Manufacturers may boost appeal to Gen Z consumers with cold foam, a TikTok sensation that brings a coffee shop staple to the grocery aisle for shoppers who prefer at-home beverage experiences.
In Keurig Dr Pepper’s recent beverage trend report, consumers ranked coffee as the top beverage “they can’t live without.” Yet, how they consume coffee and what varieties they prefer differs by generation.
For example, Gen Z (born 1997-2012) is most likely to prefer cold coffee, try new flavors and get their coffee fix at the supermarket, according to the report
TikTok has a strong influence as Gen Z turns to digital and social media for discovery and purchasing. The frothy, airy, velvety cold foam is on TikTok – big-time.
Cold foam differs from whipped cream in that it is made from fat-free milk, not cream, and can be made a few ways (even shaking it in an aesthetic mason jar).
Spate, the market research firm, even called cold foam “TikTok’s latest beverage darling” in its new report on the treat. It broke down the market trends using Google and TikTok US data from August 2024 to July 2025 vs August 2023 to July 2024.
What is TikTok sharing about cold foam?
According to Spate, interest in cold foam has surged 114.5% year over year. This is +77.8% YoY combined popularity growth, with YoY predicted growth into 2026 surging to 25.5%.
Searching for cold foam on TikTok will immediately yield results such as “cold foam recipe,” “cold foam at home,” “cold foam with frother,” “cold foam iced coffee,” “cold foam maker” and more. The gist is do-it-yourself with products bought at the grocery store. As of late August, banana flavor topped the list of TikTok cold foam recipes. Many of these videos can be found under hashtags like #coffeetok, #coffeegirl and #athomelatte.
“With the predicted sustained growth of cold foam, we’re seeing its evolution from artisanal specialty to standard customization option for fun beverages of all sorts,” says the Spate report.
With fall approaching, manufacturers may meet demand with seasonal favorites like pumpkin spice and caramel. There are also opportunities for related cold foam accessories for customization: sustainably sourced spice blends, creatively shaped sprinkles, herbal infused honey and more.
Who are the CPG cold foam players?
The Spate report points out top growing brands related to cold foam.
The top two are International Delight (+11.2M avg monthly popularity YOY, +66.5% YoY growth) and Coffee Mate (+6.4M avg monthly popularity YOY, +839.1% YoY growth). Both have cold foam products already out.
International Delight carries sweet & creamy, caramel macchiato, French vanilla, hazelnut, salted caramel mocha, peppermint mocha, pumpkin pie spice and the new frosted sugar cookie. Coffee Mate has its overlap and differences: gingerbread, peppermint mocha, pumpkin spice, Italian sweet creme, Nestlé Toll House Brown Butter chocolate chip and French vanilla.
How to go from artisanal to mainstream?
Smaller brands or brands not typically associated with coffee also are making strides in the cold foam space.
Alyssa Williams, food and beverage category insights manage for Spate, points out the following as examples of companies that have made a somewhat surprising but notable transition into cold foam territory: Chobani (Greek yogurt), La Colombe (draft lattes), Olipop (functional soda) and Liquid IV (hydration packets).
With the know-how of TikTok creators, social media users can learn how to make cold foam using Chobani sweet cream or melding Olipop with a Starbucks beverage. La Colombe carries a draft latte with a distinctive layer of foam. Users recommend Liquid IV for flavoring their foams.
“Once a product becomes embedded in everyday rituals, it tends to cement its mainstream status,” says Williams.
Coffee addicts are called addicts for a reason.
