Cold Coffee Recipe (Iced Coffee)

By Dassana Amit
Last Updated: April 22, 2025

Gluten Free, Vegetarian
4.91 from 85 votes • 101 Comments

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Cold Coffee is a refreshing, creamy and cold beverage made by blending instant coffee, warm water, chilled milk, sugar and ice cubes. In this easy homemade recipe, Iced Coffee is whipped up in minutes with just a few pantry staples and no fancy equipment. It is rich, frothy, perfectly sweet, and delightfully cooling – ideal for warm days or when you crave a cafe style treat at home.

side shot of cold coffee in two glass with a white straw in one glass with coffee beans in a dark orange bowl and some coffee beans on a wooden board
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About Cold Coffee Recipe

Frosty and satisfying cold coffee is a fantastic beverage treat to enjoy on a hot day. This cold coffee recipe is a classic for preparing blended ice coffee that is perfectly sweet, creamy and frothy – just like from your favorite cafe!

Even though I tend to be more of a tea drinker, I do love a good cup of coffee occasionally – and this cafe-style blended Iced Coffee drink is my favorite!

I have used instant coffee powder to make this a quick and easy recipe. You could use either the powdered or granular instant coffee.

Table of Contents

  1. About Cold Coffee Recipe
  2. How to Make Cold Coffee
  3. Expert Tips
  4. FAQs
  5. Recipe Card

To make this cold coffee, I blend instant coffee, sugar, and a bit of warm water until the coffee dissolves to a lighter concoction. Then I add chilled milk and ice cubes, and blend everything until smooth and frothy.

The taste is like a lighter Frappuccino or Frappe – but you can add flavored syrups to recreate nearly any blended iced coffee flavors.

For a more creamier version, I sometimes top it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a drizzle of chocolate syrup before serving.

You can also make delicious iced coffee using traditionally brewed Filter Coffee or espresso. Prepare your drip coffee or espresso per usual, and allow it to cool (at room temperature or in the refrigerator) before using to make icy blended coffee shakes.

If you enjoy icy cold coffee based drinks, do check my recipe of a thick Coffee Milkshake made with ice cream.

Step-by-Step Guide

How to Make Cold Coffee

Make Coffee Mixture

1. Firstly, add 1 tablespoon of instant coffee to a bowl. If using brewed filter coffee or espresso you can add ¼ cup directly to the blender jar as shown in step 3 below.

coffee in a glass bowl to make cold coffee

2. Add ¼ cup of warm water (not hot) to the instant coffee. Stir and mix very well.

warm water mixed with coffee in a bowl

Blend Coffee Concoction

3. Add the coffee solution to a blender jar.

coffee and water mixture in a blender

4. Next add 3 to 4 tablespoons of sugar.

sugar being added to the blender

5. Blend for a minute or until the coffee solution becomes frothy and the color fades to a lighter shade of brown.

light colored coffee concoction

Make Iced Cold Coffee

6. Add 6 or 7 ice cubes. For a thicker blended cold coffee use just 2 to 4 cubes of ice.

ice cubes added to coffee concoction

7. Then pour in 2 cups of cold or chilled milk. To make this recipe, I used whole milk. See FAQs below for low fat options.

milk added to the frothy coffee concotion

8. Blend once for again just a few seconds, until everything is mixed well and you get a nice frothy and foamy layer on top.

cold coffee blended with a frothy bubbly layer on top

9. Pour into tall glasses and serve Cold Coffee immediately. The frothy top layer will settle into the beverage as it sits, so it’s best to enjoy blended iced coffee right away.

top shot of cold coffee served in two glasses with straw in one glass and coffee beans in a bowl and on a brown wooden board

Expert Tips

  • Coffee: Make use your favorite brand of instant coffee. The instant coffee can be finely ground or in granules.
  • Sweetener: Add your preferred sweetener. I always add raw sugar but you can experiment with various types of sugar like palm or coconut sugar or sweeteners like maple syrup or honey.
  • For a stronger coffee flavor: If you prefer a stronger and slightly bitter taste in your iced coffee, increase the amount of instant coffee to 1.5 or 2 tablespoons.
  • Creamy consistency: Include about ¼ cup of light or whipping cream while blending to make your cold coffee rich and creamy. You may need to add some sugar if you include cream. So do check the taste after the coffee is blended and add more sugar as needed.
  • Vegan version: Substitute your preferred plant based milk, such as cashew milk, almond milk, oat milk, or soy milk to make a vegan-friendly blended iced coffee shake. Do note, however, that the consistency, taste and flavor will be different depending on the type of plant based milk you choose.

