This healthy iced coffee recipe tastes like a coffee shop treat without the sugar and extra calories. This easy homemade iced latte is made with just 2 ingredients and takes less than 5 minutes to prepare. Milk and instant coffee create a delicious, creamy cold foam. It is naturally low in calories, high in protein and the perfect sugar-free iced coffee for a hot summer day.
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What you'll love about the recipe
- This healthy iced coffee recipe uses just 2 everyday ingredients and takes less than 5 minutes to make. There are no special ingredients or equipment needed, and the cold foam means there's no waiting around for your coffee to cool
- Low-calorie fat-free iced coffee with a rich, creamy whipped top. If you like lattes and frappes, you'll love this frothy, light iced latte-style coffee
- Skinny iced coffee with no added sugar or syrup
- A good source of protein, vitamin B12, calcium, potassium and magnesium (read more about the health benefits of drinking milk.)
Why is this iced coffee healthier than a coffee shop drink?
Takeaway iced coffees and lattes are often loaded with cream and sugar. The calorie count varies by order, but they typically range from 160 to 500 calories per serving.
This homemade skinny iced latte without cream has just 70 calories, and is nutritious too. It's very low in saturated fat, and there's no added sugar.
Homemade iced coffee is a budget-friendly option which is both cheaper and healthier than a takeout coffee from the High Street.
(You can also save money and calories with this homemade honey lemonade or caffeine-free sugar-free iced tea)
What is cold foam?
The foamy topping that you find on top of a latte is usually made with hot milk. In this recipe the combination of cold milk and instant coffee creates a lovely frothy topping.
The surfactants that are naturally present in instant coffee (they are also in other foods such as egg whites) help the bubbles to form this dense, creamy foam as it is whisked. It's not quite as stable as a foam made with loads of sugar (remember Dalgona whipped coffee??), but it'll hold up whilst you enjoy your drink.
This 2-ingredient cold foam method means that you don't need to wait for your coffee to cool down.
Ingredients
Instant coffee granules. Although I usually enjoy my hot coffee with ground beans, instant coffee works brilliantly in this recipe. You can use decaf or regular coffee to make instant iced coffee.
I use decaffeinated freeze-dried coffee granules, and they dissolve quickly and easily in frothed milk.
Chilled skimmed milk. When combined with instant coffee, skimmed milk makes a creamy dense foam. You can use milk with a higher fat content if you prefer, but you might be surprised how good this fat free iced coffee tastes.
It's important to use chilled milk if you want to enjoy your cold coffee drink straight away. Chilled milk will also make a better foam.
I've made the recipe with both normal dairy milk and lactose-free milk, and both turned out perfectly.
Ice - optional, to serve
How to make healthy iced coffee with cold foam
Use a tall jug or glass to froth the foam for this iced coffee so that you don't get splashed!
Add the instant coffee to the jug with 50ml of the chilled milk. Froth with an immersion blender or milk frother. The coffee will dissolve quite quickly and the milk will start to foam.
Spoon the whipped coffee into a serving glass. Top up with the remainder of the chilled milk.
Serving
It's best to serve healthy iced coffee immediately. Although it's fine to leave it for a few minutes, if you make the coffee too far in advance, the foam will start to disappear.
Add a little ice to taste if desired. Remember not to overdo the ice as it will water down your coffee.
I love to serve healthy iced coffee with no-bake flapjacks or chocolate bliss balls.
Frequently asked questions
Over the years, I've made cold coffee in 4 different ways:
1. Make hot coffee and leave it to cool in the fridge.
2. Make a strong hot coffee and cool quickly with ice.
3. Make cold brew coffee. Use 2-3 times the normal quantity of coffee and brew with cold water for 12 hours. This makes a nice smooth-tasting coffee - you'll notice the difference if you are drinking it black, but probably not if it's milky
4. Whisk instant coffee into cold milk.
If you plan to drink your iced coffee with milk, the instant coffee method is ideal, as it's quick and easy and gives a lovely creamy foam.
This healthy iced coffee recipe is sugar free. It is simply sweetened with the natural sugars in dairy milk. However, if you want more sweetness, you could also add some cinnamon, honey or maple syrup. You could also add a little vanilla extract, or add a sugar alternative such as stevia.
Yes. Although we're used to frothing milk when it's hot, it also froths really well when cold. Often cold foam has a sugar syrup in it, but in this sugar free iced coffee, the milk is frothed with instant coffee granules.
Other healthy drinks you might like
All of these healthy drinks are free from refined sugar
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Recipe
Healthy Iced Coffee (Sugar-Free Iced Latte)
Equipment
- immersion blender or milk frother
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon instant coffee granules decaffeinated if preferred
- 200 ml skimmed milk chilled
- ice to serve
Instructions
- Add the coffee granules to a tall jug and pour in 50ml of the chilled milk.
- Blitz with an immersion blender or milk frother until the milk has dissolved and the mixture is foamy and frothy.
- Pour the whipped coffee into a serving glass. Top up with the remaining chilled milk.
- Serve with ice.
Notes
- For a sweeter iced coffee you could also add some cinnamon, honey or maple syrup. Or try a little vanilla extract, or add a sugar alternative such as stevia.
- Remember, ice will dilute the flavour of your iced latte, so only add a little if desired.
Nutrition
Please note nutritional information is per serving and is provided for guidance only.
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