Coffee Drink
Iced Latte: Recipe, Ratios and Iced Coffee Comparison
An iced latte is espresso mixed with cold milk and ice. It is creamy and milk-forward, with no need to steam the milk or add sugar. Iced coffee usually starts with chilled brewed coffee instead of espresso.
Drink Snapshot
- Caffeine
- ~75 mg referenceGeneric USDA espresso, 36 gBeans and extraction affect the caffeine estimate.
- Calories
- About 95 kcalRecipe ingredient estimateWith 150 g (⅝ US cup) whole milk; no syrup, cold foam or toppings.
Serving, sugar and sources
- Serving
- 1 iced latte in a 350–400 ml (11.8–13.5 US fl oz) glass
- Made with
- 36 g espresso + 150 g (⅝ US cup) cold whole milk + 120 g (4.2 oz) ice
- Sugar
- About 7.6 g total. Naturally present in milk; no added sugar.
- Preparation
- About 4 minutes with equipment ready
Estimates use USDA ingredient records and count the full milk portion. See the full calculation or label comparison.
Key Takeaways
- 1Start with 36 g brewed espresso, 150 g (⅝ US cup) cold milk and 120 g (4.2 oz) ice; stir before tasting.
- 2The espresso-to-milk ratio is 1:4.2 by mass. Ice is a separate ingredient.
- 3Melting ice dilutes the drink; it does not remove the caffeine or calories already in the glass.
On This Page13 Sections
What Is an Iced Latte?
Espresso, cold milk and ice are the three essentials. Milk softens the espresso's intensity and adds body; it does not need heating or a layer of foam. A plain iced latte can taste gently sweet from the milk, but vanilla syrup or sugar is an addition, not a defining ingredient.
The cold-milk method is also used in Breville's iced latte recipe. The recipe below gives measured quantities for one home serving.
Measured Iced Latte Recipe
Recipe
Measured iced latte
- Makes:
- 1 serving
- Time:
- About 4 minutes with equipment ready
Ingredients
- 18 g coffee beans, ground for espresso, to produce 36 g brewed espresso as a starting point
- 150 g (⅝ US cup) cold whole milk
- 120 g (4.2 oz) ice
Equipment
- Espresso machine and grinder
- scales
- small heatproof cup
- 350–400 ml (11.8–13.5 US fl oz) glass
- long spoon
Method
- Brew the espresso. Prepare 36 g espresso from 18 g ground coffee in a small heatproof cup. Adjust extraction to your beans and machine.
- Add the milk. Pour 150 g (⅝ US cup) cold whole milk into a 350–400 ml (11.8–13.5 US fl oz) glass.
- Add the ice. Add 120 g (4.2 oz) fully frozen ice. Use a larger glass if needed to leave room for the espresso and stirring.
- Pour in the espresso. Add the brewed espresso to the milk and ice. Steaming or frothing the milk is unnecessary.
- Stir and serve. Stir until the color is even, then taste. Serve promptly while ice remains.
Estimated nutrition per serving: 95 calories; total sugar 7.6 g. Serving: 1 iced latte with 36 g espresso, 150 g (⅝ US cup) whole milk and 120 g (4.2 oz) ice.
Recipe notes
Ice shape changes the space needed; use a larger glass if necessary and leave room to stir.
The recipe uses plain whole milk. Syrup, cold foam and alternative milks change the nutrition estimate. No milk frother is required.
Glass: 350–400 ml (11.8–13.5 US fl oz), with room to stir.
The recipe contains 186 g coffee and milk before any ice melts, plus 120 g (4.2 oz) ice. For help with the shot itself, see the espresso brewing guide.
Iced Latte Ratio Guide
Keep the brewed espresso at 36 g and ice at 120 g (4.2 oz) while adjusting the milk. Use these options to find your preferred balance.
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| If you want… | Cold milk | Espresso-to-milk ratio by mass |
|---|---|---|
| More pronounced coffee | 120 g (½ US cup) | 1:3.3 |
| A balanced starting point | 150 g (⅝ US cup) | 1:4.2 |
| A milkier drink | 180 g (¾ US cup) | 1:5 |
More milk softens the flavor without reducing total caffeine. Use less coffee, a smaller shot or decaf beans if reducing caffeine is the aim; decaf still contains some caffeine.
Best Assembly Order
Cold milk, then ice, then espresso is convenient because the milk and ice are already in place when the hot coffee arrives. Other orders work too: Starbucks at Home adds espresso to ice before milk.
Stir before judging the balance. A dark coffee layer at the top and pale milk below can look attractive, as in the hero image, but the first sip will differ from the mixed drink.
Why an Iced Latte Turns Watery
Ice adds water as it melts. For the same 36 g espresso and 150 g (⅝ US cup) milk, the arithmetic looks like this:
| Meltwater added to the liquid | Coffee, milk and meltwater together |
|---|---|
| 0 g | 186 g |
| 30 g | 216 g |
| 60 g | 246 g |
These calculated examples show different amounts of meltwater. More meltwater makes the same coffee portion less concentrated; it does not remove caffeine or calories.
Milk, Cold Foam and Sweeteners
For a fresh-fruit version, the strawberry latte recipe blends measured strawberries with cold milk, then adds espresso. It also explains the coffee-free strawberry milk often sold under the same latte name.
- Whole milk: the basis for this recipe's calorie estimate, with a fuller body than lower-fat dairy milk.
