With summer in full swing, what better time to cool off with a delicious cold brew, but rather than simply make a ho-hum cold brew, why not try something a bit more delicious? Our cold brew recipes are sure to please, especially if you're tired of watery, diluted iced coffee with loads of milk and sweeteners. The best part is that these recipes are easy and quick to make on-the-go and they don’t require years of barista expertise!
How to Make Cold Brew Coffee
Making cold brew coffee is one of the simplest brewing methods out there. With just a few simple steps, you can recreate any local coffee shop's expensive cold brew options right from your own home. As long as you are patient and have a little time on your hands, you are already halfway there!
Step 1
Combine ¾ cup to 1lb coarsely ground coffee to 6 cups of cold water. Including any smaller coffee grind of coffee will result in a cloudy coffee, and no one wants that!
Step 2
Allow the coffee grounds and water to “steep” and get to know each other in your container of choice, whether that’s glass, ceramic, or plastic. Feel free to stir gently and then allow the coffee and water mixture to steep for at least 12 hours.
Step 3
After steeping your coffee overnight, strain the coffee grounds from the coffee using cheesecloth or a fine mesh sieve. The concentrate can be refrigerated for up to 2 weeks!
How Cold Brew Coffee is Different than Iced Coffee
While most people know what iced coffee is, some do not know what cold brew coffee is. The main difference between the two is in their brewing process. Iced coffee is made with hot coffee which is cooled down by adding ice cubes, whereas cold brew coffee is brewed cold through the entire process.
The cold brewing process imparts unique properties into the coffee itself and it doesn’t become a watery soup like poorly made iced coffee can.
Less Caffeine: Cold brew’s high coffee bean to water ratio, extended brewing time, and cold temperature doesn’t extract the caffeine like coffee brewed at higher temperatures.
Lower Acidity Level: For fans that don’t like their coffee bitter, cold brewing creates a smoother, mellow cup of coffee that’s sweeter than traditionally brewed coffee. The intense heat from the boiling water changes the chemical make-up of coffee causing it to become bitter. But that’s not a problem here.
No Dilution or Watery-ness: Unlike iced coffee, which involves pouring hot coffee over ice which dilutes it and makes it watery, cold brewing does not have the same issue because room temperature or cold water is used during the brewing process.
Try These Cold Brew Coffee Recipes Out!
Now that you know just how easy it is to make cold brew coffee, let’s try and get fancy. We’ve included three different recipes that you can try out for yourself in order to jazz up your cold brew!
Choco-Cold Brew
This drink is part smoothie and part chocolate milk drink that can include additional ingredients such as bananas or berries (for a healthy option) or more chocolate or sprinkles, if you want to treat yourself!
All you need is…
- 2oz of cold brew
- 5oz of half and half
- 2oz of chocolate syrup
- 6 to 8 ice cubes
Simply add all your ingredients into a blender and mix until frothy then pour into a glass and enjoy!
Cold Brew Ice Cream
Who doesn't love coffee? Who doesn’t love ice cream? Combining them can’t be beat to cool down.
All you need is…
- ½ cup of cold brew
- 12oz of condensed milk
- 1 tbsp of Kahlua
- 2 cups of heavy whipping cream
Mix together the condensed milk, whipping cream, and Kahula into a bowl and stir vigorously until stiff peaks begin to form. Then proceed to add in your cold brew. Combine all ingredients together and then place the mixture in your freezer for 2-3 hours. Or if you have an ice cream mixer, add the mixture to it to make a delicious (and energizing) snack!
Vanilla & Almond Swirl
A unique take on the cold brew which combines the smooth and creamy tastes of vanilla and almond with just a dash of something extra!
All you need is…
- 50 to 100 ml of cold brew
- Ice cubes
- Almond milk (to taste and preference)
- 2-3 drops of vanilla extract
- A dash of cinnamon
Each flavor, from the almond’s nuttiness to the smooth and creamy flavor of vanilla and the subtle cinnamon all blend into the cold brew’s already sweet and smooth flavor.