Coffee is one of the most preferred beverages, thanks to its rich caffeine content and tasty flavors. Every coffee drinker has their favorite coffee drink.
Maybe you prefer espresso, Starbucks coffee or flavored coffee. Regardless, it’s adventurous to try out different coffees. After all, you might like the taste of a new type of coffee than what you’re used to drinking.
For instance, if you’re used to cold brew coffee or iced coffee but you need to try something new that’s also flavored and refreshing, consider frozen coffee.
Frozen coffee brings out the sweetness and flavors of coffee, especially during hot weather or the summer season. Preferably, drink frozen coffee mid to late morning rather than after lunch, dinner, or other major meals.
Frozen coffee is delicious and easy to brew at home. It’s something you can do in your kitchen, just like with many coffee recipes. In this article, you’ll learn how to make frozen coffee at home with the help of a simple coffee recipe.
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Basic Recipe for Frozen Coffee
Required ingredients:
- Whipped cream (half cup)
- Ice cubes (1 cup)
- Favorite coffee brew (1 cup)
- Chocolate syrup (1 to 2 tablespoons)
- Creamer (optional)
Required equipment:
- Blender
- Coffee maker
Instructions:
Step 1 – Brew coffee
First, brew a cup of coffee using your favorite brewing method. Preferably, make a strong brew for this recipe since you’ll be blending it with some ice and you wouldn’t want to water it down.
Step 2 – Allow the brew to cool
Allow the brew to cool for about 30 minutes before continuing. Preferably, allow it to cool to room temperature. You can store the brew in your refrigerator to help cool it down. If you proceed to make frozen coffee with hot coffee, you’ll get a lukewarm and sickly beverage rather than a refreshing frozen brew.
Step 3 – Blend the ingredients
Next, add whipped cream, creamer (optional), chocolate syrup, ice cubes, and coffee into your blender in the right ratio. Blend the ingredients until the mixture forms a fluffy and light consistency.
Step 4 – Top the brew
You can top the brew with some whipped cream. Drizzle with some chocolate syrup and enjoy your ready frozen coffee. You can keep any leftover coffee in the fridge.
Tips and Tricks for Making Frozen Coffee
Tip #1 – Use strong coffee
Since frozen coffee is blended with ice, its taste can get watered down. You can ensure that your frozen coffee maintains its unique coffee flavor by using cold brew concentrate or strongly brewed coffee when blending. That way, your brew won’t be watered down. In fact, cold brew is a great choice for making frozen coffee since it contains a lower acidic content than standard coffee. Thus, you’ll get a tasty and sweet frozen coffee drink without adding extra calories.
Tip #2 – Add fine grounds
If you want a simple and quick way of enhancing the flavor of your frozen brew, consider adding about ½ teaspoon of fine grounds into the blender in addition to the other ingredients. You’ll get a frozen drink with a rich coffee flavor. You can grind your own coffee as long as the coffee beans are fresh or stored properly. Preferably, store coffee beans in a mason jar to retain their flavors.
Tip #3 – Try instant coffee
If you don’t have fresh coffee grounds or ready cold brew and you want to make frozen coffee within the shortest time possible, another option is to use instant coffee. Preferably, use a little amount of instant coffee made from dark roast beans for a more flavorful frozen brew. To use instant coffee, mix it with hot water to make coffee. Allow the brew to cool and proceed to blend it alongside other ingredients until you get the desired consistency.
Tip #4 – Use coffee ice cubes
Water ice cubes can dilute your frozen coffee, especially if you used light coffee when blending. Instead, use coffee ice cubes to make tasty frozen coffee. Simply prepare your favorite coffee brew and allow it to cool. Pour the coffee into an ice cube tray and freeze to make coffee ice cubes. When blending coffee ice cubes with the other ingredients, you’ll get a rich frozen coffee without diluting its flavor and taste.
Tip #5 – You don’t have to add too many toppings and mix-ins
Adding a lot of toppings to your frozen coffee can obscure the flavor that comes with coffee. If you must add toppings such as crushed cookies, mint, cinnamon sprinkles, almond extract, vanilla extract, caramel sauce, caramel syrup, or chocolate syrup, use minimal amounts, not unless you can do without the flavor of coffee. Keep everything simple for a more delicious outcome.
Tip #6 – Add a flavorful liquor if you desire to spike the brew
If you like drinking spiked coffee, combine coffee and liquor. Preferably, use an Irish cream or a flavored spirit as the base brew for blending frozen coffee. A flavorful liquor will compliment your coffee.
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How to Make Blended Coffee At Home
You can easily make blended coffee at home and get a creamy and cold iced coffee like the one you can get from your local coffee shop.
The majority of frozen coffee drinks sold by coffee shops are super smooth as they’re blended with excessive sugar, syrups, powdered mixes, and creamer. However, most of these ingredients aren’t nutritious. For instance, daily creamer contains cholesterol. Even a teaspoon sugar contains several calories.
Instead, you can make frozen coffee drinks in a blender without adding sugar. Sugar doesn’t dissolve when blending. Thus, if you must add sugar, first, heat enough milk and mix it with sugar to dissolve.
Allow the milk and sugar mixture to chill before blending it with the rest of the ingredients. Alternatively, use a natural sweetener such as simple syrup.
Here’s the process of brewing blended iced coffee.
A list of the required ingredients:
- Coffee ice cubes (8)
- Coconut milk (¼ cup)
- Cold brew concentrate (1/3 cup)
Required equipment:
- Blender
Instructions:
Step 1
First, make cold brew concentrate. To do this, combine coarse ground coffee (½ cup) with cold water (30 ounces). In case you prefer a darker brew, use 1 cup of coarse grounds. Allow the mixture to sit for about 12 to 18 hours. You can make the concentrate stronger by allowing it to sit longer.
Step 2
Next, make coffee ice cubes. They’re better than water ice cubes as they won’t water down your brew. To make ice cubes out of coffee, pour some cold brew into ice cube trays. Freeze for about 4 to 5 hours.
Step 3
Prepare blended iced coffee. To do this, add milk, ice cubes, and cold brew concentrate into a blender.
Step 4
Blend the ingredients at the highest speed for about 1 to 2 minutes, just like how you do it when preparing a smoothie. You’ll know the brew is ready once it forms a smooth and creamy texture. Serve the brew in coffee cups, depending on the number of servings you prepared. You can also serve the brew in glasses and enjoy drinking it with a straw.
Extra Tips
- If you’re using an underpowered blender, allow the ice cubes to sit for about 10 minutes in the cold brew and milk mixture before blending. That way, they’ll soften a little for easier and faster blending.
- Feel free to blend with any milk of your choice depending on your needs. Consider milk alternatives such as coconut milk and almond milk.
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