FAQs

How can I make a richer cold coffee?

You can swap the ice cubes for a scoop of vanilla ice cream to make a thicker and creamy cold coffee.

How do I make low fat version?

Use skimmed milk or your preferred low fat milk. If using skimmed milk or low-fat milk, then just reduce the ¼ cup water to about 2 to 3 tablespoons.

How do I make a flavored blended cold coffee drink?

Feel free to add a 1 ounce shot (2 tablespoons) of your favorite flavored syrup to the recipe. You can make a vanilla, hazelnut, or amaretto coffee shake – whatever you like!

For a chocolate mocha version, add 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder or chocolate syrup before you blend for a second time.

Can this recipe be doubled?

Yes! As written this recipe yields approximately 2 beverages that are about 8 to 10 oz each. You can double ingredients for larger drinks or more servings.

More Drinks To Try!

If you’ve tried this recipe, please rate it in the recipe card or leave a comment below – I’d love to hear your feedback. For more vegetarian inspiration, sign up for my email updates or follow me on Instagram, Youtube, Facebook, Pinterest or X.

side shot of cold coffee in two glasses with a white straw in one glass with coffee beans in a dark orange bowl and some coffee beans on a wooden board

Cold Coffee Recipe (Iced Coffee)

By Dassana Amit

Cold Coffee is a creamy and refreshing beverage made with instant coffee, warm water, chilled milk, sugar, and ice cubes. Blended until smooth and frothy, it's a quick and delicious beverage perfect for hot days or when you crave a café-style drink at home. Customize it with toppings like whipped cream, chocolate syrup, or a scoop of ice cream for added richness.
4.91 from 85 votes
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 0 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Cuisine American, World
Course Beverages
Diet Gluten Free, Vegetarian
Difficulty Level Easy

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Servings 2
Units

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon instant coffee – powder or granules
  • ¼ cup warm water
  • 3 to 4 tablespoon raw sugar or add as required
  • 2 cups whole milk – cold or chilled
  • 6 to 8 ice cubes or as needed – optional

Instructions
 

  • In a blender take your instant coffee, raw sugar, add warm water.
  • Blend for a minute or until the coffee solution becomes frothy and the brown color lightens a bit.
  • Add 6 to 7 ice cubes. For a thick cold coffee, you can reduce the ice cubes from 2 to 4.
  • Pour 2 cups cold milk.
  • Whole milk gives a slightly thicker consistency and is richer. You can opt to make the cold coffee with skimmed milk or low-fat milk.
    If you decided to add either, then reduce the ¼ cup water to about 2 to 3 tablespoons.
  • Blend for 1 to 2 minutes or until the milk is mixed evenly with the coffee concoction and you see a nice frothy layer on top.
  • Pour in glasses and serve cold coffee. The frothy top layer will settle into the beverage as it sits, so it’s best to enjoy blended iced coffee right away.

Video

Notes

  • Coffee: Use your favorite brand of Instant Coffee. The instant coffee can be finely ground or in granules. 
  • Sweetener: Use your preferred sweetener. I always add raw sugar but you can experiment with various types of sugar like palm or coconut sugar or sweeteners like maple syrup or honey. 
  • More coffee: If you prefer a stronger and slightly bitter taste in your cold coffee, increase the amount of instant coffee to 1.5 or 2 tablespoon. 
  • Vegan options: Swap with your preferred plant based milk, such as almond milk, oat milk, cashew milk or soy milk.
  • Scaling: This recipe yields approximately 2 beverages that are about 8 to 10 oz each. You can double ingredients for larger drinks or more servings.

