Iced Latte
How to make an iced latte: espresso, cold milk and ice, at about 1 part espresso to 3 of milk. Which goes in first, and how it differs from iced coffee.
What is an iced latte?
An iced latte is espresso combined with cold milk and ice: the cold version of a caffè latte. A typical build is a double espresso to about 150 ml of cold milk in a 350–400 ml glass of ice, roughly 1 part espresso to 3 parts milk. It differs from iced coffee, which is brewed coffee over ice with little or no milk.
Ingredients
- 1 double shot (about 60 ml)espresso
- about 150 mlcold milk
- half to two-thirds of the glassice
- to tastesyrup or sugar (optional)
Method
Fill the glass with ice
Fill a 350–400 ml glass half to two-thirds full with ice.
Sweeten the espresso, if you like
If you're adding syrup or sugar, stir it into the hot espresso first; it won't mix well into cold milk.
Add the milk and espresso
Pour in about 150 ml of cold milk and the double espresso. Either can go first; see below.
Stir and serve
Stir gently and drink while it's cold.
An iced latte is the cold version of a caffè latte: espresso, cold milk and ice. Starbucks puts it simply: brewed espresso combined with cold milk and ice. It’s one of the easiest coffee drinks to make at home, but two details make the difference between a good one and coffee-flavoured milk: the ratio, and how you deal with the ice melting. Here’s a reliable recipe, the pour-order debate, and how it differs from iced coffee.
The short version
- Espresso, cold milk, ice. No steaming needed.
- About 1 part espresso to 3 parts milk, before the ice melts.
- A double shot to about 150 ml of milk in a 350–400 ml glass.
- Sweeten the hot espresso, not the cold milk.
- Not iced coffee, which is brewed coffee over ice.
What’s the best ratio?
About 1:3. The Coffee Locator’s build, designed so the drink still tastes of coffee as the ice melts:
| The Coffee Locator | |
|---|---|
| Glass | 350–400 ml, half to two-thirds full of ice |
| Milk | 150 ml, cold |
| Espresso | A hot double, about 60 ml |
| Ratio at the start | 1:2.5 to 1:3 espresso to milk |
| Ratio after melting | Around 1:3 to 1:3.5 |
Third Wave Coffee Roasters agrees on one part espresso to three parts milk. The Coffee Locator warns that a 1:5 or 1:6 build “ends as vaguely coffee-flavored milk”. To keep it strong, use a double shot, a slightly shorter shot, or less ice.
Should the espresso or the milk go in first?
The sources do it three ways:
| Order | Source |
|---|---|
| Ice, then espresso, then cold milk; stir | Starbucks (its Nespresso method) |
| Ice, then cold milk, then the hot espresso pulled straight over it | The Coffee Locator |
| Espresso over ice, then frothed milk on top | Third Wave Coffee Roasters |
Starbucks also suggests topping it with cold foam, made by shaking milk in a mason jar.
How do you make one without an espresso machine?
Starbucks’ at-home recipe uses rich, espresso-like coffee from a stovetop brewer, and The Coffee Locator suggests 60–80 ml of moka pot coffee with 120–140 ml of milk. It also mentions cold brew as an alternative base.
Iced latte vs iced coffee
| Iced latte | Iced coffee | |
|---|---|---|
| Coffee | Espresso | Any brewed coffee, from espresso to instant |
| Milk | Essential, about 3 parts to 1 | Optional, added to taste |
| Method | Espresso, milk and ice combined | Hot coffee poured over ice |
That’s how Third Wave Coffee Roasters sets out the difference: the ratio of milk to coffee is much higher in an iced latte, and without milk it isn’t an iced latte at all.
Iced latte vs other iced coffees
- Iced Americano: espresso with cold water and ice, no milk.
- Freddo cappuccino: shaken iced espresso under cold milk foam.
- Iced coffee: brewed coffee over ice.
- Dalgona coffee: whipped instant coffee spooned over milk.
Explore every drink in the iced and blended chapter.
Words in this guide
- Specialty coffee
- Specialty coffee is high-quality coffee graded at 80 points or more out of 100 by trained tasters using the Specialty Coffee Association's scoring system.
- Cold foam
- Cold foam is milk frothed while it is still cold, then spooned on top of an iced coffee or cold brew.
Questions & answers
What is the difference between an iced latte and iced coffee?
The coffee and the milk. Third Wave Coffee Roasters explains that iced coffee is any brewed coffee poured over ice, with milk optional, while an iced latte is espresso with a lot of cold milk, about one part espresso to three parts milk.
Should the espresso or the milk go in first?
The sources disagree. Starbucks pours the espresso over the ice and adds the cold milk after; The Coffee Locator adds the milk to the ice first and pulls the espresso over it; Third Wave pours espresso over ice and adds frothed milk on top.
What is the best ratio for an iced latte?
About 1:3. Third Wave gives one part espresso to three parts milk; The Coffee Locator builds at 1:2.5 to 1:3 so melting ice doesn't wash it out, and warns that 1:5 or 1:6 ends up as vaguely coffee-flavoured milk.
Can you make an iced latte without an espresso machine?
Yes. Starbucks' recipe uses espresso-like coffee from a stovetop brewer, and The Coffee Locator suggests 60–80 ml of moka pot coffee with 120–140 ml of milk. Cold brew can work as the base too.
How do you sweeten an iced latte?
Stir the syrup or sugar into the hot espresso before it meets the cold milk, The Coffee Locator advises, because sugar and syrup don't mix well into cold milk.
Sources
- Iced latte recipe. Starbucks Coffee at Home
- How to make an iced latte at home. The Coffee Locator
- Iced coffee vs iced latte: know the differences. Third Wave Coffee Roasters
General guidance only. Not medical, food-safety or professional advice.