Discover the joy of making iced coffee at home with this straightforward and delightful DIY easy iced coffee recipe! Featuring all-natural ingredients, this refreshing beverage is both easy to make and absolutely delicious.

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There’s nothing quite like sipping on a cold coffee during those hot summer days – it’s the ideal mid-afternoon caffeine boost! By making your own iced coffee at home, you can save money on your cup of coffee without compromising on taste. Plus, it’s so fun to be your own barista! My version is simple to create and features only natural ingredients. This is a simple recipe to start with as a base, and you can find variations and additions to take it to the next level at the bottom of this post. (Another refreshing coffee to try? Make cold brew coffee at home!)

Brew the espresso

Begin by brewing two shots of espresso into a small mason jar. You can use an espresso machine with fresh coffee beans, a Nespresso coffee maker with your preferred pod and filtered cold water, or mix 1 tablespoon of instant coffee with ¼ cup of hot water for a similar taste without specialized equipment. Alternatively, you could also use ¼ cup of strong brewed coffee.

Allow the espresso shots to cool down to room temperature in a tall glass. If you’re short on time, don’t worry – you can still proceed with hot coffee. To have cold espresso readily available, store some brewed espresso in a jar in the refrigerator, allowing you to enjoy iced coffees throughout the week!

Sweeten the coffee

Next, sweeten the espresso by adding approximately 1 teaspoon of maple syrup (or your preferred sweetener like white sugar, brown sugar, honey or flavoured coffee syrup). Maple syrup imparts a delightful flavor and is a natural ingredient. Feel free to use your favorite simple syrup or sugar as an alternative.

Add the ice

It’s time to add ice! Fill the glass about ⅔ full with ice cubes. For an even bolder espresso taste, consider freezing espresso in ice cube trays and using these coffee ice cubes instead. I like to use an ice cube tray with smaller compartments for tiny pieces of ice in my coffees.

Top with milk

Fill the remainder of the glass with your cold milk of choice. Dairy whole milk, almond milk, and oat milk are all excellent options, depending on your preference. For a touch of indulgence, you could also use cream.

The sight of milk cascading through the ice and espresso is truly mesmerizing and oh-so-yummy looing!

To finish, simply add a straw to your glass, give your drink a gentle stir, and savor this refreshing drink – perfect for a hot afternoon. Enjoy your perfect iced coffee!

You can find the beer can glass I used right here, and the glass straw is here.

Exciting Easy Iced Coffee Recipe Variations:

For a strong coffee, add half the milk.
Create an vanilla iced latte by adding ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract to the espresso.
Create a brown sugar shaken iced coffee by adding 1 teaspoon of brown sugar to the espresso and shaking it in a lidded container before adding the rest of the ingredients.
Indulge in an iced mocha latte by using chocolate milk or adding some chocolate syrup to the espresso.
For a cinnamon latte, foam the milk before adding it and sprinkle cinnamon on top.
Enjoy a tropical twist with a coconut latte by using coconut milk.
Create a homemade sweet cream by combining 2 tablespoons of heavy cream, 1 tablespoon of milk and 1 tablespoon of vanilla syrup in a lidded container and shake until frothy. (You can also use a hand-held frother, Aeroccino or French Press to froth the millk.) Pour this over the iced coffee instead of plain milk.