Everything You Need to Make an Incredible Iced Latte

Iced lattes are by far the most popular ice coffee drink on the planet! Popularised by coffee giant Starbucks in the late 1990s, the iced latte turns the everyday milky cup of joe into a refreshing, thirst-quenching delight! 

But, you don’t need to visit your local coffee house to experience the pleasure of an incredible iced latte. You can actually make one just as good, if not better from the comfort of your own home. 

So, if you want to experience the coveted iced latte like never before, you’ve come to the right place! 

What is An Iced Latte?

An iced latte is an incredibly popular coffee-based drink, which has taken the coffee world by storm 

The refreshing, thirst-quenching coldness from the ice, combined with the creamy milk, finished with a dark, punchy shot of espresso makes for an incredibly delicious drink! 

According to the article “Iced Coffee: the ultimate and tasty refreshment” published by Solis in March 2021, iced lattes were first introduced into popular culture in Algeria back in 1840. It is said that iced lattes were introduced by the French during the battle of Mazagran, and they had a distinctly sweet taste to offset the bitter coffee used at the time. 

It is this sweetness, combined with the sharpness of a double espresso and the creamy richness of a cup of milk that makes the iced latte so appealing. 

Since then, iced lattes have become a mainstay in coffee houses, both independent and chains all over the world. 

One of the most appealing things about an iced latte is that not only is the basic recipe so easy to make, but it is also very customizable. Many people love adding flavored syrups like caramel or vanilla to their iced latte to give them an extra flavor dimension. 

If you are looking for the perfect flavored syrup to add to your coffee, check out some of the most popular options on Amazon here. 

How to Make an Incredible Iced Latte

There are only a few basic ingredients that go into making a great iced latte, but getting the best of these in the right proportions is a key factor in making an incredible iced latte. 

First things first, let’s break down the equipment you’re going to need. 

Equipment: 

• Serving Glass
• Straw
• Teaspoon

Ingredients: 

• 1 Cup Ice Cubes
• ½ Cup Espresso (or strong coffee)
• ½ Cup Milk (Or Milk Alternative)
• 2 Teaspoons Sweetener (Sugar, Honey, Stelvia, etc)
• 2 Teaspoons Flavoured Syrup (Optional)

Method: 

Here is a simple, easy-to-follow step-by-step method to guide you towards the perfect iced latte! 

Prep Time: 5 Minutes

Step 1: Brew Your Coffee

The first thing to do when making the perfect iced latte from home is to brew a great cup of espresso. 

The choice of bean is up to you, but I would recommend a medium roast Arabica as a good place to start. 

The traditional recipe for a latte or iced latte for that matter calls for a double shot of espresso. To make this, you’ll want to grind your coffee very fine and use a proper espresso machine if possible. 

If you don’t have an espresso machine to hand, here are a few alternative options: 

• Combine instant coffee with ½ a cup of a small amount of hot water
• Use a Percolator to brew strong coffee
• Add coarsely ground coffee and a cup of hot water to a french press
• Use a moka pot. 

Once your coffee is brewed you can leave it to sit and cool down whilst you prepare the other ingredients. 

Step 2: Mix Sweetener and Syrup Into Your Coffee

Next, add your sweetener and syrup of choice to your freshly brewed coffee and stir. This will give your espresso or strong alternative coffee sometime to blend with the sweeter flavors, whilst also giving it a bit of time to cool down. 

Step 3: Fill Your Glass With Ice

The next step is to fill your serving glass with ice to ensure it is perfectly cold and ready to receive your strong, freshly brewed coffee. 

Ensure you only add ice to your glass when you are getting ready to serve, as we don’t want any melted ice watering down the strong coffee! 

You can even place your glass in the freezer before serving so it is misted up and extra cold, a great way to impress your friends! 

Using larger ice cubes is preferable when making any iced coffee, whether that be a latte or iced americano. This is because they melt more slowly and have a lower chance of diluting your coffee. 

Tip: If you want to take your iced coffee game to the next level, give coffee ice cubes a try. 

Step 4: Pour Your Coffee

Once your glass is filled with ice, it is time to add your coffee. 

Simply pour your coffee into your serving ice and stir, to ensure there is plenty of coverage with the ice cubes. 

Step 5: Top Up With Milk

This is the fun part! 

Adding your milk (or milk alternative like soya, almond, or oat milk) to your iced glass is so satisfying! 

Watching the milk cascade down the side of the glass and combine with your ice and coffee is great to watch, and is also a great way to serve your coffee to friends before stirring. 

Simply fill up the remaining space in the glass with milk and you are ready to go! 

Step 6: Stir and Enjoy! 

Whilst the rippling effects of the milk in your serving glass are very pleasing to watch, iced lattes are best enjoyed when all the ingredients are mixed together. 

So, simply stir it up, add your straw, and enjoy your refreshing, incredible iced latte! 

Summary

Overall, iced lattes are so popular all over the world for good reason!

The creamy milk, strong, dark espresso, comforting sweeteners, and ice, all combined in a glass to make a rippling work of art is something that is truly special to look at, let alone drink! 

Great iced coffee doesn’t have to be reserved only for specialty coffee shops, however. You can take the basic ingredients and make your own, customized, improved iced coffee from the comfort of your own home today! 

Related Questions

Can I Make an Iced Latte Without Espresso?

Whilst the traditional recipe for a latte usually includes a double shot of espresso, if this is not available to you, it is possible to make a great iced latte without it. Simply replace espresso with any variant of strong coffee, made by an aero press, percolator, french press, moka pot or even strong instant coffee. 

Can I Use Milk Alternatives for Iced Latte?

Yes, absolutely this works very well indeed. Oat lattes in particular have a comforting nuttiness to them that compliments the bittersweet coffee in this recipe very well. 

How Do Baristas Make Iced Lattes?

Baristas actually implement the same method shown above in coffee shops all around the world! They let their sugar or sweetener dissolve in the coffee, pour it over ice, and add milk on top to give that familiar rippling effect when served! 

What’s the Difference Between Iced Coffee and an Iced Latte?

Typically, a generic iced coffee uses a cup of coffee that has cooled down and a splash of milk is added to the top of the glass to make it more palatable. 

Whereas, with an iced latte, much stronger coffee, like a double espresso is used to give a more powerful coffee aroma and flavor. This is then combined with sweeteners like sugar or honey, and a much greater quantity of milk is used to give the iced latte a more creamy texture.