Dutch Bros Soft Top Recipe
Regardless of whether you call it soft top like the Dutch Bros baristas, or cold foam like their Starbucks competitors, soft top is quickly becoming the most popular add-on at coffee shops this year.
Soft top is a soft, lightly whipped sweet cream poured atop hot or cold coffee drinks, and it gets really interesting when baristas add different flavorings: pumpkin soft top for fall or sugar cookie soft top for the holiday season.
You've probably noticed on your receipt that it's a significantly priced upgrade, so after we built our own coffee bar we decided we would try making a dupe of the recipe to eliminate some of those costly trips to the coffee shop.
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How Do You Make Dutch Bros Soft Top?
The secret to these flavored soft tops is in Dutch Bros favorite brand of Torani syrups lining the wall of the kitchen. Soft top can be made with any of these syrups for a twist on the flavor...
Their signature soft top is made with the Toasted Marshmallow syrup in my area of Texas. (I say this because other stores could potentially use another flavor for their basic soft top, such as vanilla or hazelnut syrup.)
The soft top we created is a 2:1 ratio of heavy cream to syrup, which maintains a creamy texture that is positively loaded with flavor.
This means you can make any increment that you want by using 2 parts cream to 1 part syrup of your choice.
You can even use other syrups that are not the Torani brand, such as Skinny Syrups which are sugar-free, or grocery store caramel sauce, both of which make delicious drinks using the soft top formula.
What Do You Need To Make Soft Top or Cold Foam?
- Heavy Cream
- Clear Flavored Syrup
- Stainless Steel Milk Frothing Pitcher
- Handheld Milk Frother
To make soft top you'll pour 2 parts heavy cream and 1 part syrup into the pitcher and insert the milk frother. Froth this mixture of heavy cream for 30 seconds or until you reach your desired thickness.
What Does Soft Top Go Best With?
Some of the best dutch bros drinks to try at home with your soft top are...
Cold drinks like:
- Cold Brew Coffee
- Iced Coffee
- Iced Americanos
Hot drinks like:
- Hot Coffee
- Shots of Espresso
- Hot Chocolate
- Cappuccino with Irish Cream Syrup Soft Top
- Hot Black Tea can be paired with Cinnamon Syrup Soft Top
- Green Tea can be paired with Vanilla or Coconut Syrups
- Earl Grey or Hot Cinnamon Spice Tea with Caramel Sauce used in place of the Basic Syrup (Yes, Caramel Drizzle Sauce works too in this soft top recipe)
- Hot Coffee paired with a White Chocolate Sauce based Soft Top
One of the best drinks I like to make at home is a dupe of the Dutch Bros iced coffee with Toasted Marshmallow Soft Top, which is the signature flavor on the Dutch Bros Menu.
This iced coffee drink is simple to make and refreshing all year round.
I use Stok Iced Coffee over ice balls and top with copycat dutch bros soft top made with pumpkin spice or peppermint bark syrup and cream.
All of the items I use to make my home coffee bar are linked here in my Amazon Shop.
As you can imagine with this many flavors of syrup available, the flavor combinations using this sweet drink topper create a variety of drinks!
It will be easy for you to invent your perfect drink and bring a little Dutch Bros. into your own home kitchen.
Have questions? Need help? Have an addition or a suggestion to a recipe? Drop me a comment below!
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Dutch Bros Soft Top Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1/4 Torani Toasted Marshmallow Syrup
You will also need
- stainless steel milk frothing pitcher
- handheld milk frother
Instructions
- Pour cold whipping cream and Torani syrup into the milk-frothing pitcher.
- Insert the milk frother and froth moving up and down under the surface of the liquid. The soft top will get increasingly thicker until it looks like actual whipped cream.
- Soft top is beaten to about soft peaks, or when the milk frother is pulled vertically up out of the whipped cream and the tip of the whipped cream curls over itself in a soft curl.
Rita says
I was looking for something just like this. Seeing your tips for the soft top texture gives me confidence. That's exactly the kind of tip I needed.
Hilda says
Can I make more than what I need and refrigerate the rest for another day?
Sarah Penrod says
YES, I do like 1/2 a cup at a time and leave it in the refrigerator. It lasts a few days before it has to be rewhipped.
Kimbarly says
Just tried making the Dutch Bros soft top at home and it turned out amazing! If anyone else is interested, I found a great guide that really breaks down the process into easy steps, making it super accessible even if you're not a pro barista.
Nancy says
This turned out amazing!
Just me says
My dutch bros soft top is in a carton I've seen them use that many times for soft top.
Sarah Penrod says
Yep, that's new. It came out in 2023. I think they just have it pre-made for them at a commissary now to save time. This is the way they made it when it first came out. (And how you would do it if you made it at home.)
HOLLYDALE says
@Just me, Rich's is the brand, pour over topping. $5,57 at Gordon's food service stores. Open to the public,
Michelle Jefferson says
I added soft top to my recent Dutch Bros order and they literally poured it straight from a carton you can order online (through food service sites). They were using Rich’s On Top Soft Whip Topping. I will definitely have to try this recipe as I don’t need an entire case to store!
Sarah Penrod says
I did notice they changed it this year! I like this version better though. I feel like when they made it from scratch it was creamier and tasted less oily!
Samantha says
Super excited to try this! But how much syrup do you add? Recipe just says 1/4, but 1/4 what? 1/4 cup, 1/4 ounce? Thank you for any clarification!
Sarah Penrod says
It's just equal parts, so 1 part cream to 1 part syrup is fine. I think I did 1/4 c. cream 1/4 c. syrup.
Hollie says
Amazing! Worked perfect and tastes just like the real thing! Thank you so much for creating and sharing!!
Sarah Penrod says
Yay Hollie! Glad you liked it.
Christine says
Thanks for the recipe! I had real maple syrup on hand and used it, then I threw in a bit of taro powder and it was delicious.
Sarah Penrod says
That sounds awesome! Thanks for the extra tips!