What makes cold brew coffee so special?
Cold brewing leaves behind some acids that hot coffee pulls out easily. This not only creates a coffee that is flavorful, smooth, and mellow, but also one that can hold up for days and still taste fresh.
Instead of brewing coffee with hot water, you make cold brew coffee with you guessed it, cold water. Then you let the mixture steep at room temperature or in your refrigerator, you are left with a coffee concentrate that you can use to make the best affordable iced coffee at home!
This cold brew coffee recipe makes foolproof iced coffee with a yummy smooth flavor. Cold brew coffee has less bitterness than coffee made with other brewing methods. It’s never watery and you can make your iced coffee as strong as you like it.
“What goes best with a cup of coffee? Another cup?“
-Henry Rollins
Have you ever tried to make iced coffee at home? Of course, you have! Iced coffee is my love language. Living in sunny AZ it can get quite hot, a treat I like to have is a nice glass of iced cold coffee. I tried to make it many different ways, but am glad to share with you that I have found a foolproof way to make creamy cold brew coffee!
With this recipe you can have iced coffee in your fridge and ready to go whenever you need a little extra fuel! It is very cheap and you don’t need any special equipment. Are you ready to find out how I make my liquid magic in a glass?
How to make it.
First I start with a plastic pitcher. Nothing fancy but believe me you can make it as fancy as your heart desires. My pitcher is a 3 quart pitcher, you can use whatever size pitcher you already have on hand. No need to order anything special.
Next, you’ll need coffee filters and small elastics. When I started making this recipe my daughter was little and had the little clear elastics on hand which is what I still use. You can use anything that you have handy and I’ll explain what you need them for.
You will also need your favorite ground coffee, I use Great Value medium blend. It’s affordable and tastes great. Go ahead and grab instant coffee (it’s my secret ingredient), your favorite flavor creamer, and a can of sweetened condensed milk.
So here goes, grab your pitcher and fill it to the top. Set aside and get your coffee filters, coffee, a ¼ cup measuring cup, and elastics. Lay your filters out and open, now depending on the size of your pitcher that is how many filters you will need. For example, my pitcher is 3 quarts so I use 3 filters, if yours is 2 quarts you will only need 2. Make sense? Add ¼ cup of coffee to each filter. Secure each filter with an elastic. I pinch it all together and wrap my elastic around it. You have now made yourself what I like to call coffee bombs. Place your coffee bombs inside your pitcher of water. Close the lid and put in your fridge for at least 12 hours, I usually go between 12 and 24.
Once your coffee is brewed remove it from the refrigerator, and take out your bombs. Here’s when I add my secret ingredient, instant coffee. You’re probably wondering why I am adding more coffee after brewing, I don’t know how to explain it but it just gives a nice extra flavor for me. It definitely isn’t a must and you can absolutely skip this step. Once the instant coffee has dissolved into the pitcher, I add half a can of sweetened condensed milk. Stir that in and add your creamer. As much or as little as you’d like, this step is completely customizable. This stuff is like gold in a pitcher.
Now if you don’t want it quite as sweet or maybe want to cut out some of the calories, it is still a yummy treat just adding creamer and any kind of sweetener you may like. If I am not wanting it as sweet I just add creamer and some Truvia. You can also leave your cold brew black and add your extras as you drink it, this will extend the shelf life, unlike hot brewed coffee, which can lose flavor and quality within minutes of being brewed, cold brew can last up to two weeks if stored properly in the refrigerator, 2 to 3 days with cream. Grab your glass and sip sip enjoy!!
Easy affordable Cold Brew at Home
Ingredients
3 quarts of water
3/4 cup ground coffee
3 Tbs instant coffee, optional
7 oz sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup coffee creamer
sweetener, to taste
Directions
- Fill a 3 quart pitcher with water. (My pitcher is a 3 quart pitcher, you can use whatever size pitcher you have.
- Next, add ¼ cup ground coffee to each filter. Pinch all sides together and secure with a small elastic, these are now coffee bombs
- Add the coffee bombs to your pitcher of water. Close the lid and put in your fridge for at least 12 hours, I usually go between 12 and 24. Can also brew on the counter, doesn’t need to be in the refrigerator.
- Once your coffee is brewed remove it from the refrigerator, and take out your bombs. Optional add in the instant coffee and stir till dissolved.
- Add half a can of (7 oz) sweetened condensed milk. Stir that in and add your creamer. As much or as little as you’d like, this step is completely customizable
Nutrition Facts
9 servings per container
Serving Size9.8g
- Amount Per ServingCalories64
- % Daily Value *
- Total Fat
2.1g
4%
- Saturated Fat 0.9g 5%
- Cholesterol 6mg 2%
- Sodium 33mg 2%
- Total Carbohydrate
10g
4%
- Dietary Fiber 0g 0%
- Sugars 9g
- Protein 1g 2%
- Vitamin A 1%
- Vitamin C 1%
- Calcium 7%
* The % Daily Value tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutritional Disclaimer: Jasmin with “I Heart PB and J” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. For accurate calorie counts and other nutritional values, we recommend running the ingredients through your preferred online nutritional calculator. Calories and other nutritional values can vary depending on which brands were used.