Iced Cappuccino
An iced cappuccino is a slightly awkward drink, and it is worth being honest about why. A cappuccino is defined by equal thirds of espresso, steamed milk and dense hot foam — and hot foam collapses the moment it hits ice. Anything called an iced cappuccino has to build that texture differently.
The method that actually works is cold foam: milk aerated cold, which is denser and holds far longer than steamed foam does over ice.
What you need
- A double shot of espresso — 18 g of coffee in, 36 g in the cup
- 100 ml of cold full-fat milk for the drink
- 60 ml of cold full-fat milk for the foam
- A handheld milk frother, French press, or a jar with a lid
- A glass, filled with ice
How to make it
- Make the cold foam first. Froth the 60 ml of cold milk with a handheld frother for 20–30 seconds, or plunge it in a French press 20–30 times, until it doubles and holds soft peaks.
- Fill the glass with ice and pour in the 100 ml of cold milk.
- Pull the double shot and pour it over.
- Spoon the cold foam on top. It will sit there rather than sinking.
The ratio
Keep the spirit of the thirds: about 36 g of espresso, 100 ml of milk, and a generous cap of foam. It will not be exact, and that is fine — no standards body defines an iced cappuccino, unlike the hot one.
Why cold foam instead of steamed
Steamed foam is a hot, loose structure of air in warm proteins. Chill it suddenly and it collapses into thin bubbly milk within seconds. Cold-frothed milk is denser and more stable, so it survives on top of an iced drink for several minutes.
Common mistakes
- Steaming milk and pouring it over ice. You get warm bubbly milk, not foam.
- Blending it with ice. That is a frappé, which is a good drink but a different one.
- Low-fat milk. Fat is what makes cold foam stable.
Which coffee to use
Anything on our shelf works, but milk drinks reward a coffee with body and sweetness over one built for delicate florals — the milk will bury the top notes either way. Check the tasting notes and the process on each product page; a natural or a honey-processed lot usually cuts through milk better than a light washed one.