This easy vanilla iced coffee recipe is a simple refreshing pick-me-up coffee drink to sip on hot summer days (or anytime you crave good iced coffee)! Make this simple iced coffee to cool you down with the soft sweetness of vanilla bean swirled with hints of cinnamon spice.

A Refreshing Homemade Vanilla Iced Coffee Recipe with Cinnamon

Keep this perfect iced coffee recipe handy when you’re in need of easy peasy homemade iced coffee recipes to put a little pep in your step. The homemade vanilla bean syrup in this easy iced coffee recipe is easy to make and only takes a few minutes to put together.

Aside from that, all you do is take your favorite coffee and flavor it up with our lovely vanilla syrup, lots of fresh ice, and a bit of cinnamon for a great iced coffee treat you can pour up and enjoy to your heart’s content!

Use Your Favorite Coffee In this Easy Iced Coffee Recipe

For the vanilla iced coffee recipe, you can use your favorite type of coffee. Some of these might include:

• Your own prepared cold brew coffee
• Coffee already brewed in a french press coffee maker
• Prepared room temperature coffee leftover from a full pot of coffee
• Instant iced coffee made from instant coffee granules or an instant coffee concentrate such as Javy.
• Fresh coffee brewed from a Keurig coffee pod (as I have done here).
• Your favorite cinnamon flavored coffee
• Your favorite vanilla flavored coffee for added layers of flavor

Making Coffee To use In the Vanilla Iced Coffee Recipe

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I like using vanilla flavored coffee to bump up that vanilla flavor even more! I used a Starbucks vanilla k-cup coffee pod and used the iced coffee setting on my Keurig K-Elite coffee maker. It makes easy peasy iced coffee in a minute! Just fill a tall glass with fresh ice and press the iced button. Otherwise, use coffee brewed from one of the alternative methods listed above.

If your brewed coffee is still hot, (if possible) transfer your hot coffee to a safe container and set your coffee in the fridge to let it come to room temperature a little quicker.

When using instant coffee to make this easy iced coffee recipe, combine water and instant coffee according to your instant coffee package directions. If hot, let cool and then follow the rest of the steps as indicated. 

I always suggest letting the coffee cool to some extent so that it does not melt the ice cubes producing a watery iced coffee. You’ll get a richer tasting, bolder, strong coffee to use in your coffee drink this way! If using cold brew coffee, even better! You can skip this step…

To make this delicious chilled vanilla iced coffee recipe, start by making the vanilla syrup for the coffee recipe. This is basically very similar to a Starbucks vanilla syrup recipe. Having ready-made syrup is the easiest way to sweeten coffee drinks and cold drinks since the sugar has already been combined with water in a liquid form. I will add, however, that using real vanilla is key to making the best vanilla syrup for coffee.

Make the Vanilla Syrup For Coffee Recipe

Using a paring knife, gently cut the vanilla bean down the center to reveal the seeds inside. Gently press the vanilla pod open with the top of the knife and drop into your saucepan (or 1 tbsp vanilla extract if vanilla bean is not available). Add equal parts water and sugar to the same sauce pan with the vanilla bean pod.

Stir the sugar, vanilla pod, and water over medium heat and stir gently as the sugar melts into the water. Bring to a boil. 

Once mixture comes to a boil, reduce heat to low. Simmer on low an additional 8 minutes allowing the flavor of the vanilla bean to deepen and concentrate the flavor of the syrup. Turn heat off. Strain, let cool, and pour into an airtight container. Use to flavor cocktails and delicious refreshing iced coffee drinks just like this one!

Make A Chilled Vanilla Iced Coffee with Cinnamon

To make the iced coffee recipe, dust a little ground cinnamon into the bottom of a tall glass or a rocks glass. Next, pour in a scoop of fresh ice (filling your glass about three quarters of the way with ice. The cinnamon will mix in as you pour the coffee.

Pour Coffee Over Fresh Ice and add Vanilla Syrup to make an easy iced coffee

Splash in about half a cup of cooler room-temp coffee. Now splash in the fresh homemade vanilla syrup to give your iced coffee the taste of delicious vanilla bean!

Add Your Favorite Creamer or Milk

Finish by topping off with an ounce or so of your creamy milk. You can use half & half, your favorite creamy nut milk, coconut milk, rice milk, oat milk, or your favorite dairy milk.  

Stir Vanilla Iced Coffee and Enjoy Cold

Using a long bar spoon, stir gently from the bottom and work your way up through the glass. Evenly distribute the sweetness from the vanilla syrup throughout the iced coffee drink.

Adjust the flavors by adding more syrup if you like your iced coffee on the sweeter side. 

 Additionally, you can make it creamier by adding more of your favorite milk if desired.

Finish by dusting over the top with a little cinnamon, if desired, and garnish with a cinnamon stick.

Enjoy this easy iced coffee recipe as a refreshing drink anytime!

Enjoy this simple and delicious iced coffee recipe as a refreshing drink anytime! Make it when you crave a cold coffee beverage with a hint of warming spice and delicious vanilla bean flavor.

If you like lots of warming spice, try this easy festive iced coffee sweetened with a lovely spiced syrup that only takes minutes to make! If you crave a grown-up treat, try this fluffy whipped coffee with rum, or this chilled pick-me-up coffee martini complete with chocolate sauce… Delicious, refreshing, and perfect for all you coffee lovers out there!

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