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Author:
Franco Salzillo
Sipping an iced coffee is the best way of staying fresh while still getting your daily caffeine boost; it’s the ultimate summer drink, and it’s perfect at all hours.
And although iced coffee is perfect just like it is, everything can be improved, and in this case, we’re completely overhauling the classic cold drink!
Let’s make an iced coffee and make it inclusive and healthier using almond milk and monk fruit extract. The result is fantastic and making this one is super easy. Here’s what you need to know.
To make this slim version of everyone’s favorite cold coffee, we’re using a freshly brewed espresso, although I guess you can use a tablespoon of instant coffee as well. Fresh is always better, though.
We’ll also substitute regular milk for almond milk. The nutty, mildly sweet and creamy milk alternative is charming, and it’s amongst my favorite plant-based milks.
As a sweetener, we’re using the cool-sounding monk fruit extract, which adds few calories to your diet, if any, and is as lusciously sweet as sugar! If you haven’t used monk fruit extract before, you’ll love it.
Finally, we’ll need some fresh ice. We’re using the blender for this one. That’s how you get a frothy iced coffee. You can also stir the ingredients with a spoon, but you’ll miss out on the foam.
What is monk fruit? You might ask. Well, this small melon-like fruit, known originally “lo han guo,” is native to China, and its extract is 150-250 times sweeter than sugar. And there’s more; the extract adds zero calories to your diet — it contains no carbs whatsoever.
Sweetener brands often blend monk fruit extract with another low-calorie sweetener, more often than not, allulose. If that’s the case, you can substitute sugar with equal parts of the monk fruit blend. The 1:1 ratio is easy to remember, right?
And with that thorough explanation about why monk fruit is cool, let’s make ourselves a chilly cup of iced coffee. Almond milk and monk fruit make this one a contemporary classic that surely gives the traditional recipe a run for its money.
Brew the espresso and let it cool at room temperature.
In a blender, pour the almond milk, monk fruit extract and espresso.
Blend until smooth and foamy.
Pour into a glass filled with ice.
