Homemade Vanilla Iced Coffee with Stok Cold Brew

This vanilla iced coffee made from Stok Cold Brew is my favorite way to get my caffeine kick on hot summer days.  I don't know about you, but in the warmer months of the year when it ranges from about 90°-100°F, I crave cool, refreshing drinks instead of super hot coffee.

Aside from the caffeine, this homemade cold brew coffee drink also has another perk (pun intended). It's also a great trick for saving money--no Starbucks run needed for this girl when I've got this recipe!

Thanks to an easy homemade vanilla simple syrup and refrigerated cold brew from the grocery store, I can make a delicious iced coffee on the regular, sans barista! For this recipe, I tested with un-sweet black cold brew coffee since I'm a strong coffee lover. (I tend to go for dark roasts.)

If you don't like it as robust, use extra simple syrup or pick another of Stok's cold-brewed coffee flavors.

The only "involved" part of this recipe is to make the vanilla simple syrup using equal parts water and sugar. I love to make a batch of the syrup and keep it in the fridge. That way whenever I have a craving for iced coffee, everything's ready to go.

Why Stok cold brew? I may have been influenced after watching We are Wrexham (Stok is a sponsor of the team). It really is delicious though, it has a smooth taste and is so much easier than making cold brew yourself.

Give this recipe a try and I bet you'll love it too and won't miss that visit to the coffee shop either! If you'd like to experiment with other iced coffee flavors, then I bet you'll love this easy caramel iced coffee.

And, while you're at it, cold brew iced coffee goes really well with several of my favorite breakfast recipes. Try it with Blueberry Lemon Muffins with Streusel Topping, Double-Dipped Chocolate Brioche French Toast, pumpkin oatmeal, or Bananas Foster Banana Bread recipes. With any that you choose, you're in for a treat!

Ingredients

Before we get started, let's gather the ingredients we need for this recipe:

• granulated sugar
• water
• vanilla extract
• ice
• Stok cold brew coffee (I like Stok unsweetened extra bold black cold brew coffee)
• whole milk for serving (optional)

Instructions

Now that we've got our ingredients, it's time to make our iced coffee!

1. First, make the vanilla simple syrup: Combine the water and sugar in a small saucepan and place over medium heat. Cook just until the sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool completely. Stir in the vanilla.

2. Next, fill a tall glass with ice. Add the cold brew and 1 to 2 tablespoons of the simple syrup. Add desired amount of milk and stir to combine.

Hint: Make sure the simple syrup is completely cooled to room temperature before stirring in the vanilla extract. Since vanilla extract has a high alcohol content, waiting for it to cool first prevents all the flavor from evaporating out.

Hint #2: This recipe calls for cold brew coffee, not cold brew concentrate. Make sure you're using coffee that doesn't require dilution.

Substitutions

Need to make some ingredient swaps? Here are some ideas:

• Milk - Instead of whole milk, use reduced-fat or skim milk. Or try a dairy-free option like almond milk, cashew milk, oat milk, or coconut milk. You can also make it super decadent and use whipping cream or half-and-half if you'd like.
• Vanilla extract - Vanilla bean paste or an already used vanilla bean are great substitutes. Or, try another extract like almond extract, coconut extract, or maple extract.
• Granulated Sugar - You can make simple syrup with other sweeteners besides granulated sugar. Try honey, agave, or maple syrup if you prefer.

Variations

Check out these variations to change up this recipe:

• Cold Brew Mocha - Stir in some chocolate syrup or a little cocoa powder (plus more simple syrup) to make a mocha iced coffee.
• Island Iced Coffee - I love adding coconut milk to iced coffee. Add a little coconut extract into the vanilla simple syrup and top with toasted coconut flakes for a tropical vibe.
• Decaf - To make this decaf, look for decaffeinated cold brew coffee.
• Vegan - In addition to using a dairy-free milk, use vegan granulated sugar or agave in the simple syrup instead of granulated sugar.

Equipment

Hooray! To make this iced coffee, you won't need any fancy equipment. Here's what you'll need to make this recipe:

• dry measuring cups
• liquid measuring cup
• measuring spoons
• small saucepan

Storage

Store the ingredients separately in airtight containers the refrigerator for up to 2 to 3 weeks.

Freeze the ingredients in airtight containers for up to 3 months.

Frequently asked questions

Recipe guidelines and test kitchen tips

When developing and testing recipes, here are some key things that I do for more success in the kitchen:

• Be sure to use dry measuring cups for things like flour, sugar, and mayonnaise and a liquid measuring cup for things like water, milk, and broth.
• When measuring dry ingredients like flour and powdered sugar that can pack down, spoon the ingredient into a dry measuring cup and level with a knife as opposed to scooping the measuring cup into the ingredient.
• I test and develop recipes using a standard electric oven and standard gas stovetop. Be aware that if you use an electric stovetop or convection oven, your bake times will be different.
• When recipes call for kosher salt, I use Diamond Crystal kosher salt.

Food safety

Finally, don't forget to keep these food safety tips in mind when making this recipe.

• Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
• Never leave cooking food unattended

See more guidelines at USDA.gov.