Iced cappuccino recipe – refreshing on a hot day

Ah, cappuccino. The very sound of it is comforting, isn’t it? Made with espresso and frothy milk, it’s a perfect pick-me-up coffee drink. But what if you want a cappuccino on a hot summer day? Enter the iced cappuccino – a refreshing twist on the classic drink. Today I’m going to dive deep into what makes an iced cappuccino so great, the taste, the best beans to use, and how you can make one sooo easily!

What is an iced cappuccino?

If I said you could make one of the all-time classic coffees with 3 simple ingredients, would you believe me?

Well, iced capp only needs milk, coffee and ice cubes. And by the way, that’s actually one more than the classic caffe cappuccino!

Typically, an iced cappuccino consists of 1-2 espresso shots, poured over ice cubes with cold milk and topped off with a light and frothy layer of milk foam.

Served chilled, it makes a perfect morning or afternoon pick-me-up in hot weather.

But there’s an even better reason to drink iced cappuccino – it tastes so good, you’ll want it to never end!

The taste of iced cappuccino

Starting with 2 shots of espresso, you’d imagine that it would taste really bitter. But when made well, it has a mellow smooth and slightly sweet flavor, with a creamy, velvety texture

Making it with ice, instead of hot like a regular cappuccino, has the effect of toning down any bitterness from the coffee. This allows all the other flavors to really show through.

By the way, you can make it with many different great milks. For inspiration, take a quick look at my guide to the best dairy milks or my guide to the best non-dairy milks. OK, yes i wrote these two guides for lattes. But thee types of milk that work for lattes also work for cappuccinos.

Also, yes you can froth cold milk. It’s easier with milks that are easy to foam, like 2% cow’s milk and almond milk or oat milk. At the moment I can’t get enough barista blend oat milk.

So, depending on the coffee beans you use, you can find notes of chocolate, caramel, citrus fruits and even brown sugar. All wrapped up in delicious creamy milk.

Now you know why I am always going on about getting great coffee beans. When the bitterness is cut down, you really find out if you like the beans. So unless you are sure, check out my current favorite coffees.

Best coffee beans to use

Whether you prefer a really strong, full-on, dark-roast, a light-roast, or even something in-between, check out my current favorite beans.

illy Classico medium roast

Delicious tastes and aromas of caramel and chocolate.

San Francisco Bay Coffee – French Roast

A deeply intense experience of dark roast coffee with notes of chocolate and spices.

Intelligentsia House, light roast whole bean coffee.

So good you may even think you are drinking milk chocolate and citrus flavored coffee.

Starbucks Italian dark roast coffee beans

This amazing coffee has notes of dark chocolate and even toasted marshmallows. Plus, if you love some pleasant bitterness in your cappuccino, you are in for a treat.

Starbucks Blonde Roast Veranda Blend

As a light roast, this allows the flavors of the coffee to come through with very little bitterness. The veranda blend has flavor notes of milk chocolate and malt.

How to make iced cappuccino

Making the perfect iced cappuccino is easier than you think, and it only requires a few simple tools and ingredients.

Equipment

• 1 espresso machine or coffee maker
• 1 frothier or blender
• 1 jug
• 1 8oz glass
• 1 spoon

Ingredients

• 1-2 shots espresso
• 1/2 cup cold milk
• 1/2 cup ice cubes
• 1-2 tsp sugar or other sweetener (optional)
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract (optional)
• 1/4 tsp chocolate powder (optional)
• 1 spoon whipped cream (optional)

Method

• Brew the espresso
• While the espresso is brewing, froth the milk.
• Add the ice cubes to the glass
• pour the espresso over the ice
• add sugar or other sweetener and vanilla extract (optional)
• pour in the milk (holding back the foam)
• spoon over a small amount of the milk foam
• stir to combine the ingredients
• dust with chocolate powder (optional)
• Relax and enjoy!

Top tips

• For the best results, use the best quality, freshest ingredients.
• If you have an espresso machine, that’s great, just brew 2 shots. Otherwise use any coffee maker you have to brew to shots or brew 1/3 cup of very strong coffee. Check out my guide to making espresso without a machine.
• You can use any milk you prefer. But some frother better than others. Check out my guides to the best dairy milks and the best non-dairy milks. Ok, I wrote it for lattes, but the techniques apply to making capuccinos.
• Frothing cold milk is almost the same as frothing hot/steamed milk. Some work better than others. I would try either 2% milk or barista blend oat milk for easy success!
• Make sure your milk is cold before frothing.
• Use a blender or milk frother to get the perfect creamy texture and foam.
• Use a spoon to hold back the foam as you pour the milk. Then spoon out a small amount of foam.
• Just like a regular cappuccino, an iced espresso uses the ratio:
• 1/3 espresso + 1/3 frothed milk + 1cm milk foam.
• It’s your cappuccino, so you can customize it however you want. Some options include:
• Adding flavored syrup. Imagine an iced mocha cappuccino? Or what about maple syrup iced capp?
• Maybe you’d prefer some whipped cream on top, perhaps even topped with a dusting of chocolate powder.

The bottom line

An iced cappuccino is a refreshing twist on a classic coffee drink that is perfect for hot weather. The smooth, creamy texture of the milk foam combined with the strong, cold espresso shot tastes great and looks beautiful.

With some good coffee and a bit of practice, you can make your perfect iced cappuccino in no time.

So, the next time you want to relax with some refreshing coffee fire up your coffee maker and grab the milk from the fridge. You won’t regret it!

Other great espresso-based iced coffees

You deserve to try all of these great drinks. I know I have and I enjoy every one! Often, the problem is deciding which to make…

• Iced caramel latte – Relaxing and refreshing in equal measure!
• Vietnamese iced coffee – an exciting twist of summer coffee from a country that is always hot and humid.
• Instant cold brew – a totally mellow coffee experience, even with instant coffee!
• Iced mocha – Don’t tell anyone, you’ll end up making them for the whole family.
• Iced espresso – when you need to cool down but need an energy boost.
• Iced hazelnut latte – a delicious nutty coffee experience.
• Iced instant coffee – another simple way to make great tasting iced coffee in a hurry.