Love iced coffee but want to level up your summertime brews? Vanilla iced coffee is the way to go. The strong, bitter, bold notes of our DaNang arabica and robusta blend pair wonderfully with the sweet, tropical flavor of Madagascan vanilla.
In this guide, you’ll learn how to make a vanilla iced coffee fit for royalty and enough vanilla syrup to last several cups of coffee. You’ll also learn five other recipes if you want to elevate your iced coffees and add some diversity to your life.
What You’ll Need to Make a Vanilla Iced Coffee
Making vanilla coffee is simple, but you will need some high-quality ingredients and a few pieces of coffee brewing equipment.
Here’s what you’ll need to make our gourmet vanilla coffee:
Ingredients
- Cafely DaNang (Robusta & Arabica) beans
- Water
- Ice
- Whole milk
- 1 Madagascan vanilla pod
- White sugar
- Whipped cream (optional)
Equipment
- Coffee grinder
- French press
- Cooking pot
- Kettle
- Sharp knife
- Glass jar or bottle
- Large drinking glass
How to Make a Vanilla Iced Coffee: Step-by-Step Guide
Our vanilla iced coffee recipe is simple. However, it will take some preparation and a little more time the first time you craft it.
The main reason for this is the vanilla syrup — it will take time to make and a while to cool. However, once the syrup is made, it'll keep for up to six months in the fridge and you'll have enough to make over 25 vanilla iced coffees.
Here's how to make vanilla syrup and our vanilla iced coffee:
1. Make the Vanilla Syrup
In a cooking pot, add two cups of refined white sugar and one cup of cold water (2:1 ratio). Next, take one Madagascan vanilla pod, gently split it with a knife, and scrape out the small seeds. Add the seeds and the pod to the pot.
Heat the pan over medium heat, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Just before the water boils, turn the heat down to low and leave uncovered for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
After 15 minutes, remove the pan from the heat and let it cool on the counter — this may take a few hours. Once cooled, pour the syrup into a glass mason jar or sealable bottle.
This syrup will last for up to six months in the fridge.
2. Grind the Coffee
Coarsely grind 17 grams (2–3 tbsp) of our DaNang arabica & robusta blend. Aim for a consistency similar to flakey sea salt — this is the best grind size for the French press.
Freshly ground coffee produces the best experience, but we offer a coarse pre-ground DaNang blend if you don’t have the grinding equipment.
3. Boil Water
Boil a kettle of water. You’ll need around 150 mL to brew the coffee.
4. Brew the Coffee
Add 17 grams (2–3 tbsp) of the ground coffee to the French press, followed by 150 mL of hot water. Stir the mixture and press the plunger down until it touches the top of the liquid — do not strain it yet.
Leave the coffee to brew for 10 minutes. This will create a strong, concentrated coffee.
Once brewed, slowly press down the plunger to separate the grounds. Pour the coffee into a cup and add a cube of ice to cool the coffee.
5. Assemble the Iced Coffee
Fill a large, tall glass with ice. Pour in (roughly) 100 mL of the concentrated French press coffee and fill the rest of the glass with whole milk (or a dairy-free alternative). Lightly stir to combine.
6. Add the Vanilla Syrup
Add one to two tablespoons of your vanilla syrup to the iced coffee. How much you use will depend on the strength of your syrup and how sweet you like your iced coffee.
7. Serve and Enjoy
Top with whipped cream and a few coffee beans (optional), serve with or without a straw and enjoy.
Five Alternative Iced Coffee Recipes to Try
Don’t like the sound of vanilla iced coffee?
Try one of these five iced coffee recipes for a sweet, bold summertime brew:
1. How to Make Caramel Iced Coffee
Caramel iced coffee combines the bold, dark flavors of coffee with the salty sweetness of caramel. This sweet, creamy chilled coffee is simple to make and requires few ingredients. Here's how to make it:
Ingredients:
- Coffee (instant or ground)
- Whole milk (or dairy-free alternatives)
- Water
- Ice
- Salted caramel sauce
How to make a caramel iced coffee:
- Brew the coffee — Brew a strong, concentrated coffee using arabica, robusta, or a blend. We recommend our Saigon OG blend for this recipe. French press, moka pot, espresso, or drip coffee works; just make sure to increase the coffee-to-water ratio to make a stronger, darker brew.
