Description
A smooth, creamy, and refreshing homemade iced coffee that tastes like a café drink but costs pennies. This recipe uses a cold brew concentrate and a simple vanilla sweet cream topping for a rich, low-acid summer morning ritual.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup (100g) coarse ground coffee beans (medium-dark or dark roast)
- 4 cups (950ml) cold filtered water
- ½ cup (120ml) heavy cream
- ½ cup (120ml) whole milk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon simple syrup (or granulated sugar)
- Ice cubes
- Optional: Chocolate shavings, caramel drizzle, or whipped cream
Instructions
- In a large jar or pitcher, combine the coarse ground coffee and cold filtered water. Stir gently to ensure all grounds are wet.
- Cover the jar and let it steep in the fridge or at room temperature for 16 to 24 hours (18 hours is recommended).
- Strain the coffee mixture through a cheesecloth-lined fine-mesh strainer or a paper coffee filter into a clean container. Do not squeeze the grounds to avoid bitterness.
- Transfer the cold brew concentrate to a jar and refrigerate until ready to use.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the heavy cream, whole milk, vanilla extract, and simple syrup until fully incorporated and slightly thickened.
- Fill a tall glass with ice cubes.
- Pour the cold brew concentrate over the ice. Dilute with water or milk if the concentrate is too strong.
- Pour the vanilla sweet cream over the top of the iced coffee.
- Serve immediately with a straw, stirring before drinking if desired.
Notes
Use coarse ground coffee to prevent muddy or bitter results. The cold brew concentrate lasts up to 2 weeks in the fridge. Make the sweet cream fresh daily for best texture. Simple syrup dissolves better in cold drinks than granulated sugar. For a lighter version, use half-and-half and reduce syrup.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Beverage
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 tall glass
- Calories: 120
- Sugar: 5
- Sodium: 15
- Fat: 10
- Saturated Fat: 6
- Carbohydrates: 6
- Protein: 2
Keywords: cold brew, iced coffee, vanilla sweet cream, summer drink, homemade coffee, caffeine, morning routine, dairy-free option