French Vanilla Iced Coffee

Serving : 1

If you’re reaching for something cool but don’t want to leave the house, a vanilla iced coffee is an easy fix. You only need a few basic ingredients and a couple of minutes to make this delicious recipe in the comfort of your own home.

Tips Before Making Your Vanilla Iced Coffee Recipe

Brew Strong Coffee for a Bolder Flavour

A stronger coffee base helps maintain balance once the ice and milk are added. Whether you’re using espresso coffee or cold brew coffee, brewing it slightly more concentrated than usual can help carry the flavour through to the last sip. Let it chill fully in the fridge before assembling your drink, this prevents dilution and helps maintain a consistent taste. You can prepare it in advance and store it in a pot or jar to streamline your routine when making homemade iced coffee.

Garnish with Vanilla Bean or Whipped Cream

Once your drink is ready, a few optional garnishes can help tie in the vanilla theme. A small piece of vanilla bean or a light topping of whipped cream adds contrast without changing the base of the recipe. If you’re using a vanilla simple syrup, you can adjust the sweetness to your preference, starting with a small amount and increasing gradually if needed.

Featured ID Flavor: French Vanilla

Ingredients
Instructions

Instructions

Use your coffee machine to brew a regular cup of hot coffee, then let it cool to room temperature. You can achieve this step the night before and let the brewed coffee sit in the refrigerator if you want.
Fill a glass to the very top with ice, then pour the cooled coffee over top. You may need to drop in a few more ice cubes if it’s not cold enough.
Add French Vanilla coffee creamer to taste. This ingredient brings sweetness and flavour and you don’t need to add extra sugar or milk, and you won’t have to deal with undissolved grains of sugar sinking to the bottom of your glass!

Ingredients

1 heaping tbsp. of ground coffee
8oz cup filled with ice
French Vanilla coffee creamer (to taste)

Preparation time: 5 minutes

If you like your coffee strong, try making coffee ice cubes. Simply pour room temperature coffee into your regular ice cube tray, freeze it, then drop the cubes into your cup of iced coffee. That way, the ice won’t dilute your drink as it melts – it will just keep adding to the coffee experience!

Questions Related to the Vanilla Iced Coffee Recipe

Can You Use Hot Brewed Coffee for Iced Coffee?

Yes, you can use hot brewed coffee to make this recipe, just be sure to let it cool fully before assembling your drink. Pouring directly over ice when the coffee is still warm may dilute the flavour. To avoid this, prepare the coffee ahead of time and store it in the fridge, or use frozen coffee cubes to create strong brewed coffee without needing to wait. Some also choose to add ice made from leftover coffee to keep the drink cold without watering it down. This method works whether you're preparing a mocha iced coffee at home, a vanilla iced coffee, or even an iced latte coffee variation.

Can I Use Vanilla Extract Instead of Vanilla Syrup?

You can substitute vanilla extract in place of syrup, but it may result in a less sweet vanilla profile unless combined with a separate sweetener. If you're using a flavoured coffee creamer, there’s usually no need to add additional vanilla, but if you're building the drink from scratch, you may want to experiment with small amounts and see what works best for your preference. A drop or two is often enough to provide background flavour without overwhelming the blend.

Vanilla iced coffee is one of those drinks that’s easy to adjust depending on what you have at home. It’s a drink you can prepare in advance or mix on the spot, something that works when you're looking to refresh your routine with something that's simple to make and easy to adapt.

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