Vanilla Iced Coffee: An Easy 5-Minute Recipe You Should Try

If you love coffee, you’ll love this refreshing, delicious, and easy drink that is quick to make and works well in any season.

The vanilla flavor makes it a perfect drink for the spring and summertime, but you can also enjoy it throughout the year.

I’ve been making my own iced coffee for a few years now, and I must say, the process is super simple, and the taste is so much better than anything I could buy at a store.

What is vanilla iced coffee?

Before getting into the recipe, what exactly is a vanilla iced coffee?

A vanilla iced coffee is a very popular summer drink because it has the perfect balance of sweet and robust flavors. It’s made by mixing brewed coffee, vanilla syrup, and ice cubes until it becomes nice and icy.

The great thing about this recipe is the way it’s made. You can use any brewed coffee you like the most (more on this later), and you probably have all the ingredients already at home.

Before getting into the recipe, let me tell you a bit more about all the ingredients used, so you can collect them and get started with this easy recipe:

What ingredients are used in this recipe?

You probably know coffee for its ability to fuel your day. But if you’re looking for a better way to drink it, you should try this vanilla iced coffee.

It takes less than 5 minutes to make and can be made with just three components. Have a look below for all the ingredients you’ll need to get started:

• Brewed coffee
• Vanilla syrup
• Ice cubes

Once you’ve made this iced coffee, you’ll know why this coffee is so easy to make. I like to make a big batch of vanilla syrup for convenience, so I have enough for a few days.

You can also use vanilla extract if you don’t want to go through the trouble of making your own vanilla-flavored syrup. I’ve listed the recipe for the homemade vanilla syrup after the recipe card.

If you’re going to enjoy this iced coffee while sitting it in the sun or just love the sip on it slowly, I recommend making a few coffee ice cubes beforehand.

Coffee ice cubes are essentially the same as regular ice cubes, but it’s made with brewed coffee that has been frozen, instead of water.

If you’re interested in giving the coffee ice cubes a try, then you can find a how-to guide here.

Which brewed coffee is best used?

Brewed coffee makes up almost the entire drink, so it’s important that you’re using your favorite brewing technique so it turns out exactly how you want it to.

For this recipe, you can use any brewing technique you like. My favorite is using a pour over technique like the Chemex or Hario V60.

These coffee brewers make for a slightly sweeter coffee than a French press, for example. This is all because of the filter used.

The sweetness of this coffee also depends on how you make your coffee and how sweet you like your coffee.

I recommend using medium or dark roasted coffee beans when brewing your coffee. These coffee beans will give you a robust flavor that pairs beautifully with the sweetness of the vanilla syrup.

I’ve also tried this recipe with a light roast, but because I like a stronger coffee, it turned out a bit too flat for my liking.

Tip: If you plan on brewing coffee with the Chemex, you can check out my favorite coffee beans for this brewing technique here.

How many calories are in a vanilla iced coffee?

The number of calories in a vanilla iced coffee is pretty low. Per serving, it contains 38 calories.

It’s so low because the only calories come from the vanilla syrup used. Brewed coffee has virtually no calories, so this recipe is a great way to cool down without having to worry about your caloric intake.

For each tablespoon of vanilla syrup, you’ll add 19 calories. If you like your coffee on the sweeter side, you might want to add a bit more vanilla syrup; this will also increase the calories in your drink.

How to make homemade vanilla syrup

Homemade vanilla syrup is made by combining equal parts white granulated sugar and cold tap water, along with a vanilla bean or a splash of vanilla extract.

This is combined and placed in a small saucepan on the stove until the sugar has dissolved completely.

Then, after it’s cooled, you can use it to sweeten your iced coffees. It’ll look like this when finished:

I’ve been making this vanilla syrup for years, and it keeps turning out great. The perfect amount of sweetness with that unique vanilla flavor really is something else.

If you don’t want to make the vanilla syrup at home, you can also use a store-bought version or just add a splash of vanilla extract to your iced coffee instead.

To make the vanilla syrup at home, you can find the complete step-by-step recipe here.

Conclusion

I hope this article has helped you find an excellent recipe for iced coffee. If you love the taste of java, then these recipes are sure to be your new favorite!

We all know that life can get busy. Next time, try brewing coffee and storing it in the fridge ahead of time, so you have an easy option when you need it.

And if there’s any leftover? Well, now is your chance to share with friends who’ve got their own long days too!

If you’re interested in trying out even more iced coffees, then have a look below for some amazing recipes to try.

Do you love iced coffee as much as I do? 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!

More coffee recipes

• Iced Latte: An Easy Coffee Recipe You Can Make in 5 Minutes
• Iced Strawberry Latte: An Easy and Refreshing Coffee Recipe
• Iced Biscoff Latte: What Is It and How to Make It at Home?