Be your own barista by making these simple iced coffee recipes. Refreshing and delicious, these caffeinated drinks are cafe-quality and easy to customize.
HOMEMADE ICED COFFEE
An iced coffee is a cold coffee drink. It’s served with ice, which chills the beverage and keeps it cold. Any hot coffee drink can be made cold by adding ice. To sweeten and add flavoring, just add a flavored syrup.
Iced coffees can be made with coffee brewed in a coffee machine, Nespresso, cold brew, or instant coffee. To make your iced coffee decadent, top it off with cold foam.
From easy, foolproof cold brew to decadent cream toppings, these recipes are sure to quench your thirst.
15 ICED COFFEE RECIPES
1. Iced Coffee
For a classic and simple iced coffee, follow this recipe. All you need to do is brew coffee, cool it down, then add ice
You can use any coffee machine, including Nespresso or Keurig machines that make cups of coffee (not espresso).
This recipe uses half & half for the mild sweetness and creamy texture, but you’re welcome to use your favorite milk, including plant-based milks.It’s also sweetened with simple syrup, the best way to sweeten iced drinks.
Simple syrup can be bought in stores or quickly made at home with water and sugar.
Ingredients: Strong coffee, ice, simple syrup, half & half
2. Cold Brew Coffee
See how to make cold brew with minimal effort (and almost no cleanup) by using a cold brew coffee maker.
One batch will be enough for nearly a week’s worth of drinks, ready in your refrigerator everyday. The only drawback is waiting for it to steep in the fridge overnight, so you’ll need to plan in advance.
Use your favorite coffee beans from any cafe, store, or coffee roaster. Just make sure the grinds are medium-coarse for the best results.
Coffee places like Starbucks don’t make decaf cold brew, but you can. You can also serve it black, sweetened, or flavored, or add cream, cow’s milk, or plant-based milk.
Ingredients: Ground coffee beans (medium-coarse grind), filtered water
3. Iced Americano
Made with only 3 ingredients, this is the easiest iced espresso drink to make. It’s perfect if you prefer espresso over brewed coffee or cold brew, or if you want more caffeine than a regular iced coffee.
This recipe calls for 3 shots of espresso, and usually uses a dark roast like Starbucks Espresso Roast. Prepare your shots of espresso with any espresso machine, including a Nespresso.
Customize it your way with any espresso that’s caffeinated, half-caf, decaf, light or dark roast.
While it’s satisfying on its own, it can be customized to suit your tastes by adding syrups, simple syrup, or cold foam for a more decadent drink.
Ingredients: Espresso, cold water, ice
4. Iced Caramel Macchiato
Find the step-by-step instructions for how to make an iced macchiato so it tastes just like the one at Starbucks.
The drink calls for just 5 ingredients, including the ice. It’s easy to make it with your own espresso machine, even a Nespresso!
Adjust the sweetness, milk, and caffeine by adding or reducing any of the key ingredients.
Ingredients: Espresso, vanilla syrup, 2% milk, ice, caramel sauce
5. Iced Shaken Espresso
An extra caffeinated drink, this Iced Shaken Espresso copycat recipe will taste just like the one at Starbucks.
If you want the same exact flavor as the Starbucks version, make their Espresso Roast with your own espresso machine or any Nespresso Original or Vertuo machine that makes espresso.
Don’t have an espresso machine? There’s an instant coffee recipe variation included, plus customizations for the syrups and milks.
Feel free to adjust it to make it more or less sweet, milky, and caffeine amount. Also, use larger glasses for this drink, as it’s a Starbucks Grande size (16 ounces).
Ingredients: Espresso, milk, simple syrup, ice
6. Vietnamese Iced Coffee
Vietnamese iced coffee is made with sweetened condensed milk. The result is a creamy, refreshing coffee with a nice sweetness and strong caffeine kick.
If possible, make your ice with filtered water and use it to prep the coffee. Since the drink has minimal ingredients, it’ll taste better with filtered water.
Note the sweetened condenensed milk is the star of this recipe, so it can’t be replaced with other milks. It gives the signature taste in Vietnamese coffee, both iced or hot.
Ingredients: Coffee, filtered water, sweetened condensed milk, ice
7. Iced Mocha
An iced mocha is a cold drink that combines coffee and chocolate. It’s extremely easy to make at home, as it uses only 4 ingredients.
This versatile recipe can be made with brewed coffee, cold brew, instant coffee, or espresso. There are even instructions for making your own homemade chocolate syrup.
Using your own cold brew is great because you can make a bunch of iced coffee drinks with one batch (including this one). You also don’t have to wait for the coffee to cool down.
Experiment by making it more or less sweet, milky, chocolatey, or caffeinated.
