Iced Espresso

Need a quick pick-me-up? Try an iced espresso! This espresso drink is cool and refreshing, with a stronger flavor than iced coffee.

Want a cold coffee drink to pep up your day? Try Iced Espresso! This spin on iced coffee stars the bold, rich flavor of espresso. Drizzle in a little milk and a hint of simple syrup to balance out the flavor. It’s robust and beautifully refreshing — like a bolder spin on your favorite iced coffee! Here’s how to make it.

What makes this drink different?

Iced espresso is espresso served over ice, often with milk. It’s similar to iced coffee but uses espresso instead of brewed coffee. Starbucks has this on their menu as an iced shaken espresso, due to it being shaken with ice and sweetener before serving. Either way, the bold flavor of the espresso makes the coffee flavor more concentrated than in a standard iced coffee. Here’s what you’ll need for this drink:

• 1 double shot espresso (2 ounces or ¼ cup)
• Milk of choice (1 ounce or 2 tablespoons)
• Simple syrup or vanilla syrup

Making the espresso

An important part of the process is properly making the espresso! Start with an espresso roast coffee — the roast is important to get the right dark, bitter flavor in an espresso shot. Some espresso coffee brands I recommend are Illy, Starbucks, and Intelligentsia.

You can use your espresso-making method of choice. There are plenty of techniques that work without a machine! Here’s what I recommend:

• Espresso machine: An espresso machine is the best option: it makes incredible espresso, but it’s pricy.
• Portable espresso maker: A manual espresso maker is a great, more affordable option.
• French press: French press espresso also works well if you have this coffee tool.
• Moka Pot: You can make robust espresso-like coffee in a Moka Pot (Bialetti).

Go to How to Make Espresso for the full instructions for each method.

Best milk to use

With an iced espresso, you can use any type of milk because you’re not steaming or frothing it. Whole milk adds a nice richness, but you can use 2% for a lighter drink.

If you’re looking for a vegan iced espresso, oat milk is a great option! It has a creamy flavor and a thicker body than other non-dairy milks. You can also use it to mimic Starbucks’ shaken oat milk iced espresso!

Choosing a sweetener

An iced espresso is great with just a hint of sweetness to balance out the bitter coffee. Here are my coffee sweeteners of choice:

• Simple syrup: It’s easy to make at home, and you can use it for coffee or cocktails
• Maple syrup: A great natural sweetener for drinks! It adds sweetness but not maple flavor
• Honey or agave syrup: A few other natural sweeteners
• Vanilla syrup: Add a hint of vanilla with this homemade coffee syrup

How to make iced espresso

Once you’ve got the required ingredients, it takes no time at all to make an iced espresso. Here’s what to do:

• Make the espresso. See above!
• Drizzle in sweetener and milk.
• Serve over ice!

Want to step it up? A fun way is to add a dollop of cold foam on top! You can check out my cold foam recipe for instructions.

Variation: iced brown sugar oat milk espresso!

Looking for a delicious variation on this iced espresso drink? Try the Iced Brown Sugar Oat Milk Espresso!

This Starbucks special is a shaken espresso, which is an espresso that’s shaken with brown sugar syrup before adding the milk. With a hint of cinnamon, it’s incredibly satisfying!

More cold coffee and tea drinks

Love a good cold coffee? Here are all my favorite iced coffee drinks and tea lattes to try!

• Try the perfect Perfect Iced Latte or Iced Vanilla Latte
• Go for classic Iced Coffee, or an Iced Americano
• Opt for a Cold Brew Coffee or French Press Cold Brew, topped with Cold Foam!
• Try a tasty Iced Chai Latte or Iced Matcha Latte

01

Perfect Iced Latte

02

Cold Brew Coffee

03

Iced Chai Latte

04

Iced Matcha Latte

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