How to Make Iced Coffee with a Keurig: Best Methods

How to Make Iced Coffee with a Keurig: Best Method Walkthrough

Keurig coffee makers are lovely to have on hand for making fresh, single-serve brews on-demand. In fact, these coffee machines are so handy that various online coffee retailers (like us) even sell gourmet blends in k-cup format!

But what can you do if you want an excellent glass of iced coffee in a Keurig set-up? Can you really make iced coffee with Keurig machines? The answer is yes!

In this step-by-step guide, we will walk you through how to do just that. Best of all, we’ll give you the easiest and tastiest methods. Then, we’ll walk you through your options and offer some handy tips. 

 

How to Make Iced Coffee with a Keurig Recipe

First off, here's an easy and delicious single-serve recipe for an at-home Keurig iced coffee with a touch of creamy sweetness. It's very indulgent! This recipe can be adjusted as needed as well, to suit your specific preferences. The goal is to brew strong coffee and keep it super fresh. 

 

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp Vanilla Simple Syrup (or your favorite sweet coffee flavor)

• 1 Strong K-Cup

• 6 Coffee Ice Cubes

• 1 tbsp Heavy Whipping Cream

• 2 tbsp Milk (or coconut milk)

• Whipped Cream

• Cinnamon

 

Instructions:

• The night before you prepare this recipe, brew 1 standard cup of Keurig coffee and pour it directly into an ice cube tray. Place the ice cube tray in your freezer (away from frozen food to avoid heat transfer) and let it freeze overnight.

 

• In a ceramic mug, brew your Keurig coffee.

 

• Now, in a separate (thick) glass, add your 6 coffee ice cubes.

 

• Back in the mug where your Keurig coffee has just finished brewing, add the vanilla simple syrup and heavy whipping cream. Stir until fully combined.

 

• Pour the mixture of coffee, heavy whipping cream, and simple syrup directly over the glass of coffee ice cubes.

 

• Slowly pour 2 tbsp of milk on top for a creamy, flowing effect.

 

• Top with a dollop of whipped cream and cinnamon. Enjoy!

 

What to Know Before You Make Iced Coffee with Keurig

Before you can begin making iced coffee with a Keurig machine, you will need a few ingredients. Mainly, you are going to need the Keurig K-Cups of your choice and ice. However, you may also want to get some coffee flavoring, simple syrup, and milk.

• Coconut milk, almond milk, and other milk substitutes are fine as well, in case you prefer non-dairy iced coffee. Coconut milk is particularly delicious in iced coffee! Just be sure to get coconut milk (it usually comes in a can), instead of coconut water.

Choose the Right K-Cup for Iced Coffee

Many coffee roasters agree that premium K-Cups (click here to see some) work best in a Keurig coffee maker. We are talking about the freshly roasted, gourmet stuff. The darker the roast, the better. If you want to try something new, there are even some K-Cups specifically designed for iced coffee. Otherwise, we highly recommend checking out these options for K-Cups.

Avoid Brewing Directly Over Ice with Keurig

With some Keurig machines and K-Cup coffee pods, you can actually brew your coffee directly over ordinary ice. However, some varieties of tap water have undesirable flavors. Considering ice from the fridge is often made of tap water, this can transfer unwanted flavors into your coffee. If you don't like the way that your tap water tastes, it might be better to use filtered or bottled water in a frozen ice cube tray.

Moreover, with the direct brewing method, the ice is going to start melting right away. In fact, it usually melts so quickly that it will dilute the flavor of your iced coffee. This is also not ideal.

So, while you can brew coffee directly over ice with some Keurig coffee makers, there is a better way. That’s exactly what we are going to talk about next.

 

Step by Step Instructions For Making Iced Coffee with Keurig Makers

Now let's get into the specifics of making iced coffee with a Keurig machine. Don’t worry, it’s not a terribly complicated process. Once you get the gist of things, you’ll be whipping up fresh, flavorful iced brews from home all summer long!