- Oat or soy drink: useful alternatives, but sweetness, protein and stability vary by product. Check the label; “barista” does not mean unsweetened.
- Cold foam: an optional topping. Reserve headroom and count its ingredients separately.
- Vanilla or other syrup: stir it into the espresso before assembly. For granulated sugar, dissolve it while the coffee is hot so it does not settle at the bottom.
Cold milk is a flavor choice for me in an iced latte, not a steaming-performance choice. I use a carton I enjoy with the espresso straight from the fridge; I don't need its latte-art qualities in this glass.
For ingredient differences, see milk options for coffee; for a sweetened variation, see vanilla latte. Dairy milk contains milk allergens, and plant drinks can contain other allergens such as soy or nuts.
For a rice-and-cinnamon variation, horchata coffee combines a prepared horchata base with espresso and ice. If you want chewy tapioca pearls, the boba coffee recipe uses ready-to-drink cold brew, milk and a measured brown-sugar boba packet; it has its own preparation and nutrition estimates.
How to Make an Iced Latte Without an Espresso Machine
You can make a latte-style iced drink with concentrated coffee. It will not have the same extraction or caffeine as the espresso recipe.
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| Coffee you have | A home starting point | What to adjust |
|---|---|---|
| Instant coffee | Dissolve 2 g instant coffee in 30 g (2 US tbsp) hot water, then add 150 g (⅝ US cup) cold milk and 120 g (4.2 oz) ice | Adjust the instant coffee to the product's strength; the 75 mg espresso reference does not apply |
| Moka pot or short AeroPress coffee | Combine 50 g (1.8 oz) prepared coffee, 110 g (3.6 US fl oz) milk and 120 g (4.2 oz) ice | Add milk in small increments after tasting; use the brewer normally |
| Cold brew concentrate | Use its maker's dilution instructions, replacing some or all of the serving water with milk | Concentrates vary; see cold brew latte |
The instant-coffee method follows the approach described by NESCAFÉ: dissolve the coffee in a small amount of hot water first. The quantities here make an unsweetened home variation.
Iced Latte vs. Iced Coffee and Cold Brew
The main difference is the coffee base and milk portion, not whether the glass contains ice.
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| Drink | Coffee base | Milk and serving difference |
|---|---|---|
| Iced latte | Espresso | A substantial portion of cold milk |
| Iced coffee | Brewed coffee served cold | Milk may be absent or added in a small or large amount |
| Cold brew coffee | Coffee extracted without hot brewing water | Served plain, diluted or with milk according to the recipe |
| Iced Americano | Espresso | Water is the main diluent; milk is optional |
| Iced flat white | Espresso | Often a smaller milk portion; café recipes and shot styles vary |
| Iced shaken espresso | Espresso shaken with ice | Milk is added after shaking; our version uses less milk than this iced latte |
| Dirty coffee | Hot espresso poured over chilled milk | Served without ice in our recipe, keeping the warm coffee and cold milk distinct at first |
An iced latte is not automatically higher in caffeine than iced coffee or cold brew. Compare the actual coffee recipe and serving. A milky drink can taste gentler while containing just as much caffeine.
Iced Latte Troubleshooting
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| Problem | First thing to check | Adjustment |
|---|---|---|
| Weak immediately | Milk amount and coffee concentration | Try 120 g (½ US cup) milk with the same espresso and ice |
| Thin after standing | Meltwater and serving temperature | Use colder milk and fully frozen cubes; serve promptly |
| Too intense after stirring | Milk-to-coffee balance | Add milk in 15–30 g (1–2 US tbsp) steps |
| Sweetener at the bottom | Whether it dissolved | Mix syrup or dissolve sugar in the hot coffee first |
| Uneven first sip | Unmixed layers | Stir until the color is even |
| Overflowing glass | Ice shape and available headroom | Move to a larger glass; do not force a fixed fill line |
Caffeine and Calories
This recipe is estimated at 95 calories and 75 mg caffeine, with whole milk. Caffeine uses the generic USDA reference for 36 g prepared espresso; beans and extraction affect the actual amount.
| For the full recipe | Estimate or reference |
|---|---|
| Calories | 95 kcal |
| Total sugar | 7.6 g |
| Added sugar | 0 g |
| Protein | 4.8 g |
| Fat | 4.9 g |
| Caffeine | 75 mg, generic espresso reference |
Ingredient calculations and sources
Calculation basis: USDA whole milk contributes 91.5 kcal and prepared espresso 3.24 kcal. The same espresso record gives 212 mg caffeine per 100 g: 36 × 212 ÷ 100 = 76.32 mg, rounded to 75 mg.
Changing milk, adding syrup or topping with cold foam changes the estimate. For ordering, specify size, milk and sweetener, then check the café's nutrition information.
Common Questions
Does an iced latte have fewer calories than a hot latte?
Do I need to froth the milk?
Editor's Take
Sources and Further Reading
5 references
External links open in a new tab
Preparation
- BrevilleMilk-first iced latteCold milk, ice and espresso preparation; our measured quantities differ.(opens in a new tab)
- Starbucks at HomeEspresso-over-ice latteAlternative assembly order, adding milk after espresso and ice; its sweetened recipe differs from ours.(opens in a new tab)
- NESCAFÉ USInstant-coffee preparationDissolving instant coffee in hot water before cold ingredients; our unsweetened variation uses different quantities.(opens in a new tab)