This iced coffee is simply the best ever thanks to one unexpected key ingredient: sweetened condensed milk! This frothy, creamy beverage is perfect on a hot summer day.
Cold coffee = meh. However, with a few simple tweaks, you can make the most delicious iced coffee ever. No fancy ingredients. No need to make even simple syrup! My recipe only has a handful of ingredients that you likely have right now in your home.
On those hot summer days, I love switching out my regular coffee for a perfect iced coffee, but I don’t always want to spend the money to buy one from my favorite coffee shop.
Luckily, this iced coffee is a cinch to make, and you don’t need specialty coffee like cold brew coffee or espresso – just regular brewed coffee works great! You can even use instant coffee if you like!
You’ll blend all of the ingredients together and pour in a tall glass for the perfect sweet, cool beverage.
Why You’ll Love this Easy Iced Coffee Recipe
- Perfect way to use up that pot of leftover coffee from breakfast.
- This simple recipe makes THE best iced coffee ever, in my opinion!
- A coffee drinker favorite recipe.
- No need to use any kind of vanilla syrup or buy any specialty ingredients.
- Ready to enjoy in minutes.
- Sweet, creamy and cold.
- Serve in a mason jar if you want to get fancy, but any kind of glass will work.
- No fancy equipment needed. Just a blender!
Ingredients
The full printable recipe card with measurements and instructions is found at the bottom of the post.
- Brewed coffee: All you’ll need for this is freshly brewed coffee from your pot of coffee. Instant will work as well.
- Sweetened condensed milk: This is the secret ingredient that will make your coffee sweet and creamy.
- Milk: A little bit of milk ups the creamy factor for the coffee. Use whole milk to make it extra creamy.
- Vanilla extract: A hint of vanilla extract is where we get our vanilla flavor from!
- Ice cubes: To cool the hot coffee down.
- Cinnamon: A dash of cinnamon at the end makes this extra yummy.
How to Make Iced Coffee
- Step One: Combine all the ingredients in a blender.
- Step Two: Blend until ice is crushed and drink is mixed. Serve immediately.
What I Used For This Recipe
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- Coffee Maker: This 12-cup coffee maker gets used every day in my house! You can also make your coffee with a French press, or instant coffee. Whatever is the easiest way for you.
- Vitamix Blender: I can’t recommend investing in a Vitamix blender enough! It can blend anything and will last for many years to come.
- Measuring Cups and Spoons: Every kitchen needs a great set of measuring cups and spoons, I love this stainless steel set.
- Ice Cube Trays: To make ice for your drink.
What to Serve with an Iced Coffee
- Baked goods are a great option! Try my Banana Cake, Shoofly Pie or Pineapple Cake.
- Fresh fruit is a light option. I love a bowl of fresh berries or even my Rainbow Fruit Salad.
- Sandwiches. Pair with a yummy sandwich for lunch like my Honey Banana Grilled Cheese Sandwich or a Chicken Salad Sandwich.
- Pancakes with maple syrup. I love my Cinnamon Banana Pancakes for breakfast with an iced coffee instead of a regular cup of coffee.
- Chocolate is always a great idea. Try my Chocolate Mousse Cake or Chocolate Zucchini Cake.
Variations and Substitutions
- Use your favorite coffee. I like strong coffee (love my dark roast coffee), but you can use milder coffee beans to make your coffee.
- Pick the milk of your choice. Use coconut milk, almond milk or oat milk instead of cold milk.
- For a super creamy version, use heavy cream.
- Make coffee ice cubes instead of regular ice cubes by adding coffee to an ice cube tray and freezing.
- Make an iced latte instead by using espresso shots instead of regular ground coffee that’s been brewed.
- Add a pump of chocolate syrup instead of vanilla extra to make a chocolate iced coffee.
- Don’t blend the ice cubes in the blender with the rest of the ingredients. Add them to a large glass and pour the coffee mixture over top.
- Try coconut extract instead of vanilla extract.
Storage Instructions
To make a great iced coffee, fresh is best. I recommend making it when you are ready to drink it. You can store it in the fridge if you need to for a day or so, but make sure it’s covered so it doesn’t absorb any strange smells from the fridge.
