I don’t know where you live, but here in Missouri it gets hot and sticky. Humidity is a summer staple! And not in a good way. My hair is yuck, my face feels runny after two seconds outside, and I can’t even enjoy a hot cup of morning coffee! Or can I…

So, iced coffee has been a trend for, goodness, a few years now. #thanksstarbucks While I love going to Starbies and spending $5 on a small iced coffee as much as the next guy – I’m not made of money. When my husband gave me ‘the look’ after seeing my receipts, I decided why not make a healthier and more cost-effective iced coffee on my own!

I’m sure many of you have your own concoctions; this is mine and, so far, it’s a winner for me.

I have read so many pins from Pinterest about using cheesecloth to strain, not brewing the grounds, using unicorn sparkles (just kidding) – the point is they were complicated!

Mine is simple.

Here is what I use:

Whatever coffee grounds I have (sometimes Dunkin Donuts, World Market blends, Starbucks blends, Foldgers…), Vanilla Almond Milk, Pure Brown Sugar, All Natural Vanilla Extract, & All Natural Cinnamon.

I fill a one gallon pitcher on Sundays to last me throughout the week. I am only allowed a certain amount of caffeinated drinks since I’m nursing Everett…so I usually just have a glass of iced coffee in the mornings to help me function and keep me somewhat sane over the course of the day.

So – I brew 2 pots of coffee (about 10-12 cups) to add to my 1 gallon pitcher. I, then, add about 1 liter of almond milk (coconut milk is a great sub, here! I just had almond milk in the fridge already.), about 5-6 tablespoons of brown sugar, a little vanilla extract, and a dash of cinnamon. Stir in the hot coffee and pop that pitcher in the fridge. Viola! Iced coffee for the week.

So. Good.

Obviously, change this up if you don’t like your coffee as sweet or you’d prefer less or more of the ingredients – make it your own. This is a less fattening and healthier way to get in that sweet morning treat – without breaking the bank!

Does anyone else have iced coffee recipes they’d like to share?

Enjoy and Happy Summer. ❤