If you can’t survive the day without your coffee hit but are finding the weather too warm to enjoy a hot drink, we’ve assembled some iced coffee recipes to make at home that will give you the pick me up you need while cooling you down at the same time.
Iced coffee comes in a few different forms, so whether you like yours sweet and milky, strong and dark or somewhere in between, there’s almost certainly a variation that will suit you. You can obviously also tweak the ingredient amounts as much as you like to further perfect your own iced coffee recipe.
Basic iced coffee recipe
This is the simplest recipe and is pretty much just a cold version of your normal cup of coffee. It works with instant, filter or brewed coffee.
Make a cup of coffee as you usually would, including sugar if required, but not milk. Ideally leave it to cool for two hours, then serve with milk and ice, giving it a good stir first.
If you’re in a bit of a rush and don’t want to wait, add slightly less hot water and when the coffee and sugar are completely dissolved add ice to cool it down. You can then add milk and (more) ice and serve as before.
Milky iced coffee
Also called a frappe, this type of iced coffee suits those who like their coffee a bit milkier, so it’s ideal for latte lovers. You’ll need a blender for this one.
Espresso works well, but you can also use instant coffee (for instant don’t add too much water, just enough to dissolve the coffee). Make an espresso sized portion of coffee and pour into a blender. Add sugar to taste, half a cup of milk and ice then blend until smooth. If you like your coffee even milkier you can freeze milk in an ice cube tray and use that instead of normal ice.
Coffee milkshake
If you fancy something a bit more decadent, a coffee milkshake is a great treat on a hot summer day. It’s best made with a blender, though it can be made with vigorous stirring if necessary!
Brew up an espresso sized cup of coffee as for the frappe recipe and pour into a blender. Add sugar or syrup, 3-4 scoops of vanilla ice cream and blend. If it’s too thick, you can thin it out by adding some milk to get the perfect consistency.
You could also try chocolate ice cream instead for a mocha style milkshake or experiment with other ice cream flavours if you’re feeling particularly adventurous.
Variations
For sweetness you could try using maple syrup or honey instead of sugar, or experiment with coffee syrups to add flavour and sweetness at the same time. Alternatively you could add vanilla extract or perhaps orange essence.
For pure indulgence, top your iced coffee with whipped cream.
And if it’s later in the day you could always add a drop of brandy or liqueur to make an even more grown up version of iced coffee.
These are just a few suggestions, so don’t be afraid to experiment a bit with these iced coffee recipes to make them your own.