Can I Freeze Iced Coffee?
I don’t recommend freezing iced coffee. Make it fresh!
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Use freshly brewed hot coffee for the best taste.
- Use strong coffee since you’ll be diluting it quite a bit with ice and other ingredients and you want to still taste the coffee.
- Make it when you’re ready to drink it for the most optimal experience.
Flavorings and Syrups to Try
- Vanilla. I use vanilla extract, but you could try vanilla syrup if you wish.
- Caramel. Add a teaspoon or so of caramel sauce. Butterscotch sauce would also be tasty.
- Hazelnut. Hazelnut syrup will give a nutty flavor.
- Chocolate. Add a squeeze of chocolate syrup for a rich mocha flavor.
- Peppermint. Add peppermint syrup for a refreshing minty flavor.
- Coconut. Add coconut extract or coconut syrup for a tropical vibe.
- Almond. Almond syrup will bring a beautiful nuttiness.
- Maple. Maple syrup will add an amazing slightly earthy taste.
Can You Make Iced Coffee with Hot Coffee?
Absolutely! While you can cool coffee overnight or use cold brew if you prefer, hot coffee works just fine here. The ice cubes included in this recipe will cool it down.
Can I Make This Iced Coffee with Different Flavors?
Yes! For even more vanilla flavor, you could scrape the insides of a vanilla bean and add it. For a mocha version, try a teaspoon or two of cocoa powder! Add some coffee syrups in place of the vanilla extract. Hazelnut syrup is yummy.
Is Iced Coffee Just Cold Coffee?
Not really, no. It’s typically made by brewing hot coffee by whatever method you choose, and then cooling the coffee down with ice cubes. Adding the extra ingredients like milk and sweetened condensed milk tones down the bitterness and strength of the coffee making it more yummy to drink.
FAQ
An iced coffee is made with brewed coffee and milk/sugar while a latte is made with espresso and milk. Iced lattes are typically stronger in taste because of the espresso. They are very similar though.
Though iced coffee and cold brew coffee are both cold coffee drinks, they are made differently and have different flavor profiles.
Iced coffee is made by brewing hot coffee using any method, and then cooling it down by pouring it over ice. You can add milk and sugar to dilute its strength and give it more flavor. It’s more acidic than cold brew because of the hot water brewing method.
Making cold brew coffee is more complex and takes a lot longer. Coarsely ground coffee beans are steeped in cold water for 12 to 24 hours. This will give you a less acidic coffee concentrate. The coffee concentrate is diluted with water or milk and served over ice.
Generally, the larger ice cubes are preferred made with a typical ice cube tray found in most homes. In my recipe, it really doesn’t matter much since I’m blending the ice cubes in the blender with the coffee. Use whatever ice you have at home.
More Coffee Recipes You’ll Love
- Cinnamon Cappuccino
- Coconut Coffee Milkshake
- Dulce de Leche Coffee Milkshake
- Maple Latte
- Gingerbread Latte
- Nutella Coffee Milkshake
- Maple Coffee Milkshake
- Cinnamon Roll Coffee Milkshake
You’ll also like this Shirley Temple drink.
Follow me on Instagram @simplystacieblog, Facebook at Simply Stacie, TikTok @simplystacierecipes or Pinterest at @simplystacie and let me know how you liked this recipe and my other recipes.
The Best Iced Coffee Ever
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups brewed coffee
- ½ cup sweetened condensed milk
- ½ cup milk
- ¼ tsp vanilla extract
- 5 ice cubes
- pinch cinnamon
Instructions
- Combine all the ingredients in a blender.
- Blend until ice is crushed and drink is mixed. Serve immediately.
Kitchen Tools
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
kathy downey says
Thanks for the review and recipe.would love to try this!!
Barbara Wuertz says
Any idea of carbs/sugar..doing keto,but love iced coffee drinks..thanks
Stacie says
The nutritional information is on the recipe card at the bottom.
Claudia says
This really is the very best iced coffee. I don’t have a blender strong enough to handle the ice cubes, so I just stir it all together. The only trick there is to stir regularly while drinking, or the sweetened condensed milk will settle at the bottom.