Mmmmmm, it’s Iced Coffee season. The flowers are blooming, the sun is shining, the windows are open and the fans are pumping. What better way to cool down than a nice cold iced coffee – made healthy to boot! This is my go to drink on hot summer afternoons. It’s great to bring on errands, kids soccer games, work shifts, school, you name it. I love adding collagen peptides to boost my protein intake and keep me full even longer (also enjoying the other wonderful health benefits collagen provides)! I can detect the taste of collagen in hot coffee but for some reason I don’t notice it in my iced coffee. I think the maple syrup and vanilla helps to hide it… Of course you can make it without if you don’t have collagen on hand, or sub in a protein powder of choice. This recipe is very flexible. I prefer the flavour of maple syrup for my sweetener but go ahead and sub any sweetener you prefer to use. The best tasting cream is, of course, going to be heavy cream. I often only have half & half on hand and use that instead, it’s still good. You can also sub in a dairy free milk like coconut milk, cashew milk, almond milk, etc. I use a tiny swig of pure vanilla extract for flavour. I love the simplicity and depth of flavour it adds and I don’t have to worry about all the added ingredients in those store-bought coffee syrups. Not to mention I just don’t really want a huge bottle of coffee syrup taking up space in my kitchen. If you’ve seen my kitchen you understand. It’s ummm…. compact. If you have a syrup you love, go ahead and use that!
Here are my best tips for your iced coffee success this summer:
Put your leftover coffee to good use! It makes me so happy to see a bit of coffee sitting in the carafe after a morning brew. I can just see an iced coffee in my future! I keep a running bottle in my fridge and add any leftover coffee to it whenever there’s some left in the pot. Then, like an old friend, it’s there for me when I need it 🙂 You can also freeze your leftover coffee into ice cube trays. Frozen coffee cubes are great when you are making iced coffee with hot coffee and don’t want it to be so watered down. They’re also delicious in smoothies and a dangerous cocktail I must share with you soon (it’s kind of like a healthy mudslide?!).
Shake your coffee well before pouring over ice. If you’ve ever tried to stir in collagen powder or honey or even maple syrup to a liquid with ice in it, you know it’s a lesson in futility. I like to add my ingredients to a mason jar, secure the lid well, and give it a good shake until it’s perfectly combined. This also creates some beautiful froth to really give you all the coffee shop vibes. Pour your beautiful frothy coffee over ice (or coffee iced cubes!) and enjoy.
Adjust to your taste. Listen, you better believe I’m not whipping out measuring spoons and measuring cups when I make an iced coffee. So, it’s just a lil’ different each time. I give it a taste and I can tell – it needs more maple syrup if it’s not sweet enough; if it’s too bitter it needs the richness of more cream; if I added too much vanilla, I might need to add more coffee or cream. Keep in mind that Iced Coffee at the restaurants usually has a much higher milk:coffee ratio than what I am using here – I prefer my iced coffee on the strong side. You might prefer it to be creamier, so go ahead and add more milk/cream if you like! I just tweak it until I think it is absolutely delicious, and so should you. Do not be alarmed if it doesn’t taste “right” right off the hop. So much depends on the strength and bitterness of your coffee and personal taste, so you just have to play around with it a bit. Also, don’t underestimate the effect of a very “iced” coffee. It just tastes better the colder it is. Sometimes all I’m missing is an extra ice cube or two.
I love the simplicity and versatility of this recipe. I’ve made it at a handful of friends houses and they’re always surprised that I can rummage up the ingredients I need with what they have on hand. I’ll leave you with the recipe below (it’s more of a template, really). Let me know how it goes in the comment section and tag me on instagram with your iced coffee pics. It’s so fun seeing you guys trying out the recipes! Talk to you soon 🙂
Skinny Vanilla Iced Coffee
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups strong brewed coffee works best with cooled coffee
- 1-2 tsp pure maple syrup or sweetener of choice
- 1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2-4 tbsp heavy cream or dairy free milk of choice
- 1 serving collagen peptides (or sub protein powder of choice) optional
- 3-5 Ice Cubes (or coffee ice cubes) use more or less depending on if you started with hot or cold coffee
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients except the ice cubes to a mason jar. Secure lid tighly and shake well until completely combined and frothy.
- Taste and adjust to your liking (keep in mind ice will make a big difference as well).
- Pour over ice and serve.
- Ps – I should or shouldn't inform you that on a perfect summer evening the addition of baileys and/or kahlua is an ummm…. welcome addition 🙂
Featured in this post:
Duralex (Made in France) Clear Drinking Glasses – This set was recommenced by Deb from Smiiten Kitchen in one of her yearly favourite things lists. I trust her unreservedly and was in need of a good drinking glass set so I took the plunge. These cups are made in France and have been manufactured since 1945. They are the very cups used in French children’s schools precisely because they are so durable, sturdy, chip resistant. They’re a classic and I have not been disappointed by the least. If you’re in need of a new glass set, this is THE one to buy. I love the 3 sizes, we use them all for specific purposes.
Collagen Peptides – I use this everyday and absolutely love the health benefits it provides for my hair, skin, and nails. It’s also a great way to up my protein intake and keep me full for longer. I have whole post on Collagen if you’re interested in learning more about it.
Kicking Horse Kick Ass Dark Roast Whole Bean Coffee – this is our favourite coffee (besides Black Rifle Coffee, of course, but we can’t afford to drink it on a regular basis). It often goes on sale for $9.99/bag and that’s when we stock up. It’s on sale at the time of writing this so you’ll just have to check the link to see what the current price is. Good, strong, clean tasting coffee makes allllll the difference, trust me!
See the Coffee section on my Resource Page for all my preferred brewing equipment.
Mmmmm nothing better than iced coffee!!! Every morning!!!!!
Great recipe! Gotta try this one!
Yeah I think you introduced me to Iced Coffee! This is the one I make you when you come visit me 🙂
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