Coffee Drink
Cold Brew Latte: Easy Recipe, Milk Ratio and Caffeine
A cold brew latte is cold-brewed coffee mixed with milk, usually served over ice. An iced latte uses espresso instead. You can make a cold brew latte with ready-to-drink coffee or a suitably diluted concentrate; check the label before choosing your milk ratio.
Drink Snapshot
- Caffeine
- About 52 mgNamed STōK ingredient example150 ml (5.1 US fl oz) UN-SWEET Black from the 48 oz bottle; use the label for another product.
- Calories
- About 67 kcalNamed coffee + whole-milk estimate150 ml (5.1 US fl oz) STōK UN-SWEET Black and 100 g (6½ US tbsp) whole milk; no syrup or toppings.
Serving, sugar and sources
- Serving
- 1 latte in a 400–450 ml (13.5–15.2 US fl oz) glass, with room for ice and stirring
- Made with
- 150 ml (5.1 US fl oz) ready-to-drink cold brew + 100 g (6½ US tbsp) cold whole milk + 100 g (3.5 oz) ice
- Sugar
- About 5 g total. Naturally present in whole milk; no added sugar in this example.
- Preparation
- 3 minutes with cold brew already prepared
The estimates use a specific bottled coffee label and a generic USDA milk record. Coffee is measured in ml; milk and ice in g. See the full calculation or label comparison.
Key Takeaways
- 1For this recipe, combine 150 ml (5.1 US fl oz) ready-to-drink cold brew, 100 g (6½ US tbsp) cold whole milk and 100 g (3.5 oz) ice.
- 2Concentrate needs its own dilution instructions. Do not substitute it one-for-one for ready-to-drink coffee.
- 3About 52 mg caffeine and 67 kcal apply to the named STōK-and-whole-milk example.
On This Page11 Sections
Cold Brew Latte vs. Regular Iced Latte
The coffee base is the difference. A cold brew latte uses coffee steeped in cool water and filtered ahead of time. An iced latte uses freshly brewed espresso. Both get their milky texture from milk; neither needs syrup or a foam topping.
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| Drink | Coffee base | Milk | What to check |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cold brew latte | Prepared cold brew | A substantial cold milk portion | Ready-to-drink coffee or concentrate? |
| Iced latte | Espresso | Cold milk | Espresso dose and shot count |
| Iced coffee with milk | Chilled brewed coffee | A splash or a larger portion | How the coffee was brewed and cooled |
| Nitro cold brew | Nitrogen-infused cold brew | None required | Plain nitro or a sweetened milk variation? |
Cold brew latte recipes vary. For example, Cuisinart combines cold brew and milk, while some concentrate methods call for substantially more milk than coffee. The recipe below deliberately starts with coffee that is already at drinking strength.
Cold Brew Latte Serving Recipe
Recipe
Cold Brew Latte
- Makes:
- 1 serving
- Time:
- 3 minutes; cold brew must already be brewed and chilled
Ingredients
- 150 ml (5.1 US fl oz) chilled, filtered, ready-to-drink cold brew coffee
- 100 g (6½ US tbsp) cold whole milk
- 100 g (3.5 oz) ice
Equipment
- Measuring jug
- scale
- 400–450 ml (13.5–15.2 US fl oz) glass
- long spoon
Method
- Check the coffee. Measure 150 ml (5.1 US fl oz) chilled, filtered, ready-to-drink cold brew. If using concentrate, dilute it to drinking strength according to its label before measuring this portion.
- Add coffee and ice. Pour the measured cold brew into a 400–450 ml (13.5–15.2 US fl oz) glass and add 100 g (3.5 oz) fully frozen ice. Use a larger glass if the cubes leave too little room to stir.
- Add the milk. Weigh 100 g (6½ US tbsp) cold whole milk and pour it into the glass.
- Stir and serve. Stir until the color is even, then taste and serve promptly. Add optional sweetener only after tasting; it is not included in the nutrition estimate.
Estimated nutrition per serving: 67 calories; total sugar 5.1 g. Serving: 1 latte: 150 ml (5.1 US fl oz) prepared cold brew, 100 g (6½ US tbsp) whole milk and 100 g (3.5 oz) ice.
Recipe notes
This uses ready-to-drink cold brew. Dilute concentrate as its label directs before measuring 150 ml (5.1 US fl oz).
Keep coffee and milk refrigerated at 4°C / 40°F or colder; assemble one serving to drink promptly.
Nutrition is a label-based STōK UN-SWEET Black and whole-milk example.
Glass: 400–450 ml (13.5–15.2 US fl oz), leaving space to stir. The ice takes up space alongside the coffee and milk.
An espresso machine or frother is unnecessary.
If brewing the base yourself, use the cold-brew method guide and allow its brewing and filtration time before this three-minute assembly.
How Should You Dilute Cold Brew Concentrate?
Dilute concentrate to drinking strength using its bottle or brewing instructions before mixing this latte. Cold-brew concentrates have different strengths.
| What you have | How to use it here |
|---|---|
| Ready-to-drink bottled coffee | Measure 150 ml (5.1 US fl oz) directly; check that it is plain and unsweetened if using our nutrition assumptions |
| Our ready-to-drink cold brew | Brew 80 g coffee with 720 g (24.3 US fl oz) water for 16 hours in the refrigerator, then filter; use 150 ml (5.1 US fl oz) of the prepared liquid |
| A labeled concentrate | Follow its dilution directions to make drinking-strength coffee, then measure 150 ml (5.1 US fl oz) |
| Unlabeled homemade concentrate | Use its documented recipe and recommended dilution; there is no reliable universal conversion |
Use the complete cold brew coffee recipe for the batch, including refrigeration and recovered-yield instructions.
