Coffee Drink
Blended Iced Coffee: Easy Coffee-Cube Recipe
Blended iced coffee is a frozen drink made by blending coffee with ice and optional milk or sweetener. This home version uses frozen coffee cubes for a coffee-forward slush, with no ice cream. Freeze the coffee cubes for about 8 hours or overnight, then blend just before serving.
Drink Snapshot
- Caffeine
- ~90 mg reference225 g (7.9 oz) prepared coffee, including the frozen portionGeneric USDA brewed-coffee value; the home brew is unmeasured.
- Calories
- About 90 kcalWhole milk and 20 g (0.71 oz) of 1:1 syrup; no toppingsIngredient calculation; milk and syrup changes alter the estimate.
Serving, sugar and sources
- Serving
- 1 drink; 320 g (11.3 oz) ingredient load before blender losses
- Made with
- Brewed coffee, partly frozen into cubes
- Sugar
- About 13.8 g total. Includes about 10 g added sugar plus naturally occurring milk sugar.
- Preparation
- 10 minutes active, plus about 8 hours freezing; brewing and cooling extra
USDA SR28 records NDB 14209, 01077 and 19335: 225 g coffee + 75 g whole milk + 10 g sugar gives 86.7 kcal, rounded to about 90, and 13.8 g total sugars. At 40 mg caffeine per 100 g, the coffee reference is 90 mg. See the full calculation or label comparison.
Key Takeaways
- 1Use 150 g (5.3 oz) frozen coffee, 75 g (2.6 oz) chilled coffee, 75 g (5 US tbsp) milk and 20 g (0.71 oz) simple syrup.
- 2Count both coffee portions: the cubes contain coffee and caffeine too.
- 3The full recipe is about 90 kcal, with about 13.8 g total sugar; toppings are separate.
On This Page9 Sections
How to Make Blended Iced Coffee
Recipe
Blended Iced Coffee with Coffee Cubes
- Makes:
- 1 serving
- Time:
- 10 minutes active + about 8 hours freezing; start with chilled coffee
Ingredients
- 225 g (7.9 oz) brewed black coffee, already chilled: 150 g (5.3 oz) for freezing and 75 g (2.6 oz) to keep liquid
- 75 g (5 US tbsp) cold whole milk
- 20 g (0.71 oz) chilled simple syrup, 1:1 sugar and water by mass
Equipment
- Kitchen scale
- ice-cube tray and covered container
- blender rated for frozen cubes
- 400–450 ml (13.5–15.2 US fl oz) glass
Method
- Divide the coffee. Weigh 150 g (5.3 oz) chilled coffee into a clean ice-cube tray. Keep the remaining 75 g (2.6 oz) covered in the refrigerator.
- Freeze until solid. Allow about 8 hours or overnight, depending on the tray and freezer. The cubes should be fully frozen.
- Load the blender. Add 150 g (5.3 oz) frozen coffee cubes, 75 g (2.6 oz) chilled coffee, 75 g (5 US tbsp) cold whole milk and 20 g (0.71 oz) chilled syrup in the order your blender manual recommends. Use a blender rated for frozen cubes and stay below its fill line.
- Blend briefly. Secure the lid, use a suitable frozen-drink setting, and stop once the mixture is a fine, pourable slush.
- Serve immediately. Pour into a 400–450 ml (13.5–15.2 US fl oz) glass with headroom. Whipped cream or chocolate is optional and changes the nutrition estimate.
Estimated nutrition per serving: 90 calories; total sugar 13.8 g. Serving: 1 drink; 320 g (11.3 oz) ingredients before blender losses.
Recipe notes
Brewing and cooling are extra. Freeze until solid; timing varies.
The 320 g (11.3 oz) ingredient load is not a measured milliliter yield.
About 90 kcal, 13.8 g sugar and a generic 90 mg caffeine reference; toppings are extra.
The ingredients total 320 g (11.3 oz) before anything stays behind in the blender. Air and frozen pieces change volume, so use the larger glass specified above.
Choosing the Coffee and Syrup
Use a filter brew you enjoy drinking black. If starting from grounds, 20 g coffee with 300 g (1¼ US cups) brewing water is a practical starting ratio; weigh out 225 g (7.9 oz) of the finished brew for this recipe. The brewer retains some water, so input water is not finished coffee yield. Brewing and cooling are extra to the time above.
For a small syrup batch, dissolve equal masses of sugar and water, then cool it. For example, 20 g (4¾ US tsp) sugar plus 20 g (4 US tsp) water makes enough for two 20 g (0.71 oz) portions before any evaporation or spills. Avoid prolonged boiling, which changes the concentration. A packaged syrup may have a different sugar content: use its label.
Why Coffee Ice Cubes Work
Coffee cubes replace plain-water ice with more brewed coffee. Capresso's iced-coffee guidance describes freezing coffee overnight for this purpose. Our recipe adapts that principle to a blended drink.
The cubes still melt, and the drink still becomes thinner as it warms. What changes is the amount of coffee in the mixture. Here is a comparison of two formulas using the same milk and syrup:
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| Frozen ingredient | Liquid coffee | Total prepared coffee in the drink | Generic caffeine reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 150 g (5.3 oz) coffee cubes, our recipe | 75 g (2.6 oz) | 225 g (7.9 oz) | 90 mg |
| 150 g (5.3 oz) plain water ice instead | 75 g (2.6 oz) | 75 g (2.6 oz) | 30 mg |
The coffee-cube version contains three times as much prepared coffee, with the milk and syrup held fixed. That changes the caffeine reference; it does not mean the flavor will taste exactly three times stronger.
