Is there a few things more invigorating on a hot day than a refreshing glass of iced coffee? If you're too far away from Chick-fil-A to stop by for an iced coffee, don't worry; you can make this delicious copycat recipe anytime you like! All you need is 5 minutes and 5 ingredients to craft this simple coffee drink.
Love Chick-fil-A's amazingly cold coffee drinks? You'll need to try our copycat recipes for frosted coffee and mocha cream cold brew!
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Ingredients
What's actually in CFA's iced coffee? According to their website, Chick-fil-A lists the ingredients in their plain iced coffee as follows: water, grade A nonfat milk, grade A whole milk, vitamin A&D, pure cane syrup, coffee extract (made with 100% arabica coffee). Their vanilla coffee contains all the same ingredients with three additional ones: sugar, natural vanilla flavor with vanilla extract, and citric acid.
Fortunately, it only takes 5 basic ingredients to make Chick-fil-A's iced coffee at home! (You'll need 6 ingredients for the vanilla one, though.) Let's talk about each one.
- Cold Brew Coffee: This is the most obvious ingredient! You can either buy cold brew or make it yourself. Heads up: Chick-fil-A uses coffee from Thrive Farmers, which you can purchase online. (I'm not sure what blend CFA uses, but I'd try the Horizon Organic or Wild Rooster medium roast coffee for this recipe.)
- Simple Syrup: This is what sweetens this drink. Simple syrup is a liquid sweetener made from granulated white sugar and water, and it's easy to make in a couple minutes.
- Whole Milk: CFA uses a blend of whole milk and 2% for their iced coffee. I used a 2:1 ratio of whole to 2% for a slightly creamier texture.
- 2% Milk: Using a little bit of 2% milk instead of all whole milk reduces the fat a little.
- Chewy Ice: Is ice an ingredient? Yes, or this drink wouldn't be iced coffee! It's important that you use chewy ice (also known as pellet ice or nugget ice) for the best texture. You can buy bulk chewy ice from CFA, other fast food restaurants, or gas stations. (Please don't chew the ice though; it's bad for your teeth.)
- Vanilla Extract: This is the only different ingredient in the homemade vanilla iced coffee. I opted to use extract instead of a vanilla syrup to keep the flavor strong without adding extra sugar.
Questions
Yes! Customers say that they like CFA's iced coffee better than many other coffee drinks from fast food restaurants in the US. I've found that the drink isn't too sweet, it isn't watered down, and has a wonderful coffee flavor.
CFA has been serving iced coffee since August 2014, which made it one of the only fast food chains to offer drinks made with premium cold brew coffee at that time.
Yes, Chick-fil-A's vanilla coffee is a little bit sweeter than their plain one. However, it still isn't overly sweet in my opinion. If you make it at home, you can customize the amount of sweetener to your preference!
At our local CFA, both regular and vanilla iced coffees cost $2.69 per drink. As of February 2021, CFA phased out large drinks, so the only size available is a small (12 fl oz).
A 12-ounce plain iced coffee contains 150 calories, 2.5g fat, 30g carbs, and 5g protein, while their vanilla one contains 140 calories and the same amounts of fat, carbs, and protein. Our copycat recipe contains 116 calories, 1.3g fat, 25g carbs, and 1.6g protein for a plain coffee, and 128 calories and the same amounts of fat, carbs, and protein for the vanilla version.
How to Make
Gather the ingredients for the iced coffee.
Pour the chewy ice into a 14-ounce glass to give extra space.
Add the cold brew coffee.
Pour in the simple syrup to sweeten the drink.
If you're making the vanilla iced coffee, add a teaspoon of vanilla extract too.
Pour in the whole milk and the 2% milk.
Add a straw, but for the best presentation, don't stir the drink. Serve it and allow each person to stir their own coffee right before drinking it.
Enjoy this simple and delicious Chick-fil-A iced coffee in the comfort of your own home!
