Cozy up with this Starbucks iced coffee recipe made with bold coarsely ground coffee, hot water, and icy-cold cubes. It’s your brew, your way.
It’s simple, smells like your favorite café, and cools you right down. Add a splash of milk, a kiss of vanilla syrup, or go all-black and broody—it’s your cup, literally.
So you know that moment in the afternoon when your brain slows down to dial-up speeds? This helps. This iced coffee is bold and smooth, not bitter or watery like some sad drive-thru version. You get to control everything—from how strong it starts to how sweet (or not) you make it. Plus, making this at home means no spelling your name with three extra vowels on the cup. Toss it together in minutes, sip it over ice, and feel your mind reboot.
Table of Contents
Don’t let this one slip away — pin it now and thank yourself later!
Don’t let this one slip away — pin it now and thank yourself later!
Why You’ll Love this Starbucks Iced Coffee
This one’s a “how did I not make this sooner” kind of deal—no drama or mysterious steps to follow.
- Ridiculously simple to make: You just stir, wait, and pour it over ice. No espresso machines or frothing wands required.
- Tastes fresher than takeout iced coffee: Since you brew it yourself, there’s no weird aftertaste or suspicious burnt notes.
- Customize it endlessly: Fancy caramel swirl? A splash of oat milk? Three cubes of ice or six? It’s all yours.
- Affordable (like surprisingly so): One bag of coffee makes a week’s worth. Your wallet will thank you while sipping.
- Great hot weather ritual: Cooling off with something caffeinated and refreshing somehow feels like peak grown-up summer.
Ingredient Notes
Minimal pantry players today, but each one brings a little something to the mix.
- Coarsely ground coffee: This is important! Fine grind can over-extract and leave it astringent. Use a French press grind.
- Hot water: Just-off-boil (around 200°F or 93°C) helps extract the good stuff without bitterness. Let it rest for 30 seconds after boiling.
- Ice cubes: Besides doing the obvious chilling, they dilute the strong brew to the perfect iced-coffee strength.
- Optional add-ins: Milk, sweetener, or flavored syrup transform this however you like—think vanilla smoothie vibes with a caffeine twist.
How To Make This Starbucks Iced Coffee
You could have this ready to sip before your favorite playlist even finishes. Let’s walk through it.
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Combine coffee and hot water: In a heat-safe container or French press, mix 1 cup of coarsely ground coffee with 2 cups of hot water. Give it a stir to ensure all the grounds get wet and start mingling.
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Let it steep for 4 minutes: Seriously—set a timer. If it hangs out too long, it’ll go bitter and aggressive… like me after someone skips the coffee queue.
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Strain or press the coffee: Use a French press to push the grounds down or strain through a coffee filter. Either way, you want a smooth, strong brew at this point.
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Pour over ice-filled glasses: Divide the hot coffee between two tall glasses full of ice. Don’t worry that it’s hot; the ice melts just enough to dilute it perfectly without turning it into brown water.
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Customize to your heart’s content: Add milk, cream, sweetener, or go bold with a syrup swirl. Stir it up and drink while cold and smugly satisfied.
Storage Options
So let’s say you get all ambitious and make a full batch. Can you stash some away for later? Yes, totally.
Pop the leftover brewed coffee (once cooled) into a lidded jar or container, and slide it into the fridge. It’ll hold up beautifully for about 3 to 4 days. Honestly, day-old iced coffee tastes just as lovely—sometimes even smoother since the flavors mellow out.
Freezing? Yep, kind of. You can pour it into ice cube trays. Those coffee cubes are amazing for iced lattes that don’t get watered down. Just don’t freeze the full drink if it’s already been dressed up with milk or cream—that’ll go all funky and separate when thawed.
And no need to reheat anything here. This isn’t hot coffee we’re reviving—just pour it over ice and dive back in.
Variations and Substitutions
Swapping things around is half the fun. This recipe is a cozy coffee canvas just waiting for your creative brush strokes.
