This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
This homemade iced caramel coffee recipe shows you exactly how to make iced caramel coffee at home in under 5 minutes. It’s creamy, sweet, customizable, and honestly tastes better than Starbucks, without the coffee shop price.
This is hands down the best iced caramel coffee. Starbucks who?? When you have a gem like Chahinez making these recipes 10000x better 😏
Why you need to make this recipe!
- Delicious: Creamy, sweet, and perfect for your morning pick-me-up.
- Budget Friendly: Skip the coffee shop prices and make your favorite drink at home.
- Customizable: Adjust the sweetness, milk you use, or ice to really fit your preference.
- Quick & Convenient: Ready in under 5 minutes with ingredients you probably already have. My favorite hack is to use coffee ice cubes to keep my drink from getting watered down while I sip on it.
Table of Contents
- What You’ll Love About This Iced Caramel Coffee
- What’s the Difference Between Iced Caramel Coffee and a Caramel Latte?
- Ingredients for this iced caramel coffee drink.
- Is This Like Starbucks or McDonald’s?
- How to Make Iced Caramel Coffee at Home
- How to Make a Low Calorie Caramel Iced Coffee
- Pro Tips Section
- Frequently asked questions about this Caramel iced coffee – FAQ
- How to make easy homemade iced caramel coffee recipe Recipe
What You’ll Love About This Iced Caramel Coffee
- Fully customizable – Adjust the caramel, milk, or sweetness to your taste.
- Ready in 5 minutes – No fancy equipment required.
- Better than coffee shop versions – Creamy, sweet, and perfectly balanced.
- Made at home – Skip the drive-thru and save money.
What’s the Difference Between Iced Caramel Coffee and a Caramel Latte?
An iced caramel coffee is made with brewed coffee or cold brew, caramel syrup, ice, and milk.
A caramel latte, on the other hand, uses espresso and steamed milk. Lattes have a stronger, richer espresso flavor, while iced caramel coffee is lighter and more refreshing.
If you don’t have an espresso machine, iced caramel coffee is the easier option to make at home.
Ingredients for this iced caramel coffee drink.
Here are the ingredients you will need to make this caramel iced coffee recipe, Make sure to scroll down to the recipe card for the full detailed ingredient measurements.
- Strongly brewed coffee or cold brew coffee– I used my French press to make my hot brewed coffee the night before and chilled it in the fridge. You can also use instant coffee which I explained in detail in the FAQ.
- Caramel sauce– You can use your own caramel sauce or get store-bought bottles. This is optional and will be used to drizzled inside the cup.
- Caramel syrup– This is pretty much the simple syrup that will sweeten our coffee and give it that delicious
- Half and half– You could also use your milk of choice, like soy milk, cashew milk, almond milk, coconut milk, a splash of heavy cream, whole milk, or even oat milk.
- Ice– I use regular ice cubes, but you can also use coffee ice cubes to keep the coffee from being diluted.
Is This Like Starbucks or McDonald’s?
This homemade iced caramel coffee tastes similar to the drinks you’d get at Starbucks or McDonald’s, but it’s fresher, more affordable, and completely customizable.
If you’re looking for a closer match to specific menu drinks, check out my:
- Starbucks Iced Caramel Macchiato copycat
- McDonald’s Caramel Iced Coffee recipe
- Chick-fil-A Iced Mocha Cream Cold Brew
Once you learn how to make iced caramel coffee at home, you can adjust the sweetness, milk, and caramel exactly how you like it. Plus, no drive-thru required.
How to Make Iced Caramel Coffee at Home
Making iced caramel coffee at home is incredibly simple and takes just a few minutes.
- Drizzle the caramel sauce in the tall glass, then add the ice cubes.
- Add the caramel syrup and the cooled-down coffee.
- Top with a splash of half and half or milk of your choice and enjoy!
If you enjoy whipped cream, you can also add a little whipped cream on top of your drink and caramel swirls on top to make it look super Instagram-worthy.
How to Make a Low Calorie Caramel Iced Coffee
To make a lower calorie version, use sugar-free caramel syrup, skip the caramel drizzle, and swap half & half for almond milk or nonfat milk. You’ll still get that sweet caramel flavor with fewer calories.
Pro Tips Section
- Coffee ice cubes prevent dilution.
- Add a pinch of salt to enhance the caramel flavor.
- Cold brew coffee is less acidic and smoother than hot brewed coffee.
- Adjust sweetness with more or less caramel syrup.
- Milk variations, think oat milk, almond milk, cashew milk, or even coconut milk. They work great for creamy vegan alternatives.
Frequently asked questions about this Caramel iced coffee – FAQ
Technically, no. A latte has espresso and milk. This recipe uses strong-brewed coffee or cold brew, so it’s classified as iced coffee. Pour over ice, and it’s ready to go!
Yes! Mix the coffee and caramel syrup in advance and store them in the fridge. Pour over ice just before serving.
Use instant coffee. Dissolve 1 tbsp instant coffee in about 1/4 cup hot water, then fill the rest of your glass with cold water and ice. Add caramel syrup, and half & half as usual.
Yes. Store any leftover coffee mixture in an airtight container in the fridge (make sure to remove any leftover ice in order not to dilute it). Add fresh ice when serving.
Cold brew is ideal for a smooth flavor. Strong brewed coffee that’s cooled also works perfectly.
Yes! Use sugar-free caramel syrup and almond milk or nonfat milk.
How to make easy homemade iced caramel coffee recipe
Ingredients
- caramel sauce To drizzle around the glass, optional
- 1 oz caramel syrup to taste, about 1 & 1/2 – 2 tablespoons
- 8 oz cooled down coffee or cold brew
- 1/2 cup ice
- 1/4 cup half and half can alternatively use heavy cream or even whole milk
Instructions
- Drizzle some caramel sauce in your tall glass.caramel sauce
- Add in the ice then the caramel syrup, and the cooled-down coffee or cold brew.1 oz caramel syrup, 1/2 cup ice, 8 oz cooled down coffee
- Pour in the half and half, stir and enjoy!1/4 cup half and half
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
most all coffee creations say to use strong coffee. why is that? I’m not really a coffee drinker but I love coffee creations. how do I make them a lot less bitter?
I would recommend using light roast then!
Great recipe!!! Wouldn’t change a thing
Thank you Joel!
Divine!
Thank you Cindy!
Absolutely delish!
Thank you Sarah!
This is hands down the best iced caramel coffee. Starbucks who, when you have a gem like Chahinez making these recipes 10000x better 😏
OMG thank you so much! You’re too kind ☺️