Sweet Iced Coffee with Coconut Milk

Sweet Iced Coffee with coconut milk is easy to make and stores well in the fridge. Make a large batch and save yourself a few trips to the coffee shop this summer.

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I adore taking inspiration from holidays for many of my recipes because doing so brings back so many happy memories. Two years ago we took a trip to DisneyWorld. Predictably, we screamed our way through the rides, dutifully ooh'd and aah'd our way through the fireworks and coped with the blazing heat with ludicrous amounts of water and all manner of tasty concoctions.

One treat from this trip has stayed clearly in our minds - the iced coffee. It was bone-chillingly cold, sinfully sweet and had a real coffee buzz to it. We all agreed it was downright delicious.

It has taken me a while to get around to it, but I surprised my family recently with this Coconut Iced Coffee. It's maybe not as sweet and indulgent as the holiday version, but it's a real treat to sip upon when it's too hot for a regular coffee or cup of tea. Try serving it with a simple coconut macaroon (aka rocher coco) alongside.

Confession: I would never order an iced coffee in a cafe for fear that the coffee would be too strong for me (I was stealing sips in Disneyworld).  I'm a bit of a super wimp you see. I need my coffee hit to be there, but not overly so and it must be sweet, oh so sweet.

Putting myself in the driving seat as far as coffee strength & sweetness levels go is the only way forward for me.

I'm a big fan of homemade everything really.

A quick guide to creating your perfect serve Sweet Iced Coffee

This Sweet Iced Coffee is a really simple drink to make, involving 3 easy steps:

1. Brew some espresso coffee, cool and chill. I don't have a coffee machine, so I used a Cafetière (French Press)
2. Whisk in coconut milk & condensed milk 
3. Serve over plenty of ice

Pretty straightforward, right?

I've used coconut milk rather than cream to reduce the fat content and make this drink slightly healthier than it could be. Coconut milk adds a touch of creaminess to the drink and a delightful texture without adding undue fat and calories. Honestly, the coffee masks much of the coconut taste, but it's very subtly there. 

Both the strength and sweetness of this coffee drink are really up to you:

• Go for 2/3/4 tablespoon espresso powder per 250ml water for a mild/ mid-strength/ punchy coffee hit (my preference is 3 tbsp)
• Add 1 or 2 tablespoon condensed milk per serving for a sweet/ supersweet drink (I opt for 1 tbsp)

But always serve it well chilled over plenty of ice.

You can also make coffee or sweet iced coffee ice cubes to add to the drink so that the flavour is not diluted as the ice melts.

Honestly, this is the simplest of summer drinks you can prepare. I recommend making a large batch and storing it in the fridge to decant as and when the coffee craving hits you.

As it stands this drink is not vegan since it contains condensed milk. I tried a vegan variation using sugar syrup made with brown sugar to replicate the caramel notes of the condensed milk. To be honest, I wasn't happy with the results, so I'll leave the vegan version to the experts.

In the market for more coffee drinks? If you are after a short, punchy hit of iced coffee you might well like my Caffè Shakerato (Italian Iced Espresso). Alternatively, get tempted by my Coffee Date Shake or my Boozy Gingerbread Latte.