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Hi, friends!
Happy Good Friday to you! I hope that you are spending this Easter weekend safely and—incidentally—socially distant. 🙂 In case you’ve forgotten or just need to hear it again, Christ is risen!
Since being home from school over the past two weeks, I have kept fairly busy. I have had considerably more time on my hands lately for activities besides school, and I tend to fill that time up quickly with work, helping around the house, or intentional self-care such as crafting, yoga, workouts, and nightly baths. I have not yet run out of things to do!
Lately, though, one of my hardest adjustments is related to coffee; I have been greatly missing my numerous Starbucks trips and study sessions. My body has also, apparently, been missing my regular consumption of coffee, as some nasty caffeine headaches have reared their way into my Starbucks hiatus. Unfortunately, the nearest Starbucks to my house is about 40 minutes away, and my favorite local coffee on-the-go, 7Brew, is as well. My town also does not have any available coffee options at the moment due to COVID-19 restrictions.
I had to get creative.
“Do you like coffee?”
“Only with my oxygen.”
While I was on a Wal-Mart run about a week ago, I decided to try my hand at recreating my usual Starbucks order: a vanilla iced coffee with heavy cream. Requiring a fairly basic construction, I assumed it wouldn’t be too difficult. While there in the store, I quickly sent a message to my friend, Cass, who happens to also be a barista at our college town Starbucks. Since she knows my “usual,” she was able to provide some guidance for my coffee experimentation.
I will be honest; I did not expect to enjoy my first attempt at this. Sure enough, I was not a fan. The coffee I had brewed was a Starbucks vanilla-flavored blend, and because of this, the taste was not what I had hoped for. In fact, I handed it off to my sister to finish because it was quite a letdown to me—too much vanilla to be similar to my Starbucks order. At first, my thought process went a little like this:
But I pulled myself together and jumped back in the ring for round two.
To get the flavor just right for my own liking, I needed a simple medium-roast coffee. For my next attempt, I brewed some of my mom’s coffee that she purchases from Wal-Mart, Community Coffee, in their Cafe Special blend: perfect.
It tastes so much like my “usual” order from Starbucks!
What You Need
Coffee (of your choosing)
Torani French Vanilla syrup
Heavy Whipping Cream
Ice
The Prep
Night before | Approximately 5 minutes
The night before I want to drink my coffee, I brew my desired amount. For this post, I brewed 16 ounces. To do this, I simply followed the specified instructions—2 Tbsp. of coffee grounds per 6 oz. of water added.
I pour the coffee directly into a mason jar (or another heat-safe container or your choosing) and then refrigerate overnight.
The Mixing
Day of | Approximately 2 minutes
The next morning, I started by pouring just a few splashes of my French Vanilla syrup:
To visually simplify the process for you, I mixed my coffee in my reusable Starbucks cup. I poured the syrup to the slight indention at the base of the cup before moving on to the next step.
Next, I added my coffee.
After I had poured my coffee completely, the liquid reached about halfway between the top two lines on the cup. Next, it was time to add the heavy cream.
Of course, everyone’s preference is different. You may choose to add much less cream or milk than I do. You may choose an altogether non-dairy alternative—and I think that’s great! I have yet to find an alternative that I enjoy as much as heavy cream; although, I have been told that oat milk is a fantastic one!
Anyway, I added my cream until the mixture reached just a little over the top line on my cup—nearly the equivalent of the distance between the top two lines.
At this time, I added ice and swirled it around, and there you have it: my at-home Starbucks iced coffee imitation!
If you are an iced coffee drinker, my hope is that this post inspires you to experiment for yourself to find your “usual.” It’s simple, low-cost, and yummy! As I said before, my first attempt wasn’t what I had hoped for. It may take a few tries before your coffee tastes just how you like it! This is simply my new method that is subject to change in the next few months. My goal is that it gives you some ideas of ways you can achieve your own iced coffee at home!
If you decide to try making iced coffee, share it to your Instagram story and tag me! I would love to hear about your process and outcome. Also, comment below with your go-to Starbucks drink! That way, I will have some new options to try when we are no longer trapped at home. 😉 I long for the days I can once again take in the Starbucks aroma and be reunited with my fellow “regulars.”
Until next time,
Annie Lark
“First I drink the coffee, then I do the things.”
Lorelai Gilmore
ANNIE BOYD SOWELL 