Chilling coffee and combining it with milk and ice is no new concept. Iced coffee has been around for decades, and it's almost as popular as hot, espresso-based coffees in the United States.
From a basic iced coffee and cold brew to a frosted coffee and iced mocha, there are hundreds of ways to prepare chilled coffee.
Coffee milkshakes balance the sweet creaminess of vanilla ice cream with the dark smoothness of arabica coffee.
They're perfect for enjoying during the summer as a sweet, indulgent treat during the day.
In this guide, you'll learn how to make delicious coffee milkshakes at home with a few simple ingredients…
What You’ll Need to Make Coffee Milkshake
To make a coffee milkshake with our simple recipe, you'll need just a few ingredients and pieces of equipment.
Here's what you’ll need:
Ingredients
- High-quality coffee
- Milk
- Vanilla ice cream
- Water
Equipment
- Coffee maker (of your choice)
- Blender
- Tablespoon
- Large serving glass
- Drinking straw (optional)
Coffee Recommendations
Any high-quality coffee will work in a coffee milkshake, but arabica or arabica-rich blends usually pair best. The smooth, sweet, mellow flavors of dark roast arabica coffee pair perfectly with the rich creaminess of vanilla ice cream.
Blends that contain robusta taste slightly darker and more bitter. If you prefer a brew with a stronger coffee taste, an arabica and robusta blend is the best option.
We recommend using fresh, whole-bean coffee for making coffee milkshakes. You will create the richest depth of flavor by grinding and brewing coffee beans yourself. However, high-quality pre-ground coffee and even instant coffee will work.
For coffee milkshakes, we recommend:
How to Make Coffee Milkshake: Step-by-Step
Making a coffee milkshake is simple. This four-step guide will have you creating a rich, sweet, creamy summertime treat in no time.
Here's how to make a coffee milkshake in four simple steps:
1. Prepare Your Coffee
Prepare a concentrated shot of coffee. This can be done in a number of ways. You can brew instant coffee with a small amount of water, make a shot with an espresso machine, brew a shot using a moka pot, make a concentrated coffee with a French press, or brew a coffee using an Aeropress filter — the choice is yours.
Just make sure the coffee is strong and extremely dark. Ideally, you don't want more than 60 mL of concentrated coffee.
2. Cool the Coffee
Once brewed, cool the concentrated coffee by pouring it back and forth between cups, placing it in an ice bath, or waiting for it to cool naturally. The coffee should be completely chilled before moving on to the next step.
3. Blend the Ingredients
To a blender, add the concentrated coffee, 1 ½ – 2 cups of vanilla ice cream, and a dash of whole milk.
Blend to combine the Ingredients and adjust the thickness by adding more ice cream (thicker) or more milk (thinner).
4. Pour the Milkshake
Pour the milkshake into a large, chilled serving glass. Serve as it is, or garnish with whipped cream and crushed coffee beans.
Add a straw, and enjoy while frosty.
Five Similar Iced Coffee Beverages
If you enjoyed the coffee milkshake, you'll love these similar chilled coffee beverages:
1. Vanilla Iced Coffee
Vanilla iced coffee is a simple chilled coffee that's sweetened with vanilla syrup. This milky beverage is easy to make with store-bought vanilla syrup, but if you want to take it to the next level, use our vanilla syrup recipe and make it yourself.
Here's what you'll need to make vanilla iced coffee:
- High-quality coffee
- Milk
- Ice
- Vanilla syrup
- Whipped cream (optional)
Here's how to make it:
- Brew the coffee — Brew a concentrated shot of coffee using your favorite brewing method: French press, espresso, moka pot, etc. We recommend a high-quality arabica and robusta blend such as our DaNang coffee.
- Cool the coffee — Allow the concentrated coffee to cool naturally. Pour the coffee from cup to cup to speed up the process if you're in a rush.
- Assemble the Iced Coffee — Fill a tall glass with ice, followed by the concentrated coffee. Add one to two tablespoons of vanilla syrup, stir, and fill the rest of the glass with whole milk (or a dairy-free alternative).
- Serve and Enjoy — Lightly stir the brew to combine, or serve it marbled (with the milk separate from the coffee). Top with whipped cream and coffee beans if desired, and serve with a straw.
2. Frosted Coffee
Frosted coffee is a popular chilled coffee beverage from the Chick-fil-A restaurant chain.
It's easy to make frosted coffee at home. The recipe is identical to the coffee milkshake recipe above with a couple of key differences.
To make frosted coffee, follow the coffee milkshake recipe above, but add two tablespoons of salted caramel to the blender. Before pouring the shake into a glass, line the glass with a squirt of caramel and garnish the top of the beverage with more caramel and a couple of coffee beans.
3. Iced Mocha Coffee
If you love chocolate and coffee, you'll love an iced mocha coffee. It's a bit more complicated to make compared to regular iced coffee and coffee milkshakes, but with a few ingredients and basic pieces of equipment, it can be made in less than 15 minutes.
Here's what you'll need to make an iced mocha:
- High-quality coffee (2–3 tablespoons)
- Cocoa powder (1–2 tablespoons)
- White sugar (2–4 tablespoons)
- Water
- Milk
- Ice
- Whipped cream
Here's how to make an iced mocha coffee:
- Brew the coffee — Using an espresso machine or moka pot, brew a strong shot of coffee. If you don't have the equipment to make espresso, make a concentrated coffee using a French press, Drip coffee maker, or pour-over.
- Prepare the chocolate syrup — In a pan, add two tablespoons of cocoa powder, two to four tablespoons of white sugar, and a dash of milk. Gently heat the mixture and stir until a thick chocolate syrup has formed.
