How to Make Iced Coffee: Amazing Tips and Recipes

Nothing quite beats an iced coffee from your favorite coffee shop – but did you know that you can perfect your own iced coffee recipe at home? Channel your inner barista with these delicious iced coffee recipes – plus tips on how to make great iced coffee at home. 

Tips to Making Great Iced Coffee At Home

Before we tackle iced coffee recipes, here are a few tips that you should consider before getting started.

Tip #1: Choose quality coffee beans.
The better the beans, the better the coffee, right? Know your origin, variety, and processing preferences and look for coffee beans with robust scents, even coloring, and similar sizes and shapes. You should also consider its roast date – the fresher the roast, the better. Also, check the roast color as it will provide clues to the final taste of the coffee. For instance, if you prefer a smooth and acidic taste, choose dry, light-colored beans. 

Tip #2: Get a good grind. 
Just like with a good cup of hot coffee, for a good iced coffee, you want an even grind – which means investing in a burr grinder. You want to grind beans for your iced coffee fairly coarse, but you can experiment with it to get the exact taste that you want. Note that using too fine of a ground will lead to a more sour, bitter-tasting iced coffee. Also, you can get away with using a pre-ground bag, but the flavor won’t be as great as a fresh grind. 

Tip #3: Make coffee iced cubes.
Freeze some leftover coffee into an ice cube tray and add them to your iced coffee the next morning. The best part? When coffee iced cubes melt, they add flavor to your brew instead of diluting it. If you want some more flavor, you can sprinkle some cinnamon or drizzle some chocolate into your ice cubes before freezing them. 

Tip #4: Adjust your coffee to water ratio. 
Iced coffee needs a strong brew, particularly when you’re going to be adding milk or cream. Suggested coffee to water ratios can vary, but you should aim for somewhere in the 1:4 to 1:8 range. Of course, you can adjust this depending on your tastes and find what works for you. 

Tip #5: Make a big batch.
There are various ways to make iced coffee at home, but the easiest way is to brew a pot of coffee in your coffee maker, and stick it in a temperature-safe container in your refrigerator until its cold. If you’re really in a hurry, you can ‘double brew’ – add double the amount of coffee grounds you normally use. By doing this, your coffee won’t taste diluted when you pour it over ice because the coffee is very concentrated. 

Iced Coffee Recipes You Can Try At Home

Now that you have a good idea of what you need to do to make a good iced coffee, here are some recipes that you can try at home. 

Dalgona Coffee

If you’ve got instant coffee, water, and sugar on hand, you can make this. It’ll be easier if you have a hand mixer, but if you have a regular whisk, that’ll work too. Here’s what you need:

Ingredients (Yields 1-2 servings)

• 2 tbsp. instant coffee 
• 2 tbsp. cold water
• 2 tbsp. granulated sugar
• Milk (for serving)
• Ice (for serving)

Directions

• In a medium bowl, combine water, coffee, and sugar. Using a whisk or a hand mixer, vigorously whisk until the mixture turns shiny and silky smooth. Then, continue whisking until it thickens and holds its foamy shape. If you’re whisking by hand, it will take around 8-12 minutes to get optimal fluffiness. 
  
  
• Fill a glass most of the way with ice and milk, then dollop and swirl the whipped coffee mixture on top. Mix before drinking, if desired. Enjoy! 

Creamy Instant Iced Coffee

Want to enjoy a cup of creamy instant iced coffee? Here’s how:

Ingredients (Yields 5-6 servings)

• 1 can (12 fl. oz.) evaporated milk, chilled
• 2 tbsp. instant coffee 
• 1/3 cup sugar (or to taste)
• Whipped cream
• Ice cubes

Directions

• Combine evaporated milk, coffee, and sugar in blender container. Cover and process until coffee is dissolved. 
• Serve over ice and top with whipped cream.

Variations

• For creamy vanilla iced coffee: Add ½ teaspoon vanilla extract to blender container.
• For creamy cinnamon iced coffee: Add ½ teaspoon vanilla extract and 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon to blender container. 
  
  

Brewed Iced Café Latte 

Here’s how you can enjoy brewed iced café latte:

Ingredients (Yields 5 servings)

• 1/3 cup roast coffee
• 2 cups cold water
• 1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk
• Ice cubes

Directions

• Using 2 cups cold water, brew coffee in the coffeemaker.
• Combine coffee and sweetened condensed milk in pitcher. Stir until blended.
• Serve over ice.

Caramel Macchiato Frappe

Looking for a sweet, delicious coffee treat? Here’s how you can make a delicious caramel macchiato frappe at home:

Ingredients (Yields 1 serving)

• Instant coffee 
• 1 tablespoon hot water
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/3 cup chocolate milk
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons caramel-flavored topping 
• Whipped cream
• 6 to 7 ice cubes

Directions

• Dissolve coffee in hot water. Then, place coffee, sugar, vanilla, caramel topping, chocolate milk, and ice in blender container. Cover and process until slushy. 
• Pour into glass and top with whipped cream. For additional flavor, you can drizzle it with additional caramel topping. 

Instant French Vanilla Iced Coffee

Here’s how you can make your very own instant French vanilla iced coffee at home:

Ingredients (Yields 1 serving)

• Instant coffee 
• 1/2 cup hot water
• 1/4 cup vanilla-flavored coffee creamer
• Ice cubes

Directions

• Combine water and instant coffee in a glass. Blend in the creamer. 
• Add ice and garnish as desired. 

The Bottom Line

If you want to enjoy a delicious iced coffee drink, you don’t have to go out and buy it from your favorite coffee shop – there are plenty of recipes that you can try! Just remember the tips mentioned above, channel your inner barista and follow our recipes, and you’ll be able to enjoy a great cup of iced coffee in the comforts of your own home.