A café iced latte is espresso, ice, and milk — in that order. At home, the principle is the same. The difference between a great iced latte and a watery, disappointing one is almost entirely in the coffee concentration and the ice-to-milk ratio.
The Recipe (Serves 1)
Coffee
60ml
Strong, concentrated
Milk
150ml
Cold, whole or oat
Ice
Plenty
Fill the glass
Total Time
5 min
Plus brew time
Method
- Make concentrated coffee. Use any brew method but use twice the normal coffee dose. For AeroPress: 18g coffee to 60ml water. For moka pot: brew normally (already concentrated). For drip/pour-over: use 30g coffee to 200ml water, then use only 60ml of the result. Or use cold brew concentrate directly.
- Fill your glass with ice. All the way to the top. The ice will dilute the drink as it melts — you want plenty to start.
- Pour cold milk over ice. 150ml of cold milk. Whole milk produces the creamiest result; oat milk makes an excellent dairy-free version.
- Pour hot or room-temperature coffee concentrate over the milk. Pour slowly — it will layer briefly before combining. No need to stir.
- Optionally add sweetener — a squeeze of simple syrup (equal parts sugar and hot water) mixes in easily. Regular sugar doesn't dissolve well in cold drinks.
The key mistake to avoid: Don't use regular-strength brewed coffee. It will taste watery and weak once diluted by ice and milk. The coffee needs to be at least double strength — the ice and milk are going to dilute it significantly.
Making Simple Syrup
Stir equal parts sugar and hot water until dissolved, then cool. A jar in the fridge lasts 2–3 weeks. One or two teaspoons per iced latte is usually enough if you prefer it slightly sweet.