Cold coffee recipe

Cold coffee is a popular chilled beverage made with coffee, sugar and milk/water. It is made in so many different ways across the world with varying ingredients like whipping cream, ice cream, coffee syrup etc. This post shows you how to make cold coffee at home with easily available ingredients like instant coffee, milk and sugar. To make it richer you can also use ice cream or whipping cream but honestly you don’t really need them if you are using full fat milk.

Since this recipe uses milk, I have used a blender to create a thick and frothy cold coffee. However you can also use a mason jar or a milk frother or a shaker bottle to froth it.

In a lot of cafes, cold coffee is served with a topping of ice cream & garnished with chocolate syrup. You can also design your serving glass with some melted chocolate and then pour the prepared drink to it. Lastly garnish with ice cream and some chocolate syrup.

Upscale restaurants make this with espresso but for a home version you can use any kind of coffee you prefer including cold brew, instant coffee or filter coffee made from ground coffee beans. So choosing a good coffee to suit your taste is very crucial here.

First coffee decoction/ instant coffee is made which is of higher strength than made for normal coffee since cold coffee is diluted with ice later. So depending on the kind of coffee used adjust the quantity to suit your taste.

Later, chilled milk is blended with the coffee mixture until it turns thick and frothy.

Cold coffee without blender

If you do not have a blender, then simply make this in a mason jar or shaker bottle. Make the coffee mixture in the jar and then pour the chilled milk. Secure it and shake it for 1 to 2 minutes. Take care not to over do as you may end up with butter separated on top.

The other way is to simply make the coffee in your serving cup and then pour the chilled milk. Use a milk frother and froth it until you see some froth on top, typically for 1 minute.

For more cold beverages, check
Dalgona coffee
Dry fruits milkshake
Chocolate shake
Falooda
Badam milk
Pomegranate juice

How to make cold coffee

1. If you want to garnish your serving glasses with chocolate, melt chocolate chips or use chocolate syrup. Pour 1 tablespoon chocolate across the inner side of the serving glass. Keep them in the fridge for 5 mins.

2. Add 1½ to 2 tablespoon instant coffee granules or powder. You can even use ¼ cup strong cold brew or filter coffee decoction.

3. Add 4 tablespoons fine sugar or powdered sugar. Adjust to taste.

4. Add 4 tablespoons warm water to the blender jar. Skip water if using cold brew or filter coffee.

5. Run the blender until the coffee becomes frothy meaning sugar and coffee has dissolved completely.

6. It turns frothy as shown in the picture.

7. Add 1½ cup chilled milk.

7. Add 4 to 6 ice cubes & 2 scoops vanilla ice cream (optional). I do not like diluted cold coffee so I prefer to use milk cubes instead of ice cubes. This will give you a thicker cold coffee and richer like the one with ice cream.

8. Blend until frothy. Do not over do else you will end up with butter on top.

Then pour it to the garnished glass. If you want you can top with ice cream and drizzle some chocolate syrup.

Serve cold coffee immediately.

Pro Tips to make cold coffee

• The strength of the coffee decoction or instant coffee mixture must be higher than it is made for normal coffee since cold coffee is diluted with ice later. So it becomes flavorless unless you add a good amount of coffee to suit your taste.
• Use full fat chilled milk as this helps to create a thick froth over your drink. If you are not using pasteurized milk, then heat the milk, cool it and chill in the refrigerator. Then use it in the recipe.
• Here I have used milk ice instead of regular ice cubes. It kind of gives you a extra rich cold coffee similar to adding ice cream. You can also use regular ice cubes but I feel the taste dilutes as the ice cubes melt. It’s a personal choice and feel free to use what you like.

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Cold coffee recipe first published in April 2017. Updated and republished in March 2021.