Iced Latte
آئسڈ لاٹے
An iced latte is simply strong coffee, cold milk and a lot of ice, and that simplicity is why the details matter. It is the everyday cold coffee of cafés around the world: less sweet and much lighter than a blended cold coffee, with the coffee taste right up front. The two things that make it work are coffee strong enough to stand up to the milk and ice, usually a double shot of , and sweetener stirred in while the coffee is still hot.
- ⏱ Total: 10 min
- Prep: 5 min
- Cook: 5 min
- Easy
- Serves 2
Method
Tap a step when it is done.
Pull 4 shots of espresso into a small jug. Without a machine, dissolve the instant coffee in 1/2 cup of just-boiled water instead.
Stir in the sugar or honey while the coffee is still hot, for about 30 seconds, until no grains are left at the bottom.
Put the jug in the fridge for 10 minutes so the coffee cools a little and doesn't melt all the ice.
Fill two tall glasses right to the top with ice.
Pour 3/4 cup of cold milk into each glass, leaving room at the top.
Slowly pour the sweetened coffee over the milk, half into each glass. It will sit in a dark layer on top. Stir just before drinking.
Kitchen notes
Sweeten the coffee while it is hot. Sugar barely dissolves in cold milk and ends up as a gritty layer at the bottom of the glass.
Use a double shot per glass. A single shot gets lost under the milk and melting ice and the latte tastes like cold milk.
For coffee ice cubes, freeze leftover coffee in an ice tray. They chill the latte without watering it down.
A café classic made at home
The latte began as a hot drink, a shot of espresso topped with steamed milk, and the iced version follows the same idea with cold milk and ice instead. It has become one of the most ordered drinks in coffee shops everywhere, including the specialty cafés now found in Lahore, Karachi and Islamabad. Compared with the sweet, blended Pakistani cold coffee, an iced latte is lighter and less sweet, which makes it a good everyday afternoon drink rather than a treat.
Strong coffee, hot sweetener
Everything in an iced latte dilutes the coffee: the milk, the ice and the ice as it melts. That is why it starts with a double shot of espresso for each glass, or very strong coffee if there is no machine. Sweetener goes in while the coffee is hot, because sugar and honey dissolve instantly in hot liquid and hardly at all in cold milk. A short rest in the fridge cools the coffee enough that it doesn’t melt the ice on contact.
Sweetener and flavour options
- Plain: no sugar at all, for a clean coffee taste.
- Honey: use 1 tablespoon per glass; it pairs well with oat milk.
- Caramel or vanilla: 1 to 2 tablespoons of syrup per glass, stirred into the hot coffee.
- Spiced: a pinch of ground cinnamon or cardamom in the coffee gives it a gentle warmth.
Serving and make-ahead
Pour the coffee last, so it floats on the milk and looks layered, then stir before drinking. You can brew and sweeten a larger batch of coffee and keep it in a sealed bottle in the fridge for up to three days. Then each latte takes less than a minute: ice, milk, coffee.
Questions people ask
What is the difference between an iced latte and iced coffee?
An iced latte is espresso with a lot of milk, so it is creamy and mild. Iced coffee is usually brewed coffee over ice, with little or no milk, so it is stronger and darker.
Can I make it without an espresso machine?
Yes. Very strong instant coffee, a moka pot, or strong French-press coffee all work. Aim for about 1/4 cup of strong coffee per glass.
Can I use plant milk?
Yes. Oat milk is the closest to dairy and stays creamy. Almond milk is thinner and lighter, so you may want a little more coffee.
Nutrition (estimate, per serving)
- Calories
- 160
- Protein
- 6 g
- Fat
- 6 g
- Carbs
- 21 g
