Treat yourself to a delicious Australian Iced Coffee ... this cold coffee with ice cream is a decadent treat that's simple to make!
This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
When my husband and I were in NYC last summer, we stopped by Bluestone Lane for brunch.
This cute coffee shop and cafe (which has a few US locations) was inspired by the coffee culture of Melbourne, Australia. I love iced coffee, so when I saw they had an Aussie Iced Latte on the menu I had to order it ... even though I had no idea what was in it.
Imagine my surprise when my coffee showed up with a big scoop of ice cream! Apparently, iced coffee in Australia is served with ice cream in it ... who knew? It was pretty much the perfect coffee treat. And of course, I had to recreate that Australian Iced Coffee recipe at home!
I'm pretty sure you're going to love this recipe just as much as me! It's super easy to make and a total treat. Keep reading for all the details, then try it yourself!
What is Australian Iced Coffee?
Australian coffee is similar in concept to affogato, but it's made with cold coffee instead of hot espresso. And it's not quite the same thing as a frappe or a coffee shake, because it's not blended.
So what is it? Australian Iced Coffee is basically cold coffee with ice cream in it. It's rich, sweet, and delicious. Really, it's more of a confection than the standard iced coffee you may be used to drinking.
You can keep this iced coffee with ice cream recipe simple or go all out with additional flavors, whipped cream, and even sprinkles. Treat yourself!
Ingredients
This ice cream coffee drink is super simple to make using basic ingredients. Here's what you'll need:
- Cold Coffee - Use your favorite coffee, then chill it (use these Coffee Ice Cubes to cool it off fast). Cold brew would also work great!
- Milk or Cream - I recommend using full fat milk or cream for the best results. Creamy non-dairy milks (like soy milk) can also be used.
- Chocolate Syrup - A bit of chocolate makes this drink extra tasty! I used Hershey's Syrup.
- Vanilla Ice Cream - Use your favorite brand.
- Whipped Cream - Although optional, topping the finished drink with whipped cream is a decadent touch.
- Chocolate Shavings - This is also optional, but it makes the perfect topping.
How to Make Cold Coffee With Ice Cream ... Australian Iced Coffee
This unique coffee drink is simple to make! You'll find a detailed recipe card below, but here's an overview of the steps:
- Make the coffee. Like all iced coffees, this recipe starts with cold coffee. You can make coffee ahead of time and chill it (check out my method for chilling iced coffee quickly), or you can use cold brew or even instant iced coffee. It's up to you.
- Add milk. To make this drink extra creamy, you'll combine the coffee with milk. I used whole milk, but feel free to use cream if you're feeling truly decadent.
- Add flavorings and sweeteners. I wanted to make this Australian Iced Coffee mocha flavored, so I added a tablespoon of chocolate syrup. The syrup adds just enough flavor and sweetness to the drink without making it super sugary or cloying.
- Top with ice cream. You'll top off the drink with vanilla ice cream. Go ahead and add a big scoop.
- Sprinkle with chocolate. The finishing touch is a sprinkle of chocolate shavings. A microplane zester is the perfect tool for this, but a regular cheese grater works in a pinch. You can also add whipped cream to make this iced coffee with ice cream extra rich, if you wish.
And that's all there is to it ... your Aussie Iced Coffee is ready to drink! Doesn't it look decadent?
Variations
The fun thing about this cold coffee with ice cream is that you can totally change it up and customize it to taste! Here are some ideas to inspire your Australian coffee creations:
- Add a different flavor of ice cream ... chocolate would be delicious.
- Swap out the chocolate syrup for another flavoring. Try hazelnut or salted caramel syrup. Yum!
- Go minimal and skip the syrup all together.
- Sprinkle the top with cinnamon, nutmeg, or even flake salt.
- Make this Aussie Iced Coffee vegan by using your favorite dairy free milk and ice cream. Coconut milk would be sooo good.
However you serve it, this is one ice coffee drink that is guaranteed to be delicious. And kind of addictive. It's hard to go wrong with ice cream + coffee, am I right?
This may just be the perfect summer treat. A little heavy for breakfast, but for dessert? Yes, please!
Related Recipes
If you enjoyed this yummy recipe, you'll love love these coffee drinks, too:
- Dalgona Coffee (Whipped Coffee)
- Dirty Chai Latte
- Cinnamon Brown Sugar Coffee Syrup ... would be delish in this recipe!
- Salted Caramel Affogato
- Perfect Iced Coffee
- Instant Iced Coffee
- Irish Coffee
- Iced Irish Coffee
- Iced Brown Sugar Oatmilk Shaken Espresso
- Simple Syrup - Perfect for sweetening ice coffee! This Brown Sugar Syrup and this Cinnamon Brown Sugar Syrup are tasty, too.
Looking for something else? Make sure to check out all of my drink recipes here!
Australian Iced Coffee ... Cold Coffee with Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 1 cup coffee (or cold brew), chilled
- ¼ cup whole milk
- 1 tablespoon chocolate syrup
- 1 large scoop vanilla ice cream
- whipped cream, optional
- chocolate shavings
Instructions
- Combine coffee and milk in a tall glass.
- Stir in chocolate syrup.
- Top off iced coffee with enough ice cream to fill glass, about 1 large scoop or 3 small scoops.
- Garnish with whipped cream, if desired, and chocolate shavings.
- Serve immediately. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Are you an iced coffee fan, too?
That's the closest I've seen an American get to describing an Australian iced coffee. Not quite though.
Start with the ice cream, add milk to almost full the glass, pour a double espresso shot (a short black) over the top then add the whipped cream and chocolate dust. DON'T STIR.
This is how they've been made in Melbourne as long as I can remember and I've lived here for 50 years.
Hi Graeme! Thanks for the tips ... will definitely try it that way next time 🙂
Thanks for the recipe! We were in Melbourne and Sydney in 2019, and had iced coffee made with ice cream. They looked very similar to your picture! We had one for breakfast one day, very filling and delicious! Ice cream AND coffee for breakfast? Why thank you!
Hi, Leanne! It really is hard to think of a better way to start the day! Hope you enjoy the recipe 🙂
Certainly a simple yummy recipe and I used to drink this often in Germany and Austria in the 80's. A well known patio drink.
My coffee is in the freezer and a scoop of each vanilla plus chocolate icecream will be my next trial. Adding some Hemp Bliss 'milk'.
Going to enjoy this shortly on this hot summer day on Vancouver Island, B.C.
🌞😎
Can't wait to try this! Just gotta wait for my coffee to chill :9 also skipping a step and adding some really creamy choc milk right in. It's more like a dark choc taste so it shouldn't be too terribly sweet. Will try to come back w/ the results!
I hope you enjoyed the recipe, Kiera! It's one of my favorite summer treats. 🙂
Iced Coffee with ice cream in it IS a thing in Australia. The biggest Iced Coffee drinkers come from Adelaide in South Australia. You'll want to try both the Cafe version and the more common version found in all supermarkets in the milk section. The best brand by far (It outsells Coke) is Farmers Union. Other good brands are Dare and Pauls (only in the Northern Territory.) I wouldn't recommend adding chocolate to the Iced Coffee. If you like it that great but if you want to stay true to Australian Iced Coffee well its not a chocolate drink, I… Read more »
Hi, Jeff! Glad to hear that it IS a thing in Australia 🙂 We definitely need to get it going here in the US, too, I think! The chocolate is my twist on the recipe, but it's definitely delicious without, too.
My dream is to one day open up an Aussie cafe here that sells true iced coffee and meat pies + other Australian pastries... Would be amazing
I love that idea, and I'm sure it would be very popular!
NOs encantan los batidos de chocolate.