It’s the season of all things pumpkin spice, and where fall drinks are concerned, they don’t get much better than this cold brew!
Cold brewing is one of the easiest methods for making coffee that doesn’t require any crazy or expensive equipment. As such, the most important element of a good cold brew is the bean quality. In this tutorial, we used the Sumatra Wahana Rasuna, but any of our other blends and single-origin Wander beans work great as well. We’ve also found that a lot of people like to use dark roasts for their cold brews, so the Night Sky blend is another solid option!
The Best Grind For Cold Brew Coffee
A medium-coarse to coarse grind works best for the Cold Brew method. Grind size can also help to prevent over-extraction, which is the primary cause of bitterness.
A finer grind doesn’t necessarily give you a stronger coffee, and not all grinds are created equally. Instead of “chopping” your beans into little pieces like a standard blade grinder does, burr grinders use abrasive surfaces to produce a more consistent and uniform grind. So if you don’t have one already, a burr grinder is highly advised.
Coffee-To-Water Ratio For A Cold Brew
The “Golden Ratio” of coffee to water for a Cold Brew is 1:6. That being said, however, a ratio of 1:8 might be preferred by those who don’t like their coffee quite as strong.
Optimal Brew Time For A Cold Brew
The standard brew time for a Cold Brew is between 12 and 16 hours, but never longer than 18 hours, as this will cause the coffee to become overly bitter.
Water Temperature For A Cold Brew
It’s best to use cold or room temperature water that has either been filters, or boiled and then left to cool down.
1. Measure out 50 grams of whole beans
2. Grind them coarsely
3. Transfer grounds to your French Press
4. Add freshly-ground beans at a ratio of 1:6 coffee to water. So for 1 cup of coffee, 50 grams of ground beans and 300-320 grams of water will be what you’re aiming for
5. Cover the French Press, make sure that it’s air-tight
6. Let chill in the fridge or on the counter for 12-16 hours
7. Insert the plunger into the French Press pot, then exert steady pressure in the downward direction until all the grounds are at the bottom.
8. Pour the coffee into a cup / mug / container to enjoy or preserve.
Below is the recipe for a single serving of Pumpkin Sweet Cream. The cream lasts about a week if stored in the fridge, so don’t be scared to scale up and make a big ol’ batch if you want more!
In a mason jar/container, add the following ingredients:
1. 3 tbsp Heavy Whipping Cream
2. 2 tbsp Half & Half
3. 3 tbsp Pumpkin Puree
4. 1 tbsp Maple Syrup/Vanilla Syrup for sweetening
5. 1/2 tsp Pmpkin Pie Spice
Using a milk frother, whip it up until everything is smooth and creamy. If you don’t have a frother, you can combine the ingredients in a French press and vigorously pump the plunger in an up-and-down motion, or simply shake everything up in the mason jar until a homogenous texture is achieved.
This pumpkin cream cold brew recipe is so easy to make at home, you’ll never need to visit a coffee shop again! With fall spices and a creamy texture, this cold coffee confection is the perfect complement to the changing of the seasons.
If you try this healthy-ish feel-good Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew recipe — or any of the other recipes from Wander Coffee — then don’t forget to leave a comment below, as this helps others who are considering making it. And if you snapped some pictures of the process, feel free to share them on Instagram so we can add them to our Story!
