Learn how to make the BEST Iced Coffee at home! This easy recipe uses basic ingredients, takes hardly any time, and it's the perfect way to start your day!
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Ginnie's Take
I have a confession to make: I wasn't always a coffee drinker! After drinking a little tooo much in college, I gave it up. Sure, I treated myself to a latte here and there, but that was about it. That all changed when I moved to New York. My first job was pure misery. From devious co-workers to vague job expectations and screaming bosses, I started dreading my days there about a month after I started. Throw in a sweltering commute during a steamy NYC summer, and the only thing that got me through most mornings was my new obsession, Iced Coffee!
Thankfully I left that job, but my love for cold coffee continued. These days, I treat myself to a cup every morning (no matter the weather). Sometimes I'm already thinking about it as I drift off to sleep the night before!
Why You'll Love This Recipe
Since I love my daily treat so much, I've learned how to make the best Iced Coffee at home. And I know you're going to love this recipe just as much!
- Easy to Make - This recipe is super simple to make with freshly brewed coffee. I'm sharing all my most helpful tips and tricks!
- Delicious - Of course, I tastes great, too. You will look forward to waking up to this refreshing drink every morning.
- Versatile - Customize the recipe to your taste using different beans, flavorings, and more!
Jump to:
Ingredients
Homemade Iced Coffee requires no special ingredients, which means you can make a cup whenever a craving strikes! Here's what you'll need:
- Coffee - To make a coffee-shop quality cup, you need good coffee. I don't like anything bitter, so I typically to use a smooth-tasting medium to dark roast. Feel free to use your favorite coffee though (almost anything works). Tip: Use a darker roast if you plan to add milk!
- Sugar - Sugar and milk are optional, but I never skip them. I use regular old granulated sugar, although homemade Simple Syrup (or flavored syrup) is also delish.
- Milk - And any kind of milk works, although skim milk can make the finished drink seem a little watery. Use 2%, whole milk, or even half and half instead. I like using unsweetened soy milk (it's so thick and creamy), but almond, oat, coconut, and other plant based milks will also work.
Technically, you can simply pour hot coffee over ice, but I don't recommend it!
The ice will water down your coffee, and it won't get as cool either (and perfect Iced Coffee needs to be quite cold). If you want to do this make some coffee ice cubes with leftover coffee, then add them to the hot drink.
How to Make Iced Coffee at Home
Are you ready to learn how I make the perfect fresh-brewed cup of cold coffee? It's easy! Here's my trick for the perfect iced coffee:
- Make coffee. First thing in the morning, brew a regular cup of coffee using your coffee maker.
- Chill it. Before you jump in the shower and start getting ready, stick your mug of coffee in the freezer. While you're showering, putting on your makeup, doing your hair, etc., your coffee will cool to the ideal temp! I use a cute mason jar mug, but any coffee cup will work.
- Add coffee + sugar. By the time you're ready, your coffee will be the perfect chilled temperature, and you can add sugar, milk, and ice without watering it down. Tip: You could also add the sugar to the hot coffee before chilling it, if you don't want any crystals in your coffee. I actually like the crunch of a few crystals. Using simple syrup instead of granulated sugar is another option.
And that's really all there is to it ... your perfect Iced Coffee is ready to drink!
Alternative Methods
Here are three other methods I've employed over the years that also work great!
Ninja Coffee Maker
This post has been updated a few times. A few years ago I got a Ninja Coffee Maker, and it's pretty much my favorite thing ever! This system has a special function that lets you brew a single cup of coffee directly over ice ... without watering it down. It works perfectly every time, takes minutes to make, and I absolutely love it.
You can also use the Ninja Coffee Maker to prepare specialty espresso-style drinks like affogato and lattes, full pots of coffee, and it's even K Cup compatible!
Icing Hot Coffee
Don't have time to let the coffee cool in the freezer? If you'd prefer to make your drink with hot coffee, then I'd recommend using coffee ice cubes instead of regular ones ... that way your coffee won't get diluted and end up watery tasting. They're easy to make with leftover coffee.
In the morning you can stir a few cubes into your freshly-brewed coffee. The cubes will cool off your coffee without watering down the flavor like regular ice would. Once your coffee has cooled, stir in sugar and milk to taste, then top off with regular ice or more coffee ice cubes.
Chilled Overnight
Another option that will save time in the morning? Brew your cup of coffee the night before, then pop it in the refrigerator so it's ready to drink when you wake up. You could also do this with a full pot of coffee, of course.
To be honest, this isn't my favorite method. The coffee doesn't taste as good as it does fresh, but it's definitely passable in a pinch!
