How to Make The Best Iced Coffee at Home

Name: 📋How to Make The Best Iced Coffee at Home
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1 cup strong coffee concentrate (I made using 3 cups good quality coffee ); 4 tablespoons half and half (or full cream milk); 1/2 cup sugar; 1/2 cup water; Ice cubes; Scoop of vanilla ice cream (optional)

If you are wondering how to make iced coffee at home, you are in the right place. You’ll need just 4 ingredients to whip up delicious refreshing creamy iced coffee.

Refreshing teas like iced strawberry tea and lemon ice tea are perfect refreshers on hot summer days.

Originally Posted May 2016– Photos & Post Updated May 2018.

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Why do you have to try this recipe?
Ingredients
Variations
Step-by-step instructions
Expert Tips
Recipe FAQs
Refreshing Drinks
📋How to Make The Best Iced Coffee at Home

Why do you have to try this recipe?

Make it using 4 ingredients in under 5 minutes(coffee made and ready).
Make it your own. Add vanilla ice cream or whipped cream to make it richer.
Don’t spend $$ at some fancy coffee house! Easily make under-budget creamy and delicious coffee at home.
A perfect refreshing drink on a sweltering afternoon.

Ingredients

Roasted coffee beans – use roasted coffee beans to brew coffee. You can use store-bought ground coffee too to save time.
Sugar – I like to add sugar syrup to my coffee. To make sugar syrup, simply boil ¼ cup sugar with ¼ cup water until the sugar is completely dissolved and the liquid turns thick. Chill completely before use.
Half and half – to cream the coffee. You may also use full-cream milk or cream.
Ice cubes – mandatory.

Variations

Top the coffee with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream to make it richer.
To lighten the drink use fat-free milk and use low-calorie sweeteners. Flavored creamer can also be used.

Step-by-step instructions

Prep work:

Step 1: Brew coffee in a coffee maker. Best to make the coffee a few hours ahead, so it’s not hot. I usually let the coffee steep overnight, strain it, and chill it before using it.

Step 2: To make sugar syrup, simply boil ¼ cup sugar with ¼ cup water until the sugar is completely dissolved and the liquid turns thick. Chill completely before use.

picture collage of adding ice cubes and coffee to a glass.

Step 3: Fill up a glass with ice cubes.

Step 4: Pour room-temperature coffee into the glass.

picture collage of pouring simple syrup and cream into a glass to make iced coffee.

Step 5: Pour simple syrup to your taste preference.

Step 6: Finally pour half-and-half or full cream milk. Stir well. Serve immediately.

Expert Tips

Using strong coffee concentrate is crucial. I prefer a 4:1 ratio that yields medium-strong coffee. You can do it to your taste preference, try the 6:1 ratio or 8:1 ratio.
Freshly ground – use roasted coffee beans to make ground coffee, it has the best aroma. If using store-bought ground coffee, buy premium quality coffee for the best taste.
Brew coffee overnight so it has enough time to cool down. I let the coffee steep overnight, strain it and chill it before using it.
Jazz it up – feeling adventurous? Flavor your coffee. Add pumpkin pie spice to coffee to make it perfect for winter, add cinnamon powder, a dash of Vanilla extract, and sea salt sprinkled on top with whipped cream, and make it decadent with a little Cocoa powder or alcohol! Vodka, rum, brandy, or other dark liquors work.
If you like a frothy coffee, blend everything in a blender for a minute or two. It will turn frothy, and serve immediately.

Recipe FAQs

Can you make iced coffee with regular coffee?

Yes, you can, but you should use a strong and bold coffee brew.

Are iced coffee and cold coffee the same?

Yes, but the way it’s served may vary. Iced coffee is usually served with loads of ice in it whereas cold coffee is made by blending everything in a blender and served chilled and frothy.

Why is my iced coffee tasting watery?

You’ll need a strong bold coffee brew to make the drink taste its best. Coffee will get diluted in ice and water so it’s crucial to use strong and bold coffee.

Refreshing Drinks

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Pouring half and half for iced coffee recipe

4.94 from 16 votes

📋How to Make The Best Iced Coffee at Home

Jyothi Rajesh

With just 4 ingredients and under 5 minutes(with all prep work done), this refreshing coffee is ready to beat the heat. If you are a coffee lover, then this one is a must-try!

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Prep Time 25

Cook Time 5

Total Time 30

Course Drinks

Cuisine American

Servings servings

Calories 155

Ingredients

▢ 1 cup strong coffee concentrate I made using 3 cups good quality coffee
▢ 4 tablespoons half and half or full cream milk

For simple syrup –

▢ ½ cup sugar
▢ ½ cup water

For serving-

▢ Ice cubes
▢ Scoop of vanilla ice cream optional

Instructions

Brew coffee in a coffee maker. Best to make the coffee a few hours ahead, so it's not hot. I usually let the coffee steep overnight, strain it, and chill it before using it.
To make sugar syrup, simply boil ½ cup sugar with ½ cup water until the sugar is completely dissolved and the liquid turns thick. Chill completely before use.
Fill up a glass with ice cubes.
Pour room-temperature coffee into the glass.
Pour simple syrup to your taste preference.
Finally, pour half-and-half or full-cream milk. Stir well. Serve immediately.

Notes

1. Using strong coffee concentrate is crucial. I prefer a 4:1 ratio that yields medium-strong coffee. You can do it to your taste preference, try the 6:1 ratio or 8:1 ratio.
2. Freshly ground – use roasted coffee beans to make ground coffee, it has the best aroma. If using store-bought ground coffee, buy premium quality coffee for the best taste.
3. Brew coffee overnight so it has enough time to cool down. I let the coffee steep overnight, strain it, and chill it before using it.
4. Jazz it up – feeling adventurous? Flavor your coffee. Add pumpkin pie spice to coffee to make it perfect for winter, add cinnamon powder, a dash of Vanilla extract, and sea salt sprinkled on top with whipped cream, and make it decadent with a little Cocoa powder or alcohol! Vodka, rum, brandy, or other dark liquors work.
5. If you like a frothy coffee, blend everything in a blender for a minute or two. It will turn frothy, and serve immediately.

Nutritional Info – Please remember that the nutritional information provided is only a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on the products used.

Nutrition

Serving: 0gCalories: 155kcalCarbohydrates: 34gProtein: 0gFat: 2gSaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 7mgSodium: 14mgPotassium: 64mgSugar: 33gVitamin A: 70IUCalcium: 21mg

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Created by Jyothi Rajesh

Thank you for stopping by.

I’m Jyothi Rajesh (Jo for short) and I’m the founder of the food blog, Curry Trail where I share my culinary Adventures. I live in Bangalore, India. I’m a mom of two beautiful kids. My passion is creating and sharing delicious and easy recipes for the home cook. I have been blogging since 2014 and many of my recipes have appeared in both online and print publications over the years. Learn more about Jyothi Rajesh.

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