Recipes & Entertaining

Cold Brew Coffee Concentrate+3 Different Ways to Use It

I am a huge fan of coffee.  I love it’s deliciously bold aroma and flavor.  I drink my coffee hot, iced, blended, black, flavored, or with cream.  And I think Häggen Dazs coffee ice cream tastes like heaven.  Cold Brew coffee is a new and popular trend in the world of coffee so when I found this recipe for a Cold Brew Coffee Concentrate from Real Simple, I had to give it a try.  

This Cold Brew Concentrate is AMAZINGLY delicious and extremely simple to prepare.  It makes 4 cups of strong thick coffee concentrate that is a perfect staple to have on hand in your refrigerator.  This concentrate can be used to quickly make a myriad of delicious caffeinated drinks at a fraction of the price of a cup of java from your local coffee shop.

The recipe is very simple.  Just mix fresh ground coffee with cold water and let the mixture steep overnight. The next day, the brew is strained through a fine mesh strainer and cheesecloth so no sneaky coffee grounds get through. The coffee concentrate will keep for 2 weeks in the refrigerator in an airtight container. 

To make a cup of Cold Brew coffee, mix coffee with water in a 1:1 ratio. 

 

Cold Brew Coffee Concentrate

Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 11 minutes
Course Drinks
Servings 8 cups

Ingredients
  

  • 10 ounce package ground coffee
  • 6 cups cold water
  • 1 piece cheesecloth

Instructions
 

  • Mix ground coffee and water in a large bowl or tupperware.
  • Cover the bowl or container and set aside to let steep for 12 hours or overnight.
  • Line a mesh strainer with the cheesecloth and place strainer over a small bowl.
  • Carefully pour the coffee mixture into the strainer, working in small batches at a time until all coffee has been strained. Throw away the coffee grounds.
  • Store the cold brew concentrate in your refrigerator in an air tight container for up to 2 weeks.

Notes

Here are some of my 3 favorite ways to use this Cold Brew Concentrate.
  1. Skinny Iced Coffee- Pour 1/2 cup cold brew concentrate, 1/4 fat-free half and half, and 1 tablespoon sugar-free- flavored syrup over ice and stir.  Delicious!
  2. Baileys & Coffee On the Rocks-Mix 1/2 cup Baileys and 1/4 cold brew concentrate and add ice.  You get a liquor and caffeine buzz, the best of both worlds.
  3. Wake Me Up Smoothie-Pour 1/4 cup cold brew concentrate, 1 cup ice, and box of chocolate premier protein drink into a blender and mix n high speed for 1 minute.  A great mix of caffeine and protein to fuel your day!