Iced Latte Recipe

Before you start

Most watery iced lattes go wrong at one moment: hot espresso hits a glass of ice and melts a good part of it before the milk goes in. The fix is to change the order and the concentration. A stronger shot, cooled briefly or poured into cold milk first, keeps more of its flavor and melts far less ice.

This version uses a full double shot, pulled slightly short so it is concentrated, with about 180 ml of cold milk. The espresso is stirred into the milk, then poured over ice, so the ice meets liquid that is already cold. For maximum strength, freeze coffee into ice cubes and they will add coffee rather than water as they melt.

Ingredients

• 18 to 20 g espresso coffee beans — ground fine
• about 30 to 36 g (1 to 1¼ oz) water, as brewed espresso — a short double shot
• 180 ml (6 oz) cold whole milk
• 10 to 15 ml (2 to 3 tsp) simple syrup — optional
• 1 heaping cup (about 150 g) ice cubes — or coffee ice cubes

Method

1. Pour the cold milk and syrup, if using, into a small pitcher or measuring cup and keep it in the fridge until the espresso is ready.
2. Pull a short double shot of 30 to 36 g from 18 to 20 g of coffee in 25 to 30 seconds. A slightly finer grind can help you hit the shorter yield without running fast.
3. Pour the hot espresso straight into the cold milk and stir for a few seconds. The mixture will come to roughly room temperature or cooler.
4. Fill the tall glass with ice to the top.
5. Pour the coffee milk over the ice and give it one stir. Taste and add a little more syrup if needed; cold dulls sweetness.

Tips for success

• Make coffee ice cubes from leftover brewed coffee or espresso diluted 1:1 with water. Freeze them in a tray for at least 4 hours.
• Large, solid cubes melt more slowly than crushed or hollow ice. Keep a dedicated tray for drinks.
• Liquid sweeteners are essential here; granulated sugar barely dissolves in cold milk and settles at the bottom.

Substitutions

Whole milk

Oat milk is the most popular dairy-free swap and stays creamy cold. Almond milk is thinner and lets the coffee taste sharper.

Espresso

120 ml of cold brew concentrate diluted 1:1 or 60 ml of strong moka-pot coffee can replace the shot. The flavor is smoother and less intense.

Simple syrup

Maple syrup or honey syrup (honey thinned 1:1 with warm water) add their own flavor and blend easily into cold drinks.

Variations

Iced vanilla latte

Use 15 ml vanilla syrup in place of simple syrup.

Iced oat milk honey latte

Stir 10 ml honey into the hot espresso until dissolved, then add 180 ml oat milk and pour over ice.

Troubleshooting

It tastes watery after a few minutes

The ice melted against hot espresso. Mix the shot into cold milk first, use larger cubes, or switch to coffee ice cubes.

The coffee flavor is faint

Increase to an 18 to 20 g dose pulled short, or reduce the milk to 150 ml.

Sugar is gritty at the bottom

Use syrup rather than granulated sugar, or dissolve the sugar in the hot espresso before adding milk.

Storage

Serve immediately. Coffee ice cubes keep in a sealed bag in the freezer for about 1 month. Do not leave a milk drink at room temperature longer than 2 hours.