Cold Coffee Variations
I usually drink my coffee with milk and sugar only, but there are so many fun ways to flavor it! Here are some ideas:
- Add coffee syrup. For a coffee shop-inspired treat, stir a little flavored coffee syrup into your drink. You can even make your own syrups ... this Brown Sugar Syrup and this Cinnamon Brown Sugar Coffee Syrup are a favorites of mine!
- Stir in a drop of extract. A touch of pure vanilla or almond extract turns plain coffee into something special.
- Make it extra sweet. Replace the sugar with sweetened condensed milk for a Vietnamese-style treat.
- Flavor the coffee with spices. Before you brew your coffee, sprinkle a little cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, and/ or ginger over the grounds.
- Make an iced latte. Turn your drink into an iced latte by adding frothed milk instead of plain milk. Shake cold milk in a mason jar to froth it or use a handheld milk frother, like I do.
- Add a slice of citrus. A thin slice of lemon, lime, or orange can add an intriguing twist to your fave morning drink.
- Infuse it with herbs. Throw a few leaves of mint into the hot coffee before chilling it for a refreshing herbal flavor.
- Kick things up a notch. For a boozy treat, try adding a shot of rum, whiskey, brandy, Sambuca, or Frangelico. Cheers!
Related Recipes
Looking for more coffee drink ideas? Try one of my other Iced Coffee recipes next!
- Instant Iced Coffee
- Brown Sugar Shaken Espresso
- Dalgona Coffee
- Australian Iced Coffee
- Iced Irish Coffee
- Grapefruit Coffee Spritz
- Dirty Chai Latte
- Orange Coffee
- Coffee Popsicles
Looking for a hot coffee treat? Then, treat yourself to a Hot Chocolate Coffee, Salted Caramel Affogato, or Irish Coffee, too.
How to Make Iced Coffee
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups hot coffee
- 1 teaspoon sugar, or to taste
- ½ cup milk (2% or whole milk is best), or to taste
- ice
Instructions
- Brew coffee, then pour 1 ½ cups into a tall glass. Put coffee in freezer for 30 to 45 minutes (or chill in refrigerator overnight).
- When coffee has cooled, add sugar and milk to taste.
- Fill glass with ice and stir well.
- Serve immediately. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Please don't take my comments the wrong way, I don't mean any harm. I am an older lady who when I was much much younger used to love nothing more than sitting in a Cafe with my iced coffee. A wonderful treat that is no longer available. You see somewhere over the years some Cafe owner changed the recipe for one that was cheaper to make. Iced coffee never had ice in it, it's supposed to be ice cream with a topping of cream. They were the most wonderful refreshing drink but the way they make them these days is… Read more »
Hi, Deb! No worries. I do have an Australian Iced Coffee recipe that sounds similar to what you're describing 🙂 https://hellolittlehome.com/australian-iced-coffee-recipe/
When you put hot coffee in the freezer, it raises the temperature and other items in the freezer will start to unthaw.
Hi Susan! If you're only doing one cup, it cools off really fast. It doesn't stay hot long enough to thaw anything else 🙂
I am currently learning to make iced coffee, thanks for the recipe!
official
You're welcome! 🙂
Oh MY, it looks great! Can't wait to cook em this Sunday!
I hope you enjoyed the coffee, Sheila 🙂
Took way too long to get to the point and recipe still not clear
Hi Josh! There is a "jump to recipe" button at the top of the post if you want to cut to the chase. It will bring you directly to the recipe card which has clear step by step instructions.
Finally found my people making iced coffee! Gonna unwrap my coffee grinder! Just got this from my birthday and this is perfect for this recipe.
But real ice coffee is cold brewed, no? You let it steep in water overnight in the fridge… it tastes much more robust and apparently the caffeine content is quite a bit higher (as boiling the water destroys half the caffeine)!
Hi, Matthew! If your coffee maker boils the water while brewing, you should get a different one. 😉 Just kidding, but most coffee makers use very hot (but not boiling) water. There are so many different ways to make iced coffee (more than I've covered here) ... cold brew being just one! I love cold brew too, although the reason it has more caffeine is because you need more coffee grounds to make it than regular brewed coffee (not because of the water temp). If you use the finished cold brew concentrate as is, then yes, it's definitely stronger /… Read more »
This iced coffee looks delicious! And excellent tip about freezing some coffee ice cubes the night before! Great idea!
Thank you so much, Stephanie!
Sorry about that job! I'm loving this iced coffee!
Thanks, Deb! Happily, the job is a distant memory at this point! 😉