Well, it’s beginning to get too warm for hot beverages…which means it’s iced coffee season!

I am a big fan of iced coffee and a big fan of coffee dates…but, when I want an iced coffee every-single-day that the weather threatens to be warmer than 80*F, it can get a little pricey…and really, sometimes I don’t want to change from my grungy house wear (yoga pants and t-shirts with paint/mod podge splatters, holla!) to real-deal clothes.

Luckily, cold-brewed coffee saves the day.

I like my iced coffee all kinds of ways–black, creamy, creamy AND sweet, and sometimes flavored. I don’t really discriminate, the flavor of the day just depends on what I’m feeling. Lately, I’ve been mixing up this concoction with a hint of vanilla and almond. It’s the perfect treat for an afternoon pick-me-up when all I want to do is nap the afternoon away, but I can’t because I got schtuff to do.

Vanilla-Almond Iced Coffee

You can mix-up the creamer in advance and keep it in the refrigerator for a week. Feel free to change the flavors and ratios to customize it to your tastes. I love the sweetened condensed milk in the creamer, it lends that flavor that is reminiscent of Vietnamese Iced Coffee, one of my favorites. 

Vanilla-Almond Creamer

1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk

1/4 cup Half and Half

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Stir together all ingredients in a measuring cup. Pour the mixture into a container to store.

Cold-Brewed Coffee

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

A lot of recipes instruct you to leave the coffee mixture out on the counter. I’ve done it this way before, but I like to just keep it in the refrigerator so it’s already chilled when I strain it. I also like to make this in a 1 litre carafe, so I have plenty of cold coffee on hand for spontaneous caffeine fixes.

1 cup ground coffee (I like to use italian, french, or espresso roast)

4 1/2 cups water

In a large container (a beverage carafe works nicely), stir together coffee and water. Cover and store in the refrigerator or on the countertop for at least 12 hours (I usually go a bit longer). Set a fine mesh strainer over a large bowl, line the strainer with a coffee filter. Strain the mixture, you may have to do this in 2 batches. Alternatively, you can filter the coffee using a french press (I have to do this in batches for this amount of coffee). I personally prefer the coffee filter method so a lot of the coffee-ground-silt is filtered through.

To prepare: Fill a large glass with ice cubes, pour over coffee and as much creamer as you’d like. Add a straw for fun and sip-a-bility.