Iced Turkish Coffee with Milk: An Easy Homemade Recipe

If you love the aroma of Turkish coffee but do not feel like drinking something hot, reach for your coffee pot anyway. This time, instead of a small coffee cup, we will prepare a glass filled with ice. Cold milk softens the flavour while leaving that familiar coffee aroma in every sip.

You do not need a coffee machine or blender for this recipe. A small Turkish coffee pot, called a cezve, and a few ingredients are enough. I suggest trying it plain first. If you would like cream, cocoa or ice cream, I have included those options below too.

Serves: 1
Preparation time: Approximately 5 minutes
Serving glass: Approximately 250–300 ml, suitable for cold drinks

Ingredients

• 1 dessertspoon finely ground Turkish coffee, approximately 2 level measuring teaspoons
• 60–70 ml water
• 100 ml cold milk
• 4–6 ice cubes, depending on their size
• 1 teaspoon sugar, optional

Optional topping

• A little whipped cream
• A pinch of cocoa powder or finely grated chocolate

Use Turkish coffee rather than instant coffee. Its very fine grounds do not dissolve completely, so some sediment is normal.

How to Make Iced Turkish Coffee

1. Prepare the coffee

Place the water and Turkish coffee in your cezve. If using sugar, add it now so it can dissolve while the coffee heats.

Stir, then place over low to medium heat. Stay beside the stove as it warms.

When foam gathers on the surface and begins rising around the edges, remove the pot from the heat. Do not let it boil vigorously or overflow.

2. Let it settle briefly

Leave the coffee in the pot for 1–2 minutes. This allows the initial heat to ease and some of the grounds to settle.

Turkish coffee does not dissolve completely in water. A little sediment at the bottom of the finished drink is normal. To reduce it, we will pour gently and leave the thickest part behind in the pot.

3. Add ice and milk to the glass

Put the ice cubes in your serving glass. Pour over 100 ml well-chilled milk.

Leave enough room for the coffee. Small ice cubes melt quickly, so a few larger cubes are helpful if you have them.

4. Slowly pour in the coffee

Without shaking the pot, pour the rested coffee over the milk in a thin stream. Leave the dense, sediment-heavy final portion in the cezve.

The coffee will form dark ribbons through the milk. You can serve it before stirring if you enjoy the layered appearance. Before drinking, stir gently with a long spoon to distribute the flavour.

Avoid pouring hot coffee directly into an empty, ice-cold glass. For this recipe, the ice and milk go in first.

5. Finish as you like

For a simple iced coffee, it is ready to serve.

For a sweeter finish, add a small spoonful of whipped cream and a light dusting of cocoa. Start with a little cream so the coffee flavour still comes through.

Serve immediately. As the ice melts, the drink becomes lighter.

Adjust the Flavour to Your Taste

For a stronger coffee flavour

Try reducing the milk first. Adding a lot more ground coffee can make the drink harsher and increase the sediment.

Next time, start with 75 ml milk for a more pronounced coffee flavour.

For a gentler drink

Increase the milk to 125–150 ml and use a larger glass.

Extra milk softens the coffee’s intensity, but it does not sweeten it in the same way as sugar.

If you like sweet coffee

Add the sugar to the cezve before heating. Granulated sugar added directly to an iced drink may dissolve poorly and collect at the bottom.

If you are also using sweetened cream or ice cream, begin with less sugar.

Iced Turkish Coffee with Vanilla Ice Cream

Add one small scoop of vanilla ice cream after combining the coffee and milk. Leave room in the glass and reduce the milk slightly to prevent overflowing.

As the ice cream melts, the drink becomes sweeter and creamier.

When I use ice cream, I usually leave out the whipped cream. That gives the coffee a little more room to come through.

Small Details That Make a Difference

Use thoroughly chilled milk. Warm milk melts the ice faster and dilutes the drink.

Avoid prolonged boiling. Remove the coffee from the heat as the foam begins to rise.

Expect some sediment. Resting the coffee and leaving the final portion in the pot reduces the grounds in your glass without removing them completely.

Keep a straw above the bottom. If using one, avoid pushing it into the layer where the grounds may settle.

Go lightly with toppings. Cocoa, chocolate and cream work well, but generous amounts of all three can overwhelm the coffee.

Add ice just before serving. Even if you prepare the coffee ahead, wait until you are ready to drink before combining it with milk and ice.

What to Serve Alongside It

A small piece of dark chocolate or a plain biscuit is enough. If you have added ice cream or whipped cream, you may not want anything sweet alongside it.

I like the simple version with just a fine dusting of cocoa. The first sip brings cold milk, followed by the familiar aroma of Turkish coffee—this time served over ice.

Enjoy!

Derya Soylu