Blended Iced Coffee vs. Frappé and Milkshake
Menu names overlap. Coffee cubes are the defining choice in this recipe, not a rule that every drink called blended iced coffee must follow.
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| Recipe to choose | How the cold texture is made | Best fit when you want |
|---|---|---|
| This blended iced coffee | Brewed-coffee cubes blended with liquid coffee, milk and syrup | A coffee slush without ice cream |
| Blended coffee frappé | Espresso, milk and syrup blended with plain ice | A café-style frozen espresso drink |
| Greek frappé | Instant coffee foamed, then served over ice | A frothy drink that does not need a blender |
| Coffee milkshake | Ice cream blended with chilled coffee and milk | An ice-cream dessert drink |
| Avocado coffee | Ripe avocado blended with prepared coffee, condensed milk and ice | A thick fruit-and-coffee drink without ice cream in the linked recipe |
| Coffee granita | Sweetened coffee frozen and scraped into crystals | A spoonable frozen dessert |
Ordinary iced coffee is served over ice rather than blended into slush. Ready-to-drink cold brew can supply the coffee for our recipe; dilute a concentrate to its intended drinking strength first, then weigh the required amount.
Caffeine, Calories and Sugar
The full recipe has about 90 kcal and 13.8 g total sugar, with a 90 mg generic caffeine reference. These estimates include the whole 225 g (7.9 oz) coffee portion and exclude toppings. Actual brewed-coffee caffeine is unmeasured.
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| Ingredient | Calculated energy | Calculated total sugars |
|---|---|---|
| 225 g (7.9 oz) brewed coffee | 2.3 kcal | 0 g |
| 75 g (5 US tbsp) whole milk | 45.8 kcal | 3.8 g |
| 10 g (2½ US tsp) sugar within 20 g (0.71 oz) syrup | 38.7 kcal | 10.0 g |
| Full formula, rounded | About 90 kcal | About 13.8 g |
About 10 g is added sugar; the rest is naturally occurring milk sugar. The sources panel lists the coffee, whole-milk and sugar references.
Freezing does not turn caffeinated coffee into decaf, and counting only the 75 g (2.6 oz) liquid portion would miss the frozen coffee.
Make it less sweet: halving the syrup to 10 g (0.35 oz) reduces the calculation by about 19 kcal and 5 g sugar. Omitting syrup gives roughly 50 kcal and 3.8 g total sugar from the remaining coffee and milk; it is not sugar-free while ordinary milk is included.
Troubleshooting Blended Iced Coffee
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| Problem | Likely check | Adjustment to try |
|---|---|---|
| Thin or watery immediately | Partly melted cubes, warm ingredients or excess liquid | Freeze fully, use cold milk and coffee, and reweigh the recipe |
| Blender stalls or will not circulate | Cube size, load order or minimum load does not suit the appliance | Stop it and follow its manual; if permitted, add 15 g (0.53 oz) cold coffee and recalculate the serving |
| Large icy pieces | Blade and frozen-drink setting are not processing the cubes evenly | Use the manufacturer's suitable cube size and program; do not force an unsuitable machine |
| Bitter | The brewed coffee already tastes bitter | Adjust the brew or choose a different coffee; syrup cannot reliably correct a harsh base |
| Weak coffee flavor | Thin starting brew or too much milk | Taste the base first and adjust the coffee concentration next time |
| Good at first, loose later | Normal melting | Blend close to serving time and use a chilled glass |
KitchenAid's blender guidance places liquids before hard or frozen ingredients and emphasizes the fill limit and secure lid. Your own model's manual takes priority, including any minimum load. Never reach into moving blades or blend hot coffee in a closed jar as a shortcut.
Variations and Toppings
- Dairy-free: use a plant drink you enjoy with coffee. For a label listed per 100 ml, measure your chosen milk portion in ml for its nutrition calculation; do not assume grams and milliliters are identical. Texture varies by product.
- Black coffee slush: replace the 75 g (5 US tbsp) milk with 75 g (2.6 oz) extra chilled coffee. The recipe then contains 300 g (10.6 oz) prepared coffee; its caffeine reference also changes.
- Decaf: make both the cubes and liquid coffee with decaf coffee. Decaf is not necessarily caffeine-free.
- Chocolate or caramel: add a measured sauce or use a flavored syrup. Include its label values and adjust sweetness before adding toppings.
Make-Ahead Preparation
Freeze the coffee cubes ahead and keep the separate liquid coffee covered and chilled. Blend at serving time for the intended texture. Keep milk refrigerated at 4°C / 40°F or below; FDA guidance limits unrefrigerated perishable foods to two hours, or one hour above 32°C / 90°F.
Common Blended Iced Coffee Questions
Can I make it without ice cream?
Can I use regular ice instead?
Can I use instant coffee?
Can I make it without a blender?
How long do the cubes take to freeze?
Why does it separate after blending?
Can I make it without added sugar?
Editor's Take
Sources and Further Reading
6 references
External links open in a new tab
Method
- CapressoCoffee cubes and chillingSupports freezing brewed coffee and chilling it before use; our ingredient weights are a separate home adaptation.(opens in a new tab)
- KitchenAidLoading and frozen ingredientsManufacturer guidance; follow your own blender's limits and loading instructions.(opens in a new tab)
Nutrition calculations
- USDA SR28Prepared coffee and caffeineNDB 14209 supplies the generic prepared-coffee ingredient reference.(opens in a new tab)
- USDA SR28Whole milkNDB 01077; 75 g is scaled from values per 100 g.(opens in a new tab)
- USDA SR28Sugar in the syrupNDB 19335; the 20 g syrup portion contains 10 g sugar ingredient.(opens in a new tab)