When we went to Starbucks to order an Irish cream cold brew, we were SO disappointed to find out that they had made it a seasonal flavor and they had gotten rid of it. This was BEFORE St. Patrick’s Day. What nonsense. My husband’s favorite drink from Starbucks was this, and he may have been slightly depressed when he found out they didn’t have anymore. I tried and tried to recreate it at home without buying Irish cream, and finally, I was able to make something that tasted similar to the Starbucks Irish cream cold brew.

copycat starbucks irish cream cold brew

Making Irish cream syrup at home is easy and can be kept in the fridge for a week (or more, but we drink too much coffee in our house so it never lasts). I haven’t tried store bought coffee syrups, so I can’t really compare the flavors. But I can say that this is pretty close to Starbucks, if anything maybe slightly less sweet. You can easily fix this by adding more of the syrup to your drink though!

copycat irish cream cold brew starbucks

What you will love about this Copycat Starbucks Irish Cream Cold Brew?

  1. It’s a great copycat that you can make at home. Skip the drive thru.
  2. You can enjoy it year round. Just because Starbucks makes flavors seasonal, doesn’t mean they can’t be enjoyed any season of the year.
  3. Vegan friendly – use a vegan creamer and you can have a vegan version of this drink. It won’t likely get foamy, but it will still taste delicious.
copycat irish cream cold brew coffee starbucks

How to make this Copycat Starbucks Irish cream cold brew?

  1. Make the syrup: heat the sugar and water in a small saucepan until all the sugar dissolves.
  2. Once it’s all dissolved, allow it to boil for a minute and then remove from heat. Stir in the extracts and cocoa powder.
  3. Place in an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to a week.
  4. To make the cold brew drink, add 2 tablespoons of syrup to a glass and then add the cold brew. 
  5. Fill the glass up 3/4 full with ice. 
  6. With an immersion blender, whisk together the half and half, vanilla, salt, and sugar until it’s light and foamy.
  7. Pour this over the coffee. If you need to dilute your cold brew concentrate, do this. Dust with cocoa and enjoy!
  8. You can adjust the sweetness with more syrup to get it sweeter.

Related Recipes

Copycat Starbucks Salted Cream Cold Foam
Copycat Starbucks Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew
Copycat Starbucks Iced Latte, Caramel or Vanilla
Copycat Caribou Iced Crafted Press

starbucks copycat irish cream cold brew coffee

Copycat Starbucks Irish Cream Cold Brew

Starbucks Irish Cream Cold Brew doesn't have to be a seasonal drink when you can make it at home. This recipe is a copycat for the favorite seasonal drink with homemade syrup.
4.84 from 6 votes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Course Drinks
Cuisine American
Servings 3 drinks
Calories 164 kcal

Ingredients
  

Irish Cream Syrup

  • ¼ cup sugar
  • ¼ cup water
  • ¼ tbsp cocoa powder
  • ¼ tsp vanilla extract
  • tsp almond extract

Starbucks Irish Cream Cold Brew

  • 6 tbsp Irish cream syrup
  • 2 ¼ cup cold brew concentrate
  • ¾ cup half and half or plant-based cream
  • 3 tsp sugar
  • ¾ tsp vanilla
  • pinch of salt

Instructions
 

Irish Cream Syrup

  • Heat the sugar and water together in a pot on the stove. Heat until the sugar dissolves.
  • Once fully dissolved, remove the pot from heat, and whisk the extracts and cocoa powder in.
  • Place in an airtight container and store in the fridge for one week.

Starbucks Irish Cream Cold Brew

  • Add 2 tablespoons of Irish cream syrup to a glass and then pour ¾ cup cold brew concentrate over top.
  • Put ice till the glass is about ¾ full.
  • With an immersion blender, blend together the half and half, sugar, salt, and vanilla. Each serving uses ¼ cup half and half, 1 tsp sugar, ¼ tsp vanilla, and a pinch of salt.
  • Pour the whipped half and half over the top of the coffee.
  • Optional: Dust with cocoa powder and serve!
  • You can adjust the flavor by diluting with water or adding more syrup to your taste.

Nutrition

Serving: 1glassCalories: 164kcalCarbohydrates: 24gProtein: 2gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 22mgSodium: 26mgPotassium: 79mgFiber: 1gSugar: 21gVitamin A: 214IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 64mgIron: 1mg
Keyword copycat irish cream cold brew, copycat starbucks coffee, starbucks irish cream cold brew
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Did you make this recipe? What did you think? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below. Thanks for reading.

-Cassie

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5 Comments

  1. Alli February 14, 2021 at 12:17 am

    5 stars
    I used to get this a few time a week. So glad it’s not hard to make at home! i like that the amount of sugar is more visible when you make it yourself.

    Reply
  2. Jessica March 1, 2021 at 11:26 am

    5 stars
    This is dangerously good! I will definitely be making this at home and finding a new drink to order at Starbucks.

    Reply
    1. cassclay March 2, 2021 at 10:22 pm

      So glad to hear that! We did the same thing – if you haven’t tried the salted cream cold foam, that is really good too!

      Reply
  3. Jessica Benson May 17, 2021 at 8:17 am

    5 stars
    Question, where would one find vegan friendly half and half? Or what kind of plant based cream would work?

    Reply
    1. cassclay July 28, 2023 at 5:31 pm

      Terribly sorry for the late response. There are a few out there like nutpods that are decent. If you have a sprouts nearby, there are a number there. Otherwise check out the natural section of your local grocery store! You can also make cashew cream by blending cashews and water at home. 🙂

      Reply

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