This Cold Brew Coffee with Almond Milk is a refreshing drink you can make at home. Learn how easy it is to make your own concentrate!
Learn how easy it is to make Cold Brew Coffee at home this summer and save lots of money in the process!
Coffee. On the list of things I consider essential in life. It isn't totally about the caffeine buzz for me. (Although, that is a plus). I honestly just love everything about coffee - The flavor, the smell, the little daily ritual that preparing it provides.
When I was young, I would climb up on the counter top, open a container of Folgers and inhale. Most kids were probably doing normal kid things like playing in the sandbox or building forts. Not me. This five year old was sitting on the counter top sniffing the coffee can.
I heard this quote from Stephen Colbert while he was talking to Jerry Seinfeld about coffee in one of my fave Netflix shows - Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee. He said, 'It lifts you up while it calms you down'. So true, Stephen, so true.
The warm weather has finally arrived and I'm shifting toward the iced version. An iced coffee habit from Starbuck's or any coffee shop can get expensive. Quickly.
This cold brew is easily made at home and can save you lots of money!
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Do I Need To Buy Special Coffee?
For a long time, I firmly held the belief that coffee must be consumed hot. I would sit around on those 90 degree days sipping my boiling elixir while wiping sweat off my brow. It seemed sacrilegious to ice something that was just supposed to be hot.
Nowadays I switch over to the cold stuff as soon as the temp goes above 75 degrees. Sometimes in life it's best not to torture yourself. That's where this cold brew coffee comes in. You can make it home just as easily as the regular stuff, you get the same caffeine buzz, and it's nice and refreshing!
You don't need any special variety of coffee to make cold brew at home. I love this Cafe Bustelo ground coffee when preparing cold brew. It's super cheap - Like, $3.50 at our local Aldi.
It has a great natural mocha flavor. You can use ANY type of coffee you like, though. No need to spend too much money on gourmet or specialty coffee!
How To Make Cold Brew Coffee Concentrate
You will need a few 'tools' to prepare the cold brew coffee using this method. Everything needed is inexpensive and easily found at a local retail store.
Here's what you'll need to make it.
- A large glass jar or pitcher (one that easily holds 8 cups of water) with a screw-top lid.
- 1-2 glass carafes
- A funnel with strainer
- Some cheesecloth
- An ice cube tray
- Measure out 1 ½ cups of ground coffee - If you are grinding it yourself, make sure to grind it coarsely. This will make it easier to strain. Any type of grind will work but remember that the finer it is the more difficult it is to strain.
- Add 8 cups of water to the grounds and stir them into the water with a large spoon.
- Screw the lid on the container container (or cover it with a towel if the container you're using doesn't have a lid) and let it sit on the counter top for at least 12 hours. It can go longer for stronger flavor.
How Long Does Cold Brew Coffee Take To Make?
- Let the coffee concentrate chill out on the counter for at least 12 hours. After the coffee has 'brewed' it will be time to strain it. You need another container to 'catch' the coffee as you strain it and to store in the fridge as it chills - A glass carafe works great for this.
- Place a small funnel (with strainer) firmly on top of the carafe and then cut a small square of cheesecloth and place it into the funnel on top of the strainer. The cheesecloth makes cleanup easier and allows you to easily lift them out of the funnel and toss them (or use them for garden compost)!
- Once the funnel, strainer, and cheesecloth are firmly in place begin to pour the coffee concentrate into the funnel. Do this a bit at a time or you will overflow the funnel. It's best to do this in the sink to avoid spills.
- Continue until the glass carafe is full.
- Place the carafe of coffee concentrate in the refrigerator and allow to chill for a few hours until cold.
How To Make Coffee Ice Cubes
This recipe makes more concentrate than could I could fit in my 1 liter glass carafe so I decided to make some coffee ice cubes. I think I learned that one from The Pioneer Woman.
Simply pour any remaining concentrate into an empty ice cube tray and place in the freezer. In a few hours, you have coffee ice cubes.
Now you can drink your cold brew without it getting watered down. (Watery coffee = Bad).
When the ice cubes melt, all you have is MORE COFFEE!
Place a few of the frozen coffee ice cubes in your favorite glass (I'm a sucker for an old-fashioned mason jar) and pour your desired amount of the chilled coffee concentrate into the glass.
You can pour as much or as little as you like!
Looking for some treats to enjoy with your coffee? Check out these recipes!