Variations
- Mocha: Swap the simple syrup with chocolate syrup. Be sure to use a brand that tastes really good; Ghirardelli chocolate syrup is one of my faves.
- Caramel: Swap the simple syrup with caramel syrup. Using homemade syrup will give your drink an even more luxurious taste!
- Frozen: Blend the ice into the drink with a powerful blender to create your own frappuccino. Or, add a couple scoops of vanilla ice cream for a frosted version.
Pro Tips
- How to Make Cold Brew: Coarsely grind 6 ounces (170g) of medium roast coffee beans, then stir in 6 cups (1.42 liters) of cold water. Cover and refrigerate for 12-24 hours (Starbucks does 20 hours), then strain out the coffee grounds. Cold brew will keep in the fridge for up to 1 week.
- How to Make Simple Syrup: Combine 1 cup of granulated sugar (200g) with 1 cup of water (236 ml) in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the sugar has dissolved, then chill. It will keep in the fridge for up to 1 week.
- Where to Buy Chewy Ice: Chick-fil-A sells 5-pound bags of their chewy ice, so if you live close enough to one, simply buy a bag. Other fast food restaurants, like Sonic or Zaxby's, and gas stations may also sell chewy ice by the bag. Chewy ice is also called nugget ice or pellet ice.
Don't miss out on these copycat Chick-fil-A coffees!
Other Chick-fil-A Drinks You'll Love
- Peach Milkshake
- Cookies & Cream Milkshake
- Peppermint Milkshake
- Mango Passion Tea
- Frozen Lemonade
- Frosted Sunrise
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Recipe
Chick-fil-A Iced Coffee
Ingredients
- 1 cup chewy ice or crushed ice
- 3 tablespoons simple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, for vanilla iced coffee
- ⅓ cup cold brew coffee
- 2 tablespoons whole milk
- 1 tablespoon 2% milk
Instructions
- Fill a 14-ounce glass with 1 cup of chewy ice.
- Pour the cold brew over the ice.
- Pour in the simple syrup to sweeten the drink. If you're making the vanilla iced coffee, add the vanilla extract as this step.
- Pour the whole milk and the 2% milk into the coffee, but don't stir them in yet. This makes for a prettier presentation.
- Insert a red straw and enjoy immediately. For a balanced flavor, stir the drink to combine all the ingredients right before drinking.
Notes
- How to Make Cold Brew: Coarsely grind 6 ounces (170g) of medium roast coffee beans, then stir in 6 cups (1.42 liters) of cold water. (Use a cold brew maker if you'd like.) Cover and refrigerate for 12-24 hours (Starbucks does 20 hours), then strain out the coffee grounds. Cold brew will keep in the fridge for up to 1 week.
- How to Make Simple Syrup: Combine 1 cup of granulated sugar (200g) with 1 cup of water (236 ml) in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the sugar has dissolved, then chill. It will keep in the fridge for up to 1 week.
- Where to Buy Chewy Ice: Chick-fil-A sells 5-pound bags of their chewy ice, so if you live close enough to one, simply buy a bag. Other fast food restaurants, like Sonic or Zaxby's, and gas stations may also sell chewy ice by the bag. Chewy ice is also called nugget ice or pellet ice.
- If you use vanilla syrup instead of vanilla extract, the drink will taste different and will be higher in sugar and calories.
Beth
This is a smooth, cold coffee, and the milk in it goes nicely with the cold brew. Very nice! The vanilla version doesn't taste artificial like the Chick-fil-A one does, and has a lovely creamy texture.
Emma
That's great to hear, Beth! I'm glad that you found the copycat vanilla version to be better than Chick-fil-A's.
Alex
This coffee is creamy and nutty. The ice adds a cool touch. Very good! The vanilla version is sweet and cool, and the coffee perfectly complements it. I prefer the vanilla one over the plain one.
Emma
I'm so glad that you enjoyed this iced coffee, Alex!