- Prepare the chocolate milk — Remove the syrup from the heat and let it cool down slightly. Gradually pour in whole milk and stir to create a rich, sweet, chocolatey milk.
- Assemble the iced mocha coffee — In a glass, add ice, followed by the coffee shot and chocolate milk. Stir to combine.
- Garnish and serve — Add a dollop of whipped cream and garnish with a drizzle of chocolate syrup, flaked chocolate, and/or coffee beans. Serve and enjoy while ice cold.
4. Frozen Coffee
Frozen coffee is a simple iced coffee with a difference. It's thicker than a regular iced coffee but less indulgent than a coffee milkshake or frosted coffee. The frozen coffee is perfect for summer days when you fancy a milkshake but don't want the calories.
To make a frozen coffee, you'll need:
- High-quality coffee
- Whole milk
- Water
- Ice
- Sugar (optional)
Here’s how to make a frozen coffee:
- Prepare the coffee — Brew a strong, concentrated coffee using an espresso machine, moka pot, French press, or drip coffee maker. Once brewed, allow to cool to room temperature.
- Prepare the blender — To a blender, add the concentrated coffee, one cup of whole milk, one cup of ice, and a tablespoon of sugar or syrup (optional).
- Blend the ingredients — Blend the ingredients at a low speed, gradually increasing the intensity as the ice begins to break into smaller chunks. Blend until a smooth, slushy beverage is produced.
- Serve and enjoy — Pour the frozen coffee into a large serving glass. Garnish with a couple of roasted coffee beans or a dash of cinnamon if desired.
5. Cold Brew
Cold brew is a classic chilled coffee that’s different from iced coffee. This beverage is usually served black and unsweetened. It’s mild, mellow, and has much less acidity than chilled coffees made from hot brews.
Cold brew coffee is simple to make, but you'll be waiting a while — when coffee is brewed in cold water, it will need 18 to 24 hours of extraction time.
Here’s what you’ll need to make cold brew:
- Arabica coffee
- Cold water
- Ice (for serving)
Here’s how to make cold brew at home:
- Grind the coffee — Grind 100% arabica beans, such as our DaLat coffee, to a coarse grind. Alternatively, use a high-quality pre-ground coffee.
- Prepare the French press — Pour the ground coffee into the French press, followed by cold, filtered water. Alter the coffee-to-water ratio to suit your palate. Use more coffee and less water will make a stronger brew and vice versa. Stir the brew gently.
- Brew the coffee — Place the lid and plunger on the French press, but don't plunge yet. Store the French press in the refrigerator and leave to brew for 18 to 24 hours.
- Strain and serve — Once 18 to 24 hours have passed, remove the brew from the fridge and plunge to strain. Pour into a glass over ice and enjoy black and unsweetened.
FAQs: Coffee Milkshake & Other Chilled Brews
Want to learn more about coffee Milkshakes and other iced brews?
Head over to the Cafley Blog and read through the frequently asked questions below…
1. What's the Difference Between Coffee Milkshake and Frosted Coffee?
Frosted coffee is a milkshake-like coffee served at Chick-fil-A. It's made with coffee, caramel, vanilla ice cream, ice, and milk. It's thick, sweet, and creamy — similar to a coffee milkshake made at home with the recipe above.
2. What is Cold Brew Coffee?
Cold brew coffee is a chilled, mellow brew with low acidity. Unlike iced coffee, it's made by steeping ground coffee in cold water for a long period — typically 18 to 24 hours.
3. What is Frozen Coffee?
Frozen coffee is like a coffee milkshake, but it doesn't contain ice cream. Frozen coffee is made by blending coffee, ice, milk, and sugar.
4. How Much Caffeine in a Coffee Milkshake?
The caffeine content in coffee milkshakes varies depending on the amount and type of coffee used. A coffee milkshake could contain anywhere from 30 mg to 100 mg of caffeine per eighth-ounce (240 mL) serving.
5. What’s the Best Coffee for a Coffee Milkshake?
Any high-quality dark roast coffee works well in a coffee milkshake. If you prefer milder milkshakes with a subtler coffee flavor, 100% arabica coffee is a good option. If you enjoy a stronger coffee flavor, 100% robusta or a blend is the best choice.
6. Can You Make Iced Coffee with Instant Coffee?
Yes. It's incredibly easy to make iced coffee with instant coffee. Simply take one sachet of Cafley Instant Vietnamese Espresso (or a similar strong instant coffee), brew with 60 mL of hot water, and cool. In a glass, add ice, a shot of instant coffee, milk, and syrup to sweeten (optional). Stir the brew and enjoy.
7. Can You Make Iced Coffee with a French Press?
Yes. It's simple to make delicious iced coffee with a French press. Brew Coffee as normal but reduce the amount of water so a strong, concentrated coffee is produced. Strain the brew, cool it, and pour over ice. Stir in milk and sugar to taste, and enjoy while ice-cold.
8. What is Vietnamese Iced Coffee?
Vietnamese iced coffee is made using dark roast robusta coffee. It's prepared using a phin filter and is often combined with condensed milk. The strong, dark, bitter notes of robusta coffee are balanced by the sweet, thick creaminess of condensed milk.
9. Can You Use Flavored Syrup in Iced Coffee?
Yes. Flavored syrups are perfect for sweetening iced coffee. Because syrup dissolves easily in cold liquid, it can be combined after the beverage is made. This allows you to adjust sweetness and flavor easily without any guesswork.
10. What's the Difference Between Arabica and Robusta Coffee?
Arabica and robusta are two different types of coffee beans. Arabica beans produce smooth, silky coffee with a slight sweetness. Robusta beans produce dark, strong, bitter coffee with around twice the amount of caffeine as arabica coffee.
