This easy to make Cold Brew Coffee recipe is a refreshing way to satisfy your caffeine cravings, without the bitterness of traditional hot brewed coffee. Making your own is much more affordable than coffee house prices too!

Jump to:

• ❤️ Why You’ll Love Cold Brew Coffee
• 🛒 What You’ll Need for Cold Brew Coffee
• How to Make Cold Brew Coffee
• Can You Use Regular Ground Coffee for Cold Brew?
• What is the Best Ratio for Cold Brew Coffee?
• Tips for the Best Cold Brew Coffee
• Delicious Ways to Enjoy Cold Brew Coffee
• What Sweetener Goes Well with Cold Brew?
• Can I Use Decaffeinated Beans for Cold Brew?
• How is Cold Brew Coffee Different from Regular Coffee?
• More Keto Beverages

❤️ Why You’ll Love Cold Brew Coffee

• Homemade method is easy to follow
• Cold brew coffee is less acidic and bitter
• Better than regular iced coffee
• Save money on expensive coffee house drinks

Cold brew coffee has been gaining in popularity in recent years, as a refreshing and smooth alternative to hot brewed coffee. By steeping the coffee grounds in cold water, you get a rich, full-bodied flavor coffee without a bitter aftertaste. Plus, it's easily customizable, allowing you to experiment with different types of coffee beans, creamers and extracts.

The great thing about this recipe is that it only takes 2 ingredients...that's it! By following a couple simple steps, you'll be able to enjoy a delicious, flavorful cup of cold brew coffee, that will rival any cold brew you get from specialty coffee shops, at a fraction of the cost.

Keeping some of this cold brew coffee on hand in the fridge is the perfect answer for busy weekday mornings! Just brew a double batch over the weekend. Then all that's left to preparing your morning coffee is to just pour it over ice and you're out the door in minutes.

To sweetened it up a bit, you can also add a splash of this amazing, sugar-free Homemade Coffee Creamer.

🛒 What You’ll Need for Cold Brew Coffee

• Coffee beans
• Water

*Exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below.

🥣 Recommended Tools

• Cold Brew Coffee Maker, French Press or Large Mason Jar
• Coffee grinder

How to Make Cold Brew Coffee

Add your coffee beans to a coffee grinder and coarsely grind them.

If using a Cold Brew Coffee Maker, pour the ground beans into the cylinder in the center.

If you don’t have one, you can use a large mason jar or a French Press instead.

Pour the water over the coffee grounds.  Personally, I like to add some vanilla extract to mine, because I love flavored coffee but this is completely optional.

Set in the fridge and allow it to steep for 14-24 hours. I typically steep mine for about 18 hours and it’s right about where I like it.

Strain the coffee through the attached strainer or through a cheese cloth or coffee filter if using a mason jar.

Fill up your glass with some ice cubes and depending on how strong you like your coffee, you might add a little cold water.  Pour in the cold brew coffee.

If you typically like creamer in your coffee, add in some creamer and sweetener.  I like adding my Keto Vanilla Coffee Creamer.

Store any leftover coffee in the fridge in an airtight jar for up to 2 weeks.

Can You Use Regular Ground Coffee for Cold Brew?

The answer is yes and no. While regular prepacked ground coffee will work, it does not give the best result. This is because most coffee grounds are finely ground which can cause a more acidic and grittier cold brew.

If you don't want to buy a coffee grinder, you can always use the one at the grocery store and select the "coarse grind" option.

What is the Best Ratio for Cold Brew Coffee?

If you ask several cold brew coffee makers this question you may get several different answers. I personally enjoy a 1:4 ratio. This means, you use 1 part coffee to 4 parts water. But if you like a stronger coffee flavor, a 1:3 may work best for you.

I do recommend starting out with the stronger ratio, because you can always weaken it by adding a little more water.

Tips for the Best Cold Brew Coffee

• Use quality beans: You don’t have to buy expensive gourmet coffee beans, but you do want to use a good quality coffee that you have tried before and enjoyed.

• Don’t over grind: For cold brew, you want a coarse grind. Fine grounds will cause a murky color from residual powdery grounds.

• Use filtered water: If you want the cleanest and purest tasting coffee, it all starts with the type of water you use. Use water that has been filtered at home or bottled water.

• Don’t rush the steeping time: Time is so important to get cold brew the right strength. It needs at least 12 hours to ensure all the flavors of the ground beans are extracted. For medium strength, 16-18 hours is the sweet spot. If you want to make it extra strong, steep it up to 24 hours, but after that, it may start to become bitter.

Delicious Ways to Enjoy Cold Brew Coffee

• With milk: For those of us on Keto, a splash of heavy cream, almond milk or coconut milk is a great choice to give cold brew a creamy flavor.

• As a frappe: Add cold brew to a blender, with a little sugar free Caramel Sauce or some of this Chocolate Nutella.

• Topped with whipped cream: You can easily whip up a sugar free whipped topping and add a generous dollop to a tall glass of cold brew.

• Make ice cubes: If you enjoy your cold brew over ice but don't like the way the ice cubes dilute it, just make coffee ice cubes with part of your batch of cold brew.

• Heat it up: Yes, you can heat up cold brew. If you want a hot cup of coffee, just place it in the microwave for about 45 seconds or until it's hot enough for you.

What Sweetener Goes Well with Cold Brew?

This homemade Coffee Creamer is the perfect way to sweeten your coffee. There are also great brands of sugar free syrup you can use in cold brew. Or you can make your own sugar free simple syrup by dissolving one part Monk Fruit Sweetener (or other sugar substitute) with one cup boiling water. Throw in a vanilla bean to give the syrup a nice warm vanilla flavor.

You can also use a little sugar-free maple syrup or sugar-free Honey.

Can I Use Decaffeinated Beans for Cold Brew?

You sure can. You will steep it the same way and for the same amount of time that you do caffeinated coffee grounds. This is actually how I make mine personally, since I cannot have caffeine.

How is Cold Brew Coffee Different from Regular Coffee?

Unlike regular coffee, cold brew uses time to extract the oils and caffeine from the coffee where regular brewed coffee uses heat.

More Keto Beverages

• Cranberry Smoothie
• Salted Caramel Dalgona Coffee
• Keto Hot Chocolate
• Strawberry Cheesecake Smoothie
• Pumpkin Bulletproof Coffee
• Berry Avocado Smoothie