Yield: 1 cinnamon bun cold brew // Total Time: 20 min. (+ overnight brew) // Disclaimer: This post may include affiliate links. //
This post is sponsored by Papanicholas Coffee, all opinions are my own.

Why you’ll love this cinnamon bun cold brew

While unfortunately we probably shouldn’t have cinnamon rolls every morning – we can encapsulate the flavor in our morning coffee with this cinnamon bun cold brew! It starts with a simple cinnamon bun syrup where we steep some cinnamon sticks in water, then add in brown sugar and butter vanilla emulsion to really get in that fresh cinnamon bun flavor. This cinnamon bun cold brew is super easy (besides waiting for the cold brew to steep) and of course, super delicious. But extra bonus points if you use some delicious cinnamon bun coffee to go with this drink, courtesy of the sponsor of this post below!

Papanicholas coffee

I’ve partnered again with my all-time favorite coffee brand: papanicholas coffee for this delicious raspberry mocha. I use their coffee beans every day and am so happy to be able to partner with them to spread the love of their coffee. In this recipe I used their cinnamon bun coffee grounds, which has flavor notes of cinnamon with a sweet, toasted finish. I definitely highly recommend trying some of their coffee, they have so many delicious flavors and are always the coffee I use in my recipes (and for my daily caffeine dose!). You can find their website by clicking here. Also, if you do end up purchasing their coffee be sure to use code FRESH20 for 20% off your coffee order!

Ingredients and substitutions

For the cold brew:

Ground coffee & water: I used and recommend papanicholas’ cinnamon bun ground coffee – but this will work with your favorite coffee. Just be sure to use a flavor that you think will go well with the cinnamon!

For the cinnamon bun syrup:

Water: to thin out the syrup.

Cinnamon sticks: to steep cinnamon flavor into the syrup.

Butter vanilla emulsion: this ingredient sounds a little fancy but you can most often find it next to all the other extracts in your grocery store!

Light brown sugar: to sweeten up the syrup and get in that classic cinnamon roll filling flavor.

For the cold foam:

Milk: use your favorite milk here! I use and love oat milk.

Heavy cream: essential for thickening up the cold foam.

Cinnamon bun syrup: we’ll use some of the cinnamon bun syrup that we made and froth it with the milk!

How to make a cinnamon bun cold brew:

Cinnamon bun cold brew Q & A

Why are you using hot water in cold brew?

• Using hot water is a great way to jump-start the brewing process if you’re not going to let the cold brew steep for as long as it should (~24 hours). If you plan on letting it steep for that long you can certainly go ahead and use cold water – but – if you want to easily just prep this the night before and enjoy it in the morning – hot water is a great way to go.

How much does this recipe make?

• The written recipe makes enough cold brew for 4 drinks, and the cold foam is enough for 1 drink as you should be making them 1 at a time for the best results. You can make only 8 oz. of cold brew if you’d like – I just like to batch it since it has to steep for so long! The syrup makes quite a lot but it will keep well in the fridge for up to 2 weeks to enjoy! If you know you won’t be having a lot of the syrup – you can cut the batch in half.

Can I use pre-made cold brew?

• Of course!

How to store the cinnamon bun syrup

• Store the syrup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

Can I make cold brew without a french press?

• Definitely! A french press just makes things easier – but it’s certainly not the only way to make cold brew. If you want to make a cold brew without a french press, simply combine the coffee grounds and hot water in a mason jar, seal it with a lid, and let it sit in the fridge overnight. When you’re ready to drink it, strain it through a coffee filter and enjoy!

Why do you measure in grams?

My recipes are all written in grams because it is the most accurate way to bake. When you use a kitchen scale, you ensure that your baked goods turn out as close to the written recipe as possible. Plus, the cleanup is way easier when using a scale! I will provide standard cup measurements but please note that I have not tested the recipe using cup measurements and therefore can not guarantee your recipe will come out how mine did. Here is my favorite kitchen scale, and here’s an article about why I use a kitchen scale, and why you should too!

Tools and ingredients

You can find all my favorite tools and ingredients that I use on my Amazon Storefront page, here!

Did you make this cinnamon bun cold brew?

If you made this cinnamon bun cold brew I would love to see it and know your thoughts! Please leave a comment and review down below, and tag me on Instagram @freshbeanbakery. If you have any questions about the recipe I will gladly do my best to answer them in the comments below!