A direct concentrate-and-milk recipe is a different starting point. OXO recommends 60 ml (2 US fl oz) of its prepared concentrate with 120–180 ml (4–6 US fl oz) water or milk. That is a 1:2 to 1:3 serving ratio by volume for that particular concentrate. OXO's instructions also use a different batch method from our ready-to-drink recipe.
Cold Brew Latte Coffee-to-Milk Ratio
Start with 150 ml (5.1 US fl oz) ready-to-drink cold brew and 100 g (6½ US tbsp) whole milk. Keep the coffee fixed while adjusting the milk:
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| Cold whole milk | What changes | Approximate kcal with the named STōK base |
|---|---|---|
| 75 g (5 US tbsp) | Less milk; coffee is less diluted | 52 |
| 100 g (6½ US tbsp) | This recipe's starting point | 67 |
| 150 g (⅝ US cup) | More milk and a larger drink | 98 |
All three keep the same coffee portion, so the named base contributes about 52 mg caffeine in each. Adding milk changes concentration and drink size, not the amount of caffeine already poured. Replacing some coffee with milk in a fixed-size drink is a different change and can reduce caffeine.
Measure coffee by volume and milk by weight. Keep the ice at 100 g (3.5 oz) while adjusting, and use a larger glass when needed.
Choosing Milk and Ice for a Cold Brew Latte
Whole milk: the default for the defined nutrition estimate. It adds dairy body and naturally occurring lactose without requiring added sugar.
Oat or soy drink: a practical variation when you like its flavor. Choose an unsweetened version if that is your preference, check its nutrition label, and stir well. Plant drinks differ in calories, sugar, ingredients and allergens; they are not nutritional equivalents of whole milk.
Vanilla or caramel: stir in a small measured amount of syrup after mixing, then taste. Count that addition separately. A flavored cold foam is also a separate topping, not part of the plain recipe.
Use fully frozen ice and cold ingredients. Ice melt gradually dilutes the drink. The milk guide covers options in more detail.
Cold Brew Latte Troubleshooting
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| Problem | Check first | Next adjustment |
|---|---|---|
| The coffee disappears | Was the base already weak before milk? | Reduce milk to 75 g (5 US tbsp); evaluate the next coffee batch separately |
| Too intense | Was concentrate used without dilution? | Follow its dilution directions before rebuilding the serving |
| Watery after a few minutes | Were ingredients warm or ice partly melted? | Chill both ingredients and assemble just before drinking |
| Gritty | Are fines still in the coffee? | Filter the plain base more thoroughly before adding milk |
| Uneven color | Was it stirred after the attractive milk swirl? | Stir through the full glass before evaluating the balance |
Calories, Caffeine and Allergens
This recipe's named example is about 67 kcal, 52 mg caffeine and 5 g total sugar. It uses 150 ml (5.1 US fl oz) STōK UN-SWEET Black from the 48 oz bottle, 100 g (6½ US tbsp) whole milk and plain ice.
Named coffee and milk calculations
The STōK product page gives approximately 125 mg caffeine and 15 kcal per stated 360 ml serving, with 0 g sugar. Its caffeine figure appears in the page's graphic. USDA whole milk, SR Legacy 171265 supplies 61 kcal and 5.05 g sugar per 100 g.
| Calculation | Result for this glass |
|---|---|
| Coffee caffeine: 125 × 150 ÷ 360 | About 52 mg |
| Coffee calories: 15 × 150 ÷ 360 | About 6 kcal |
| Milk calories: 61 × 100 ÷ 100 | 61 kcal |
| Total energy | About 67 kcal |
| Total sugar, predominantly milk lactose | About 5 g; no added sugar |
These calculations use the manufacturer's stated 360 ml label serving and rounded label values. For another labeled base, multiply its caffeine per serving by the fraction of that serving used.
Whole milk contains dairy. Check alternative milk ingredients and cafe cross-contact information if allergens matter. Adding syrup, sweetened milk or cold foam changes the estimate.
Safe Cold Brew Handling
Keep the plain coffee and milk covered and refrigerated at 4°C / 40°F or colder, then mix a serving when you want it. Follow the bottled coffee's after-opening directions and the milk's storage instructions; adding coffee does not extend the milk's usable life.
For homemade coffee, follow the reviewed batch's storage guidance: aim to use it within a few days, with day seven as an outer limit counted from the brew-start day. That limit is adapted from Wisconsin retail guidance, not a promise that every home batch is safe for a week. Keep the milk separate until serving.
Discard a perishable mixed latte left unrefrigerated for more than two hours, or one hour above 32°C / 90°F, following FDA food-storage guidance. Smell alone cannot confirm safety.
Common Questions
Is a cold brew latte the same as an iced latte?
Can I pour milk straight into concentrate?
Do I need to froth the milk?
Is a cold brew latte sweet?
Can I use decaf cold brew?
Is cold brew latte less acidic?
Editor's Take
Sources and Further Reading
6 references
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