Healthiest Iced Coffee

7 min read AUG 11, 2022

For caffeine lovers, there are few things as delicious in summer as a strong iced coffee. But is it good for you? And can it be made better? We have found some of the best things you can add to your iced coffee to improve the health benefits even further.

Making your own iced coffee at home, instead of buying it every day, allows you to control exactly what goes into your drink. This means you can experiment more with flavors while keeping added sugar to a minimum to make the best coffee for you.

Read to the end of this article to read more about our favorite healthy iced coffee recipes.

What This Article Covers:



Is Coffee Healthy?

healthiest iced coffee recipe

A variety of sources discuss the benefits of coffee, including Johns Hopkins Medicine. They do stress that the right amount of coffee is important. Their recommended daily coffee intake is up to 400 mg of caffeine daily.

Some benefits mentioned by Johns Hopkins include a reduced risk of Alzheimer's and colon cancer. They go on to state that coffee can protect your liver and ensure healthy enzyme levels within the body.

A study done by the University of Colorado in 2017 discovered that drinking coffee reduces your risk of heart attack by 7%. A doctor from the study stated that iced coffee contains magnesium, trigonelline, and compounds that increase insulin sensitivity and lower blood pressure.

Coffee is also an excellent source of antioxidants found in foods such as broccoli, spinach, and carrots. Many of us find it much easier to enjoy a daily cup of coffee than daily vegetables.

Benefits of Healthy Iced Coffee


Caffeine boosts your metabolism which determines how many calories your body burns when you’re resting. Caffeine has shown signs of increasing your metabolism by up to 11%. In men, researchers found a 13% boost in calories burnt.

Coffee may make you happier when you’re tired. Studies discovered that people who frequently drink coffee are at 8% less risk for depression. Adults showed a 17% mood boost.

Iced coffee may irritate your stomach less than hot coffee. If you tend to avoid coffee because of heartburn, a healthy cold brew coffee might be the solution. Cold brew coffee is also less acidic than hot coffee.

The carbohydrate ‘polysaccharides’ is more prevalent in iced coffee. This carbohydrate boosts gut immunity and decreases gut irritation caused by the acidity in hot coffee.

How to Make Your Iced Coffee Healthier

healthiest iced coffee to drink

There are a few healthy things to add to your coffee to make it even more beneficial to your health. From spices to oils, the options are endless for switching up the most consumed hot drink in America.

Add a dash of cocoa powder. A single teaspoon of cocoa in your coffee offers a whole host of benefits. Cocoa can help with inflammation and can lower your blood pressure. Its antioxidant properties may also help with high cholesterol. 

Add a dash of ashwagandha powder. It has quite a strong taste, so only add a little at a time. Interesting new information is coming to light in modern medicine showing that ashwagandha may reduce stress and increase endurance.

Include a healthy sprinkle of cinnamon in your next cup of Joe. Not only is cinnamon a seasonal delight, but it can also support your body in various ways. This spice can reduce cholesterol in people with type 2 diabetes and lower your blood sugar.

In the Middle East, coffee is often brewed with cardamom. It makes acidic foods and drinks easier to digest. Cardamom protects the mucus membranes in your gut from the acid found in coffee, reducing the risk of acid reflux. Cardamom is also antimicrobial, which can help you combat a variety of bacteria.

If you experience irritating acid reflux after your morning cup, try adding some ghee. It contains plenty of calcium, which offsets the acid. It is also full of butyrate which reduces inflammation.

Cayenne has been used in indigenous American medicine for thousands of years. It can help with a variety of stomach issues and circulatory problems. 

Healthy Iced Coffee Recipes

healthiest iced coffee to drink at home

We collected our favorite healthy iced coffee recipes for you to try out. From the super simple two-ingredient Kori-Kohi iced coffee to the much more elaborate pumpkin spice syrup iced coffee, there is something for any coffee taste.

Almond Vanilla Iced Coffee


Ingredients


  • 1 cup cold brew or chilled coffee
  • 5 almonds or 1 tsp almond extract
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • ½ cup of your favorite milk
  • 1 cup ice cubes

Directions


  1. Brew your favorite coffee. Make it quite strong, as there is a lot of milk in this recipe.
  2. If you made hot coffee, wait for it to chill all the way. If it’s still hot, the ice will melt way too fast, and you’ll have watery milk.
  3. Blend your almonds/almond extract, ½ cup of milk, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, and a cup of ice until smooth.
  4. Pour your ice and almond mixture into a glass. A 
  5. Slowly add the chilled coffee to the glass.
  6. If you prefer more ice, you can now add a couple of cubes to the final product.

You can add a dash of sugar-free caramel syrup for a healthy caramel iced coffee.

Two Ingredient Kori-Kohi Iced Coffee

healthiest iced coffee recipe for you

Kori-Kohi coffee is super easy to make. You can prepare your coffee the night before and freeze it, so it’s ready to go first thing in the morning.

Ingredients


  • 1 cup strong brewed coffee
  • 1 cup milk - pick any milk you prefer. To keep it healthy, pick something unsweetened.

Directions


  1. Make your favorite coffee.
  2. Pour the coffee into ice cube trays and put it in the freezer. For some added whimsy, use an ice cube tray with cute shapes like hearts or stars.
  3. Wait until the ice cubes are properly frozen.
  4. Heat 1 cup of milk on the stove or in the microwave.
  5. Fill a glass with ice cubes and top with warm milk.

Whipped Mint Chocolate Iced Coffee

which is the healthiest iced coffee

Ingredients


  • ½ cup cold brew coffee
  • ¼ milk of choice (dairy, oat, coconut, etc.)
  • 1 tbsp sugar-free chocolate syrup
  • ⅛ tsp peppermint extract
  • 1 cup ice cubes
  • 3 tbsp whipped cream

Directions


  1. Blend your cold brew, a cup of ice, your favorite milk, and sugar-free chocolate syrup in a blender until the texture resembles a slushie.
  2. Very gently mix three tablespoons of whipped cream with a dash of peppermint extract.
  3. Now you can pour your coffee mixture into a tall glass and top it off with the peppermint whipped cream.
  4. If you want to add something special, you can garnish your drink with grated dark chocolate and a mint leaf.

Pumpkin Spice Syrup Iced Coffee


Ingredients


  • 1 cup cold brew coffee - Try out Lifeboost Coffee’s Pumpkin Spice organic decaf coffee for a delicious blend that won’t throw off your sleep cycle so you can enjoy it any time of the day.
  • ½ cup frozen coffee ice cubes
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 tsp maple syrup
  • 2 tbsp pumpkin purée
  • 2 cinnamon sticks
  • 1 tsp nutmeg
  • 1 tsp allspice
  • 2 whole cloves
  • 2 tbsp non-dairy creamer

make the healthiest iced coffee at home

Directions


  1. Combine water, maple syrup, pumpkin purée, cinnamon sticks, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves in a saucepan and bring to a boil.
  2. Once boiling, reduce heat immediately and simmer for 10-15 minutes to allow all the flavor of the spices to combine.
  3. Allow the mixture to cool down completely, then run through a sieve to remove all the whole spices.
  4. Pour your cold brew coffee into a tall glass and add the frozen coffee ice cubes.
  5. Add the pumpkin spice syrup mixture. You can add small amounts and taste regularly to find out how much you prefer in your coffee.
  6. Finally, top off with your favorite non-dairy creamer and a dash of cinnamon.

If you have a hot coffee recipe you wish could be iced, we’re here to tell you it can be. Chill your coffee beforehand and toss a few ice cubes into your drink before serving. Alternatively, you can blend your coffee and ice.

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