Nutrition Info (Approximate Values)

Nutrition Facts
Cold Coffee Recipe (Iced Coffee)
Amount Per Serving
Calories 229 Calories from Fat 72
% Daily Value*
Fat 8g12%
Saturated Fat 5g31%
Cholesterol 24mg8%
Sodium 110mg5%
Potassium 416mg12%
Carbohydrates 32g11%
Sugar 30g33%
Protein 8g16%
Vitamin A 395IU8%
Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) 1mg67%
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) 1mg59%
Vitamin B3 (Niacin) 1mg5%
Vitamin B6 1mg50%
Vitamin B12 1µg17%
Vitamin D 3µg20%
Vitamin E 1mg7%
Vitamin K 1µg1%
Calcium 284mg28%
Vitamin B9 (Folate) 12µg3%
Iron 1mg6%
Magnesium 34mg9%
Phosphorus 213mg21%
Zinc 1mg7%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Cold Coffee recipe from the blog archives was first published on May 2015.

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Meet Dassana

I am Dassana Amit, a vegetarian chef and baker with decades of experience, professionally trained in Indian and continental cooking and baking. I’m also a certified pastry chef, trained at Le Cordon Bleu in plant-based patisserie. For over 16 years, I’ve shared trusted, strictly vegetarian recipes with step-by-step photos, expert tips, and practical guidance. Bringing together tradition, technique, and a love for honest, soulful vegetarian cooking.

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101 Comments

  1. Brought back memories of 60s. My aunt’s husband used to take me to camp area of Pune to a Parsi restaurant just to enjoy cold coffee with coffee ice-cream.

    I have to do this again for my friends.5 stars

  4. Just tried it, so good and quick to make, thanks for all the wonderful recipes you post – especially love the video recipes.5 stars

    1. thank you aparna for this feedback. yes, this cold coffee is easy and too good. most welcome.

  5. Thanks for this recipe.. Me n My Husband throughly enjoyed it.. It’s a go to bed drink!!5 stars

  6. Wonderful…I followed the recipe and it was the best home made cold coffee ever! Thanks.5 stars

  8. Thank you so much for this recipe. This is probably one of the best cold coffees I have ever had. Bless you!5 stars

  9. hi mam thank you so much, actually it was the first time I made cold coffee myself and it was really easy and delicious as well, thanks again.

  10. Dear Dassana,

    Sure. Thanks. Please suggest what kind of food we can offer if one is hungry let’s say at 11am i.e.something like quick and healthy and along with this same way something that we can offer at 6:30pm let’s say when we return from office a light munching hunger is there..

    Thanks

    1. Welcome Megha. You can make quick sandwiches, poha, upma, veg or potato stir fry, oats porridge, besan cheela, rava cheela, rava dosa, rava idli, uttapam, pongal. all these recipes are posted on the blog. same recipes can be made in the evening. you can also make smoothies, milkshakes and juices.

  11. Dear Dassana,
    Please guide what is the difference between cocoa powder and coffee powder like can we substitute one for the other ? Other than cake where can we use cocoa powder.

    1. megha, cocoa powder is from cocoa beans. coffee powder is from coffee beans. both have different taste, aroma and flavor. for a chocolate based recipe, cocoa powder is used. both cannot be substituted for each other. eg if a recipe calls for 3 tbsp cocoa powder, then 3 tbsp coffee powder cannot be added in it. the resulting dish might become bitter. it also depends on the quantity of other ingredients used in the recipe. may be in some recipes both can be substituted but not in all recipes. hope this helps.

  12. hello mam , today tried this method of cold coffee and it turns out very delicious ….thnku so much for such an easy & quick recipe …mam u teach me a lot of recipes, ur my idol mam

    2. Thankuuu mam.. mene aaj hi cold coffee bnayi apke method se ..
      Bohtt tasty bni..4 stars

  13. Hi,

    I tried yours method, it really works to get a tasty nd frothy cold coffee
    I often visit your website for recipes, really very nice website for pure vegetarians. Your recipes method are very easy to understand and make.

    Thank you.

    1. thanks a lot archi. agree this method works for nice frothy cold coffee. thanks again.

