Wendy's Frosty Cream Cold Brew Review: A Delectably Sweet Spin On The Classic Dessert

The number of iconic creations found within the U.S. culinary canon can be downright staggering to consider. But that doesn't mean it's impossible to identify a handful of incontrovertibly legendary, American-made food products. For instance, there's Wendy's Frosty. The Dave Thomas-founded chain's beloved frozen treat is in a league of its own, quite frankly, which helps explain the company's efforts to expand the Frosty portfolio beyond lunch and dinner. And with the release of its new Frosty Cream Cold Brew coffee line on July 24, 2023, Frosty fans can now enjoy the dessert's classic flavor at all hours of the day.

The new Frosty Cream Cold Brew line from Wendy's — featuring a vanilla Frosty-flavored creamer added to one of three flavors of cold brew coffee – isn't the company's first attempt at a non-dessert-centric Frosty product. But as a more straightforward coffee beverage than the now-discontinued Frosty-ccino (RIP), the Frosty Cream Cold Brew may be Wendy's best chance yet to develop a loyal coffee following.

Understandably, then, we were eager to try each of Wendy's new Frosty Cream Cold Brew flavors. If you're curious how the classic dessert functions when repurposed as a coffee creamer, keep reading, as we present our review of the new Wendy's Frosty Cream Cold Brew coffees.

Perhaps you're under the impression that Wendy's new Frosty Cream Cold Brew consists entirely of a melted vanilla Frosty mixed with coffee. The creamer — by itself, that is, before it's added to coffee — does, in fact, taste exactly like a liquidized version of the dessert. Of course, the new Frosty Cream Cold Brew isn't actually a no-longer-frozen Frosty combined with cold brew coffee (we think?), but its amount of sugar is just about as exorbitant as the original Frosty.

Now, considering the saccharine creaminess of a Frosty, it's no real surprise to discover at least four different varieties of sugar (pure cane sugar, sugar, corn syrup, molasses) are listed among the ingredients of each new Frosty Cream Cold Brew flavor. Additionally, since the product is an iced coffee beverage, anyone guessing the new Wendy's menu item contains cold brew coffee made with 100% Arabica coffee won't earn any extra credit.

We have to admit the presence of three different types of dairy — cream, nonfat dry milk, and whey — was relatively unexpected. After all, who knew a creamer-based coffee drink would require more than just cream?

As we've said before and we'll surely mention again in the future, it's not always possible to accurately predict how much an item will cost; the exact price of fast food depends on timing and location, and we can't know what those factors will be for every customer. So, while we can't say with complete certainty whether a person in Oregon or Arkansas will pay the exact same price for a Wendy's Frosty Cream Cold Brew coffee as, say, someone in Massachusetts, well ... it's unlikely to cost much more than the prices we found at our local Wendy's locations, either.

Generally speaking, then, the new Wendy's Frosty Cold Brew costs $1.99 for a small, $2.59 for a medium, and $2.99 for a large. There's certainly a chance you'll encounter a restaurant that charges more (or less, if you're lucky). But we'd bet dollars to donuts that the new cold brew coffees will be fairly close to these seemingly standard prices, no matter which location you patronize. 

Additionally, a pair of short-term promotions celebrating the new item's release are available to digital consumers. Users of the Wendy's app can order a small Frosty Cream Cold Brew for a mere 99 cents until August 6, 2023, while Uber Eats will offer a free medium Frosty Cream Cold Brew with any purchase of $15 or more from July 27 through August 2, 2023.

Oftentimes when we're tasked with reviewing a new food or drink product, there's an inherent time limit attached to its availability. On occasion, though, we're lucky enough to taste and discuss a brand-new item destined for long-term placement on a restaurant's menu. In the case of the new Frosty Cream Cold Brew coffees it's the latter scenario, as the latest evolution of Wendy's famous Frosty is currently slated as a permanent addition to locations across the U.S.

Now, given the new Frosty Cream Cold Brew was released at the end of July during the peak of summer, the company has focused its initial marketing strategy for the new coffee line as a treat to beat the heat. But even when seasons change and temperatures drop (we hope) in the coming months, each of the now-new Frosty Creamer Cold Brew coffee flavors is all-but-guaranteed to remain on menus nationwide.

Since the new Frosty Cream Cold Brew from Wendy's is a byproduct of the chain's long-lasting dessert — one chock full of sugar and fat, as any indulgent treat should be — we wouldn't expect these new coffee flavors to be any sort of nutritional dynamo. And lo and behold, each of the new Frosty Cream Cold Brew flavors is, indeed, loaded with sugar and empty calories.

No matter the size or flavor one chooses, each Frosty Cream Cold Brew coffee contains anywhere from 28 grams of sugar per order (for a small) to a whopping 52 grams (for a large). Of course, considering the general love of creamy coffee drinks that double as sugar bombs throughout the U.S., the simple fact that the new Frosty Cream Cold Brew coffees aren't beacons of health probably won't be a deal killer for most customers.

Still, there's no way to avoid the fact that this new line of cold brew coffee flavors isn't a low-calorie food. If you're inclined to keep your sugar intake down, it may be best to enjoy the new Frosty Cream Cold Brew from Wendy's in moderation.

Realistically, a better title for this slide may be "How does the new Wendy's Frosty Cream Cold Brew compare to an actual Frosty?" After all, the entire selling point of the fast-food chain's new line of cold brew coffee flavors essentially boils down to its relation to the Frosty. In that sense, we can report the flavor profile of the new Frosty Cream is fairly spot on when compared to the original.

Of course, while each Frosty Cream Cold Brew flavor does indeed taste like a Frosty mixed with iced coffee, the consistency is drastically more liquid than the actual frozen dessert. Then again, since one is an ice cream-adjacent item, and the other is a coffee-based beverage, well ... you can do the math.

In other words, prepare your taste buds for a similar flavor — just don't expect any of the new Frosty Cream Cold Brew flavors to offer a textural experience akin to eating a Frosty.

Somewhere, a universe may exist where a coffee creamer derived from the incomparable Frosty isn't utterly delightful to consume, though we shudder at the thought. Thankfully, we don't live in such a world, and Wendy's new Frosty Cream Cold Brew coffees absolutely knock it out of the park.

The Frosty-style flavor found in each new Frosty Cream Cold Brew variety is an absolute joy to consume, provided you're a fan of sugary, cream-filled coffee beverages, of course. Assuming you do enjoy such coffees (why else would you be reading this review?), you'll likely love the subtle vanilla essence, or the hint of chocolatey goodness found in that corresponding Frosty Cream Cold Brew flavor. Additionally, while the caramel flavor reminded us more of a Starbucks' Frappuccino than a Wendy's Frosty, we can't pretend that was a bad thing.

To be fair, if you're only a fan of black, unadulterated coffee, there's a strong chance you won't be enthralled by these new cold brew flavors. But anyone who can appreciate an iced coffee loaded with cream and sugar may find themselves over the moon when sipping the new Frosty Cream Cold Brew coffees from Wendy's; though, just like a real Frosty, it may be best served as an occasional pleasure rather than an everyday standby.