I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to hop on the cold brewed iced coffee bandwagon. THIS IS AMAZING and I don’t think I’m EVER going to drink iced coffee any other way. Cold brewed iced coffee is smooth, delicious, and bold. Because it’s never heated up, it doesn’t taste burned or bitter. And when whole milk and honey are added, you have a delicious, refreshing treat that’s refined-sugar free! I usually drink my coffee black, but there’s something about iced coffee that just begs for some sweetness and creaminess. I love how milk and honey help lighten this up, as an alternative to more traditional cream and sugar.
Why cold brew coffee is superior for iced coffee
Nothing is more tragic than walking into a restaurant, ordering iced coffee, and having the server whip up an impromptu iced coffee by pouring hot coffee over ice. Ugh. Watery, blah, and not cold enough. This is absolutely NOT that kind of iced coffee. The beauty of the cold brew iced coffee is three-fold:
How to make cold brew coffee
First, it’s very helpful to have a French press for this. If you don’t have one you can still make cold brew iced coffee- and I’ll explain how! But a French press is a nifty device to have around, not only for cold brew iced coffee but for some of the best tasting fresh coffee in the world. When using a French press, you mix coffee grounds directly with water (this works with hot or cold coffee). Then after allowing the grounds to steep for a while, as with tea, you push the top of the press down, which is covered in a mesh sieve. The coffee comes through the sieve and the grounds are pushed down, leaving you with the smoothest bold coffee ever! You can also just use a container or pitcher to soak the coffee grounds. To make cold brew iced coffee:
I love these glass pitchers for storing the cold brew coffee concentrate.
How to make honey simple syrup
Now for the milk and honey part of this iced coffee. First, you’ll make a quick simple syrup from the honey. You can do this two ways:
For a single serving: In the bottom of whatever glass you want to use for your iced coffee, add a bit of honey. Dilute it with a couple of tablespoons of warm water, stirring to dissolve. This will ensure the honey dissolves into the coffee. For a batch of honey simple syrup: dissolve 1/4 cup of honey with 1/4 cup warm water. You can store this in your fridge for about 2 weeks. Then, use about 2 tablespoons of it per iced coffee.
To make the milk and honey iced coffee, add 1 cup of the coffee concentrate to your glass, along with the honey simple syrup. Add ice, and top with 1/2 cup of whole milk, or more, depending on how creamy you want it. Stir and enjoy!
How to make this ahead to serve at a brunch
This recipe was recently featured in the Taste of Home Sunday Brunch special as part of an Easter Brunch special. It was so cool to see this recipe featured in print!
Here’s what I recommended in the feature for making this cold brew coffee ahead of time for a brunch or a party:
Other refreshing iced beverages:
Love the combo of milk and honey? Try this iced honey vanilla latte. More of a tea person? Try this Iced ginger honey lemon tea. For a refreshing mocktail, try this Honey Blackberry Mint Mocktail. For a batch-made cocktail, these Rosemary Greyhounds are delicious.
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