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This McDonald’s caramel iced coffee recipe is the easiest way to recreate the iconic McDonald’s iced coffee at home, same sweet caramel flavor, same creamy texture, ready in under 5 minutes. Whether you’re craving the classic McDonald’s iced caramel coffee or just trying to skip the drive-through line, this copycat recipe uses just 4 simple ingredients you probably already have sitting in your kitchen right now.
I was seriously craving this one day and had zero interest in getting dressed, driving, and talking to people just for a coffee. So I brewed a pot, grabbed my caramel sauce, and threw it all together, and it was honestly just as good as the real thing. Maybe better because I made it in my pajamas.
Since you’re here, make sure to check out this mocha cold brew recipe, homemade caramel sauce, and this white chocolate mocha sauce.
Table of Contents
What’s actually in McDonald’s caramel iced coffee?
McDonald’s iced coffee is made with their signature premium roast coffee, a cream mixture, and liquid sugar, that’s it. No espresso, no fancy equipment. To make a spot-on copycat at home, here’s what we’re using:
- Brewed coffee – Use a medium roast for the closest flavor. McCafe ground coffee works great here if you want to get really close to the original.
- Caramel sauce – This is what gives the drink its rich, deep caramel flavor. Homemade or store-bought both work.
- Half and half – McDonald’s uses a light cream blend, and half and half is the closest thing you’ll find at the grocery store. Whole milk works too if that’s what you have.
- Caramel syrup – Optional, but it adds that extra sweetness that makes McDonald’s version taste like a treat.
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I make coffee every single morning without fail, so when I went through a phase of being obsessed with McDonald’s caramel iced coffee, it didn’t take long for me to realize I couldn’t keep spending money on it every time the craving hit. So I did what I always do,I figured out how to make it at home.
What surprised me was how simple it actually is once you nail the ratio. The caramel sauce needs to go into the warm coffee before you chill it, that’s the key step most people skip. It dissolves fully and gives you that smooth, even caramel flavor all the way through instead of a sticky clump sitting at the bottom of your glass.
Kyle tested every version with me and his verdict was clear: don’t skip the half and half. We tried it with whole milk and it just didn’t hit the same. Half and half is what gives it that creamy, indulgent feel that makes the McDonald’s version so good in the first place.
Now this is just part of my regular morning coffee rotation, same great drink, a fraction of the cost, made in my pajamas. Highly recommend.
Why do you need to make this recipe?
- Skip the drive-through and make McDonald’s iced caramel coffee at home in under 5 minutes
- Uses just 4 ingredients, brewed coffee, caramel sauce, half and half, and caramel syrup
- Costs a fraction of what McDonald’s charges, especially if you’re making it daily
- Fully customizable, adjust the sweetness, swap the milk, add whipped cream
Ingredients for this McDonald’s caramel iced coffee recipe
Here are the ingredients you’ll need. Scroll down to the recipe card for exact measurements.
- Caramel syrup — optional, adds that extra sweetness
- Hot brewed coffee — medium roast works best, McCafe if you want to get close to the original
- Caramel sauce — homemade or store-bought both work
- Half and half — whole milk works in a pinch but half and half is the move
How to make this homemade iced caramel coffee in no time
This is how you can make this easy coffee drink at home. Make sure to scroll down to the recipe card for the full detailed instructions!
- Brew your pot of coffee and allow it to cool down slightly.
- To a tall glass add in the caramel sauce I used my own caramel sauce but you can use storebought, and top it off with brewed coffee.
- Top it with ice, half and half, and a splash of caramel syrup if you want the drink to be sweeter. (you can add as much or as little half and half as you’d like, this is what is so great about this recipe. Super easy to customize)
- Stir with a straw and enjoy your homemade iced coffee.
You can also top your drink with whipped cream and an additional drizzle of caramel if you would like.
Make it your way
This recipe is super easy to customize depending on what you have on hand or how you like your coffee:
- Want it lighter? Swap the half and half for oat milk or almond milk.
- Want it sweeter? Add an extra tablespoon of caramel syrup or caramel sauce.
- Want it stronger? Use a darker roast or increase the coffee to 1 full cup.
- Want a bigger batch? Double or triple the recipe and store the coffee and caramel mixture in the fridge, just add ice and half and half fresh each time you pour a glass.
Frequently asked questions – FAQ
You sure can. There are a few things you can do to make like changing the milk and the caramel sauce.
