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Refreshing Cold Brew Coffee Recipe

Katie Wells Avatar

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How to make cold brew coffee
Wellness Mama » Blog » Recipes » Drink Recipes » Refreshing Cold Brew Coffee Recipe

“Police work wouldn’t be possible without coffee,” Wallander said.
“No work would be possible without coffee.”
They pondered the importance of coffee in silence.
-Henning Mankell, One Step Behind

For many people (ok, ok, including me), coffee is a favorite morning drink. For me, it has never been about the caffeine, as I like decaf just as much … I just enjoy the aroma and taste of coffee.

I don’t drink it every morning, but when I do, I typically drink it straight out of my favorite French press and blended with some butter, coconut oil, and vanilla, or with a splash of peppermint coffee creamer. Other days, I blend this same concoction into a tea of some kind or just enjoy some plain herbal tea.

(Really, there are endless ways to drink coffee … just please, don’t drink the kind that comes in the coffee pods!)

Cold Press Coffee, My Summertime Treat

Iced coffee is everywhere in the summertime, and usually contains more milk and sugar than coffee. While yummy (to some) this type of iced coffee does nothing good for us and can awaken more cravings for sugar by flooding our dopamine receptors.

(Still need convincing? Check out the sugar stats in popular coffee shop options here.)

I’ve found a good alternative in cold brew coffee, which isn’t just hot coffee poured over ice. If you enjoy a quality brew, cold brew coffee stays good to the last drop as it won’t get diluted as the ice melts, and it has none of the downsides of the coffee shop concoctions.

Best of all, it isn’t complicated at all to make at home and saves a ton of money over a grande frappe addiction.

How to Make Cold Brew Coffee

Cold brew coffee, as the name suggests, actually brews the coffee cold, resulting in a less bitter and more aromatic cold coffee. The result is a naturally slightly sweeter, full bodied coffee that isn’t watered down by ice.

Some people (like my dad) are coffee purists and would never even consider drinking it cold, but if you aren’t part of that group, give cold brew a try!

To make cold brew coffee, you’ll need:

  • a pitcher or bowl
  • a fine mesh strainer
  • a coffee filter that fits the strainer
  • your favorite coffee, ground coarsely

That’s it! The only catch to this super simple recipe is needing to plan ahead, as this method takes about 12 hours to brew. The advantage is, with a little advanced planning, you can brew coffee in your sleep! (Yay for multi-tasking!)

How to make cold brew coffee

Cold Brew Coffee Recipe

Cold brew coffee is a method of brewing that uses cold water for the entire process, yielding a less bitter and more aromatic finished product that is not diluted with ice.
Author Katie Wells

Servings

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Place the coffee grounds and water in a bowl or pitcher and stir to combine.
  • Cover and put the mixture in the refrigerator.
  • Leave for at least 12 hours or as much as 24.
  • Strain through a fine mesh strainer lined with a coffee filter. This process will be slow.

Notes

This recipe produces a coffee concentrate that can be diluted with water or milk to achieve the desired taste. 

Like this recipe? Check out my new cookbook, or get all my recipes (over 500!) in a personalized weekly meal planner here!

Katie Wells Avatar

About Katie Wells

Katie Wells, CTNC, MCHC, Founder of Wellness Mama and Co-founder of Wellnesse, has a background in research, journalism, and nutrition. As a mom of six, she turned to research and took health into her own hands to find answers to her health problems. WellnessMama.com is the culmination of her thousands of hours of research and all posts are medically reviewed and verified by the Wellness Mama research team. Katie is also the author of the bestselling books The Wellness Mama Cookbook and The Wellness Mama 5-Step Lifestyle Detox.

Comments

50 responses to “Refreshing Cold Brew Coffee Recipe”

    1. Kat Filiere Avatar
      Kat Filiere

      Once brewed and strained, it will keep 5-7 days in the fridge.

  1. Ryan Avatar

    5 stars
    Just a heads up, your ingredients read “a pitcher or a bowel” but I’m pretty sure you meant to say bowl. Lol.

  2. Kimberly Avatar

    5 stars
    Mmmm…I used your ratios and made this in my french press last night. This morning – I am truly amazed and grateful! I had no clue where to begin to dilute but used (probably) 1/3 cup of the concentrate and then filled the rest with almond milk – added some MTC – frothed it and OMG. Lovely. Just lovely. Perfect. Now I want to go buy more coffee beans…

    BTW – if you can handle making a smaller batch, seriously – the french press is the way to go. I think mine is 32 oz.

  3. Filiere Avatar

    A well known chain makes theirs 5lbs of coffee to 14 liters of cold water. then it sits for almost a day. It’s diluted to a 2 to 1 ratio of coffee to water.

  4. Andrea Avery Avatar
    Andrea Avery

    Are you sure it’s supposed to be 2 cups of coffee to 4 cups of water? I’ve seen recipes that called for three or 4 tablespoons to five or 6 cups of water. I’m finding so much differing information and trying to figure this out. Thanks so much!

  5. Maggie Avatar

    I want to make coffee kombucha but I would like to use cold brew instead of a hot brew and then it cooling down. Can I use this cold brew recipe for your coffee kombucha recipe? How do I incorporate the sugar for the coffee kombucha??? Thank you!!!!

  6. Rowl Avatar

    4 stars
    Just a small tip: when making coldbrew coffee, make a little extra.
    Use the extra coffee to pour into ice-cube containers and freeze them up.
    When you serve coldbrew-coffee, use these coff-ice-cubes to keep it cool, even if they melt, they won’t make the coffee get that watery taste.

  7. Amber L Avatar
    Amber L

    5 stars
    I am wondering how much of this concentrate I should add to water and drink as the equivalent to 1 cup of regular coffee? I am pregnant and wish to stick to a limit of no more caffeine than is in 1 cup of regular coffee each day.

    I followed the recommendation of another commenter there and added 2 tbsp concentrate to 1 cup of water. The result was very watery and weak, no taste at all. What am I doing wrong? I followed your recipe to a T.

    1. Kat Filiere Avatar
      Kat Filiere

      Cold brewing intensifies the caffine content. I would start small and listen to your body. Congrats!

  8. Kellie Avatar

    Don’t know if I would try this method of making coffee, but I just do a drip brew of really strong coffee, and put it into a pitcher with half stevia and half honey or muscovado sugar. I make it really concentrated. Then when I want iced coffee, I just pour some over ice and top with some milk, half and half or coconut milk. Viola, iced coffee! I have also been roasting my own coffee beans. While I’m certainly no “master coffee roaster”, the coffee is AMAZING because when you roast it yourself, it’s so dang FRESH!! I can get all different varieties for about $5.50-7.50 a pound, and I love experimenting with different “roasts”. Truly customized coffee!! AND….I’m roasting it in an old popcorn popper!! Love it!! My garage smells like Maxwell House!!

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