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Cold Brew Coffee is the smooth, never-bitter iced coffee I make at home for pennies instead of paying Starbucks prices, and once you taste a homemade glass you will never go back. I started brewing a jar every few days last *summer* to beat the afternoon slump, and now it lives permanently in our fridge. If you love copycat coffee drinks, you have to try our homemade gingerbread latte too.
With just coffee grounds and water (and a little patience), you get a rich, smooth concentrate that is far less acidic than hot-brewed iced coffee.
Cold Brew Coffee Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 1 minute
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 0 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 12 hours (mostly hands-off)
- 🍽️ Serving: 1 serving
- ⚡ Calories: 5kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Smooth, rich, and bold with low acidity and no bitterness
- ✋ Difficulty: Very easy, even simpler than our copycat frosted lemonade
Quick Answer
To make Cold Brew Coffee, stir 2 tablespoons of coarse coffee grounds into 1 and 1/2 cups of water in a glass or jar. Let it steep in the fridge or at room temperature for 9 to 12 hours, then strain it through a coffee filter, a fine mesh strainer lined with cheesecloth, or a French press. Pour the smooth concentrate over a glass of ice and serve. The long, slow steep is what makes cold brew so smooth and low in acidity compared to regular iced coffee.
Jump to:
- Cold Brew Coffee Quick Look
- Quick Answer
- Why This Recipe Works
- Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Key Ingredients
- Variations and Substitutions
- How to Make Cold Brew Coffee
- Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Serving Ideas and Suggestions
- Cold Brew Coffee FAQs
- Other Recommended Drink Recipes
- Starbucks Cold Brew Coffee Recipe (How Long Does It Last?)
Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- The slow steep makes it smooth. Brewing with cold water over 9 to 12 hours extracts the coffee gently, so you get rich flavor without the bitterness or acidity of hot brewing.
- Coarse grounds are key. A coarse grind keeps the brew from turning muddy or over-extracted and makes straining easy.
- It is endlessly customizable. Drink it straight over ice, cut it with water or milk, or sweeten it however you like.
- It saves a fortune. A homemade glass costs pennies compared to a daily coffee-shop run.
- It keeps for days. A batch of cold brew concentrate stays fresh in the fridge for up to two weeks, so you can make it ahead.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It is incredibly smooth and never bitter, thanks to the long cold steep.
- It takes one minute of hands-on work and saves you a daily trip to the coffee shop.
- It is the perfect base for fun coffee drinks, like our iced pumpkin spiced latte.
Key Ingredients
You only need two things to make cold brew (three if you count the ice).
- Coarse coffee grounds: a coarse grind is essential for a clean, smooth brew that strains easily.
- Water: filtered water gives the cleanest taste since it makes up most of your cup.
- Ice: for serving, so your smooth cold brew stays cold and refreshing.
- That is it: no machine, no heat, just grounds, water, and time.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
This Cold Brew Coffee is a blank canvas, so make it your own.
- Cut the concentrate with milk, cream, or your favorite non-dairy milk for a creamy cold brew.
- Add a splash of vanilla, caramel, or simple syrup to sweeten.
- Make a big batch by scaling up the grounds and water in the same ratio.
- Top it with cold foam or sweet cream for a coffee-shop feel at home.
- Turn it into a fancy iced latte like our iced pumpkin spiced latte.
How to Make Cold Brew Coffee
- Add the coarse coffee grounds to the bottom of a glass or jar.
- Pour in the water and stir well to make sure all the grounds are saturated.
- Leave the mixture to steep in the fridge or at room temperature for 9 to 12 hours.
- Filter the cold brew into another glass using a coffee filter, a fine mesh strainer with cheesecloth, or a French press.
- Fill a serving glass with plenty of ice.
- Pour the strained cold brew over the ice and serve. Add milk or sweetener if you like.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Use a coarse grind. Fine grounds slip through the filter and make the brew muddy and over-extracted.
- Steep 9 to 12 hours. Less time tastes weak, much longer can turn bitter. Aim for overnight.
- Strain twice if needed for a crystal-clear, sediment-free cold brew.
- Make a concentrate. Brew it strong, then dilute each glass with water or milk to taste.
- Store it in the fridge. Sealed cold brew keeps its fresh flavor for up to two weeks.
- Save your grounds ratio. Once you find your perfect strength, keep the same grounds-to-water ratio every time.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
This Cold Brew Coffee is perfect straight over ice on a hot morning, or dressed up with milk, cream, and a drizzle of syrup.
Use it as the base for our iced pumpkin spiced latte or gingerbread latte for a copycat coffee-shop treat.
On a really hot day, serve it alongside other refreshing sippers like our frosted lemonade and homemade limeade for a drink station everyone loves.
Cold Brew Coffee FAQs
Stored in a sealed container in the fridge, cold brew concentrate stays fresh for up to two weeks. Once diluted with water or milk, drink it within a few days for the best flavor.
Cold brew concentrate is stronger and higher in caffeine than drip coffee, but most people dilute it with water, milk, or ice, which brings it to a similar or slightly stronger level than a regular cup.
Bitterness usually comes from steeping too long or using grounds that are too fine. Stick to a coarse grind and a 9 to 12 hour steep for a smooth result.
Not at all. A glass or jar and a way to strain (coffee filter, cheesecloth, or French press) is all you need. No machine required.
You can, but a coarse grind works far better. Regular or fine grounds make the brew cloudy and can slip through the filter. Ask your store to grind beans coarse, or use a burr grinder at home.
This recipe uses about 2 tablespoons of grounds per 1 and 1/2 cups of water for a ready-to-drink brew. For a stronger concentrate to dilute later, use a 1-to-4 ratio of grounds to water.
Ready to dress it up? Turn your cold brew into our homemade gingerbread latte next.
Starbucks Cold Brew Coffee Recipe (How Long Does It Last?)
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons coarse coffee grounds
- 1 & 1/2 cups water
- ice to serve
Instructions
- Add all of the ground coffee into a glass.2 tablespoons coarse coffee grounds
- Add water, stir well, and leave for 9-12 hours in the fridge or at room temperature.1 & 1/2 cups water
- Filter the cold brew into another glass using a coffee filter, a fine mesh strainer with cheesecloth, or a French press.
- Fill another glass with ice.ice
- Pour in strained cold brew coffee and serve.
Notes
- Use a coarse grind for your coffee to avoid a gritty texture.
- For a stronger brew, increase the coffee-to-water ratio.
- Strain the coffee through a coffee filter to ensure clarity.
- If you like it sweet, add sweeteners while the coffee is still at room temperature.
- Experiment with different brewing times to find your perfect flavor.
- Serve over ice to maintain its refreshing temperature.
Nutrition
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