Make an iced latte with homemade cold foam for a special treat on a hot afternoon! This can be made with espresso or if you don’t have an espresso machine you can still make this using strong brewed coffee instead!
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Scroll down for detailed step-by-step instructions (with photos!) and a recipe card!
Iced lattes are so fun to make and they’re even better topped with homemade sweetened cold foam! In this recipe I use maple syrup to sweeten but you can use whatever sweetener you usually use in your coffee. Using some kind of syrup works best and provides a smoother textured drink since you don’t have to wait for anything to dissolve as you would if using cane sugar. Besides pure maple syrup I also like using homemade mocha sauce or homemade vanilla syrup.
My husband and I like to go on coffee dates to local coffee shops in our area. During the summer months iced drinks are definitely more desirable. We recently discovered the option to add cold foam to any beverage! It is so good and I really wanted to try to figure out how to make it at home so we could have it whenever we wanted without having to go out.
I figured out a way to do it and it’s so simple!
While there are small machines specifically designed for making cold foam, I found they range from $30-$100, and since I didn’t really want to purchase it at the time I decided to experiment with what I already had. Often you are able to pick things like this up at thrift stores for a fraction of the price of new if you’re willing to wait a little while and keep your eyes open.
I opted for that route and in the meantime decided to try using an immersion blender with the whisk attachment. It worked! While it probably isn’t quite the same results as using a machine specifically designed for it, it still turned out super yummy and worked way better than I was expecting. You can also use a small handheld milk frother which is super cheap and works well too.
What kind of coffee should I use?…
You can use regular or decaf coffee. I like to use organic whole bean coffee. Grinding it fresh always tastes so much better! If you buy your coffee beans locally they will most likely be freshly roasted too! You can use pre-ground coffee though if that’s all you’ve got.
What if I don’t have an espresso machine?…
You can still totally make this! Make a batch of very strong coffee either in a french press or a drip coffee pot. I would suggest to put double the amount of ground coffee that you would normally use to make it a strong enough flavor. Use about 1/4 cup of brewed coffee in place of an espresso shot or more if you like a stronger taste.
Ingredients for an iced latte with homemade cold foam:
- ice cubes (about 5-8 depending on the size of your jar/cup)
- coffee beans or ground coffee (if making an espresso shot I usually use about 17 grams of coffee beans) – organic if possible
- maple syrup or other sweet syrup (1-2 Tbs. depending on how sweet you like)
- whole milk (8 oz. – 1 cup) – I love using raw milk that I am able to buy local. Any whole milk will work though.
Instructions:
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- immersion blender or handheld milk frother
- espresso machine or french press
- stainless steel drinking straws
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Iced Latte with Homemade Cold Foam
Make an iced latte with homemade cold foam for a special treat on a hot afternoon! This can be made with espresso or if you don't have an espresso machine you can still make this using strong brewed coffee instead!
Ingredients
- 5-8 ice cubes
- 1 single or double espresso shot or 1/4 cup strong brewed coffee (more if you like a stronger coffee flavor)
- 1-2 Tbs. maple syrup or other sweetener
- 8 oz (1 cup) whole milk
Instructions
1. Make your espresso shot, or coffee in a french press or drip pot (if doing without an espresso machine, measure out 1/4 cup of coffee to use for your iced coffee)
2. Pour milk (8oz - 1 cup) in a pint jar or something that gives enough extra room to allow for foam to develop. Add syrup (1-2 Tbs.) and stir with a small spoon. Using an immersion blender or small hand frother, froth till very foamy. If using an immersion blender do not fully immerse the whisk into the milk. Try your best just to put about a quarter of the whisk into the milk or else it multiplies way to quickly and is more bubbly instead of foamy.
3. Get all your components ready. Put ice (5-8 cubes) in your jar.
4. Pour a little of the milk into your espresso/coffee then pour it over the ice.
5. Pour the remaining milk over the coffee and ice. The foam will come out last.
6. Stir with a spoon or straw and adjust to taste with more syrup if desired.
Notes
- If you do not own an espresoo machine you can still make this with regular coffee that is made in a french press or drip coffee pot. Make your coffee very strong! I would suggest using double the ammount of ground coffee that you normally would use. Measure out 1/4 cup (or more if you like a stronger flavor) of prepared coffee in substitute of an espresso shot.
Yum! Looks delicious 😋
This looks amazing. Love the cold foam idea! I will have to try this for my afternoon coffee 🙂