Iced Latte: Recipes, Flavours & How to Make One
Vanilla, caramel, hazelnut or mocha - here's how to make an iced latte at home that doesn't water down the coffee.
An iced latte is a cold coffee latte: espresso (or a strong coffee substitute) poured over ice with cold milk, no steaming. It's the same idea as a hot latte, just built for a glass instead of a cup, which means the coffee needs to be brewed stronger than usual - otherwise the ice melts and you end up with milky, watered-down coffee instead of an iced coffee latte.
The Base Recipe
- Brew it strong. A double shot of espresso, or 60-90ml of a strong filter coffee decoction or moka pot brew. If you're using drip coffee, brew it at roughly double concentration.
- Fill a glass with ice.
- Pour the coffee over the ice first, then top with cold milk (whole milk, oat milk, or whatever you prefer).
- Stir and taste - adjust sweetness with sugar, syrup, or condensed milk before adding more ice.
That's the whole method. Everything below is a variation on this base.
From ₹540
Iced Vanilla Latte
Stir 1-2 teaspoons of vanilla syrup (or a few drops of vanilla extract plus a little extra sugar) into the hot coffee base before pouring over ice, so it dissolves properly. Top with cold milk. This is the most-ordered flavoured iced latte for a reason - it's mild enough not to fight with the coffee.
Iced Caramel Latte
Same method as vanilla, but with caramel syrup, and drizzle a little extra caramel on the inside of the glass before adding ice for the classic layered look. Caramel is sweeter and heavier than vanilla, so start with slightly less than you think you need.
Iced Hazelnut Latte
Hazelnut syrup added the same way. Hazelnut pairs particularly well with a Robusta-leaning blend, since the nuttier, heavier coffee body stands up to the sweetness better than a delicate pure-Arabica cup does.
Iced Mocha Latte
Stir 1-2 teaspoons of cocoa powder or chocolate syrup into the hot coffee base until fully dissolved (cocoa powder clumps in cold liquid, so always mix it into the hot coffee first). Pour over ice, top with milk, and add a little extra sweetener since unsweetened cocoa is bitter.
Spanish Iced Latte
A Spanish latte swaps regular milk for sweetened condensed milk. Pour 2-3 tablespoons of condensed milk into the glass first, add ice, then pour the hot coffee over it and stir well before topping with a splash of regular milk. The result is noticeably sweeter and creamier than a standard iced latte - closer to a dessert.
The One Tip That Matters: Don't Let Ice Water It Down
The single most common mistake with any iced latte is brewing coffee at normal strength and pouring it straight over ice - the ice melts fast and dilutes an already-milky drink into something thin and bland. Fixes:
- Brew at double strength (more grounds, same water, or less water in a moka pot).
- Use coffee ice cubes instead of plain ice, made by freezing leftover brewed coffee in an ice tray.
- Build the drink quickly and drink it soon after - don't let it sit over ice for 20 minutes before you start.
Related Reading
Best Ground Coffee for Milk covers which grinds and blends hold up best once milk and ice are involved, and What Is a Latte? if you want the basics before the flavours.
Every iced latte variation - vanilla, caramel, hazelnut, mocha, Spanish - starts from the same base of strong coffee, cold milk, and ice. Get the concentration right first, then the flavour is just a spoonful of syrup away.