Copycat Starbucks Iced Vanilla Coffee (Easy & Cheaper!)

Ingredient Notes

• Coffee: We drink our daily coffee with just a little bit of milk so we make our coffee twice as strong when we are making at-home versions of our favorite coffee shop drinks. This can be made with coffee that has been allowed to cool to room temperature (or chilled in the fridge) or leftover coffee. You can also make this taste more like Starbucks if you buy their cold brew coffee, it is available at most grocery stores. 
• Vanilla Syrup: We make our own vanilla syrup but you can use store bought, like Torani. Making your own is much cheaper than what you can buy and you just need simple ingredients you may already have. 
• Cold Milk: I use whole milk most of the time because that is what we keep on-hand. You can use low-fat milk or 2% milk if that is what you have. Non dairy milk like soy milk, coconut milk, almond milk or oat milk will work if you are dairy free. 
• Ice: I use the ice cubes from the ice maker in my freezer, crushed ice will melt too fast so I recommend ice cubes. 

Homemade Iced Vanilla Coffee Ingredients

Making vanilla coffee at home is super easy and costs a fraction of the price of a coffee shop drink. To make this refreshing drink, you only need three simple ingredients:

• Milk of Choice: Whole milk, 2%, or your favorite non-dairy alternative.
• Strong Brewed Coffee: Use chilled or room-temperature coffee.
• Vanilla Simple Syrup: Provides that signature sweet vanilla flavor.

What is in a Starbucks Iced Vanilla Coffee?

A standard Iced Starbucks Blonde Vanilla Latte is a bit more complex than a home brew, usually consisting of:

• 2 shots of blonde espresso
• 4 pumps of vanilla syrup
• 2% milk and ice

While the coffee shop version requires an espresso machine, my homemade version uses strong brewed coffee to give you that same great flavor without the expensive equipment.

3 Tips for the Best Homemade Iced Coffee

Double the Strength: Brew your coffee about twice as strong as you would for hot coffee. Since you’ll be pouring it over ice and adding milk, a stronger brew ensures the rich coffee flavor doesn’t get lost or taste “watered down.”

Use Coffee Ice Cubes: If you have leftover coffee, pour it into an ice cube tray and freeze it! Using coffee ice cubes instead of regular water cubes is a total game-changer—as they melt, they just add more coffee flavor to your glass instead of diluting it.

Sweeten While Warm (or use Syrup): If you aren’t using a simple syrup, always stir your sugar or sweetener into the coffee while it’s still hot so it dissolves completely. However, using my Homemade Vanilla Syrup is the best method for cold drinks because it blends instantly without leaving any gritty sugar at the bottom of your glass.

How to Make Homemade Vanilla Syrup

1. Add one cup water and one cup white sugar to a small saucepan, bring to a boil and cook until the sugar dissolves, usually about 2 minutes. Take off the heat and stir in 1 ½ tablespoons of vanilla extract. 
2. Cool and transfer to a jar. It can be poured into a mason jar while it is still hot.

Alternative method using vanilla beans

1. Add one cup of water, one cup of sugar and one vanilla bean to a small saucepan and bring it to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. 
2. Allow to cool and strain, discard the vanilla pod.

Can I Use Vanilla Extract Instead of Vanilla Syrup?

Vanilla extract and vanilla syrup are different. Vanilla extract is used in combination with equal parts water and sugar to make vanilla syrup to be used in cold drinks. The syrup is evenly distributed into the liquid, it isn’t gritty, and doesn’t sink to the bottom of iced coffee drinks.

Frequently Asked Questions

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