Two minute fall flavored iced coffee

Click play if you'd like to listen along. If not, just read below

An iced coffee a day keeps the grouchies away. Wait.. that's not how the idiom goes? Either way, I truly love having a coffee beverage in the morning. Sometimes, though, I want something with a little more flavor. Don't get me wrong - I love plain coffee, but every once in a while I crave extra flavor with my morning caffeine fix. This recipe takes about 2 minutes for me to make in the morning and honestly tastes more delicious than anything I could buy at my local Starbucks.

Speaking of Starbucks... Anyone that sees me between the hours of 7 and 9 AM is used to seeing me with a Starbucks beverage in hand. (Just check my Instagram). My colleagues and students have come to expect it. While I do use my plastic tumblr mug (venti of course) from Starbucks, I haven't actually been to one in over 2 weeks since I started making this. Honestly, a miracle if I've ever seen one.

So what is this magical beverage? A pumpkin chai cold brew! What you'll get is a smooth flavor with a hint of sweetness. I like to make mine creamy by diluting the cold brew with milk for a cafe au lait sort of concoction, but you could easily dilute the iced coffee with water and add a splash of cream for something a little less rich.
Read on for the magic recipe! 

Here's what you'll need:

• 1 part cold brew concentrate (I've used Trader Joe's cold brew, Chameleon cold brew, and home made - Chameleon is my FAVORITE. You can get it at your local Target or Whole Foods) 
• 3/4 part milk (I use 2%, but almond would be awesome as well) 
• 1/4 part Tazo pumpkin chai (I've seen this stuff at pretty much every grocery chain. I got mine at Target)

Note - I like my coffee really, really strong. If you like a milder flavor or less of a caffeine jolt, simply dilute your iced coffee concentrate with water before adding milk or add more milk. 

Here's how to do it: 

I'm honestly horrible with math parts and pieces so I'm just going to describe how much I fill up my cup. I use the venti plastic tumbler cup from Starbucks. I fill it with ice then pour the cold brew in half way. After that, I pour in milk until there is about an inch and a half at the top. Then I finish it off with the pumpkin chai. 

The beauty in this is that the flavors can be customized to your preferences. You literally (yes, I mean the actual use of the word literally) can not mess this up. If I want a sweeter flavor, I do a little less than half coffee with more milk and chai. I personally don't add any sweetener, especially because cold brew is so smooth. If you like your drinks on the sweet side, just mix in your sweetener of choice. I love Truvia or even a few pumps of simple syrup.

Please give this a try and let me know how it goes! It has saved me tons of cash, plus the unhealthy decisions I frequently make when I pop through the Starbucks drive through. Let me know if you have any questions... Or better yet - what is your favorite "at home" fall beverage? Comment or email me so we can chat!