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Cold brew instead of hot brew: Switch to a cold brew method (12-hour steep) for an even smoother, lower-acid drink. Great for sensitive tummies.
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Use flavored syrups: Vanilla, hazelnut, lavender—whatever speaks to your inner barista. Homemade or store-bought both work beautifully.
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Try alt milks: Oat milk blends in luxuriously, almond milk keeps it light, and coconut milk adds a hint of beachy fun.
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Sweeten creatively: Maple syrup, brown sugar simple syrup, or even a spoonful of sweetened condensed milk if you’re really feeling indulgent.
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Brew stronger if you add lots of ice or milk: Just bump up the coffee-to-water ratio to keep it bold and perky.
What to Serve with Starbucks Iced Coffee
Iced coffee plus snacks? You’ve unlocked the great midday joy combo. Here are a few ideas to round it out.
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A buttery baked snack is classic with iced coffee. Think something like Bisquick sausage balls, served cold or room temp. That hit of savory next to a chilly sip? Mwah.
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Fruitier desserts like peanut butter banana ice cream sandwiches bring out the roasted depth in the coffee. Sweet and salty, frosty and bitter—it all works.
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For a light lunch pairing, go with something like a quick green salad or even pan-seared cod with rainbow chard. The crisp coffee cools things down and resets your palate perfectly.
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On a really busy day, just grab some toast with jam or nut butter. It’s what I call “functional elegance” and yes, it still counts if you’re standing up at the counter with bedhead.
Don’t let this one slip away — pin it now and thank yourself later!
Don’t let this one slip away — pin it now and thank yourself later!
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make this the night before?
Absolutely. It actually smooths out as it sits, kind of like cold brew’s confident older cousin. Brew it, strain it, and pop it in the fridge (covered). When morning rolls around, it’s all ready—just pour it over ice and customize however your sleepy brain sees fit. No bleary-eyed measuring needed.
What kind of coffee should I use?
Go for coarsely ground, medium to dark roast coffee. Something you’d enjoy hot will taste great cold. Avoid flavored coffees at this stage—they can burn or taste off when brewed hot and then iced. Keep it classic, and let the add-ins do the flavor magic.
Can I use a regular drip machine?
You can, but the brew will likely be more diluted—drip machines usually brew with more water than we’re using here. It’ll still be tasty, but if you’re aiming for that strong Starbucks-style base, steeping manually gives you more control over strength and bitterness levels.
Is this the same as cold brew?
Not quite! This is more like “flash-chilled coffee.” You brew it hot (which extracts more quickly), then immediately pour it over ice to cool and dilute it. Cold brew, on the other hand, takes 12-24 hours and uses cold water from the start—so it’s mellower and sweeter, but requires more planning.
Easy Starbucks Iced Coffee
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 1 cup (85 g) coarsely ground coffee French press grind preferred
- 2 cups (480 ml) hot water Just off the boil, around 200°F / 93°C
- 2 cups (330 g) ice cubes More as needed for serving
Optional Add-ins
- milk or cream To taste
- sweetener or flavored syrup To taste
Equipment
- French press or heat-safe container
- Coffee filter or fine mesh strainer (if not using French press)
- Spoon
- Measuring cup
- Tall glasses
Instructions
- Combine the coarsely ground coffee and hot water in a French press or heat-safe container. Stir to saturate all grounds.
- Let the coffee steep for 4 minutes. Set a timer—steeping longer can cause bitterness.
- Press the plunger down if using a French press, or carefully strain the mixture through a coffee filter or fine mesh strainer into a clean container if using another vessel.
- Fill two tall glasses generously with ice cubes.
- Pour the hot brewed coffee over the ice in both glasses. The ice will chill and slightly dilute the coffee to perfect strength.
- Customize as you like: stir in milk, cream, flavored syrup, or sweetener. Enjoy immediately while cold and refreshing!