Ingredients: Cold brew coffee, chocolate syrup, milk, ice
8. Iced Coffee with Cream Froth
A deliciously decadent iced coffee made super simple with just brewed coffee and a cream froth.
The secret ingredient in the cream froth is salt, which balances the flavor of the sugar. The froth also takes just seconds to make with a handheld milk frother, though the recipe includes tips for making it without one.
It takes only about 5 minutes to make this drink. And while you can add flavor and adjust the sweetness, it’s pretty delicious as is.
Serve it in a tall, clear glass so you can see the cream froth float.
Ingredients: Ground coffee (medium-fine), water, heavy cream, sugar, salt, ice
9. Iced Mexican Coffee
Sweet and spicy, this iced coffee will hit the spot thanks to chocolate, cinnamon, and cloves. The sweet cream topping rounds it all out, making this drink a decadent and rich treat.
The recipe uses brewed coffee, though you can use cold brew if you already have some on hand. Just as easily, you can also brew strong coffee with your drip coffee maker, Nespresso, or prepare 1-2 shots in your espresso machine.
Ready in just 5 minutes, this iced Mexican coffee is sure to hit the spot on hot summer days.
Ingredients: Strong brewed coffee, ground cinnamon, ground cloves, chocolate syrup, milk, ice, heavy cream, sugar
10. Iced Coffee Boba
Boba is usually served with tea, but you can also add it to iced coffee to elevate the drink.
This recipe calls for brewed coffee that’s cooled down. If you have cold brew already in your refrigerator, you can use that instead.
Find my tips and tricks for making boba the right (and best) way, especially when using these easy-to-find tapioca balls.
Ingredients: Coffee, tapioca balls, brown sugar, half & half, water, ice
11. Whipped Coffee
This extra-fluffy version of dalgona coffee is a real treat. It’s made with just 4 ingredients and takes 4 minutes to prepare.
Regular dalgona coffee uses equal parts instant coffee, sugar, and hot water. This version uses extra water, which makes it more fluffy.
You’re welcome to make this drink with any type of milk, including non-dairy versions. Try it with oat milk, almond milk, or soy milk.
Ingredients: Ice, milk, hot water, instant coffee, sugar
12. Coffee Ice Cubes
Avoid watery, diluted iced coffee with these homemade coffee ice cubes. They can be used in any iced coffee drink or made into a quick iced coffee or latte.
The most basic version uses just 2 ingredients, coffee and water, but you can sweeten the cubes or add milk. Adding sugar to the cubes means you won’t have to use simple syrup in your iced coffee.
A great make-ahead recipe, and it’s convenient for commuting since the cubes will melt without watering down the drink.
Ingredients: Ground coffee, filtered water, sugar, ice cube tray, milk (for iced latte)
13. Greek Frappe
If you want an iced coffee but don’t want to make coffee, make this Greek frappe. The key ingredient is Nescafe Greek instant coffee, just like in the dalgona whipped coffee.
This is ideal if you prefer your iced coffee sweet, creamy, extra-caffeinated, and ready in minutes.
The recipe includes suggestions for making this without a handheld milk frother, adjusting the sweetness, and using alternative instant coffees.
Ingredients: Instant coffee, filtered water, sugar, ice, half & half or milk
14. Cold Brew Coffee Latte
Once you’ve made cold brew, you can turn it into a layered ice latte. The trick is to sweeten the milk so it stays on the bottom.
This recipe uses a quick simple syrup made of brown sugar. If you prefer unsweetened lattes, you can skip the simple syrup, but it won’t have a layered look.
See how to make the 5-minute drink, plus tips for using regular iced coffee instead of cold brew.
Ingredients: Ice, cold brew coffee, milk, sugar, hot water
15. Brown Sugar Iced Coffee
A sweet and delicious brown sugar iced coffee that’s layered with brown sugar at the bottom, milk in the middle, and coffee on top.
Any kind of strong coffee can be used to make this drink from cold brew to chilled brewed coffee.
The brown sugar adds a touch of rich molasses flavor making the drink taste richer than iced coffee made with regular sugar.
Ingredients: Strong coffee, milk, brown sugar, water, ice
15 Best Iced Coffee Recipes
1
servings5
minutesIngredients
3 capsules Nespresso Starbucks espresso (or 3 espresso shots)
3 tablespoons simple syrup
1 cup ice + more if needed
¼ cup 2% milk + more to taste
Directions
- Put simple syrup, espresso, and ice into a cocktail shaker. Shake 10 times.
Use 3 Nespresso Starbucks espresso pods or pull 3 shots from an espresso machine. If you don’t have a cocktail shaker, use a jar with a tight lid. - Pour drink, including the ice, into a cup. Add milk.
Top off with more ice if needed.
