How To Make Coffee Ice Cubes: Step-By-Step

Here is a quick guide on how to make coffee ice cubes. You can enjoy the intense coffee flavor all the way down to the bottom of the glass on a hot day.

How To Make Coffee Ice Cubes
Iced coffee is really appealing on warm summer days

Equipment Needed For Making Coffee Ice Cubes

To make coffee ice cubes, you will need several things. First, you have to have a way to make the coffee. You can use leftover coffee from your breakfast coffee that came from your coffee maker, or you can create cold brew coffee by pouring cold water over coarsely ground coffee and letting it sit in the fridge overnight before filtering it in the morning. 

You will also need ice cube trays to make coffee ice cubes. You can use traditional hard plastic ice cube trays, or you can use silicone ice cube trays. Many stores may not carry ice cube trays, since so many people have ice makers, but you can always order them from Amazon. 

Last, you will need a freezer where you can slide the ice cube trays and let them sit until the coffee ice cubes are fully frozen. 

Ingredients You Will Need To Make Coffee Ice Cubes Recipe

iced coffee
Add a sweetener like sugar or condensed milk if you want a sweeter coffee ice cube
  • 2 cups coffee. There is only one major ingredient that you must have to make coffee ice cubes: coffee. Of course, you can use whatever kind of coffee that you like whether it’s espresso, cold brew, drip style, or even coffee from a French press coffee maker. You will need about 2 cups of coffee to fill your ice cube trays and while extra ingredients are nice, they are not necessary.
  • Sweetener to taste. If you want a sweeter coffee ice cube add a sweetener like sugar or even a few tablespoons of sweetened condensed milk.
  • Flavorings. If you want to add interesting flavors to your coffee ice cubes, you can include them with the coffee. Things like a teaspoon of vanilla flavoring, a teaspoon of ground cinnamon, 2 tablespoons of chocolate syrup for a mocha flavored cube, or 2 tablespoons of caramel syrup will make more interesting ice cubes. You can also reduce the amount of coffee and add any kind of milk of that amount to make a creamier coffee ice cube. 

Step-By-Step Guide On How To Make Coffee Ice Cubes

You, too, can make coffee ice cubes in just three easy steps!

Step 1. Make coffee

The first thing that you need to do when making coffee ice cubes is to make the coffee and let it come to room temperature. Freezers are not designed to cool very hot things, so do your freezer a favor and only use room-temperature coffee. Stir any flavorings into the coffee at this point, making sure that they are thoroughly incorporated and dissolved.

Step 2. Put Coffee In Trays

 Pour coffee into your ice cube trays. You may want to have the coffee in a measuring cup with a spout so that you can more easily control the flow of your coffee into the ice cube trays. 

Step 3. Freeze

Slide the ice cubes into the freezer and let them freeze overnight. In the morning, you can pop them out of the trays and store the cubes in zip-top freezer bags until you are ready to use them. They will keep for up to three months in the freezer.

Reasons Why You Should Make Coffee Ice Cubes

coffee ice cubes in a cup of coffee
Coffee ice cubes can help you enjoy the full flavor of your iced coffee drink

Iced coffee is a wonderful treat, but when you use regular ice cubes, you can lose some of your intense coffee flavors as the ice begins to melt and water down your drink. When you make coffee ice cubes, you can enjoy the full flavor of your iced coffee drink even when the ice begins to melt.

In fact, if you add extra flavorings to your coffee ice cubes, you may add more interest to your drink as the ice melts since the flavors will intensify the longer that you take to sip your coffee beverage. 

If you or someone you love prefers leisurely sipping an iced coffee drink, the appeal of iced coffee can be diminished. By the time they get halfway through the drink, the melted ice begins to ruin the taste of the coffee drink.

Making coffee ice cubes can help you and your friends take your time and really enjoy one another’s company as you sip your coffee drinks. 

The Final Word On How To Make Coffee Ice Cubes

While it takes a bit of forethought and prep time, having a freezer bag of coffee ice cubes on hand will make it easy to always have something available to intensify your iced coffee experience. You can always have a delicious homemade iced coffee drink whenever you want and enjoy the bold coffee flavor from the top of your glass to the very bottom of it. 

FAQ About How To Make Coffee Ice Cubes

How long will it take to make coffee ice cubes?

While the initial prep time is just a few minutes, it does take some planning ahead to allow enough time for the coffee ice cubes to freeze. They’ll need to be in the freezer overnight or for about 8 hours.
 

What kind of coffee can I use for making coffee ice cubes?

You can use whatever kind of coffee that you have on hand to make coffee ice cubes. Espresso, leftover French press coffee, or any other kind of coffee beverage that you like will work to make coffee ice cubes.
 

What are some interesting uses for coffee ice cubes?

Of course, the most common way to use coffee ice cubes is to simply pour your cold brew over them for a tasty, refreshing beverage. But, there are other uses as well. You can whirl them in the blender with some almond milk and some sweetener to make an icy coffee slushie drink.

Alternately, you can add coffee ice cubes to your chocolate protein drink and blend them to make a mocha flavored milkshake style beverage for breakfast. For another option, pour a few tablespoons of sweetened condensed milk into a jar, add some almond milk and shake to blend.

Then, pour this mixture over your coffee-flavored ice cubes for a delicious, Starbucks-style latte drink. 
 

Author

  • April F.

    April Freeman is a freelance writer who lives with her husband and children on their Middle Tennessee farm where they raise vegetables, fruit, chickens, and cattle. April enjoys writing about food and is always whipping up something tasty in her kitchen. She also is an avid reader of books of all kinds.