A sweet and fruity strawberry vanilla syrup is mixed with oat milk and cold brew coffee to create this delicious cold brew latte. You can easily customize the sweetness of your drink based on how much syrup you add. I highly recommend enjoying this vegan strawberry vanilla cold brew latte with plenty of ice!
The idea for this coffee drink popped into my head a couple of weeks ago when strawberries began making their way back into season. Normally I’m not much for inventive flavors when it comes to coffee, but the idea of a strawberry latte just kept gnawing at me. We drink coffee with pastries, which may very well be strawberry-flavored, so it didn’t see too bizarre. I’m happy to report this strawberry vanilla cold brew latte was really darn delicious!
The Recipe Components
STRAWBERRY VANILLA SYRUP – The flavor of this latte comes from a homemade simple syrup made with water, sugar, fresh strawberries, lemon juice, and vanilla extract. You’ll mix together the water, sugar, strawberries, and lemon juice in a small pot or sauce pan. Let this mixture simmer for a bit to extract the juice of the strawberries and thicken the syrup. Once it cools off, you’ll strain the strawberries out and stir in the vanilla.
OAT MILK – I used a store-bought oat milk for mine and it was really delicious! You could also use cashew milk, soy milk, or whatever you prefer at the moment.
COLD BREW COFFEE – I prefer to make my own cold brew at home since it’s incredibly easy and I can use my favorite coffee beans. If you’re making your own, you need ground coffee and filtered water. Typically it will “brew” at room temperature anywhere from 10-18 hours. I like mine brewed for about 14 hours. To make this recipe easier, feel free to use your favorite store-bought cold brew!
Tips for Recipe Success
- I’ve found that fresh, in-season strawberries will yield the best tasting syrup. You can also use frozen strawberries if you like. If you go that route, there’s no need to thaw them! You can add them straight to the pan.
- When you’re straining the berries out of the syrup, you want to gently press the berries to encourage the syrup to drain. If you press really hard, you’ll start to push solid bits of the berries into the syrup. We’re going for a smooth syrup here that doesn’t leave any chunky bits of berry in our latte!
- I layered each component in my glass for the photos for aesthetics but I highly recommend mixing the syrup with the milk first. The syrup is heavier (more dense) than the other two ingredients so it will easily sink to the bottom if not incorporated into the milk. I recommend doing this with a small whisk or a handheld milk frother for the best results!
- If you want a stronger coffee flavor, use a cold brew concentrate. For a less strong coffee flavor, use cold brew that has already been mixed with water. If you’re buying it from the store, it will tell you on the label if it is a concentrate or not.
- Leftover strawberry vanilla syrup can be enjoyed over ice cream or stirred into milk or milkshakes for a delicious treat.
More Recipes to Enjoy this Strawberry Season
For something cold and creamy, try this vegan strawberry coconut milk ice cream. Or, if you don’t have an ice cream maker, you can use store-bought ice cream in these roasted strawberry sundaes with chamomile and St. Germain. If you prefer something cake-y, try this dairy free strawberry upside-down cake with lavender whipped coconut cream.
Strawberry Vanilla Cold Brew Latte
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 1 drink 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
A sweet and fruity strawberry vanilla syrup is mixed with oat milk and cold brew coffee to create this delicious cold brew latte. You can easily customize the sweetness of your drink based on how much syrup you add. I highly recommend enjoying this vegan strawberry vanilla cold brew latte with plenty of ice!
Ingredients
for the syrup:
- 1 heaped cup of quartered strawberries
- 1/2 cup cane sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- the juice of half of a small lemon
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
for the latte assembly:
- 1/2 cup cold brew coffee
- 1 cup oat milk
- ice
Instructions
Add your strawberries, sugar, water, and lemon juice to a small pot or sauce pan. Set the pan over medium-high heat. Stir the syrup mixture every minute or so until it comes to a boil. Allow the syrup to boil for 10 minutes, stirring regularly. After 10 minutes, reduce the heat to medium-low and bring the syrup down to a simmer. Simmer the syrup for 5 minutes then remove it from the heat. Allow the syrup to cool down to room temperature, then strain the fruit out of the syrup. Stir the vanilla extract into the syrup.
To make your cold brew latte, combine 1-2 tbsp of the syrup with your milk. Mix the syrup into the milk, then add your cold brew and a handful of ice. Enjoy!
Store leftover syrup in the fridge and use it within 1-2 weeks.
Notes
- If you’d like to make your own cold brew at home, check out this post.
- For a stronger coffee flavor, use a cold brew concentrate.
- If you don’t like oat milk, use whatever milk you prefer!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: drink
