Spiriteds, I need to talk to you. One, the five-year-old can’t wait for fall, two, the eight-year-old picked out high-tops for 3rd grade, and, three, I have a serious coffee creamer addiction. Also, today’s recipe is Homemade Iced Coffee, which I am now crying into because my babies aren’t babies anymore and just whatever, I’m certain I only brought them home from the hospital yesterday.

Let’s start with the five-year-old, shall we? When I asked her why she was so anxious for fall, Twinkle replied, “I want to watch the leaves change colors.” #ImNotCryingYoureCrying

Bless all the hearts. Sometimes five-year-old littles really are just the absolute best. Twinkle is with me on this whole summer-into-fall time of year, which we affectionately refer to on this blog as “summerfall.” She and I anxiously await changing colors, soft pullovers, and crisp mornings.

In the meantime, school is about to start, which definitely feels like fall, but temperatures are firmly planted somewhere between 80 and 90 degrees, which is all kinds of summer. And in truth, Homemade Iced Coffee is actually the perfect summerfall recipe. It’s a cold-brew cuppa joe that feels like a comforting hug but definitely beats the heat, no creamer needed.

Twinkle and I have one more year together before she goes to kindergarten. And all I can say is I plan to soak up every minute I possibly can. The days may be long but the years are oh so short. Thus, I’ll drink my coffee, watch the leaves fall, and remind myself to bottle a few of these moments.

As for Toodle? Well, she picked out new shoes for the year. Black high-tops. And because I am super lame, I had to look up whether “high-top” comes complete with a hyphen. According to Merriam-Webster, it does.

As for those high-tops and the adorable eight-year-old who picked them out? Well, I got so up in my own feelings I couldn’t stop talking to K-Hubs about it. “Toodle picked out HIGH-TOPS! HIGH-TOPS!!!!!!! They are so…mature-looking. And trendy. And she looks not at all like a baby anymore!!!!!”

Put another way, if a car fell on you, I could lift it myself and save you. After all, I took one science class in college, astronomy. Don’t worry, it was a four-credit course with a lab component. So I feel like my muscles are big and my mechanics game is strong. But my eight-year-old picking out high-tops? THAT I cannot handle.

So, I’m crying into my Homemade Iced Coffee. But I am taking comfort in the knowledge that the high-tops come complete not only with a hyphen but also rhinestones and the embroidered message “Girls Rock.”

Bless every little bit of this mess.

As for the third issue in today’s post, well, I am addicted to coffee creamer. I don’t even really like coffee, I just want the creamer that goes with it. For years, I have worked on recipes to kick the habit, or at least cut WAY back. I started with the World’s Best Chocolate Coffee, a delectable treat, if ever there was one. After that it was Paleo Vanilla Almond Caramel Sauce, which I originally planned to make into a creamer but turned into a sauce instead. Most recently, I brewed Dairy-Free Vanilla Cashew Coffee. ALL of these recipes rock, and each in their own way have helped me cut back on my creamer addiction.

So then I wondered about an iced coffee deal, and lo and behold, Homemade Iced Coffee fits the bill. Now, let’s understand something. You can ABSOLUTELY drink your Homemade Iced Coffee straight. And I commend you if you do. Coffee without a mix-in is, for me, the equivalent of my eight-year-old picking out high-tops. I can’t handle it. So, I played around with other mix-ins that aren’t creamer, and I had all kinds of fun.

Dairy-alternatives. I LOVE to add almond milk to my iced coffee (in equal parts, of course). Cashew, rice, and other dairy-free milk alternatives would work, too.
Chocolate. Because chocolate makes everything better. Prep a cup of hot coffee, add your chocolate, and let it cool. Voila! You have a cold-brew version of chocolate coffee.
Coffee ice cubes. Oh yes! We are taking our coffee game up a notch with these cubes of deliciousness. Just brew a second batch of coffee (you can reuse the grounds), let it cool, pour into ice cubes, freeze, and enjoy!
Protein powder. Spiriteds, THIS has been a game-changer for me. A scoop or two and you’re set to go! Maybe add a dash of honey, maple syrup, or agave nectar if you want a slightly sweeter flavor.

Let’s take a quick minute to talk about this protein powder business a little more. I love Orgain (and I’m not even paid to say that)! I add about one scoop to each cup of coffee, and then I add a little sweetener of choice, as mentioned above. Spiriteds, the combination is OUT OF THIS WORLD GOOD!!!!!! And unlike creamer, which is full of empty calories (or at least mine is), this protein powder boasts fiber, servings of fruits and vegetables, and, of course, protein. It’s also gluten-free, dairy-free, and soy-free. And the flavor is super YUMMO!!!! I use the vanilla-flavored powder, however a chocolate version is also available.

Also, and this is a true story, I actually prefer my protein powder in Homemade Iced Coffee instead of regular hot coffee. It’s good hot or cold, but I secretly favor the cold brew version myself. I’m not sure why. I just know what I know, and that’s what I know. Protein powder in cold coffee is a surprising delight. And since coffee comes from a bean and the protein powder has vegetables, basically, you’re just drinking delicious veggies…

…while you watch your kids grow. Spiriteds, I may be sitting in the front row of the strugglebus right now, but gosh darn it all if I don’t have a refreshing coffee to go with it.

Homemade Iced Coffee

Print Recipe

Prep Time: 5 mins
Total Time: 5 mins
Yield: 1 serving 1x

Ingredients

Scale

8 oz. fresh brewed coffee, chilled
Ice cubes (regular or frozen coffee)
1–2 teaspoons honey, agave nectar, or maple syrup, optional
Almond milk, optional
Protein powder, optional

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Instructions

Brew one cup coffee and let cool. To make coffee ice cubes, brew another batch of coffee using the same grounds. Let cool and pour into ice cube trays. Freeze for about 2-3 hours.
When coffee has chilled or coffee ice cubes are frozen solid, pour desired minx-ins into coffee and enjoy.

Notes

Homemade Iced Coffee is the perfect make-ahead/breakfast-prep recipe. I like to brew a few cups of coffee at night and let the coffee chill overnight. I also reuse the grounds for batches of coffee that I then freeze in ice cube trays. By morning, everything is ready to go!

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