Description
Cold Brew Coffee is a smooth, naturally rich and refreshing coffee beverage perfect for energizing your mornings or afternoons. It features a mellow, less acidic flavor with lasting caffeine, customizable with plant-based milk, natural sweeteners, and flavorful additions. Easy to prepare in advance, this cold brew provides a gentle caffeine boost without bitterness, making it ideal for busy lifestyles and warm weather.
Ingredients
Scale
Basic Ingredients
- 1 cup coarsely ground coffee beans (high-quality)
- 4 cups cold filtered water
- Plant-based milk, as desired
- Natural sweetener (honey, maple syrup, or date syrup), to taste
- Ice cubes, for serving
- Vanilla extract (natural), optional
Optional Variations
- Plant-based chocolate syrup (natural) for mocha cold brew
- Ground cinnamon or cinnamon sticks
- Almond milk (plant-based)
- Fresh ginger slices
- Caramel syrup (natural)
Instructions
- Measure and Grind Your Coffee: Start by choosing your favorite coffee beans and coarsely grinding them. A coarse grind prevents over-extraction and bitterness while allowing smooth flavors to develop during the long brew time.
- Combine Coffee and Water: In a large jar or pitcher, mix the ground coffee with cold, filtered water. Use a 1:4 coffee to water ratio by volume for a strong, robust cold brew. Stir gently to saturate all grounds evenly.
- Steep Overnight: Cover the jar and refrigerate or place in a cool spot for 12 to 18 hours. This slow steeping extracts flavorful compounds without bitterness, creating the signature smoothness.
- Strain the Coffee: After steeping, strain the coffee twice through a fine mesh sieve or coffee filter to remove all grounds, yielding a clear, clean brew ready to drink or customize.
- Serve and Customize: Pour the cold brew concentrate over ice in a glass, then dilute with plant-based milk and natural sweetener as desired. Add a splash of vanilla extract (natural) for extra flavor if preferred.
Notes
- Use fresh, high-quality coffee beans for the best flavor.
- Keep the coffee grind coarse to avoid bitterness and muddy flavors.
- Do not rush the steeping process; longer steeping improves smoothness.
- Double strain to ensure clarity and remove fine grounds.
- Store cold brew concentrate refrigerated in an airtight container for up to two weeks.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 to 18 hours (steeping)
- Category: Beverages
- Method: Cold Steeping
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup (8 fl oz)
- Calories: 50
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 5 mg
- Fat: 2 g
- Saturated Fat: 0.2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 1.8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 8 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Keywords: cold brew coffee, iced coffee, smooth coffee, cold coffee, plant-based coffee, natural sweetener coffee
