Ready literally in a minute, this instant iced coffee is the perfect option for summer. It’s easily customizable and there is no brewing needed to make it!
This post includes a quick video on how to make iced coffee with instant coffee from scratch as well as useful tips and possible substitute ideas.
Iced coffee ingredients
This 1 minute iced coffee is the simplest of all iced coffee recipes that are out there! There are no fancy ingredients in it, it’s just a simple combination of instant coffee with sugar, milk, water, and ice cubes!
It’s simple, yet delicious and so refreshing in summer when the high temperatures call for beverages like this.
What coffee to use?
Like the title says, it is instant iced coffee which means it dissolves easily – you might also know it as soluble coffee or coffee granules, powder…
As for the brand, I like using Nescafe coffee to make instant iced coffee. If you have a favorite brand, then feel free to use that one.
This recipe will not work with ground coffee beans, so they cannot be used as a substitute.
If you are planning a get-together and some of your guests are not coffee drinkers, why not make matcha iced tea for them instead? It’s as refreshing as this 1-minute instant iced coffee and tastes amazing!
Tips for making instant iced coffee
This quick iced coffee is made with full-fat milk, but you can use skimmed or semi-skimmed if you like. I also made it with almond milk, and we like it but haven’t tried other milk alternatives, so not sure how they work. If you do try with other milk drinks, please do let us and our readers know how you liked it!
Instead of brown sugar, you can use white sugar or another sweetener of your choice.
You can use either a hand or a stand blender.
Good to know:
Note that this is not a cold-brew coffee (which has a lower acidity level so it is better for your stomach meaning that people who normally can’t drink coffee as it does not agree with them, can do this kind) as it is made with granules instead of coffee beans and it does not need steeping for 12 hours.
Now that being said, I think you could turn a cold-brew coffee into iced coffee if you wanted. I would probably omit the water completely and simply mixed it with ice, sugar, and milk.
More iced coffee recipes for you to try:
Want to see how to make Instant Iced Coffee? Watch the video!
1-Minute Instant Iced Coffee
Ingredients
- 1 cup milk (250 ml)
- ½ cup water (125 ml)
- 1 cup ice cubes + some extra for serving, if desired
- 2-3 teaspoons instant coffee
- 2-3 teaspoons brown sugar
Instructions
- Throw all ingredients in a blender or a hand blender beaker and blend until smooth and a foam forms (if you are after thicker foam, blend it longer).
- Put some ice cubes in glasses before pouring the coffee in.
- Serve right away!
Judi says
Your 1 Minute Instant Iced Coffee, sounds yummy with the hot and humid summer we have been having. Can you use 2% milk with it? Asking because that is all I ever buy. Thanks in advance.
Julia | Happy Foods Tube says
Hi Judi! Glad you like it! Yes, you can use 2% milk by all means! Let me know what you think once you give it a go! Thanks for stopping by!
Wajeeha says
This looks SO good…I love iced coffee and this 1 minute version looks so tempting…will be trying this for sure!
Julia | Happy Foods Tube says
Thanks Wajeeha! Hope you’ll like it!
Stephanie says
I love the taste! But I can’t seem to get foam and mine just ends up like a slushie?! I am using flax milk, do you think that makes a difference?! No matter, it is refreshing and so quick!!!
Julia | Happy Foods Tube says
Hi Stephanie! Thanks so much for your feedback. Hmm…The foam forms when blending coffee, ice, water, etc together (step 1). Do you use immersion blender to blend it together? I haven’t used flax milk so no idea but I used almond milk and it worked well (not sure if that helps). I suggest you try again – blend it well until you see a lot of foam and only then pour into glasses.
Mark says
Thank you Julia. Phenomenal, refreshing drink! Easy, tasty, beats Starbucks hands down.
Julia | Happy Foods Tube says
Glad to hear that, Mark! Thanks for finding time to leave a comment and rating :).
Amber says
wow delish and quick iced coffee. I love the taste.
Julia | Happy Foods Tube says
That’s great to hear, Amber!
Davona says
So i was very desperate for some coffee and had some instant coffee i haven’t touched for a year in my pantry. I came across this recipe pretty skeptical because i find instant coffee quite gross but this recipe was SO GOOD! I will now use the instant coffee for this recipe EVERYDAY. And maybe add a little twist to it with caramel and vanilla. I added a little more brown sugar because it was too bitter for me, but other than that BRAVO!
Julia | Happy Foods Tube says
Yay! :) I am so happy you gave it a go even though you were not fan of instant coffee…and you loved it! Thanks so much for the feedback, Davona :)
Venus says
I’m not a coffee fan at all but I wanted to find an alternative for energy drinks, this was absolutely perfect. Not only am I saving money but it’s super quick! Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Katie says
Just made this because it’s been so hot but I still wanna drink coffee & I think I prefer this over the hot stuff. So good. 10/10 do recommend
Julia | Happy Foods Tube says
Thanks so much for your feedback, Katie! Wish it was hot in our corner of the world :)
Marla says
Best Iced Coffee recipe I’ve tasted! I added a teaspoon of honey instead of adding sugar – amazing! The recipe is easy and quick.
