair it with Pumpkin Protein Muffins.