As a coffee enthusiast, I have spent months attempting to find/create the perfect iced coffee recipe. After many failed attempts, I discovered that the key is to keep your recipe simple and not go overboard with flavorful syrups or sugars.

For my coffee, I use a Keurig machine. These appliances are beyond worth it. They vary in sizes, colors, and designs, but all use the “KPOD” method. KPODs are small pods that you place in your Keurig which contain coffee. The pods vary in flavor and many brands carry them. Starbucks and The Donut Shop are some of the most loved brands for buying KPODS.

The first step to a great coffee is to brew your drink. I use a Keurig with a vanilla flavored KPOD. 

Instant coffee and bottles of cold brew you can buy at any grocery store are also great.

After brewing the coffee, I leave it to sit and cool down for about 10 minutes, because it is extremely hot when first brewed.

I then add one pack of sweetener into the hot coffee. I use Stevia. After adding the sweetener, I add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. This is a great pop of flavor that sweetens the coffee. I prefer using vanilla extract as opposed to straight vanilla syrup, because the syrup is extremely sweet. There are many other flavors and syrups you can add such as caramel, almond, pecan, peppermint, and more.

After my coffee has cooled a bit and I added some extra flavors, I get a separate cup and fill it up with 75% ice. Ice cubes are less likely to water down the coffee as opposed to crushed ice, so I use cubes. Then, I pour the hot coffee mixture into the cup with the ice. This immediately cools down the drink and makes it iced.

And for the ultimate step, add cream or milk to your cup with the coffee and the ice. I use an oat-based creamer that is dairy-free.

And with that, you now have delicious, iced coffee.