Ditch Starbucks and make your own cold brew coffee at home! It’s simple, easy, and affordable – make a big batch that’ll last the whole week.
This homemade cold brew is the easiest way to enjoy your favourite coffee just the way you like it, without the coffee shop prices.
Why you’ll love this drink
- Budget-friendly brew: Skip the expensive coffee runs! This cold brew recipe saves you money and delivers café-quality flavour at home.
- Customizable to your taste: Whether you like it bold and black or smooth with milk and syrup, you can make it exactly how you love it.
Ingredients and substitutions
- Filtered water – tap water would also work.
- Ground coffee – use your favourite brand, just make sure if you’re using coffee beans that they’re ground up.
- Milk – use any dairy or dairy-free milk blend of your choice (optional).
- Flavour add-ins – like syrups or sweeteners (optional).
How to make cold brew coffee
Step 1: Brew the coffee.
Mix 8 cups water with 2 cups ground coffee in a large pitcher. Steep in the fridge for 12–48 hours.
Step 2: Strain the mixture.
Strain the coffee through cheesecloth in a fine mesh sieve into another pitcher.
Step 3: Pour slowly through the cheesecloth.
Make sure you pour slowly and with precision to ensure there are no coffee grounds in the cold brew.
Step 4: Mix in any flavour add-ins and serve!
Add any flavour add-ins to a glass or mason jar full of ice, then pour in your cold brew. Give it a stir and enjoy!
Cold brew flavour ideas
One of the best parts of homemade cold brew is how easy it is to customize. Try one of these fun flavour ideas:
- Cold foam: Top your coffee with my 3-ingredient cold foam recipe for a café-style finish.
- Brown sugar oat milk: Mix ½ cup brown sugar with ½ cup boiling water and a pinch of cinnamon. Let it cool, then add 1–2 tbsp to your glass with oat milk.
- Salted caramel: Stir in caramel syrup and your favourite milk or dairy-free alternative.
- Vanilla: Add a splash of vanilla syrup and your milk of choice.
- Toasted coconut: Combine ½ cup sugar with ½ cup boiling water. Toast ¼ cup shredded coconut in a pan until golden, then stir it into the syrup. Use 1–2 tbsp with coconut milk for a tropical twist.
Frequently asked questions
What’s the best coffee grind for cold brew?
A coarse grind is ideal. It helps prevent over-extraction, keeps your coffee smooth, and makes filtering easier.
Can I heat cold brew coffee?
Yes! Just warm it gently on the stove or in the microwave. It will still be smoother than hot-brewed coffee.
Can I flavour my cold brew while it steeps?
Definitely. Try adding cinnamon sticks, vanilla beans, or citrus peels for subtle infused flavours.
How to store and reheat
Make-ahead: Brew a large batch and let it steep overnight so you’re ready for the week.
Store: Keep in a sealed jar or pitcher in the fridge for up to 7 days.
Meal prep tools
- Pick up some coffee beans or pre-ground coffee such as Lavazza.
- You may need a coffee grinder if you’re using fresh whole beans.
- Don’t forget to pick up a fine mesh strainer if you don’t already have one.
- And if you’re feeling really lazy and just want your coffee already, these iced coffee syrups are an AWESOME way to jazz up your summer drinks!
- **Get my full list of tools here**
How to Make Cold Brew Coffee
Ditch Starbucks and make your own cold brew coffee at home! It's simple, easy, and affordable – make a big batch that'll last the whole week.
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Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 112kcal
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Equipment
- Cheesecloth for straining
Ingredients
Cold brew
- 8 cups filtered water
- 2 cups ground coffee
Brown sugar oat milk
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup boiling water
- 1 pinch cinnamon optional
- 2 cups oat milk make sure it's a barista blend; I like Earth's own brand
Salted caramel
- 1/2 cup store bought caramel syrup
- 2 cups milk of choice
French vanilla
- 1/2 cup store bought French vanilla syrup
- 2 cups milk of choice
Toasted coconut
- 1/2 cup boiling water
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup sweetened, shredded coconut
- 2 cups coconut milk from the carton, such as the brand Silk
Honey almond
- 1/2 cup boiling water
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1 tsp almond extract
- 2 cups almond milk
Instructions
Cold brew coffee
- Make the cold brew coffee by mixing water and coffee grinds together in a large pitcher. Let sit overnight in the fridge for at least 12 hours (or up to 48 hours if desired).
- When ready to serve, slowly pour coffee through cheesecloth that is sitting in a fine mesh sieve into another large pitcher. Make sure you pour slowly and with precision to ensure there are no coffee grounds in the cold brew.
Brown sugar oat
- Mix brown sugar with boiling water, adding a pinch of ground cinnamon if desired. Let come to room temperature, then store syrup in the fridge up to 2 months. Mix cold brew over ice with 1-2 tbsp brown sugar syrup and 1/4 to 1/2 cup of oatmilk to make one drink. Enjoy!
Salted caramel
- Mix caramel syrup with a pinch of salt. Mix cold brew over ice with 1-2 tbsp caramel syrup and 1/4 to 1/2 cup of milk to make one drink. Enjoy!
French vanilla
- Mix cold brew over ice with 1-2 tbsp French vanilla syrup and 1/4 to 1/2 cup of milk to make one drink. Enjoy!
Toasted coconut
- Mix sugar with boiling water. Meanwhile, toast coconut in a skillet over med-high heat for about 4-5 minutes until golden and fragrant, stirring often. Remove from heat and add to sugar-water mixture. Let come to room temperaure, then let sit in the fridge at least 2 days before straining mixture to remove coconut flakes. Store syrup in the fridge up to 1 month. Mix cold brew over ice with 1-2 tbsp toasted coconut syrup and 1/4 to 1/2 cup of coconut milk to make one drink. Enjoy!
Honey almond
- Mix sugar and almond extract with boiling water. Let come to room temperaure, then store syrup in the fridge up to 2 months. Mix cold brew over ice with 1-2 tbsp honey almond syrup and 1/4 to 1/2 cup of almond milk to make one drink. Enjoy!
Notes
NUTRITIONAL NOTE: The cold brew pitcher itself and each accompanying flavour makes 6 servings. I always recommend adjusting to taste (eg if you don’t like as much milk, start with a little bit and add more to taste; same with the syrup). There will be 1/2 cup of each syrup, so I recommend adding 1-2 tbsp of syrup to each glass and leftovers can be kept in the fridge up to 1 month.
Calorie info is for the brown sugar oat milk cold brew; all other versions will need to be calculated separately.
Mix and match with different syrups and flavours until you find a blend you love.
Let the cold brew seep for a minimum of 12 hours and up to 48 hours.
Store your cold brew coffee in the fridge for up to a week.
Nutrition
Calories: 112kcal (6%)Carbohydrates: 26g (9%)Protein: 1g (2%)Fat: 1g (2%)Sodium: 59mg (3%)Potassium: 64mg (2%)Fiber: 1g (4%)Sugar: 24g (27%)Vitamin A: 164IU (3%)Vitamin C: 1mg (1%)Calcium: 140mg (14%)Iron: 1mg (6%)
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