This 4-ingredient iced strawberry latte is a tasty coffee-based drink made from fresh strawberries. It's the perfect refreshment on a hot day. Shots of espresso add a powerful flavor while juicy strawberries provide a floral touch.
Just a handful of ingredients and a little bit of time are needed to make this stunning strawberry drink.
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💌 Why To Expect
- This a super easy recipe - perfect for beginners
- Real strawberries are used to make the SIMPLEST strawberry syrup
- No special equipment is needed - you won't need a blender or fancy coffee maker*
- Works with any kind of milk
* Although if you do have one you are more than welcome to use it!
🥛 Ingredients
You'll need just a handful of ingredients to make this vibrant & delicious drink.
Ingredient Details
Strawberries - we'll use them to make homemade strawberry syrup. It's best to use in-season strawberries that are deep red & bursting with flavor.
Espresso shots - Any kind of strong brewed coffee will do the job whether it's made in a coffee machine, moka pot, French press, etc. You can even use decaf if preferred.
Sugar - I used white granulated sugar but you can play around with any kind of sugar you have on hand. You can also use liquid sweeteners like agave or maple syrup.
Oat milk - You can also use soy milk or coconut milk. In fact, any type of milk that you usually drink in coffee will work.
Optional: vanilla extract enhances the flavors & adds depth and complexity. I like to use real vanilla paste with beautiful black flecks. Vanilla essence can be used too.
Tip - If you're making this when strawberries are not in season, I suggest using frozen strawberries instead. Frozen fruit is picked & frozen at the peak of ripeness (source).
🥄 Equipment
- 2 tall glasses
- 1 small saucepan
- Sieve/strainer
⏲️ Steps
Ready to try your new favorite drink? Here are the steps!
Hint - Full recipe details can be found at the bottom of this page.
1 - Brew your coffee (espresso shots) and set it aside to cool. In the meantime, add sliced strawberries, sugar, vanilla (optional) & water to a small pan.
2 - Bring to a boil and let simmer gently for 15-20 minutes. This will create homemade strawberry syrup.
3 & 4 - Pour the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve to remove any bits. Don't press any remaining bits through the sieve - we want a completely smooth consistency.
5 & 6 - Time to serve the drink. First, fill a glass with ice cubes (or to taste) and then add strawberry syrup.
7 & 8 - Finish it off with (cooled down) espresso and milk.
If desired, you can top it off with:
- whipped cream
- coffee creamer
- chocolate syrup
- caramel syrup
Tip - If you don't feel like making the syrup from scratch you can use store-bought strawberry syrup. Simply skip the first 4 steps. Monin, Hershey's, and 1883 are all great options for store-bought syrup.
💡 Pro Tips
- Measure out the strawberries when they are already finely chopped (not whole).
- Choose your coffee WISELY. Go for tried & tested coffee that you know you love. If you can, splurge a little on this part.
- Use decaf coffee for a caffeine-free version of this drink.
- Adjust to your taste: you might prefer a different ratio of milk to coffee or you might want something a little bit more sugary. Simply taste and adjust before serving.
- The syrup works as a sweetener for our latte, however, you can add more sweeteners like extra sugar, agave, or maple syrup if desired.
❓FAQ
For best results, use deep red (not pink) strawberries. Their tops should be a deep shade of green, but not too dark, brown, or shriveled up.
In the UK and most parts of the US, strawberries are in season somewhere between May and September. June is often the best time to use them.
Absolutely!
Instead of using just strawberries, you can also make the syrup with raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, or other berries.
🍦 Add-ons
This strawberry latte needs no additions - it's absolutely perfect the way it is.
However, if you're in the mood to experiment, here are my top suggestions:
- Whipped cream: I like to use oat-based whipped cream to add a little bit of extra magic to this drink.
- Freeze-dried strawberries can be sprinkled on top to add more color & flavor to this pink drink.
- Non-dairy creamer can be used instead of milk if you prefer a thicker, creamier version.
- White chocolate naturally pairs well with strawberries. I like to add some shavings of oat milk white chocolate on top.
- Matcha works both as an add-on or to replace coffee.
- Scoops of ice cream can be added on top if you fancy turning this into a decadent dessert. I love serving it with vegan vanilla ice cream.
Sugar substitute? Strawberries are naturally sweet, but if you're looking to reduce the amount of sugar in your homemade syrup you can use stevia. Remember to use just 1 teaspoon of stevia for every cup of sugar you use (source).
🍵 Serving
Hot strawberry latte
You can serve this drink hot if preferred.
Simply leave out the ice cubes and use hot coffee, milk & syrup.
You can heat up the milk either:
- In a small pan: slowly heat up the milk until you can see steam escaping from the pan. Do not boil.
- In the microwave: in a microwave-safe mug, add the desired amount of milk and heat up. You will need approximately 40 seconds for every cup of milk.
If you're choosing the hot option I also recommend frothing the milk before serving. This makes it that extra bit tasty & special! I like to use a hand frother (you can buy one in Ikea for a few dollars/pounds).
Iced strawberry latte
Fill the glass with plenty of ice cubes.
Add syrup, coffee & milk on top.
You can also add optional toppings like whipped cream, etc.
📦 Storage
Pretty much the only downside to this amazing drink is that it doesn't store well. I recommend drinking it fresh and not storing any leftovers.
However, the good news is that you CAN prepare both the syrup and the espresso ahead. Yay!
Simply prepare them according to the instructions given in the recipe and then keep them refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 10 days.
When you're ready to serve your drink, simply add ice cubes & milk.
🍹 More Coffee Recipes
If you're a lover of all things coffee you might want to try out my:
Got questions about making this recipe? Simply let me know in the comments below and I'll help you out!
Made this strawberry latte? It would mean a lot to me if you could leave a star review or comment below!
🍴Recipe
Easy & Pink Iced Strawberry Latte
Equipment
- 2 Tall glasses
- 1 small saucepan
- 1 Sieve/strainer
Ingredients
- ¼ cup espresso (very strong coffee) equals 2 shots/ounces
- 1 cup sliced strawberries about 140g
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract optional
- 2 cups milk of choice I used oat milk
- ice cubes
Instructions
- Make your espresso (either in a coffee machine or any other way) and set it aside to cool.¼ cup espresso (very strong coffee)
- In the meantime, add strawberries, sugar, vanilla (optional) & 1 cup of water to a small pan.1 cup sliced strawberries, ¼ cup granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Bring to a boil and let simmer gently for 15-20 minutes. This will create homemade strawberry syrup.
- Pour the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve to remove any bits. Don't press any remaining bits through the sieve - we want a completely smooth consistency.
- Time to serve the drink. First, fill a glass with ice cubes (or to taste) and then add your strawberry syrup.ice cubes
- Finish it off with (cooled down) espresso and milk.¼ cup espresso (very strong coffee), 2 cups milk of choice
- If desired, you can top it off with freeze-dried strawberries, whipped cream, coffee creamer, chocolate syrup, caramel syrup, etc.
Nutrition
Disclaimer: The nutritional information above is calculated automatically. The author of this post cannot guarantee 100% accuracy of this data.
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