An iced latte is a very popular summer drink you can make at home. It’s super easy, and most people who make it seem to have their own version of the recipe.
The main components are espresso, milk, and ice, but you can add a sweetener and flavorings to your coffee. Let’s take a look at how to make an iced latte in 5 minutes or less.
What is an iced latte?
An iced latte is a cold coffee drink made using espresso shots, cold foamed milk, ice cubes and can be sweetened with various add-ins of choice.
This recipe for an iced latte is entirely customizable. You can use any milk, coffee, and sweetener you like for this recipe.
Below, I’ll talk about the milk you can use, the coffee I recommend using, the number of calories, and I’ll guide you through this recipe step by step. Let’s get into it:
What kind of milk is used in an iced latte?
If you love coffee but want a break from the bitterness of regular iced coffee, you should try making an iced latte. Cold milk and flavoring add some sweetness and richness to this beverage.
But what kind of milk can you add to an iced latte? You can add any milk or milk alternative to your iced latte.
The best part about making coffee at home is that you can choose the ingredients that go into making it. For this iced latte recipe, you can use the milk you already have at home.
Milk is an essential part of a good iced latte. You can make this iced latte in two different ways. You can use cold foamed milk, or you can simply pour the milk into your glass without any preparation.
If you want to go the extra mile, I recommend cold foaming the milk. Cold foamed milk adds a bit of texture and airiness to your drink that you’d otherwise miss out on.
I’ll be using 2% fat milk for my iced latte, as this produces the best cold foam.
Tip: If you’d like to learn how to make cold foam at home in five different ways, you can find more information here.
What is the best coffee to use?
When making an iced latte at home, it’s best to use one or two espresso shots as the basis for this drink.
Espresso coffee is flavorful and has a robust flavor that works perfectly in this coffee recipe. The milk and sweetener (optional) you’re going to add will add a lot more flavor, so you want a strong coffee to counterbalance this.
If you’d rather use brewed coffee instead of espresso for this recipe, feel free to do so. I do suggest double brewing your coffee so it still has that strong flavor to it.
Using your French press to brew your regular coffee is the best option, as the French press makes the most flavorful coffee.
If you’re going to make espresso coffee at home, you can use a Moka pot or AeroPress. Both coffee brewers are excellent at producing a good espresso-like coffee for this drink.
The best option is to use an espresso machine to produce one or two shots of espresso coffee for you. If you have an espresso machine at home, make sure to use it for this recipe, as it’ll make for an amazing coffee.
Tip: Did you know you can make espresso-like coffee in a French press? You can find more information here if you’re interested in giving it a try.
Are iced lattes sweet?
Iced lattes aren’t overly sweet in taste. Iced lattes are made with espresso, milk, and optionally a sweetener. If you’re not adding any sweeteners to your iced latte, it’ll taste mellow and have a slight punchy flavor to it from the espresso.
I like iced lattes because you can still taste a good amount of coffee whilst it’s not too overwhelming in flavor. The added milk makes for a nicely balanced coffee that’s not sweet but just right in taste.
Iced Latte
An iced latte is the perfect coffee drink for that refreshing caffeine boost.
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup (0.18 l) of 2% fat milk
- Two espresso shots
- Ice cubes
Instructions
- Start by brewing your espresso shots. You can also use strong-brewed coffee instead.
- After brewing your coffee, cool it slightly with a few ice cubes.
- Fill a tall glass to about halfway with ice cubes.
- Cold foam the milk.
- After cold foaming the milk, pour it into the ice-filled glass.
- Lastly, pour the slightly cooled espresso coffee on top.
You can now add a sweetener of choice to this freshly made iced latte.
If you're going to add a sweetener to your drink, you can serve it with a straw for optimal flavor distribution.
Notes
You can prepare your espresso shots and place them in the fridge overnight, so you can start making this recipe the next morning.
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Nutrition Information:
Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 92Total Fat: 3.6gSaturated Fat: 2.3gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 15mgSodium: 75mgCarbohydrates: 8.5gSugar: 9.2gProtein: 6g
How many calories are in an iced latte?
The number of calories in an iced latte can change depending on the milk you’re using. The optionally added sweetener will also add more calories to your coffee.
Below, I’ve listed a few popular milk and milk alternatives that can be used for this recipe, alongside the number of calories that will be in the iced latte:
| Milk used: | The number of calories: |
| Whole milk | 110 calories |
| 2% fat milk | 92 calories |
| Almond milk | 30 calories |
| Oat milk | 90 calories |
| Soy milk | 96 calories |
The calories in the recipe card are calculated using 2% fat milk, as this is the best option for cold foam, but feel free to use any of the above-listed alternatives instead.
Do you like adding a different milk alternative to your iced latte? Let me know how it tastes in the comments below; I’d love to give it a try!
What sweeteners can I add?
Depending on how sweet you like your coffee to be, you can add the sweeteners you like the most.
If you normally add sugar to your latte, you can also add sugar to this iced latte. When doing so, make sure to dissolve the sugar in the hot espresso before adding it to your ice-filled glass.
A different option is using a sugar syrup. Sugar syrups use a 1:1 ratio of water to sugar, so it has the same sweetness as your regular sugar but is much easier to dissolve in cold liquids.
Below, I’ve listed a few coffee syrups you can make at home with an easy recipe:
If you’d instead use a store-bought version of this syrup, you can, of course, add this as well. I like to add syrup to my iced latte after everything is combined in the glass.
It’s best to serve the iced latte with a straw, so you can stir the syrup through the coffee before drinking. This will make for the most amazing drinking experience.
Conclusion
Drinking an iced latte on a hot summer day is the perfect way to cool down while still getting some caffeine in.
The slightly sweet taste, while not overpowering, makes for such a pleasant drinking experience. The best part about this recipe is that it’s super easy to make, with the ingredients of choice.
If you love making iced coffee at home and you’d like to test a few more coffee recipes, you can have a look below. I’ve listed a few more coffee recipes that might be of interest to you.
Do you like drinking iced coffee? Let me know by leaving a comment down below. If you have any other questions regarding coffee, you can also contact me directly by pressing the “Contact Me” button at the top!
