Simple Iced Coffee
This Simple Iced Coffee is made using cold brew coffee. Learn just how easy it is to make a perfect large batch of iced coffee for a fraction of the coffee house price!
Today we are talking coffee. I find people fall into three distinct categories when it comes to a cup of Jo. They love it, hate it, or load it with sugar, chocolate, and various syrups and whipped creams until it no longer actually tastes like coffee.
Which one are you? I fall firmly into the first category. I go to bed at night looking forward to my piping hot cup of heaven every morning. I used to use fabulous sweet creamers, especially those fancy seasonal ones, but over time I have become a purist and drink it black or with just a smidgen of cream. I told you, I take my coffee seriously.
Every year I run into the same predicament, I live in the South where summers are knock your socks off hot and humid. There is no way you can gulp down a regular cup of coffee when it is 100+ degrees outside. So this cold brew coffee is the perfect answer
Ingredients to make Simple Iced Coffee
As always, you will find the complete recipe and instructions listed below. However, this is a quick overview of the items you will need:
- Cold Brew Coffee: made with coffee and water, tutorial is below
- Simple Syrup: this can be any flavor you prefer such as vanilla, caramel, hazelnut, the possibilities are endless
- Milk, Creamer or Heavy Cream: gives the perfect creamy consistency
- Ice
Everyone has their own personal preferences when it comes to iced coffee. Experiment with your favorite flavors, mixtures and add ins to create your perfect drink.
How do you make Cold Brew Coffee?
Cold Brew Coffee is made in two steps. It is incredibly simple, but you will need a few of the right kitchen tools to successfully make cold brew.
- To make cold brew coffee combine 1 (12 ounce) bag of ground coffee with one gallon of water in a pitcher with a lid. Stir the mixture so all the grounds are saturated. Secure with a lid and allow it to sit 24 hours.
- After 24 hours stir the mixture again and fit a strainer with several layers of cheesecloth. Strain the coffee to remove all grounds. If you feel you need to repeat this step to get ultra smooth coffee.
Tips for the Best Iced Coffee
- Quality of coffee matters, choose at least a medium roast. But remember, the bolder the better!
- Flavored Coffees work really well. I like the hint of chocolate or cinnamon from some of the flavored coffees. They normally aren’t strong enough to over power your drink. They just add a little something extra.
- Stir it around for a minute or so as soon as you mix it to make sure the coffee grounds are completely saturated.
- When you strain the mixture use cheese cloth and a wire mesh strainer. I triple layer my cheese cloth.
- I normally strain my mixture twice, but when in doubt do it again. Nobody wants coffee grounds in the bottom of your cup!
How do you make Iced Coffee with Cold Brew Coffee?
The great thing about this method is it gives you a whole pitcher of ready to go iced coffee which makes grab and go mornings so easy. This is my general recipe for iced coffee, but adjust based on your preferences:
- 8 ounces cold brew coffee
- 1 tablespoon sugar free vanilla simple syrup
- 3 tablespoons half and half
Other Coffee Recipes
Get the Recipe: Simple Iced Coffee
Ingredients
For Cold Brew Coffee
- 1 gallon of water
- 12 ounce package of ground coffee
For Simple Iced Coffee
- 8 ounces Cold Brew Coffee
- 1 tablespoon Vanilla simple syrup, sugar free for keto
- 3 tablespoons half and half
- Ice
- Adjust ingredients for iced coffee based on your personal preference.
Instructions
- Combine coffee and water in a large pitcher, stir coffee several times to make sure all grounds are completely saturated. Cover and chill 24 hours.
- Using a mesh strainer and a triple layered cheese cloth strain the coffee into a clean pitcher. If needed pour the coffee through the strainer twice, to ensure all of the grounds have been removed from the coffee.
- Discard cheesecloth and the coffee grounds. Enjoy!
I love iced coffee! It’s all I drink in the summer. I’m going to have to give your “steeping” method a try! Probably much better than making hot coffee, pouring it on ice, having all the ice melt instantly, then adding in more ice. Which is how I’ve been making it. Haha!
That is how I used to make it too! And I can promise this is much easier! Since this makes a whole pitcher full I find myself making all kinds of cold coffee concoctions! It is a game changer! 🙂
Iced coffee is what keeps me going in this terrible summer heat!!!!! I always use the commercial readymade stuff and I hate how that coffee tastes, it has 0 coffee flavor and tastes like it has been stuffed with preservatives! I didn’t know making your own iced coffee with freshly brewed coffee was THIS SIMPLE!!!!! LOVE IT!
Oh I am totally with you! I don’t remember what brand I bought, but I tried the store bought mocha flavored iced coffee and it just tasted like very artificial chocolate milk! Definitely give this a try, you will love it!
I am definitely the first category too! Mom and I actually don’t like buying coffee anymore because there is so little coffee compared to the sugar. *shudder* 😉 I am trying iced coffee for the first time this summer (I know, where have I been??) and this is a great recipe and tutorial! Thank you!
I’ve been on an iced coffee kick lately… it’s almost like you wrote this post just for me :). I actually fall into the third category. I used to not like coffee, but ever since finding out how much I love it with tons of add-ins, I can’t get enough. Who knows, there may be a coffee purist hiding in me somewhere just waiting to be released, ha. Either way, this recipe has my name written all over it!!
That is how my sister is, she loves all the extras! You should try this with the addition of some chocolate syrup to make a nice big iced mocha! You would love it! 🙂
I love coffee in any form- hot or cold and this iced coffee looks perfect for hot weathers!
Absolutely! This is my favorite way to beat the heat!
I love coffee and look forward to it every morning! I do like iced coffee but have never attempted making it myself, so I will definitely have to try your recipe! I love how simple it is, too!
Yes, it is so simple I actually thought twice before posting it, I wasn’t sure it really qualified as a recipe! ha! I made a big pitcher for a wedding shower and brought different syrups and add ins, it was a huge hit!
This reminds of my University days in Nottingham. I used to live in a house-share and one of my housemates was a Vietnamese PhD student who used to make the most stunning Ca Phe Sua Da that’s ever touched my lips. I’ve tried making it at home and it’s just never the same. And yours look ah-may-zing!!! Thanks for the recipe…the next time I’ll be trying with this one.
Oh that sounds fantastic!! I love refreshing drinks, I hope you try this one. I think you will be surprised how simple it is! 🙂
I love cold brew coffee! This may be a little strange- but recently, I’ve been enjoying my iced coffee with a little mint simple syrup. It’s so refreshing!