How To Make Delicious Iced Coffee At Home

Do you love Iced Coffee but hate how much it costs at your favorite coffee shop? Would you like to be able to make one at home for a fraction of the cost and avoid line-ups? Then you are in the right place. I have a simple recipe for delicious iced coffee at home that tastes just as good, if not better, than one at the coffee house. With only a handful of ingredients, you can sip on a delicious iced coffee in just a few minutes.

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I absolutely love coffee. The strange thing is I used to hate it until I was about 20 years old. I used to think it was bitter and disgusting, and I couldn't figure out why everyone loved it.

Fast forward a few years (or more than a few 😉), and I can't wait to have that first sip of hot coffee in the morning. And do you know what might be better than that first cup of hot coffee? That's right, iced coffee!

Iced coffee has always been a treat that I look forward to having a few times in the summer when I feel like splurging on myself. Unfortunately, at our favorite coffee shop in town, they can easily run $5 each, which is a little pricey for my taste.

I have recently discovered that it is so easy to make your own at home, and because it is homemade, it tastes better too! I genuinely think this is the best iced coffee recipe!

For more homemade iced coffee recipes, check out my Iced White Chocolate Mocha and Iced Pumpkin Spice Latte.

Also, check out my recipe for How To Make A Delicious Latte At Home!

For more Starbucks copycat recipes, check out Caramel Brulée Latte, Toasted White Chocolate Mocha, and Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins.

If you are not a fan of coffee, try my Homemade Lemon Ginger Tea. It tastes delicious served cold over a pile of ice cubes, and is made with healthy ingredients!

Or you can try Homemade Orange Julius, a perfect drink for summer; it is super cold and creamy.

🥤 More refreshing drinks

Jump to:

• 🥤 More refreshing drinks
• ❤️ Why you will love this recipe
• ☕ Ingredients
• ☕ Instructions
• 🧾 Substitutions
• 📋 Variations
• ☕ Equipment
• 🌡️ Storage
• 💭 Top Tips
• ❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
• 🍰 What to enjoy with homemade iced coffee
• 📋 Recipe
• 💬 Comments

❤️ Why you will love this recipe

• Iced coffee is the perfect cold drink for coffee lovers, and this recipe is my favorite way to make it.
• It is SO easy to make at home. Just brew a coffee, let it cool, and pour it over ice.
• You can make it the night before and have it ready to go in the morning.
• Homemade iced coffee is much cheaper than buying it at a cafe.
• You'll be able to control the strength of the coffee. If you like your coffee strong, you can use dark roast coffee or a double-shot of espresso. If you prefer a lighter flavor, use a lighter roast of coffee.
• You can make it as sweet as you like. Add more sugar or use a sugar substitute if you want it sweeter.
• It's the perfect way to beat the heat if you are a coffee drinker. There's nothing like a good cup of iced coffee on hot summer days.

☕ Ingredients

This delicious iced coffee is made with only a few ingredients you probably already have in your house.

• Vanilla simple syrup: This is made with water, sugar, and vanilla extract. It only takes a few minutes to whip up. I used fresh cold water, plain old white sugar, and pure vanilla extract.
• Cold coffee: Brew coffee the way you usually do and let it cool to room temperature. I find it best to use high-quality coffee. I used Starbucks' whole coffee beans. I use a coffee grinder to ground the whole beans myself for the best flavor, but any kind will do in a pinch.
• Half-and-half (18% fat). You could also substitute any milk of your choice.
• Ice cubes. You want enough to fill your glass ⅔ full.

☕ Instructions

First, make the vanilla simple syrup. Place the water and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk together until heated and sugar is dissolved. This will only take a few minutes. It does not need to boil.

Add the vanilla extract as soon as the syrup is clear and the sugar is dissolved.

Mix until combined. Set aside and let the syrup cool completely.

I like to place the simple syrup in a mason jar and keep it in the fridge so I can easily use it whenever a craving strikes.

Now, it's time to assemble your iced coffee.

Fill a tall glass ⅔ full with ice cubes, crushed or cubed (about 1 to 1-½ cups of ice).

Next, pour coffee into the glass.

Then, add ⅛ to ¼ cup of simple vanilla syrup. Start with ⅛ cup of simple syrup. You can always add more later if you would like it sweeter.

Next, add ¼ cup of half-and-half or cold milk.

Add your favorite straw and stir to combine the ingredients.

