Instant Iced Coffee Recipe – Yummy, Fast, & Simple with Only 4 Ingredients
As much as I love sipping on a hot cup of coffee daily, there are hot days when I want to cool down while getting my much-needed dose of caffeine. Good thing I can fix a cup of iced coffee in a jiffy using instant coffee.
This is a recipe I’ve used when on vacation, where all I had was instant coffee.
If you’re on the lookout for a simple iced coffee recipe that you can make fast – without the added fuss and time-consuming effort, then you’re in the right place. Here is an easy recipe on how to make instant iced coffee at home.
Is Instant Iced Coffee The Same as Real Iced Coffee?
So, iced coffee and instant iced coffee may seem similar on the surface – after all, they’re both coffee and they’re both served cold. But there are some important differences between the two:.
- When you drink a traditional iced coffee at a café, the coffee is brewed hot first, which allows all those oils and flavors from the coffee beans to be properly extracted, bringing out a complex range of flavors, and giving the coffee a rich, full-bodied taste. This is cooled before serving over ice.
- Instant iced coffee, on the other hand, is made from instant coffee granules. Fun fact: the granules are actually brewed coffee that’s been dehydrated. Making instant iced coffee is as easy as mixing the granules with water and ice. I like to dissolve the granules in a bit of hot water first, before adding the cold water and ice. Otherwise, the granules don’t dissolve properly.
So while they’re both coffee, they’re not exactly the same and they can taste quite different.
Traditional iced coffee usually has a deeper, more nuanced flavor, while instant iced coffee can taste a bit flatter because of the dehydration and rehydration process.
You can definitely notice the difference in taste if you drink them black, but with the added milk and sweeteners, most people won’t.
Equipment & Ingredients Used to Make Instant Iced Coffee
While there are numerous iced coffee recipes out there, let’s go for something quick and easy but still delicious to sip on. That’s why we’ll use instant coffee. This is great when you’re on vacation and have access to a kitchen, but no proper coffee machine.
You can also try my other iced coffee recipes such as the Vietnamese Iced Coffee, Frozen Cappuccino, and Java Chip Frappuccino if you want something fancier.
Now, let’s get straight to this iced coffee recipe, starting with what you’ll need:
- 470 ml glass – used to hold your iced coffee.
- Stirrer – used to mix the ingredients well.
- Straw (optional) – to easily drink your coffee.
- 2 tbsp of coffee granules – combined with water to make the base of your drink.
- 78 ml of milk – to be mixed with the drink for a more balanced cup. Any type of milk would work but I recommend using whole milk.
- 250 ml of water – heat up half of the water, and chill the other half.
- Ice cubes – this will cool your coffee drink.
- 2 tbsp of sugar (optional) – add to adjust the sweetness of your coffee.
Step-by-Step Guide to Making an Iced Coffee
This iced coffee is very easy to make and will only take you a few minutes. Follow these steps to quench your thirst with this delicious recipe:
1. Prepare your water.
- Get 250ml of water (filtered for the best results) and heat up half in a kettle. It doesn’t have to boil, just hot enough to completely dissolve the coffee granules.
- Chill half of the water in the fridge. It doesn’t have to be very cold since the ice cubes will take care of making your beverage cold.
2. Put the coffee and sugar into your mug.
- Add the 2tbsp of coffee grounds into your glass cup or mug.
- If you like your drink to be sweeter, add about 1 to 2 tbsp of sugar depending on your preference.
3. Add the hot water and stir.
- Add the hot half of your water into the mixture.
- Give it a proper stir, making sure to fully dissolve the coffee granules and sugar.
4. Add the chilled water and stir it again.
- Now add your chilled water to cool down the initial mixture
- This is important since putting ice directly into hot coffee will melt the ice, resulting to a watery drink.
5. Pour the milk and ice.
- Pour the milk into the mixture, add the ice, and give it one final stir.
- Serve with a straw or just drink it directly and enjoy your iced coffee.
Iced Coffee Recipe – Delicious and Simple with Only 4 Ingredients
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp Coffee granules
- 78 ml Milk
- 250 ml Water
- 1 cup Ice
- 2 tbsp Sugar (optional)
Instructions
- Heat up half of your water in a kettle and put the other half in the fridge.
- In a mug, add the coffee and sugar (optional).
- Pour the hot water into the mug and stir until the coffee is fully dissolved.
- Get your chilled water, pour it into the mixture, and stir well.
- Add the milk and drop some ice.
- Give it one last stir and serve
Video
Notes
What kind of cups should you serve an iced coffee in?
Any glass cup or mug with about 450 ml capacity would suffice. Take into account the ice that would expand the volume of your drink inside the cup.
I also prefer using a recyclable or biodegradable straw with my drink, because the floating ice cubes tend to make drinking the coffee a bit messy.
Barista Tips on Making an Iced Coffee
Now that you know how to make this recipe, here are a few tips to further elevate your iced coffee:
- Add milk or flavorings: Let’s face it, while black coffee has its benefits, just combining it with ice and water isn’t always appealing to everyone. This is why you’d want to add flair to your coffee flavor with milk, whipped cream, vanilla extract, or other flavorings and sweeteners (here’s a list of flavorings for cold brew coffee that can also apply to iced tea). But if you still want the purity of coffee that’s still delicious when cold, jump into my next tip.
- Consider cold brew: Making cold brew coffee is a good option if you don’t like additional ingredients affecting your drink. Unlike pure iced tea, a pure cold brew also comes with natural sweet notes so you don’t end up with just cold and bitter coffee. If you go on vacation and you know you’ll have a refrigerator, you can actually prepare a batch of cold brew beforehand and take it along.
- Pick your milk: While I like using whole milk in this recipe, you can also try other non-dairy options like coconut milk and almond milk to tame that strong coffee for your iced beverage.
Conclusion
There you have it, preparing a glass of instant iced coffee couldn’t be any simpler on a hot day. With just four ingredients, you can already enjoy a drink that will cool you down while giving you the caffeine boost you need. Because yes, instant coffee has caffeine as well.
So go ahead and give this recipe a try and feel free to give it your own spin. Your imagination’s the limit. So cheers to this icy treat and let me know in the comments how the recipe went for you.
