Cold and creamy, this sweet drink is a delicious take on the traditional style of coffee served in Vietnam. It’s easy to make and may make you want to give your iced lattes.
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What makes Vietnamese Iced Coffee so good?
Are you a fan of strong, sweet coffee? Then you’ll definitely want to give this Vietnamese Iced Coffee recipe a try. This creamy concoction blends strong coffee mixed with chicory and sweetened condensed milk.
When served over ice, it is the perfect caffeinated sugar rush to help you get through that mid-morning or afternoon slump.
Why you’ll love this simple recipe
Why pay five bucks for Iced Vietnamese Coffee in a restaurant or at a specialty coffeehouse when you can make it for cheap at home? Unlike lattes that require expensive equipment, the only piece of equipment you need is a Vietnamese coffee filter that you can pick up for less than ten bucks.
If you don’t have a phin, and want to try this recipe out before buying one, you can use a French press instead. Check out the recommended products section at the bottom for where you can purchase equipment and supplies.
Vietnamese Iced Coffee ingredients
For this coffee drink, you’ll need:
- Café du Monde coffee
- Water
- Sweetened condensed milk
How to make Vietnamese Iced Coffee
To prepare traditional Vietnamese-style coffee over ice:
- Boil water in a kettle.
- If you are using a Vietnamese coffee filter called a phin, take out the top filter and spread the coffee evenly in the filter. Place the top filter and screw it down lightly. Don’t compress the coffee like you are making a shot of espresso.
- Place the filter over a coffee cup and pour about an ounce of boiled water into the filter. Wait for 30 seconds. This step wets the coffee grinds and allows the coffee to bloom, expanding the grinds slightly so you get the best flavor.
- Fill the top of the phin with boiled water and cover if your filter has a lid.
- Allow the coffee to slowly drip into the coffee cup. This will take about four to five minutes. You can take off the lid to check if there is any remaining water in the filter, but don’t stir the grounds.
- Pour the sweetened condensed milk into a tall glass.
- Fill the glass with ice cubes.
- Pour the coffee over the top.
- Stir and enjoy this wonderful coffee mixture!
What to serve with it
Vietnamese Iced Coffee is on the sweet side, so it pairs well with savory pastry or spicy dishes. Here are a few suggestions:
Cream Cheese Cookies. These rich Cream Cheese Cookies have a bit of a tang and are not overly sweet, so they go well with Vietnamese Coffee. You can make these cookies soft and chewy or crisp and crunchy, but crispy is probably the way to go when serving them with coffee.
Buffalo Chicken Spring Rolls. Buffalo Chicken Spring Rolls are delicious spicy bites of chicken and cheese tossed in a Buffalo-style sauce and then wrapped in a spring roll wrapper before frying to a golden brown. Serve the Buffalo Chicken Spring Rolls with a blue cheese salad dressing dip and carrot and celery sticks on the side.
Quiche Lorraine. A slice of Quiche Lorraine with its savory ham and cheese, custard-like filling, and crunchy crust goes well with Iced Vietnamese Coffee.
Recommended products to make this easy
A Vietnamese phin filter will not only give you an authentic taste, but it will add a bit of a ritual when you are making your morning coffee. There are lots of different phins you can buy, but this one with traditional cork handles is cheap and is perfectly sized for this Vietnamese Iced Coffee recipe.
Whether you use a phin or not, your coffee choice matters. You need a strong coffee, and if you can’t get Trung Nguyen Vietnamese coffee with arabica and robusta beans, then Café du Monde is a great alternative. Café du Monde is a famous New Orleans-style coffee with a robust dark roast combined with chicory. Chicory makes the coffee even stronger, which will offset some of the sweetness from the condensed milk and give you a smooth brew.
Sweetened condensed milk is what makes this style of coffee unique. Canned sweetened condensed milk is a popular choice, but it can be a mess to store any leftovers. Spending a little more buying sweetened condensed milk in a squeeze bottle will save you a lot of headaches.
Favorite iced coffee recipes
- Dunkin Butter Pecan Iced Coffee
- Dunkin Caramel Iced Coffee
- Iced Apple Crisp Macchiato
- Iced Sugar Cookie Latte
- Iced White Chocolate Mocha
- Iced Toasted White Chocolate Mocha
- McDonald’s Iced Coffee
- Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew
Popular iced drink recipes
Check out more of my easy drink recipes and the best DIY recipes on CopyKat!
Vietnamese Iced Coffee
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons Cafe du Monde coffee
- 6 to 8 ounces boiling water
- 2 to 4 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk
Instructions
- Use a phin Vietnamese coffee filter (~6 ounces) or a French press to brew the coffee. If using a Vietnamese filter, remove the top screen and spread the coffee grounds evenly inside the filter. If your filter has a screw mechanism, screw down until the grounds are gently pressed, but not too tight.
- Pour a little hot water (just enough to wet the coffee grounds) into the filter and let it sit for about 20 to 30 seconds. This allows the coffee to "bloom."
- After the bloom, fill the filter with hot water. The coffee will slowly drip into the cup. This process might take 4 to 5 minutes. Be patient and enjoy the aroma!
- Pour the sweetened condensed milk into the bottom of a glass. Use more or less sweetened condensed milk depending on how sweet you like your coffee.
- Fill the glass with ice and pour the brewed coffee into the glass. Stir and enjoy!
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