Coffee ice cubes give you the ability to make yourself an iced coffee at any time, with any temperature coffee, without watering down your coffee or fiddling with cold brew.
I have a non-recipe recipe for you today. Less an actual recipe, more like a hey, you should start doing this because it’s kind of amazing .
Turn your coffee into ice cubes!!
Coffee Ice Cubes: The Perfect Way to Use Up Leftover Coffee
Why are we not all making coffee ice cubes all the time in the summer??? This is the best way to use up leftover coffee (okay, maybe a close second to baking it into cake… ).
Having a batch of these in your freezer means that you are always just a couple minutes away from a glass of iced coffee. And in the miserable heat of summer, who wouldn’t want that?
The Fastest, Easiest Iced Coffee
With coffee ice cubes, you can make yourself an iced coffee with any temperature coffee without watering it down with melting (water) ice cubes or fiddling with cold brew. You just pop a handful of these in a glass and pour coffee over the top.
If you’re using hot coffee and it melts the cubes but you still want ice, you can add more coffee cubes or regular ice cubes since your coffee should now be chilled and ready to sip.
Then stir in a little heavy cream and some simple syrup if you like things sweet or use the chilled coffee to make an Iced Mocha or Iced White Chocolate Mocha .
A Note on Coffee Ice Cube Trays
No need to buy special ice cube trays for your coffee cubes. Any basic one will do , though if you’re making a lot of coffee cubes, you might want to consider keeping a designated coffee tray since plastics can start to absorb strong odors over time, and you don’t want to make ALL your ice cubes smell/taste like coffee.
I used this tray for the cubes in the photo, and while I love how sturdy it is and how neat the cubes look, I don’t know that I would recommend it for everyday use since the cubes are a little difficult to remove from the tray.
More Coffee Recipes
Looking for more ways to caffeinate? Try:
- Homemade Mocha
- Homemade White Chocolate Mocha
- Caramel Macchiato
Ingredients
- ▢ Coffee
Instructions
- Pour coffee into ice cube molds and freeze until solid, about 4 hours.
- Transfer frozen coffee cubes to an airtight container or freezer bag. Store for up to 2 months.
How to make a great milkshake without a blender. You’ll just need ice cream, milk, a mason jar, and a microwave…
Hey, friend, here today because you’re craving a milkshake and don’t have a blender (or don’t want to have to wash a blender)? You’re in the right place.
No Blender, No Problem
It’s actually really easy to make a great milkshake without a blender. You’ll just need ice cream, milk, a mason jar , and a microwave.
And real talk, a milkshake made by hand will never be as thick and frosty as one made with a high-powered blender, but this is still going to be a fabulous shake that will absolutely satisfy all those milkshake cravings.
How to Make a Milkshake Without a Blender
Start by placing your ice cream in a large, microwave-safe jar, like a quart-size mason jar. Microwave the ice cream until it begins to melt and you can easily squish it with a spoon. (Note: The ice cream in the first photo has NOT been microwaved yet. You’ll want it more melty than that.)
After your ice cream is softened, you’ll add your milk and any mix-ins (scroll down for my favorite mix-in ideas).
Place a lid on the jar and shake vigorously until well-mixed. When making milkshakes with this method, you almost always end up with a couple stubborn bits of ice cream that won’t mix by shaking. Take a long spoon and stir them into the shake, mashing them against the edges of the jar to help them mix.
And that’s it, pour your shake into a glass, top with whipped cream, and enjoy!
The Best Milkshakes to Make Without a Blender
The best milkshakes to make without a blender are shakes using mix-ins that don’t need to be blended, like syrups or extracts, or ingredients that can be chopped or smashed by hand, like candies and cookies.
Fruit shakes with real fruit are difficult to make by hand unless you want to do some serious mashing with a potato masher.
Some good milkshakes to make without a blender:
- Chocolate Milkshake : Add 3 tablespoons of chocolate or fudge sauce .
- Oreo Milkshake : Smash 3 to 4 Oreo cookies in a plastic bag with a rolling pin or the bottom of a heavy glass and add crumbs to the shake.
- Candy Milkshake: Finely chop about 3 tablespoons of chocolate candies and add pieces to the shake.
For more microwave dessert recipes, try Nutella Sauce and Peanut Butter Sauce .
