Blend Up Your Classic Iced Coffee For A Refreshing Caffeinated Treat

We can all use a treat every now and then — maybe you're recovering from a long day or maybe you just feel like you deserve it — and there aren't many better ways to treat yourself than with a coffee. It's not just that coffee is delicious (although it is) but its pick-me-up character naturally lends itself to giving you a little boost in both mind and body. And if we look at what is arguably the most successful chain in recent history, Starbucks, it's not just that people love coffee, but people love blended coffees. It's those little extra touches that make them feel special compared to your normal morning cup. But you don't need to shell out five or six bucks a pop at a coffee shop to treat yourself like this, because turning your morning iced coffee into a blended drink is one of the easiest things you can do at home.

The one thing you will need is a blender (and coffee, of course, but that's it). You can start with cold brew coffee or just chill some coffee you brewed hot. Start with a ratio of equal parts ice cubes and liquid, which would include coffee and any milk or creamer, and then you can adjust how frosty or strong you want it from there by drizzling in more coffee or adding extra ice cubes. Then, just blend on high for 30 seconds until the coffee and ice are fully combined.

From that basic start, there are lots of ways to mix up your blended frozen coffee. If you want to make it stronger, you can use stronger coffee concentrate or plan a little ahead and make coffee ice cubes. Blended drinks in stores usually have high ratios of milk compared to your standard iced coffee, which gives everything a creamier flavor and texture, so try upping how much you add to your own blend to recreate those results. And milks are the first place you can experiment with flavor, as oat and almond milk can make your drink more unique and interesting, although you will lose some of that creamy fat. Coffee creamer brands can be a fun way to add unique flavors, but be careful and try blending them with other milks first, because they are usually very sweet and only meant to be added by the tablespoon.

Additionally, you have plenty of other pantry staples and ingredients to get creative with. Chocolate sauce or powder is an obvious choice, but don't sleep on the cinnamon on your spice rack either. Caramel sauce is a good thing to grab for people who love an iced caramel macchiato. A splash of vanilla extract is all you need to make vanilla simple syrup as well. Pretty soon, you'll be able to recreate all of your coffee shop frozen favorites, maybe even better than they can.