  14. Thank you Dassana for this quick recipe ….. whenever I am in need of any recipe I always find it here…. great work!

  15. Hi Dassana! This recipe is very easy and tastes really good. Thank you very much for the recipe!5 stars

  17. hi dassanna
    Thanks for the recipe . its looks so simple. i even tried aloo paratha, gobi paratha, aloo mutter, dry fruit milkshake from your blog. all of them turned out well.
    you are making me fall in love with cooking !
    God bless you !!5 stars

    1. Welcome Bhargavi. Glad to know that you are liking the recipes. Thanks for your kind words and best wishes.

  18. This is really good. There is this thing called Iced Capp (Cappuccino) we get in Canada that is very similar taste wise. Your recipes always seem to amaze me.

    1. glad neena you liked the cold coffee recipe 🙂 thank you for your kind words.

  19. hi,this is very awesome cold coffee recipie its look beautifull and make a simple way if you want to buy a best organic coffee come my shop to buy a coffee like this thanks for sharing your ideas

  20. hi,this post gives awesome recipe for cold coffee using coffee powder its more usefull to us am also using this tips in my coffee so once you to try it thanks for sahring your ideas

  21. Is it safe to consume “Filtered” Coffee (70%) and Chicory(30%) Mixture with Cold Milk, with some Milk Powders like Bournvita and Complan, after Blend without “Boiling” it?4 stars

    1. most coffee blends have some amount of chicory in it. so this is fine to use. if the milk is pasteurized, then no need to boil it. but if the milk is raw, then you will need to boil it. bournvita and complan can be used.

  22. Thanks a lot for the recipe.
    It is very simple and yum. Jus tried it and it turned out to be awesome. It tasted like cafe frappe of CCD. I used butter scotch ice cream instead of vanilla ice cream. I am going to experiment this recipe with different flavours of ice cream.
    I don’t think I will spend much bucks in CCDs and other coffee shops now.

  23. i just tried this recipe and must say i am in love with it. Thanks for sharing the recipe

    1. gayathri if using packet milk the boiled milk which is chilled and if using tetra pack then use raw but chilled. hope this help’s you.

    2. You can use fresh milk
      Once when after preparing cold coffee keep inside refrigerator and drink it it will taste better.

  25. hi dasanna
    I’ve made this coffee today but instead of two cups of milk I added only one cup and it turned out delicious. This is as good as Starbucks Frappuccino cold coffee drink(which I love so much) and I am trying to find an equivalent recipe since long time. Finally I was satisfied with this recipe(of course every recipe as I am a regular visitor to your site).

    thanks and regards

    1. very pleased to know this pavani 🙂 thankyou for your positive and encouraging words.

  27. Hello Ma’m,
    I came across your blog only few days ago n it turned out to be so good for me. Your recipes are simple in making yet soo tasty.. You brought out the cook inside me.. Thank you so much for such wonderful blog.. N Yes m a big fan of you now.. Cheers for You!!

    1. very pleased to know this chetan 🙂 wish you all the best in your cooking skills. thankyou for your kind and encouraging words god bless you.

  28. Hey dasara,

    I tried cc recipe came out really well.
    second time experimented by adding a tsp of cocoa powder and it enhanced the taste.

    Thank you for the recipe5 stars

    1. welcome millu 🙂 thankyou for your positive words yeah cocoa powder would be a great addition.

  30. Thanks for a nice recipe! I want to taste it! I can’t live without cofee and all coffee drings. I think that all must be the best: coffee, french press, cups. Quality of all of them is very important. Now I need a new french press. What french press can you recommend? I read a good review of the best french presses at the topreviews.best but I can’t make my choice. Help me, please

  31. I have tried the recipe given by you of cold coffee and its amazing. Its very simple.5 stars

  32. Mam, in the ingredients you have mentioned two cups milk means 500 ml but in the instructions 150 ml has written…and one more thing sugar ,warm water and coffee all have to be blend together, no? And if we pour ice cream in the coffee then have we to reduce the quantity of sugar.

    1. thanks shuchi for pointing the error. its a typo on my part. it is 500 ml. yes – sugar, warm water and coffee all have to blended together. if you use ice cream, then you will have to reduce the quantity of sugar.

  33. Hi dassana. I tried this cold coffee recipe. I loved it.l before few months i came across this site. I have tried so many recipe frome here. All were awesome. Specificaly bessan laddu.thanks for sharing sucha nice recipes.5 stars

    1. aarti pleased to know this 🙂 glad you liked the besan laddus thankyou so much and you are welcome.

