Iced strawberry latte – coffee and dessert all in one!

Summer is here, and there’s nothing like a refreshing iced drink to beat the heat. Look no further than iced strawberry latte. It’s got it all – intense coffee, succulent strawberries and cream. So settle down and get ready to learn how to make a real crowd-pleaser of a coffee. I’m going to take you through everything you need to know to make the perfect iced strawberry latte.

What is iced strawberry latte

I love strawberries almost as much as I love coffee. And that’s the thing, If you love things individually, why not try them together?

Plus, making an iced version opens it up to drinking during hot weather. So you get the sweet strawberry, silky rich cream and deep intense coffee and ice so its cooling and refreshing and energising all in one.

Yes, you can make this recipe with a strawberry syrup. But, honestly, why would you? Strawberries are available in the store year-round, And if you have a yard, or a balcony, they are so easy to grow nowadays.

The Taste of Iced Strawberry Latte

You already know what strawberries, milk, cream and coffee taste like. So imagine putting that all together in one delicious cup or glass.

Suddenly, you experience all of these amazing different flavors mingling together. And guess what? It all works!

So first you get the tangy sweetness of the strawberries, with velvety smooth and rich cream and milk. These are closely followed by the coffee.

As you know, some coffees can be quite overpowering, so you’d be forgiven for thinking you need to use less coffee or even a lighter roast. Well, making an iced coffee always mellows the flavors of coffee. So you get a smoother more flaversome coffee that comes through to perfectly balance the strawberries milk and cream.

That brings us to the choice of coffee for your iced latte. There are so many great coffees, so I have listed my current favorites.

Best coffee beans to use

For a delicious iced strawberry latte, it’s important to use the best ingredients. One of the things you need to experiment with is the coffee.

With so many brands and roasts to choose from it can be confusing. So I have put together my current favorites. These include everything from really mellow and smooth blonde roasts (sometimes called light roasts) through to full-on dark roasts.

Here are my choices, I’d love yo know what you think and which coffee you use to make this amazing strawberry iced latte.

• 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 marshmallow. 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 an iced strawberry latte

Equipment

• 1 coffee maker or espresso machine
• 1 Latte glass
• 1 spoon
• 1 Kitchen scales (optional)
• 1 Set of measuring spoons (optional)

Ingredients

• ¾ cup milk
• 1/2 cup ice cubes
• 1-2 shots espresso or 1/3 cup of strong coffee
• 4 strawberries ripe medium-large
• 1-2 tsp sugar (optional)
• 1 tbsp whipped cream (optional)
• ½ tsp vanilla extract (optional)
• 1/4 tsp cocoa powder (optional)

Method

• Brew 1-2 shots of espresso, and leave to cool for 10 minutes
• Finely chop or blend all but one of the strawberries
• Add any sugar and vanilla extract you want to use
• Froth the milk to a creamy texture
• Fold the mashed strawberries into the foamed milk
• Add the ice cubes to a tumbler or mug
• Pour the espresso over the ice cubes
• Pour the frothed milk and strawberries over the ice and espresso
• Top with any (or all) of whipped cream, dusting of cocoa powder and slice of strawberry.
• Serve while still chilled and enjoy!

Top tips for making iced strawberry latte at home

• If you can, choose good quality fresh espresso beans and grind them just before you need to use them. Otherwise, use the best and freshest coffee you can.
• Brew 1-2 shots of espresso, or 1/3 cup strong coffee. Leave it to cool so that it does not immediately melt the ice – that will only add water which weakens the coffee.
• While the espresso is cooling, pour the cold milk into a jug.
• You can use whatever milk you prefer. If you like dairy milk, check out my review of the best dairy milks. Otherwise, I have a great review of the best non-dairy milks you can use.
• Add any sugar and vanilla extract to the milk and stir in.
• Use a frother or blender (or even a hand whick or French Press) to foam the milk.
• Select juicy, ripe strawberries for optimal flavor and make sure you have enough to both blend into the frothed milk and to slice up to use as a topping for your latte.
• Finely chop, or mash 3 ripe strawberries and fold them through the foamed milk. Remember to hold back one of the bigger ripest strawberries.
• Pour the espresso into a latte glass, then gently pour in the milk. Hold back the foam to gently layer on top.
• You can stop there, perhaps dusting the top with some chocolate powder and adding a slice of strawberry.
• For the ultimate luxury experience, add a spoon of whipped cream to the top. Better yet, pipe the cream. Then finish with a slice of strawberry.
• Serve chilled and enjoy!

The bottom line

Iced strawberry latte is a unique and luxurious coffee drink that’s perfect for summer days. With some equipment, a few simple ingredients, and some practice, you can make this delicious summer latte in the comfort of your home.

You can even experiment with different coffees and kinds of milk so that you end up with your personal favorite.

But, think very carefully before showing off this new skill to friends and family. Once they know what an amazing iced strawberry latte you can make they’ll want one all the time!

Other great summer coffees

Once you have enjoyed a strawberry iced latte, why not make some of these amazing cooling and refreshing hot-weather drinks:

• Iced cappuccino – perfect when you just need a cappuccino, but it’s too hot.
• Decaf iced coffee – cool refreshing but caffeine-free, so you can enjoy it any time.
• Iced flat white – another great espresso-based coffee we all love.
• Iced hazelnut latte – delicious nutty flavor, I like mine with oat milk.
• Shaken espresso – new kid on the block. So smooth and creamy you won’t want it to end.
• Instant iced coffee – a great budget option and super simple to make.

Or, for more inspiration check out my Ultimate Guide to Iced and Chilled Coffees. You are sure to find your perfect summer coffee!