- Cool the coffee — Allow the concentrated brew to cool to room temperature — this will take around 30 minutes.
- Add salted caramel — To the coffee shot, add one to two tablespoons of salted caramel sauce and stir to combine.
- Prepare the glass — Squirt a healthy dose of salted caramel sauce to the inside of a large serving glass. Add ice, the concentrated coffee, and fill up with whole milk (or a dairy-free alternative).
- Serve and enjoy — Top with whipped cream (optional), serve, and enjoy while ice cold.
2. How to Make a Cold Brew Coffee
Cold brew coffee is different from “iced coffee.” Although served cold over ice, cold brew coffee is extracted with cold water rather than hot water. It takes a long time to brew but it's a simple process.
Cold brew coffee is intense yet delicate. This method of extraction produces a mellow and smooth coffee with a low acidity — different from an iced coffee. Here's how to make it:
Ingredients:
- Cafely DaLat (100% Arabica) Coffee
- Cold water
- Ice
How to Make cold brew coffee step-by-step:
- Grind the coffee beans — First, Grind 27 grams (5 tablespoons) of Cafely DaLat Arabica Coffee. Grind to a coarse consistency similar to sea salt. Alternatively, use one of our pre-ground blends.
- Prepare the brew — To a French press, add the ground coffee and 220 mL (7.5 oz.) of cold water. Stir the mixture and place on the lid, making sure not to push the plunger through the brew.
- Let the coffee brew — Place the French press in the refrigerator for around 24 hours to allow the coffee to be extracted. The longer you leave it, the stronger the brew will be.
- Strain the coffee — After 24 hours, remove the French press from the fridge and press down the plunger slowly to separate the grounds. If you want to store the cold brew, pour the coffee into an airtight container and refrigerate.
- Serve and enjoy — When you’re ready to enjoy your cold brew, pour a serving over ice and enjoy black. You may also add syrup, milk, or condensed milk to sweeten or cream the brew. Enjoy it while it's ice cold.
3. How to Make Vietnamese Iced Coffee
Vietnamese iced coffee combines the intense, nutty, bitter flavor of robusta coffee with the sweet creaminess of condensed milk. It's made using a traditional Vietnamese phin filter and a dark roast robusta coffee like our HaNoi (100% Robusta) Blend.
Vietnamese iced coffee — otherwise known as Cà Phê Sữa Đá — is relatively easy to brew. However, you'll need a traditional phin filter brew kit to make it.
Ingredients:
- Robusta coffee
- Water
- Ice
- Sweetened condensed milk (or dairy-free alternative)
How to Make Vietnamese iced coffee in 5 steps:
- Grind the coffee — Take two tablespoons of Cafley Hanoi coffee and grind to a fine consistency similar to sand. Alternatively, opt for our pre-ground coffee.
- Prepare the phin filter — Assemble the phin filter on a large coffee cup and place the grounds in the chamber.
- Tamp the grounds — Using the gravity press, tamp the grounds gently and evenly.
- Brew the coffee — Add a small amount of water to “bloom the coffee.” Wait 45 seconds, and then add the rest of the water to the fill line on the phin filter’s chamber. Wait for five to seven minutes for the coffee to brew.
- Cool the coffee — Once brewed, allow the coffee to cool to room temperature (20 to 30 minutes).
- Assemble the iced coffee — Add ice and two to three tablespoons of sweetened condensed milk (or a dairy-free alternative).
- Serve and enjoy — Lightly stir the brew, serve, and enjoy while cold.
4. How to Make an Iced Flat White Coffee
If you love the creamy lightness of a regular flat white and love chilled coffee, you'll love the iced flat white. This drink combines chilled espresso, frothed milk, and ice to create a cool, refreshing, and new yet familiar coffee. Here's how to make it:
Ingredients:
- Dark roast arabica coffee
- Whole milk
- Ice
- Sugar (optional)
How to make an iced flat white in 5 steps:
- Brew an espresso — Grind dark roast arabica coffee, fill the portafilter, tamp the grounds, and brew a single shot of espresso. Don’t have an espresso maker? Try our Vietnamese Instant espresso. Allow the shot to cool to room temperature.
- Prepare the milk — In a small mixing bowl, froth 180 mL (6 oz.) of whole milk (or a high-fat dairy-free alternative). Use an electric milk frother or a fine whisk to achieve microfoam.
