Creamy Dreamy Cold Brew Coffee!

If you haven’t learned by now, I LOVE me some coffee! It took me years to get here, but I now prefer a a cup of bold black coffee over the cream and sugar (with some added coffee) cups I drank for years. I never thought I could be one of those people who actually like black coffee. In reality I didn’t truly believe anyone could really like black coffee. I thought all these people just pretended to enjoy it because it was “healthier” without the sugar.

But when you’re in college working on your masters, and you have a 10 page paper due in the morning and you have to stay up all night to write it and there is no sugar or cream anywhere in the apartment, you learn to drink that coffee black and you learn to like it! Desperate times call for desperate measures. After many nights of this same thing happening (I really need to get better at keeping my grocery list up to date) the taste of plain ole coffee began to grow on me until I actually preferred it!

So now let’s talk about Cold Brew Coffee! Don’t be fooled, cold brewed coffee is not the same as pouring your morning hot coffee over ice or putting it in the fridge. It is so much more!

Cold-brewed coffee is 67 percent less acidic than hot-brewed. Without all that acid, the burnt flavor that plagues hot-brewed coffee is eliminated. Plus, the reduced acid makes it healthier for your stomach and your teeth. And since cold-brewing produces a low-acid drink, coffee’s other flavors are more readily detected. So those undertones of chocolate, fruit, and nuts that you read about on the package but don’t really get, jump to the forefront of your taste buds. Prepare to really taste what you’re drinking! [source]

So if you’re wanting to transition to drinking black coffee, this is a great way to do so!

Here’s how you make cold brew coffee….it really is so simple!

1 12 oz bag of ground coffee
7-8 cups of room temperature water

*optional add-in ideas for a subtle infused flavor: fresh mint, shredded coconut, orange rind, vanilla bean*

Mix in a large container and let it sit on your counter (stir occasionally) for 12-24 hours.
Strain the liquid twice. I strain it first through a fine mesh strainer to get all the large pieces. The second time I line my strainer with coffee filters and let it drip through to get the remaining coffee grounds.

Chill in the fridge. and enjoy poured over ice!
This makes a cold brew coffee concentrate. It is really strong and is best when diluted with equal parts 1:1 of the cold brew and water or milk.

If you like your coffee hot, add boiling water to the more concentrated syrup. This will give you that fresh hot coffee with the taste and low-acid benefits of cold-brewing.

 

Now here is my favorite way to have this cold brew:

Since I stopped consuming dairy, I had to find a new way to get that creamy taste I used to love in my coffee, because even though I love black coffee I still enjoy a sweet creamy cup every now and then. I tried all those almond/soy coffee creamers and let me just say YUCK! Plus there’s so much junk and added sugar in those things…no thank you. Then I discovered canned coconut cream! This is a game changer folks.

Cold brew + coconut cream = heaven

1. Get a can of coconut cream and leave it in your refrigerator overnight so it will thicken up. You can use the canned coconut milk as well, but trust me, the cream is where it’s at!

2. Get a mason jar or some sort of cup with a lid.
3. Add ice, 1/2 cup of the cold brew concentrate, 1/4 cup almond milk, 2 large tablespoons coconut cream, 1 tbs maple syrup or your sweetener of choice.
4. put the lid on and shake shake shake!

5. Enjoy and comment below with how much you love it 😉

I have used this cold brew and coconut cream to set up a Cold Brew Coffee Bar at a few parties this summer and everyone has LOVED it!

Coffee House Recommendation for Dallas/Fort Worth residents and travelers:

My favorite coffee shop hands down is RE:defined Coffee House in Grapevine.
Go there and order the Hamilton. It’s not on the menu but it’s amazing! It’s made with their special cold brew coffee.
Actually just go there and order anything! You can’t go wrong.
Bring a friend and sit for hours chatting and catching up, or just go there yourself with a good book and grab a cozy spot (perhaps the one by the fire!) and read away. The atmosphere is amazing. You will never want to leave.