Julia | Happy Foods Tube says
Thanks so much for your comment and rating, Marla! Hope you find some more recipes on our blog.
Olivia D says
I’d never made iced coffee before because I find coffee very bitter – but I made this (admittedly with a bit more sugar) and it tasted amazing! Thanks for the recipe – will definitely make again!! :)))
Julia | Happy Foods Tube says
Yay! That’s great to hear, Olivia! :)
Olivia D says
Hi again! I was just wondering if I could store this? Would it be possible for me to keep it in the fridge for another day? What would you suggest? Thanks :)
Julia | Happy Foods Tube says
I have never tried, but I don’t see a reason why not. Just make sure to shake it well before drinking. Hope it helps!
Beatrice says
Hey!
Did you try having it in fridge for another day? Did it work? Was it good?
Gabriella says
I have a question about the sugar. The recipe says brown sugar, but the video and the link look more like sugar in the raw. Is that what we should be using? If you do mean brown sugar, is it light or dark?
Julia | Happy Foods Tube says
Hi Gabriella. You can use any sugar you like and adjust the quantity to your liking! It only acts as a sweetener. If you don’t like your coffee sweetened, you could omit it completely. As for the sugar on the video, it is regular brown sugar I get from our local supermarket. It is not raw sugar, but like I said, use whatever you like or have on hand.
Chloe says
Have been searching for a perfect iced coffee and this is amazing! I used beanies salted caramel instant coffee and it was amazing. Also used sweetener rather than sugar!
Julia | Happy Foods Tube says
Hi Chloe! Thanks so much for your feedback. Mmm, salted caramel instant coffee sounds so good. Must check it out! :)
Melissa says
OhEmGeee! I’m not sure why I waited soooo long to try this recipe! This coffee is AMAZING! My son added more ice instead of the water and made is own frappe! So yummy! Definitely 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Julia | Happy Foods Tube says
:) Thanks for your feedback and rating, Melissa! We drink this a lot during summer :)
Cat says
Hi just came across your recipe and it sounds and looks delicious but I don’t have a blender and was wondering if there was a way to make it without one?
Julia | Happy Foods Tube says
Hi Cat, you could try shaking in a jar instead, but not sure how well will that work. You would probably have to omit the 1 cup of ice cubes, increase the quantity of water (I am guessing to a 1 cup) and taste it and see if you like it. Then just use ice cubes for serving. Hope this helps and let us know if you do give it a go.
Lillyana says
I love it but mine came out white not a carmel color but other wise it’s amazing and I also put 2 tsp of sugar to make it sweater and yum!❤
Julia | Happy Foods Tube says
Hi Lillyana. Thanks for your feedback. The color depends on how much coffee and milk you use. Next time you can add less milk to see if you like it more. Enjoy!
Ciara says
This was such a good recipe for us iced coffee lovers!!! Though depending on your taste I added a bit of white sugar as well as more milk but that’s just personal preference…. besides that it was very delicious!!
Julia | Happy Foods Tube says
Thank you so much for your feedback, Ciara!
Mackenzie says
Just tried this and it’s amazing!! I made it with oat milk and i’m so happy I found this recipe it’s so quick and easy to make!!
Tara says
Coffee is the only drink which i love most.
Julia | Happy Foods Tube says
:)
Kim says
Just tried this recipe – great and easy! I added some vanilla ice cream for some extra flavor!
Julia | Happy Foods Tube says
Thanks for your feedback, Kim!:) Have you tried making Italian adffogato? You might also like it. Hot coffee is poured over a scoop of vanilla ice cream (and topped with a drizzle of chocolate sauce if you like). It’s like a 2-in-1: a dessert + coffee.
Kim says
Yes, I have! The ice cream in your recipe makes it great for a hot summer day though!
Jasmine says
i tried it and it was so good my mom tells me to make it for her everyday :)
Julia | Happy Foods Tube says
:) That’s great to hear, Jasmine!
Christine says
So delicious!! I’ve been making this iced coffee for the past couple weeks. It’s so great! I’ve tried regular milk as well as oatmilk. Reminds me of the Starbucks plain coffee Frappuccino, but so much better! (And saves me lots of money). Great recipe!!
Julia | Happy Foods Tube says
That’s so good to hear, Christine! Thanks for your feedback!
Sonya says
I added vanilla creamer to mine and it turned out very good.
Julia | Happy Foods Tube says
:) Thanks for your feedback, Sonya!
Monica says
Incredibly delicious! With the hot summer weather, I drink iced coffee all the time. Thanks for your wonderful recipe.
Julia | Happy Foods Tube says
You are welcome! :)