Made with rich, full-bodied coffee, chilled, then shaken, this Iced Shaken Coffee recipe makes an incredibly smooth and mellow coffee drink with a natural sweetness.
You can add a touch of milk if you want, but you really don’t even need to, shaking the coffee creates delightfully creamy drink with a beautiful foam head on top.
If you’re a coffee drinker, you really must try an Iced Shaken Coffee. It’s amazing. Full bodied, rich, creamy. You’ll love this new way to drink your morning or afternoon perk up!
I first published this recipe in 2019, but have updated it for a better user experience with more information, tips, and helpful suggestions. Have you tried an iced shaken coffee at home? What are your tips?
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What is iced shaken coffee?
Iced coffee is refreshing and delicious. If you want to elevate your iced coffee even more, you need to try an iced shaken coffee.
Shaking the coffee in a cocktail shaker is like aerating wine; basically, the oxygen molecules attach to the coffee, and they soften the coffee, making it more well-rounded and balanced.
Shaking the coffee with ice helps cool it down quickly, dissolves any sweeteners, and gives it a great creamy frothy texture.
This is the best way to get foam on an iced drink.
In more simple terms, it makes the coffee yummier (if that’s even possible!).
How to make
It’s super simple to make this money-saving drink at home (and skip going to Starbucks!).
Just fill a cocktail shaker about half full with ice. It helps to use large ice cubes that won’t break down and melt as quickly.
Pour the cooled coffee or espresso over the ice, and add in any sugar or milk you want.
Place the lid on top of the shaker. Shake vigorously for at least 20 seconds. The longer you shake, the more aerated and frothier your drink will be. The outside of the cocktail shaker should be really cold to the touch, and there will be a layer of foam inside the shaker.
Immediately strain the coffee into a glass. You can also pour the aerated coffee over ice if you’d like.
I have noticed that if I make two drinks in a row, the second one has a smaller head of foam than the first one.
What type of coffee should I use?
This type of shaken coffee works well with any type of brewed coffee or espresso. You can use the French press, a drip coffee maker, a fancy espresso machine, or even a stove top espresso maker.
I like to use regular brewed drip coffee from a medium grind for my Iced Shaken Coffee. I have lots of tips and tricks on how to brew the perfect cup of coffee.
You can even use pre-made cold brew concentrate from the grocery store, or regular homemade cold brew.
Regardless of the brand or type of coffee you use, and even if you don’t add cream or sugar, you’ll get that pretty foam on the top if you shake it well.
The biggest thing to know is that the coffee should be cooled when you go to shake it, so that it aerates and doesn’t simply get watered down with the melted ice cubes.
If you want to use the espresso from the stove top espresso maker, allow the brewed espresso to cool, either to room temperature, or place it in the fridge before shaking it with the ice.
How to use the Stovetop Espresso Maker
These little stove top espresso makers are just the best. Small, easy to move around, easy to store, inexpensive, and super easy to make great tasting espresso which is perfect for Iced shaken espresso drinks.
Unscrew the top half on the (affiliate link) espresso maker, and remove the coffee filter funnel.
Fill the base with cold filtered water, just below the valve (do not fill the water past the steam valve).
Put the funnel into the water filled base, and fill it with coffee. Be sure not to compress the grounds down into the base. This may prevent the water from gurgling up through to the top to make your coffee. Instead of compacting it, smooth the coffee grounds softly with the flat side of a knife.
Tighten the upper half to the base and ensure it’s fully screwed on.
Place the espresso maker over low to medium heat, and be sure not to burn the pot.
Take the pot off the burner immediately when you hear it start to boil or percolate. Let it sit off the heat until percolation stops.
Enjoy your homemade espresso in a Shaken espresso at home!
Iced espresso drinks
You can make all kinds of shaken coffee drinks using this method!
Make an iced Americano with half water and half brewed espresso before shaking it.
Or make an iced latte with half milk and half brewed espresso before shaking it.
And, you could use whatever kind of milk you want, from cream to half and half to skim milk, and any kind of plant-based milk.
This ice shaken method is a great way to add sugar to cold coffee.
Granulated sugar won’t dissolve in cold drinks, and just tends to sink to the bottom. For that matter, neither will liquid sweeteners like simple syrup, honey, or maple syrup.
But shaking helps the sugars dissolve fully into the coffee.
So, if you want to add sugar, place it in the shaker before you start shaking it!
And you can use granulated sugar, sugar cubes, or any specialty sugar you wish.
Add simple syrup or flavored syrups
You can also add any flavored syrups that you like to the shaker for a fun coffee-house experience at home.
Try making your own simple syrups too! Some of my favorites are Cinnamon simple syrup, Lavender syrup, and Cinnamon dolce latte.
Um, you can also add a splash of Bailey’s or Kahlua for a nice cocktail.
What can I use if I don’t have a cocktail shaker?
No cocktail shaker? No problem. There are so many things you can use instead!
Really all you need is an airtight container. A mason jar with a tight-fitting lid. Protein shake blender bottles will work. A wide-mouth water bottle.
Kitchen tools you may need
Note: these are affiliate links
Drip coffee machine
Coffee machine cleaner
stovetop espresso maker
espresso machine
Nespresso machine
large ice cube tray
Iced coffee shaker or a budget friendly shaker
Cocktail shaker set
glass coffee cups
Mason jar drinking glasses with lids
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Recipe
Iced shaken Coffee
Ingredients
- Ice
- 10-12 ounces brewed coffee or espresso cooled
Instructions
- Fill a cocktail shaker about half full with cubes of ice.
- Pour 10-12 ounces (about the amount that your coffee cup holds) of brewed coffee into the shaker over the ice. Add any sweeteners and milk that you'd like.
- Cover the shaker with both lids. Shake the dickens out of it, at least 20 seconds. Shake until you feel the cold through the metal of the shaker and until it starts to make your hand cold.
- Once you can’t shake any more, remove the top lid and quickly pour into a tall glass. Be sure to let the foam come out and top your coffee. Garnish with a shake of cinnamon or a cinnamon stick if desired.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations, and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary based on brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes, and more.
I love this Iced Shaken Coffee and cold brew coffee. Thank you for share these helpful instructions.
I am a sucker for great coffee and great coffee recipes! This one was easy and quick.
I felt like a barista and a bartender at the same time, shake, shake, shake, so yummy! Next time, trying your cinnamon simple syrup in it!