- Buttermilk Rhubarb Cake
- Glazed Lemon Doughnuts
- Rhubarb Streusel Muffins
- Scandinavian Almond Cake
- Baileys Chocolate Glazed Doughnuts
- Italian Chocolate Hazelnut Cake
How To Serve Cold Coffee
Top the cold brew coffee off with some almond milk or any type of milk you like!
I love a lightly sweetened almond milk but you can use regular dairy milk, soy milk, rice milk, oat milk - Any kind you like. (It seems like there's a milk for everything these days).
Add some sugar, honey, agave, or sugar-free sweetener if you like your coffee even sweeter.
Is Cold Brew Stronger Than Regular Coffee?
Cold brew does have more caffeine than regular drip coffee but it is much less acidic.
Running hot water through coffee grounds over and over can extract a lot of tannins which can make regular drip coffee taste bitter and give you heartburn.
Brewing with room temperature water brings out the more complex flavors in the coffee grounds without the bitterness.
How Long Does Cold Brew Coffee Last?
It might seem like a lot of work to make this stuff but it's actually super easy and that batch of coffee should last up to 7-10 days in the refrigerator.
I recommend covering the jar as it sits in the fridge with a cover or towel to maintain freshness.
Seriously, this coffee is SO perfect for the summer months! Simply pour as much of it as you like into a glass, top with your favorite milk, add a little sugar if you like and you're good to go. I will warn you, though, it's addicting!
For a refreshing drink check out this Strawberry Mint Mocktail, Virgin Mango Mojito, and Cranberry Ginger Mint Mocktail!
I love it with a baked goodie like this Sour Cream Rhubarb Bread or Blueberry Buckle!
This cold brew is great in my Coffee Infused Banana Bread and Irish Bailey's Affogato!
Looking For More Cold Brew Recipes? Don't Miss These!
French Press Cold Brew
Chocolate Almond Blended Cold Brew
Vietnamese Iced Coffee
Cold Brew Coffee with Almond Milk
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups ground coffee any type of coffee will work
- 8 cups room temperature water
- almond milk can use any type of milk (dairy, soy, rice, oat)
- 1 tsp. sugar or other sweetener optional
Instructions
- Place 1 ½ cups of ground coffee (course ground coffee is a bit easier to strain) into a large glass container. Add 8 cups water and stir until completely incorporated.
- Screw the top on the container or cover with a towel.
- Let the coffee and water mixture sit on the counter at room temperature for at least 12 hours (can go up to 24 hours).
- Place a small funnel and strainer firmly into a glass carafe. Cut a square of cheesecloth and place it into the funnel over the strainer. Slowly pour the coffee concentrate into the funnel a little at a time (this process takes a few minutes). Continue until carafe is full.
- Repeat with second glass carafe if desired or use the remaining concentrate to make coffee ice cubes.
- Pour remaining coffee concentrate into ice cube tray and freeze.
- Place the glass carafe(s) full of the coffee into the fridge and chill until cold.
- To serve: Place coffee ice cubes, chilled coffee, desired amount of milk, and 1 tsp. sugar (optional) in glass and stir.
Kelly R Asche
This cold brew coffee is super addicting!
Lori | The Kitchen Whisperer
Oh this is something I know my in-laws would love; same with my girlfriends! I’m hosting a ladies’ brunch and this would be perfect to serve!
Christine
It's so great during the summer months - Hope you enjoy! 🙂
Meg M
Just how I make it, except I strain several times back and forth to completely get rid of the oil slick you will see on top of the coffee. And I find it's almost as expensive to make with my own coffee than to purchase a bottle of cold brew at the store- because you need to use so much. Maybe I'll look online for better coffee prices ???? my sensitive stomach is grateful to whoever got this cold brew thing started ????
Christine
Hi Meg - I use the Cafe Bustello brand which I can find for $2-3 at my local Aldi. It comes finely ground so it does require a few rounds of straining. It is nice and strong, though, and a great value. Yes, so happy for the person who thought up cold brew coffee! 🙂
Mary M.
I've found that there is something about Cafe Bustello that makes the best cold coffee. When I'm in a hurry, I even use the instant and cool it for a quick cold coffee with almond milk with a little chocolate syrup. By trial and error, I've found that flour sack cloth works better than anything else to strain the cold brew. Yummy stuff!
Christine
Hi, Mary - There is something about that Cafe Bustello that gives cold brew such a deep flavor. Thank you for the tip about the flour sack cloth! I am totally trying that because I tend to have mixed results with the cheese cloth. 🙂