Yeah, I said it: This is the best iced coffee recipe ever.

Iced coffee is delicious. You probably agree with me on that, or you wouldn’t be reading this. It can also be pretty unhealthy – high in sugar and/or fat depending on how you make it. AND it can be expensive if you’re buying it out.

With my delicious, best iced coffee recipe ever, you can easily customize the strength, flavorings, calorie content, and fat content, and do it for less than 50¢ per 16 ounce serving!

Here’s the basic recipe. If you want all the details, & ideas for customization, they’re down below, along with my per serving cost breakdown.

THE BEST ICED COFFEE RECIPE EVER!

Ingredients:

• 1-2 tsp instant coffee crystals
• Sweetener of choice (optional)
• 2/3 cup hot water
• Ice
• Milk or creamer of choice (optional)

Directions:

1. Fill a 16 oz – 20 oz glass with ice.
2. In a small cup or jar, stir or shake coffee crystals & hot water, + sweetener (optional).
3. Pour over ice.
4. Stir briskly until the ice has melted enough to nearly fill the glass.  Add more ice if needed.
5. Top off with milk and/or creamer of choice (optional).
6. ENJOY!!

• 

Variations

COFFEE: I use whatever instant coffee is cheapest when I buy it. I’ve tried premium brands, and couldn’t tell a difference in the finished product. You can buy flavored instant coffee, too, which is nice if you want the flavor but no creamer. Also available in decaf.

SWEETENER (Optional): I sometimes add a little sugar, sometimes none, because the creamers I use are all sweetened. You can also use whatever sugar substitute you prefer, and/or use sugar-free creamer.

MILK OR CREAMER (Optional. Well, not for me, but maybe for you.): I use flavored liquid creamer, sugar + fat included. “It’s my one weakness.” (BONUS POINTS if you know what that line is from.) You can add milk, and just a splash of creamer. You can substitute half/half, skim or lowfat milk, or soy, almond, rice, cashew, hemp, coconut, or other milk. Yum! You can also substitute powdered creamer if that’s what you have/use/like. It comes in a lot of flavors, too. NOTE: if you do use powdered creamer, be sure add it to the coffee + hot water before you shake/stir.

SHAKE VS STIR: I have a 12 oz Mason jar like this (affiliate link; see full disclosure here) that I almost always make my coffee mixture in before I pour it over ice. I screw the lid on tight & shake hard for about 10 seconds, then pour it over the ice in my glass. The best thing about the shake method is the FOAM…When you shake the mixture in a jar, you get lovely billowy piles of coffee foam to pile on top of your drink!…

SOMETIMES, though, when I’m in a big hurry or feeling extra lazy, I’ll make the coffee mixture directly in the glass (I actually use a tumbler like these; affiliate link, see full disclosure here), then pile in the ice, stir & stir with the straw from the tumbler, add my creamer, and go. It tastes the same either way. Shaking = foam. Stirring = faster, + one less dirty dish.

ADDITIONS:

• I always add a shake of cinnamon to the coffee crystals & hot water before shaking/stirring. You can’t really taste the cinnamon, it just adds an extra layer of richness & flavor.
• Add a spoonful or so of instant hot chocolate powder to the coffee crystals & hot water before you shake/stir.
• Add whipped cream, chocolate or caramel drizzle, sprinkles.
• Flavored creamers are where you can really change it up. Creme Brulee iced coffee today, Vanilla Caramel iced coffee tomorrow, Pumpkin Spice iced coffee in September, Peppermint Mocha iced coffee in December…the possibilities are truly endless! And all for less than 50¢ per extra-large serving!

Cost per serving

Here’s the cost breakdown for me. Yours will vary, depending on food prices where you live, which brands you choose, etc. Still, it’s going to be VERY inexpensive, especially compared to a coffee shop, or even a fast food version, and it tastes even better!

• Kroger Instant Coffee 8 oz (120 servings) – $3.99 = .03/serving
• Sugar 4 lbs (200 servings) – $1.59 = < .01/serving
• Kroger Flavored Creamer 32 oz (64 servings) – $1.99 = .32/serving
• TOTAL per 16 oz serving: .35/serving

And there you have it: the best iced coffee recipe ever! Let me know in the comments if you try it! Do you have a favorite iced coffee recipe? I’d love to hear about it!