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Recipe · Vegetarian · Eggless

Cafe-Style Cold Coffee

Cold coffee recipe for frothy, cafe-style cold coffee at home with instant coffee, chilled milk and ice. Blender and no-blender methods in 10 minutes.

  • Prep10 min
  • Total10 min
  • Makes2 tall glasses (about 350 ml each)
  • LevelEasy
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Cafe-style cold coffee is chilled milk blended with instant coffee that has first been beaten with sugar and a spoonful of hot water until pale and creamy. That beating step is what gives the drink its smooth taste and thick, foamy top, so it never tastes like plain coffee stirred into cold milk.

You need just five ingredients, and a scoop of vanilla ice cream is optional. Use a mixie or blender if you have one, or shake everything in a jar with a tight lid. Both methods are below, and both take about 10 minutes.

Cold coffee is a summer staple, and on a sticky Mangalore afternoon in April or May it is hard to beat. Make it once and you can set the strength and sweetness exactly the way you like.

Cafe-Style Cold Coffee

  • Prep10 min
  • Total10 min
  • Makes2 tall glasses (about 350 ml each)
  • LevelEasy

You'll need

Mixer grinder (mixie) or blender · Small bowl or wide mug · Small whisk or spoon · Jar or bottle with a tight lid, at least 1 litre (for the no-blender method) · 2 tall glasses

Ingredients

For the coffee base

For the cold coffee

Method

  1. Mix the coffee base. Put the instant coffee, sugar and hot water in a small bowl or wide mug. Stir for 20 to 30 seconds until it turns into a thick, dark, slightly grainy paste.
  2. Beat until pale and creamy. Beat the paste briskly with a small whisk or spoon for 3 to 4 minutes (about 1 minute with an electric hand beater). Stop when it has turned light caramel brown, looks thick and creamy, and has roughly doubled in volume. This is the step that makes it taste cafe-style.
  3. Get the glasses ready. If using chocolate syrup, drizzle it along the inside of 2 tall glasses, turning them so it runs down the sides in streaks. Drop 2 ice cubes into each glass.
  4. Blender method. Scrape the beaten coffee into the mixie jar. Add the chilled milk and the remaining 4 ice cubes. Blend on high for 30 to 45 seconds, until the ice is crushed and a thick layer of foam forms on top.
  5. No-blender method. Scrape the beaten coffee into a jar or bottle of at least 1 litre with a tight lid. Pour in the chilled milk, add the remaining 4 ice cubes, close the lid and shake hard for 45 seconds to 1 minute, until frothy. You can also whisk it hard in a jug for 1 to 2 minutes.
  6. Taste and adjust. Taste a spoonful. For sweeter or stronger coffee, dissolve 1 to 2 teaspoons extra sugar or 1/2 teaspoon extra coffee in 1 teaspoon hot water, add it, and blend or shake for 10 seconds more.
  7. Pour and serve. Pour the cold coffee into the glasses over the ice, letting the foam settle on top. Float a small scoop of ice cream on each glass if using, dust with a pinch of cocoa or coffee, and serve straight away with a straw.

Tips for getting it right

  • Chill the milk well, ideally overnight. Very cold milk froths better and needs less ice, so the coffee does not turn watery.
  • Use full-cream milk for a creamy, cafe-style body. Toned or skimmed milk works, but the drink tastes thinner.
  • Do not skip the beating. Instant coffee added straight to cold milk dissolves poorly and tastes flat; beaten with sugar and hot water first, it blends in smoothly.
  • For no dilution at all, freeze leftover cold coffee in an ice tray and use those cubes instead of plain ice.
  • Serve immediately. The foam starts to settle after about 10 minutes.

Variations

  • Caramel cold coffee: blend in 2 tablespoons caramel sauce and drizzle a little more inside the glasses.
  • Chocolate cold coffee: add 1 tablespoon cocoa powder and 1 extra tablespoon sugar to the coffee base before beating, so the cocoa dissolves without lumps.
  • Oreo cold coffee: blend in 4 Oreo biscuits with the milk and crumble one more on top.
  • Extra creamy: blend the ice cream into the coffee instead of floating it on top.

Storing and reheating

Cold coffee is best within 10 minutes of making. Leftovers keep in a closed bottle in the fridge for up to 1 day; shake or blend again before serving, as the foam will have settled. The beaten coffee base keeps in a small airtight jar in the fridge for up to 2 days; beat it briefly before using.

Not in the mood to cook?

Not in the mood to beat coffee? The Caramel Cold Coffee and Dark Chocolate Cold Coffee are on the menu at Waffee House in Kankanady, for dine-in or delivery on Swiggy and Zomato.

See our cold coffeeOrder online

Recipe FAQs

Can I make cold coffee without a blender?

Yes. Beat the coffee base as usual, then shake it with the chilled milk and ice in a jar with a tight lid for about a minute. Shaking gives a good foam, and whisking hard in a jug works too.

Which coffee is best for cold coffee?

Any instant coffee powder or granules works. Coffee with chicory, common in South Indian homes, gives a deeper, slightly bitter flavour, while pure instant coffee tastes lighter. Start with 1 tablespoon for two glasses and adjust next time.

Can I use filter coffee decoction instead of instant coffee?

Yes. Dissolve the sugar in 1/2 cup (120 ml) strong, warm decoction, chill it fully, then blend it with 1 1/2 cups (360 ml) chilled milk and the ice. You will not get the beaten-coffee foam, so blend a little longer for froth.

Why does my cold coffee taste watery?

Usually the milk was not cold enough, so the ice melted while blending, or too much ice went into the jar. Chill the milk well, use only 4 cubes in the blender, and try coffee ice cubes for zero dilution.

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