So you’re a coffee fan and want to enjoy your coffee in warm weather? Try our recipes to make homemade iced coffee. It’s easy to prepare at home and there is no need for special ingredients. You’ll enjoy your favorite drink in all seasons and with the same pleasure!
Let’s get started!
Which coffee for iced coffee?
No need to pick a special blend of coffee, your regular choice will do fine to make iced coffee. You will find that cold coffee doesn’t give the same feel of flavors and aromas as warm, but the tasting pleasure is the same!
In terms of coffee flavors, if you prefer them intense try stronger coffee beans such as Robusta. For more sweetness in your drink turn to light roast coffee beans.
How to make iced coffee
To prepare iced coffee you usually start with hot coffee, but if you want a less watery taste use cold brewed coffee. The coffee is already cold and you don’t need as much ice. Here are 3 recipes for iced coffee.
The classic iced coffee recipe
The ingredients for homemade iced coffee:
- 2 espressos
- 5 ice cubes
- sugar to taste or a flavored sweetener
To make iced coffee with a strong coffee taste prepare two espressos and pour them into a glass. If you prefer, use filter coffee or drip coffee, the iced coffee will be less intense.
For a sweetened iced coffee, add white sugar, cane sugar, or a flavored sweetener of your choice such as vanilla or caramel. In any case, add the sugar when the coffee is warm so that it dissolves completely. Or, use a syrup, check out our ideas below!
Let the coffee cool to room temperature and add 5 ice cubes: this way the ice doesn’t melt too quickly and doesn’t dilute your homemade iced coffee. Add dairy or plant milk (same amount as coffee, less if you prefer a more coffee-flavored drink) or half and half, stir, and enjoy!
The ice cubes melt into the drink and, by diluting it, lessen the intensity of the coffee. If you like a longer strong coffee taste, make your espresso or drip coffee stronger to begin with.
A cool alternative for those in a hurry is to freeze coffee ice cubes ahead of time. Just add sugar and milk or half and half, and shake to dissolve the coffee ice cubes.
For those who don’t like milk: just stick to coffee, ice cubes, and flavored sugar (or not). Shake it all up if you like the granita it gives to the drink.
How to make Nespresso iced coffee
The ingredients for the Nespresso iced coffee recipe:
- 1 Nespresso Ristretto capsule
- 5 ice cubes
- 1 sugar cube (3g or a bit less than a teaspoon) or a dose of flavored sweetener
Put the sugar in a glass with your coffee. Stir and let it get to room temperature. Pour over the ice cubes…. your Nespresso iced coffee is ready!
If it’s been a while since you haven’t done a descaling of your Nespresso machine, check our post on when and how to descale a Nespresso.
Iced instant coffee recipe
For those who like the flavors of instant coffee, replace the espresso with a Nescafé or instant coffee dosed to your liking. For the rest, follow the classic recipe, flavor with sugar and vanilla or caramel, add milk or half and half, and ice cubes. If you like crushed ice, use a shaker or a blender to make your iced coffee.
Syrup for iced coffee
Many syrups can fit in the recipe of iced coffee: cane syrup, maple syrup, vanilla syrup, caramel syrup, almonds syrup, etc. For a change, try orgeat syrup made from almonds, sugar, and rose or orange flower water.
The easiest homemade syrup for iced coffee is the Simple syrup: dissolve sugar in water over the stove and stop before it becomes caramel. You can keep it in the fridge for a couple of weeks.
You can also vary the pleasures and replace dairy milk with plant milk: oat milk, almond milk, coconut milk, etc., each brings its typicality for a tasty result.
What to do with cold coffee: for even more recipes
If you are a fan of cold or iced coffee, you can vary the pleasures with other recipes such as iced latte.
You can also pour cold coffee over ice cream: vanilla, coffee, caramel, chocolate, etc. gourmets can add whipped cream, hazelnut chips, or a chocolate coulis.