Not exactly. McDonald’s iced caramel macchiato is layered, it’s built with vanilla syrup, milk, ice, espresso poured over the top, and a caramel drizzle finish. The classic McDonald’s iced caramel coffee, on the other hand, is simpler: brewed premium roast coffee, cream, and caramel sauce stirred together.
This recipe is a copycat of the iced caramel coffee. If you want to get closer to the macchiato style, swap the brewed coffee for two shots of espresso, add a splash of vanilla syrup to the milk before pouring, and drizzle the caramel on top instead of mixing it in.
McDonald’s brews their premium roast coffee, lets it cool, then combines it with a liquid sugar blend and a light cream mixture over ice. The caramel flavor comes from both the caramel sauce mixed in and sometimes a drizzle on top. This recipe mimics that exact process, brew, cool, combine, pour over ice, stir, done.
If you don’t have caramel syrup you can use simple syrup instead to help sweeten it a little bit more. You could also use vanilla syrup of sugar-free french vanilla syrup to sweeten it as well but this would reduce the amount of caramel flavor that is in this coffee.
The Mcdonald’s iced coffee is made with coffee as opposed to espresso but if you have an espresso machine and want to use it in your caramel latte then by all means go ahead. You will have to adjust the amount of dairy you add to the drink.
Making this drink with espresso will be more similar to an iced caramel americano with a splash of milk or half and half instead of a latte.
You sure can but again the final product will not be exactly the same as the iced caramel latte drink from Mcdonald’s.
Instead, it will have a stronger coffee flavor with a splash of milk. Using cold brew will make the drink less acidic so if you prefer that then by all means use cold brew instead.
The amount of caffeine in this drink will depend on how much coffee you use in it. In this recipe, we used 3/4 cup hot brewed coffee so the caffeine content will be at around 70-80mg of caffeine. Personally, I think it is the perfect serving size to get a little kick out and a jolt of energy to start the day.
Absolutely, this is a great base recipe that you can tweak to your liking.
Adding a little mocha sauce to the caramel iced latte from Mcdonald’s will definitely take it up a notch and make it taste like one of the best treats you’ve ever had.
I mean who doesn’t love chocolate and caramel together? Add coffee to that and you got yourself a party.
They sure do! You can go at any time and grab yourself the most refreshing coffees out there!
Their iced coffee has a good amount of caffeine depending on the size. For a small size, you’ll get about 94mg of caffeine, a medium is at 133mg of caffeine, and a large one would be at 200mg of caffeine. That’s why I absolutely love having their coffee as a pre-workout because you know it will wake you up and give you all the energy necessary to get through the day.
Kind of? It is very similar to the coffee that Mcdonald’s uses but it is not exactly the same. If you want make a pretty close drink to the one that you get at your favorite chain restaurant then definitely use that instead of any other coffee but I personally didn’t notice too much of a difference.
Yes! Mix the brewed coffee and caramel sauce together and store it in a sealed jar or pitcher in the fridge for up to 5 days. When you’re ready to drink it, just pour it over ice and add your half and half fresh. Don’t add the ice or cream ahead of time or it’ll get watered down.
What dairy-free milk or creamer can I use to make this dairy-free?
- Soy milk
- Almond milk
- Cashew milk
- Coconut milk
- Oat milk
What to enjoy with a caramel iced coffee?
There are a few things that go so well with this caramel iced coffee recipe, some of my favorites and your soon to be favorites are:
- Bakery-style blueberry muffins
- Chocolate chip cookies
- Oreo brownies
- Crumbl sugar cookie with pink icing
- Sourdough Thumbprint Cookies
Easy McDonald’s caramel iced coffee
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup coffee
- 1/4 cup half and half
- 2-3 tbsp caramel sauce If you don't have caramel sauce, use extra caramel syrup.
- 1-2 tbsp caramel syrup optional to add more sweetness.
Instructions
- Brew your hot coffee as per usual. You want to have about 3/4 cup of coffee for this recipe.3/4 cup coffee
- Mix the caramel sauce into the warm coffee then allow it to cool down to room temperature. You can place it on an ice bath to speed up the process.2-3 tbsp caramel sauce
- Once chilled, add ice to a cup, the room temperature coffee, and the caramel syrup. Stir and enjoy.1/4 cup half and half, 1-2 tbsp caramel syrup
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Can this be made ahead then stored in fridge for use the next several days?
Sure!