  39. Dasanna!
    Superb nee vantalu… Johar…. I think this is the superb blog to know about veg recipe’s.
    Can you pl post some international veg items too pl..

  40. Hi Amit and Dassana
    It is a delight to have discovered your blog. I have tried lots of recipies, the latest being masala paniyaram. All of them have turned out really well. I can see that u maintain this blog very well and the recipies are tried and tested meticulously. That is why we get such perfect results:) I need your help to recommend a good mixer grinder. My ‘National’ one just conked off. I suspect it could be due to grinding the idli dosa batter.. What is good for such heavy duty work? I also need something in which I can grind green chutney in small quantity without adding too much water. Also what is a magic bullet? I found the reference a number of times in your blog. Please recommend!
    ‘

    1. thanks a lot shalini. for heavy grinding, i use preethi mixer grinder. it has 750 watts motor and works very well for grinding coconut pastes, dals and rice. the mixer comes with 4 jars. one for a juicer, 2 for wet and dry grinding, and 1 small jar for chutney grinding. the small jar works good for small amounts of green chutney. even magic bullet is good for making small amounts of chutney and purees. magic bullet is an american brand of mincer, chopper and blender. you can search on google and you will come to their official website.

  42. Hey , I have tried ur recipe for d first tym….it was amazing!!!!!
    N from now onwards m not going to miss any of ur recipes….
    Thanx for sharing such wonderful dishes….

  43. I have been gone thru ur almost reciepes. . All r juz amazing.. I learnt so many things from dis blog.. very innovative ideas.. n very different flavours.. a best blog ever for Indian cooking. .n Thank u so much for being dere..sharing dese wonderful reciepes5 stars

    1. welcome shilpa. thanks for sharing positive feedback on blog and recipes.

  44. Hi Dasanna,

    Tried Cold Coffee recipe yesterday.
    Was really delicious.
    Thankyou…..5 stars

  45. Hello dassana. I wanted to ask you if whether it will taste good if we replace auger with milkmaid. In some households it is prepared that way. M glad I came across this site. Your recipes are amazing.

        1. i could not figure out this one. thanks ya 🙂
          what you are is saying is probably right.

  46. I want to thank you for this great recipe….coz I was not happy with the traditional way of putting everything together in blender and just blend it…that way it was just too much froth separated out from milk, so essentially that froth had no taste. Finally I thought to search online if there is any good recipe and voila! here I was!! It turned out awesome..
    I enjoyed to see the coffee being beaten in mixer and changing color. Only lil thing that I noticed is may be water is not required even 1/4 cup (coz then my coffee turned out too watery). SO next I added just few tablespoons (may be like 2-3) and wow it was all awesome after. Thanks once again!5 stars

    1. thanks you abbi. i agree i have made coffee by adding everything in the blender. the result was sometimes instant coffee grains not dissolved and a bland tasting froth. we did not have a thin coffee, as the milk i used was a full cream milk. i think if using skimmed milk or a low fat milk, then the amount of water can be reduced. i will update in the post too. 1/4 cup water is about 4 tbsps. so as you mention 2 tbsp should be fine.

  47. Thanks! Love your recipes and the detailing. The food always turn out great! Do you also have recipe for good strong hot coffee? My beau is a coffee lover and I have tried various things buts its never like the cafes…. Wud b happy if u have something!
    Keep it up5 stars

    1. welcome pooja. i have a recipe for a good strong hot coffee. i will share it soon probably during indian monsoons.

  49. I have tried many recipes from ur blog and all truned awesome everytime.
    More than anything I have learned to use right masala only after I started reading ur blog before that there was always something more or less.Am very very thankful for ur blog.
    I appreciate ur effort and dedication.5 stars

  53. Hi dear
    Nyc coffee . Wat I did extra was adding Hershey’s chocolate syrup. That gave a rich twist to the cold coffee.. U shud try
    Well m beating the heat dis way
    Cheers!!!!4 stars

    1. thanks himani for your suggestion. i know many people add chocolate syrup. it taste good.