Ingredients
Special Equipment
- ▢ Quart-size mason jar with a lid
Milkshake
- ▢ 1 1/2 cups ice cream about 3 scoops, any flavor
- ▢ 1/2 to 3/4 cup milk any percentage
- ▢ Whipped cream optional for topping
Chocolate Milkshake
- ▢ 3 tablespoons chocolate syrup
Caramel Milkshake
- ▢ 2 tablespoons caramel, butterscotch, or dulce de leche
Oreo Milkshake
- ▢ 3 to 4 Oreos finely crushed
Candy Milkshake
- ▢ 3 tablespoons chocolate candy finely chopped
Instructions
- Place ice cream in a large, microwave-safe jar. Microwave the ice cream until it begins to melt and you can easily squish it with a spoon, 15 to 30 seconds.
- After your ice cream is softened, add milk and any mix-ins.
- Place lid on the jar and shake vigorously until well-mixed. Take a long spoon and stir any remaining bits of ice cream into the shake, mashing them against the edges of the jar to help them mix.
- Pour shake into a glass, top with whipped cream, and enjoy!
Notes
This Iced Caramel Macchiato is perfect for summer and made with a quick homemade caramel sauce that is super easy to throw together.
Hey, friends. I’m back with one more iced coffee recipe for you. So far this summer, we’ve done an Iced Mocha and Iced White Chocolate Mocha . Today’s recipe is the last of the bunch I had planned, and I saved a good one for you: Iced Caramel Macchiato.
Iced Caramel Macchiato with Quick Homemade Caramel
The hot Caramel Macchiato recipe that’s on the site is a reader favorite. It’s been pinned nearly 40k times and always gets rave reviews.
This iced version is just as good, is perfect for warmer weather, and is made with a quick homemade caramel that is super easy to whip up.
How to Make an Iced Caramel Macchiato
- This recipe starts with a quick shortcut version of caramel sauce . To make it, you’ll simmer butter, brown sugar, heavy cream, and a bit of salt together for 4-5 minutes , until you get a smooth and sweet sauce that you’ll want to eat with a spoon.
Or, if you have caramel sauce in your fridge, you can skip this step and use what you already have on hand.
Next, you’ll heat a bit of coffee with a spoonful of the caramel and sugar and then add in heavy cream.
And finally, pour cold coffee over ice and then add in the caramel and cream mixture. Be sure to take a moment to appreciate the caramel and cream swirls and then stir it all together. Top with whipped cream and a little more of the caramel sauce, and enjoy.
Make it a Caramel Macchiato Frappuccino
This recipe is also easy to turn into a Caramel Macchiato Frappe. Double the sugar when making the macchiato since blending it with ice will dilute the sweetness of the drink. And then blend with ice instead of pouring over.
Iced Caramel Macchiato Recipe Notes
- This recipe will make more caramel than you need for a single drink, a little less than 1/2 cup or enough for about 4 coffees. You can store it in an airtight container in the fridge and use it for future macchiatos or a milkshake , use it for dipping shortbread , or drizzle it over anything really. 😉
- If you have leftover cream, check out my post What to Do With Leftover Whipping Cream for ideas on using up the leftovers.
Ingredients
Caramel
- ▢ 2 tablespoons ( 1oz ) butter
- ▢ 1/4 cup heavy cream
- ▢ 1/4 cup ( 50g ) packed brown sugar
- ▢ 1/8 teaspoon salt
- ▢ 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Caramel Macchiato
- ▢ 1 cup cold strong black coffee divided
- ▢ 1 tablespoon ( 12g ) granulated sugar
- ▢ 1 1/2 cup ice
- ▢ 1 tablespoon heavy cream*
- ▢ Whipped cream optional
Instructions
Quick Caramel
- In a small pot, melt butter over medium heat.
- Add heavy cream, brown sugar, and salt.
- Bring to a low simmer. Once at a simmer, cook for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until mixture is thickened (mixture will thicken further as it cools).
- Remove from heat, stir in vanilla, and transfer caramel to a mason jar or other airtight container for storage.
Caramel Macchiato
- In a small pot, combine 1 tablespoon of the prepared caramel, sugar, and 1/4 cup of the coffee. Heat over medium heat until sugar and caramel completely dissolve and coffee mixture is smooth and uniform in color. Remove from heat and whisk in heavy cream.
- Add ice to a 16-ounce cup, and pour in remaining 3/4 cup of cold coffee followed by the caramel mixture and stir. Top with whipped cream and drizzle with more caramel sauce if desired. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Coffee Ice Cubes
Ingredients
- Coffee
Instructions
- Pour coffee into ice cube molds and freeze until solid, about 4 hours.
- Transfer frozen coffee cubes to an airtight container or freezer bag. Store for up to 2 months.