Step 1: Used Bottled Spring Water to Make Ice Cubes (Preferably the Night Before)

First and foremost, you need to prepare your ice. This is a step that a lot of people don't think about! After all, shouldn't ice out of the refrigerator be fine? The answer is: not always.

• If you have an automatic ice maker that comes as part of your refrigerator setup, it will be making ice out of the tap water. Don't like the way your tap water tastes? Well, remember, that flavor is going to go directly into your coffee.

• So, if you aren't totally sure that your ice cubes are already delicious, go ahead and make your own ice with a tray and bottled spring water or the bottled water you prefer. It’s smart to freeze your ice the night before you plan on making Keurig iced coffee.

Alternative: Freeze Coffee Ice Cubes (For Stronger Flavors)

We want to really quickly offer a great alternative for iced coffee in Keurig-style coffee makers. For this method, you will freeze coffee ice cubes the night before.

• To do this, you will brew a regular cup of Keurig coffee. Instead of drinking it, you simply pour it in an ice tray and freeze the hot coffee to prevent staleness and preserve the flavors. Then, you can use these coffee ice cubes to ensure that none of your flavors will be diluted!

Step 2: Prepare Your Ice in a Thick Glass

Once you have your ice ready, it is time to put it in a thick drinking glass. Iced coffee always seems more atmospheric when in a nice clear glass! Also, a thick glass lets you enjoy the effect of adding milk easily. 

• Fill the glass about ¾ of the way with either regular ice cubes or coffee ice cubes.

• Be sure the glass is thick enough that it won’t break when you add hot liquid. 

Step 3: Make Your Coffee

Now, it’s time to brew your coffee into a mug. Just pop in a Keurig cup as usual. We recommend brewing your K-Cups into a separate mug so that you can add flavors and cream to the hot coffee.

• If you brew directly over ice, adding flavor can be a pain. Plus, adding heavy cream to ice is a bad idea as it will coagulate. (However, you can still add milk if you brew your K-Cup directly over ice.)

• Remember, the stronger the roast is, the better your iced coffee will ultimately taste. We recommend our Ethiopia Harrar Single Serve Cups! They have a really smooth and delicious flavor that’s strong enough to show up in iced coffee.

Step 4: Add Any Simple Syrups or Flavorings You Prefer to the Mug

This part is important if you want your iced coffee to have any sweetness to it. For instance, many people like the taste of vanilla simple syrup in their iced coffee.

• If you are going to add any sugar or simple syrup, it is best to add it directly to a hot mug of coffee and stir. The same goes for adding cream. About a tablespoon of heavy cream is enough to give you rich and creamy flavors.

The thing is, when you add flavoring or cream to hot coffee, everything dissolves better and can create more consistent liquidity. In contrast, adding sugar, heavy cream, or simple syrup to the cup that already has ice in it makes it more difficult for all of the ingredients to combine smoothly.

• As a bonus, simple syrup and cream help to dissipate the heat of hot coffee. This prevents your ice from melting as quickly and makes for a better-tasting iced coffee.

Step 5: Combine the Flavored, Cream-Infused, or Black Coffee With the Ice

Now, you simply pour your coffee into the glass that is already full of ice. If your coffee is extremely hot, the ice will begin cracking right away. That’s fine! It’s also the reason a thick glass is wise.

• If you prefer, you can add a splash of milk on top and some whipped cream. A sprinkle of cinnamon adds the finishing touch! Enjoy.

Final Thoughts on Iced Coffee in Keurig Machines

So there you have it! Remember, if you decide to make iced coffee using a Keurig coffee maker, the brew can easily become diluted. The most effective way to prevent this is by freezing coffee ice cubes the night before and using them instead of regular ice.

Also, if you do not enjoy the way your tap water tastes, be sure to freeze ice cubes made of bottled spring water or the bottle of water of your preference. Try a few different methods until you get things just right. Before you know it, you’ll be making iced coffee at home like a pro.