- Add the ice and espresso — In a tall glass, add ice and the cooled espresso shot.
- Add the frothed milk — Gently pour in the frothed milk. Aim to create a layered coffee with a milky espresso at the bottom and a fine microfoam on the top.
- Serve and enjoy — Serve and enjoy the iced coffee as is, or stir gently to combine the milk and coffee.
5. How to Make a Frosted Coffee
Frosted coffee is a favorite from Chick-fil-A. This sweet milkshake-like drink combines vanilla ice cream, caramel, and dark coffee to create a sweet, indulgent beverage fit for summer.
You don't have to go to a restaurant to enjoy this coffee; you can make as good, if not better frosted coffee at home. Here's how to make it:
Ingredients:
- Strong black coffee
- Ice
- Ice cream
- Salted caramel
How to make frosted coffee:
- Brew a strong coffee — If you have an espresso machine, brew one strong shot of espresso. If not, make a concentrated brew using a French press, drip coffee maker, or a phin filter. Alternatively, brew one sachet of our Instant Vietnamese Espresso.
- Blend the ingredients — In a blender, add one and a half cups of vanilla ice cream, a shot of espresso, two tablespoons of salted caramel, and five cubes of ice. Blend until smooth and thick.
- Serve and enjoy — Pour the frosted coffee into a large glass and serve with a milkshake straw. Top with extra caramel and coffee beans to garnish (optional).
FAQs: Vanilla Iced Coffee
Curious to find out more about iced coffee and other cold, caffeinated brews?
Read through the answers to the frequently asked questions below…
1. What’s the Best Type of Coffee for Iced Coffee?
For cold brew and black iced coffee, a dark roast arabica such as our DaLat (100% Arabica) is the best option. For stronger cold brews and milky iced coffee, a robusta like our Hanoi (100% Robusta) or a blend such as the SaiGon OG Coffee (Robusta x Arabica x Peaberry) are the best options.
2. Can You Add Alcohol to Vanilla Iced Coffee?
Yes. You make a creamy, alcoholic vanilla iced coffee by adding Baileys Irish Cream or a small dash of Kahlúa and rum before serving.
3. What’s the Difference Between Iced Coffee and Cold Brew?
Iced coffee is made using a hot brew that has been cooled and served over ice with cold water, milk, or cream.
Cold brew is coffee that has been brewed using cold water in the refrigerator for a long period — usually more than 24 hours. It's normally served black and unsweetened.
4. What is Vietnamese Iced Coffee?
Vietnamese iced coffee (Cà Phê Sữa Đá) I'd made using robusta coffee — a strong, dark, highly-caffeinated bean. It's traditionally made using a phin filter and is served with sweetened condensed milk.
5. How Long Can Iced Coffee Be Stored in the Fridge?
You can store iced coffee in the fridge for up to five days. Black iced coffee will last in the fridge for five days, and milky iced coffee will last for two days maximum. Make sure to remove ice before storing iced coffee in the fridge — if the ice is left to melt, it will dilute the brew.
6. Can You Make Iced Coffee with Espresso?
Yes. You can make iced coffee with an espresso shot. The shot can be cooled and served as is or combined with frothed milk to make an iced flat white, with vodka and Kahlúa to make an espresso martini, or with extra water to make an intense iced Americano coffee.
7. Can You Make Iced Coffee with a French Press?
Yes. The French press is a fantastic brewing method for iced coffee and cold brews. A hot, concentrated brew can be made to use in iced coffee, or a regular brew can be made with cold water for cold brew coffee.
Learn more: How To Make Iced Coffee with a French Press
8. What is Moka Pot Coffee?
Moka pot coffee is a strong, espresso-like brew that's made using a moka pot. The pot filters boiling water up through a basket of finely ground coffee, where a strong, concentrated shot is collected.
9. What is Frosted Coffee?
Frosted Coffee is inspired by the Chick-fil-A beverage that combines coffee, ice, and ice cream. It's a sweet milkshake-like beverage that's perfect for enjoying on a hot summer’s day.
10. How Much Caffeine in Iced Coffee?
The exact amount of caffeine in a glass of iced coffee varies depending on the serving size, brewing method, and type of coffee used. However, the average 240 mL serving made using the methods mentioned above contains somewhere between 40 and 120 mg of caffeine.
