Iced Espresso

Need a quick helping hand? Try an iced espresso! This espresso drink is cool and refreshing, with a stronger flavor than iced coffee.

Would you like a cold coffee to pick me up? Attempt Iced espresso! This version of iced coffee features the rich, bold flavor of espresso. Drizzle with a little milk and a dash of simple syrup to balance the flavor. It’s sturdy and beautifully refreshing: like an upgraded version of your favorite iced coffee! Here’s how to do it.

What is an ice cold espresso?

Iced espresso is espresso served over ice, often with milk. It is similar to iced coffee but uses espresso instead of brewed coffee. Starbucks calls this drink a iced espresso: The espresso is shaken with ice and sweetener before serving. In any case, the strong espresso flavor makes the coffee aroma more concentrated than in a normal iced coffee. What you need for this drink:

Make the espresso

The most important skill you need for an iced espresso? How to make an espresso! Start with an espresso roast coffee: Roasting is important to get the right dark, bitter flavor in an espresso. Some brands of espresso coffee that we recommend: Illy, Starbucks or Intelligentsia. Then use the preparation method of your choice. There are many methods that work without a machine! Here’s what we recommend:

Head over to How to Make Espresso for full instructions on each method.

Best milk to use

With an iced espresso, you can use any type of milk as you are not steaming or frothing it. Whole milk adds a nice richness, but you can use 2% for a lighter drink. If you’re looking for a vegan iced espresso, oat milk is a great option! It has an equally creamy taste and thicker body than other plant-based milks. You can also use it to mimic Starbucks Shaked Oat Milk Iced Espresso!

For the sweetener

An ice-cold espresso is excellent with just a hint of sweetness to balance out the bitter coffee. Here are our favorite coffee sweeteners:

• Simple Syrup: It’s easy to prepare at home and you can use it for coffee or cocktails
• maple syrup: An excellent natural sweetener for drinks! It adds sweetness but not the maple flavor
• Honey or Agave Syrup: Some other natural sweeteners
• vanilla syrup: Add a touch of vanilla to this homemade coffee syrup

How to make an iced espresso

Once you have the necessary ingredients, it doesn’t take long to prepare an iced espresso. Here’s what to do:

• Prepare espresso. See above!
• Drizzle with sweetener and milk.
• Serve on ice!

Would you like to shift up a gear? A fun way is to put a dollop of cold foam on top! See How to Make Cold Foam for instructions.

Variation: iced espresso with oat milk and brown sugar!

A delicious ice cream espresso variation? try it Brown Sugar Oat Milk Ice Cream Espresso! This Starbucks special is shaken espresso, meaning espresso that’s shaken with brown sugar syrup before the milk is added. With a hint of cinnamon, it’s incredibly satisfying! Go to the recipe for more.

More cold coffee and tea drinks

Do you like a good cold coffee? Here are all of our favorite iced coffee drinks and tea lattes to try!