How to Make Homemade Cold Brew Coffee

Cold brew coffee is so simple to make and it only requires two ingredients, water and your favorite coffee grounds!

While I’m a lover of all coffee, I really enjoy cold brew coffee, especially during the summer months. There’s just something about an iced cold brew that hits the spot. Cold brew coffee is fairly expensive at the grocery store and coffee shops, but it’s super easy to make and only requires water and your favorite coffee grounds. AND you don’t have to have any special equipment to make it, just a mason jar and a strainer.

If you didn’t know, cold brew coffee is less bitter and less acidic than hot brewed coffee because of the slower cold extraction. This often times is better on your stomach, which is always great, especially for those who are a bit sensitive. This cold brew recipe is actually a cold brew concentrate, which means that the batch goes a lot farther than traditional iced coffee.

**UPDATED JULY 3, 2026**

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FAQs

What is cold brew coffee?

Cold brew coffee is simply coffee that has been made by steeping coffee grounds in cold water for an extended period of time. Iced coffee, on the other hand, is coffee that is brewed hot and then chilled. Cold brew, because it’s made with a higher ratio of coffee grounds to water than traditional coffee, is a coffee concentrate. That means it’s stronger and a little goes a long way! My recipe is easy to make and takes only a few minutes!

How do you enjoy cold brew coffee?

When you’re ready to drink your cold brew, I wouldn’t recommend pouring yourself a full glass. Because this is a concentrated form of coffee, you’ll probably want to dilute it before consuming.

What are the best mix ins for cold brew coffee?

• Heavy whipping cream or half & half
• Oat milk
• Maple syrup
• Brown sugar cinnamon coffee syrup
• Sweeteners of choice
• Homemade chocolate sauce
• Homemade caramel sauce
• Plain ‘ol sugar

What is a good cold brew coffee recipe?

1. Add ice to your favorite glass (I like to use a 16 oz mason jar).
2. Fill the glass 1/3 of the way with cold brew concentrate.
3. Add filtered water to the top, making sure to leave enough room for creamer, if desired.
4. Add in your sweeteners, flavors and/or creamer of choice and stir.
5. Now you’re ready to enjoy a delicious, cold brew coffee!

Ingredients

Water: This is pretty self-explanatory. You just need cold or room temperature water. I prefer to use filtered water, but you can use whatever you prefer as long as it’s not hot.

Coffee grounds: When it comes to the best coffee grounds to make cold brew, it’s best to use course grounds. However, you can use regular ‘ol ground coffee, which is generally what I use. I prefer a light or medium roast, but you can use whatever type of roast you prefer.

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How to Make Cold Brew Coffee

Tools You May Need

• (2) 32 oz mason jars with lids
• Leakproof lids
• Fine mesh strainer or a coffee filter
• Spoon

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup ground coffee of choice
• 3 1/2 cups of filtered water

Directions

Pour ground coffee into a quart sized mason jar.

Fill the mason jar with water.

Place a leak proof lid onto the mason jar and refrigerate for 12-18 hours.

Place a strainer on top of the clean mason jar and pour the coffee over top to strain out the grinds.

Store the homemade cold brew coffee in an airtight jar in the refrigerator for up to a week.

NOTES

• You can halve, double, triple, etc. this recipe to meet your needs.
• Cold brew should be brewed for a minimum of six hours, but is best when brewed longer.
• Fresh beans that are coarsely ground are best, but any ground coffee will do.
• I like to filter my cold brew twice just to ensure I remove all the grounds.
• Cold brew is freshest when drank within one to two days, but is good for up to a week when stored in the refrigerator.

ARE YOU LOOKING FOR MORE DRINK RECIPES?

Looking for more easy drink recipes like this homemade cold brew ? Check these out!

• Peppermint Mocha Coffee
• Turtle Hot Chocolate
• Caramel Stroopwafel Coffee
• Stovetop Homemade Hot Chocolate

Did you make this homemade cold brew coffee? If you enjoyed it, I’d really appreciate if you came back and gave the recipe a five star rating! Tag me on Instagram (@thesimplehomeplace) to show me your own recreation of this recipe!