A spiced simple syrup makes this homemade Spiced Iced Coffee recipe an easy and indulgent but not too sweet iced coffee.
Spice Iced Coffee! Not too sweet, not too bitter, this version is just right!!
This is all White On Rice Couple's fault. You see, I've become rather addicted to their Sea Salt Cream Iced Coffee - which, if you haven't tried it, I suggest you do so - right now in fact. Yes, right now would be a very, very good time to make yourself a glass.
Like everyone else who is obsessed with food, this iced coffee got me thinking...
As a lover of all things caffeinated, I love Vietnamese iced coffee and have wanted to play around with it. The big stumbling block for me and Vietnamese Iced Coffee is that it is sometimes too sweet for me... which is one of the many, many reasons I love White On Rice Couple's Sea Salt Cream Iced Coffee - it's not too sweet!
So, I wondered what would happen if I tinkered with the sweetener a little. So I made a simple syrup infused with Vietnamese cinnamon, ginger and a little star anise and added that to my coffee and topped it with the thickened cream, sans salt... and voila... Spiced Iced Coffee!!
And it was good! I really, really liked the way the cinnamon, ginger and star anise played against the bitterness of the coffee with the cream giving it a lovely richness without additional sweetness - and I could definitely see serving this after a rich and indulgent dinner when you really don't want dessert but want something with a little sweetness. And as an afternoon buzz booster?
I'll have two. Please.
Best part of this though? You can adjust the sweetness to whatever level you prefer.
And that is just how it should be! Now, go and make yourself some Iced Spiced Coffee!
Interested in another drink? Check out my Beverage Collection for more ideas!
Spiced Iced Coffee
Ingredients
- Spiced Simple Syrup:
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ cup water
- 2 cinnamon sticks preferably Vietnamese cinnamon
- 1 inch piece of fresh ginger peeled and smashed
- 2 star anise pods broken
- Coffee:
- 7 Tbsp. ground coffee
- 8 oz. hot water
- 2 cups cubed ice
- ½ cup Spiced simple syrup
- ½ cup whipping cream whipped to soft peak stage
Instructions
- For Spiced Simple Syrup:
- Combine all the ingredients in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and let steep for ½ hour. Strain and store in refrigerator if not using immediately.
- For coffee: I use a Chemex drip coffee maker but a regular coffee maker works as well. Place the ice in the carafe. Add the coffee to the filter and pour the hot water over.
- While the coffee is brewing, whip the cream to the soft peak stage - the cream will be thick and will hold it's shape but isn't fluffy.
- Fill 4 glasses with ice. Pour the coffee over. Stir in 1 - 2 teaspoons of the spiced simple syrup. Spoon the thickened whipped cream on top. Enjoy!
- Place ice cubes in 4 glasses
Helen @ Scrummy Lane says
Two for me too please! I've been hearing a lot about how delicious Vietnamese coffee is.
This sounds (and looks!) Ah-mazing!!!
Lucy @ Supergoldenbakes says
This is genius. I love making my own syrups and I can see this one being handy for various other uses, not just this lovely coffee.
Mark says
I had never tried iced coffee before, but those photos looked so appealing that I gave it a try. What a treat. Now I'm hooked.