Cold brew coffee is all the rage these days. This method brings out the delicious coffee flavor while leaving behind most of the acidity and bitterness. This recipe takes advantage of certain properties of cold brew to make a deliciously non-traditional version of Thai iced coffee that is smooth, rich, dairy-free, and sweet while using much less sugar.

If you’re making this for yourself, make one batch, drink one serving, then save the other serving in a jar for the next day. Or you can scale up the recipe and make several day’s worth! Cold brew will keep in the fridge for 1-2 weeks. Simply brew the coffee as directed, strain into a large container, keep refrigerated, and use the coffee as needed!

Cold Brew Thai Iced Coffee

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Serves	2
Prep time	10 minutes
Dietary	Diabetic, Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian
Meal type	Beverage
Misc	Serve Cold

Traditional Thai iced coffee is often very sweet - this recipe uses only 1/2 teaspoon sugar per serving because the cold brew process brings out the natural sweetness of the coffee, and makes it less bitter so less sugar is needed to counteract the bitterness. You can also leave out the sugar completely! Coconut milk is used in place of sweetened condensed milk to make this recipe lower in sugar, dairy-free, and vegan.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup coarsely ground coffee
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar or to taste
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup coconut milk
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom (optional)

Note

Cold brew coffee can have a lot of caffeine. Try using 1/4 cup regular coffee and 1/4 cup decaf to reduce the caffeine.

Use light or regular coconut milk, not the thinner coconut beverage found in the milk alternative section of the refrigerated case. Light coconut milk works just fine, but use regular coconut milk to make it extra creamy. You can also make this drink more traditional and use sweetened condensed milk.

Directions

Step 1

Combine all ingredients except coconut milk in a French press or other container with a lid. Add 2 cups water and stir.

Step 2

Refrigerate for 12-24 hours.

Step 3

If using a French press, push down the filter. If using any other container, lay a cheesecloth, thin cloth towel, or a coffee filter over a bowl or large (2 cups or more) liquid measuring cup. Pour the coffee mixture over the cloth to strain.

Step 4

Pour the strained coffee into 2 glasses with ice. Top with about 1/4 cup coconut milk, give or take a little bit to reach desired creaminess.