That is all there is to it! I told you it was simple!

So drink up and enjoy homemade iced coffee any time you like!

Since iced coffee is so easy to make at home, I have enjoyed this lovely drink quite a bit lately!

🧾 Substitutions

• Coffee: Strong coffee will give you a bold coffee flavor. You can also use cold brew coffee, coffee concentrate, or a shot (or two) of espresso. You can also combine a cup of boiling water with 1-2 tablespoons of instant coffee granules (depending on how bold you want your coffee to be) and mix well.
• Vanilla simple syrup: Sweeten with maple syrup or honey to taste. You can substitute the sugar in the simple syrup with brown sugar, or your favorite sugar alternative.
• Half-and-half: Substitute coconut cream or coconut milk to make it vegan. You can also use heavy cream for a rich coffee, or different kinds of milk like oat milk, almond milk, whole milk, or low-fat milk.
• Ice cubes: Instead of regular ice cubes, use coffee ice cubes from leftover coffee poured into an ice cube tray.

📋 Variations

• Add a sprinkle of ground cinnamon
• Mix in 1 teaspoon of cocoa powder for a mocha flavor
• Add in 1 teaspoon of chocolate syrup for a mocha flavor
• If you like your coffee strong and flavorful, try brewing a double shot of espresso and pouring it over ice.
• For a refreshing summertime treat, make iced coffee floats by adding a scoop of vanilla ice cream to your coffee.

☕ Equipment

To make the coffee, you can use a French press, Moka pot, coffee maker, or espresso maker (Nespresso works excellently). Here's the difference between them:

• Coffee pot: Making a cup of coffee is super simple with a coffee pot. Add coffee grounds inside a coffee filter, add water to the water reservoir, and turn it on. Hot water will drip through the coffee filter into the pot below, resulting in a fresh pot of coffee. The amount of coffee grounds will determine how strong the coffee is.
• French press: French presses are also very popular for making coffee. They're easy to use and produce a rich, full-flavored cup of coffee.
• Espresso maker or Nespresso: If you want to make delicious iced espresso drinks at home, you'll need an espresso maker or Nespresso machine. These machines brew concentrated shots of coffee that you can use in various iced beverages or hot drinks.
• Moka pot: A Moka pot is a stovetop coffee maker designed explicitly for making espresso-style coffee. It's a great option if you don't have an espresso machine and produces a strong and flavorful cup of coffee.

🌡️ Storage

• Simple syrup will keep in the fridge for about one week in an airtight container.
• Store any leftover iced coffee in the fridge in a sealed container or jar for up to 2 days. Shake well before serving.

💭 Top Tips

• I made the simple sugar syrup two different ways, once with cane sugar and once with white sugar, and it tasted so much better with the white sugar. I thought the cane sugar would be just as sweet, but I was wrong. I feel this is a treat, so having white sugar once in a while is okay.
• Taste the coffee; if you would like it sweeter, add more vanilla simple syrup.
• Half-and-half makes this creamy, but if you want to cut down on fat content, whole milk or milk of your choice would be fine; it just won't be as creamy, but hey, the option is all yours.
• Whenever I have leftover coffee in the morning, I pour it into ice cube trays and freeze it into coffee ice cubes. When frozen, I put them into a freezer bag, then grab them anytime I make an iced coffee; that way, I don't have watered-down iced coffee.
• I make the coffee earlier in the day or the night before and then place it in the fridge so it is ready to use when I want to make a perfect iced coffee.
• If you know you are going to make iced coffee, use a higher ratio of coffee to water when preparing your cup of joe. Since ice will dilute your drink, you'll want to use a little more coffee than you would for a hot cup, unless you are using coffee ice cubes.
• Use large ice cubes so they melt more slowly. This will help to keep your drink cold without making it too watered down.
• Be sure to give your iced coffee a good stir before drinking to evenly distribute all the flavors.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

🍰 What to enjoy with homemade iced coffee

• Healthy Oatmeal Apple Muffins
• Zucchini Bread with Cinnamon Glaze
• Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins (Starbucks Copycat)
• Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
• Strawberry Rhubarb Cream Cheese Muffins
• Philadelphia Strawberry Cheesecake Snack Bars Recipe

If you've tried this easy Iced Coffee Recipe or any other recipe, I would appreciate it if you could take a moment to leave a star rating and/or comment in the comments section below. 🙂

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📋 Recipe