Summer Coffee Drinks: 28 Recipes To Keep You Caffeinated All Season Long

Iced coffee is the base of many refreshing summer coffee drinks and a delightful treat on its own, so it's a good idea to know how to make the stuff. Actually, any devoted coffee drinker needs to know how to prepare a batch of the chilled brew anyway — you never know when you'll want to deviate from your standard hot coffee concoctions and cool things off a bit. 

Vietnamese iced coffee comes next on our list of summer coffee drinks. Joe and sweetened condensed milk team up to make this cold, creamy beverage, and it's a lovely way to expand your java horizons without going too crazy. 

Far too many people try to pit coffee and tea against one another, but we believe the two are better together. It seems that plenty of others agree with us — why else would your local coffee shop sell so many dirty chai lattes? 

The combination of strong coffee and spiced chai tea flavors blend seamlessly, and when you add milk (almond milk is a great choice here, by the way), ice cubes, and something to sweeten it with, it only gets better.

"Caramel macchiato" isn't just fun to say; it's also fun to sip over ice on a hot summer day. Caramel sauce, vanilla syrup, and whipped cream satisfy your sweet tooth, and drip coffee or an espresso shot ensures you have a strong enough dose of caffeine to get through your entire to-do list.

Do you know what pairs beautifully with a cup of coffee, particularly a latte? A bit of lavender-flavored simple syrup — bonus points if it's homemade. Whether hot or cold, this flowery beverage is quite the calming treat, perfect for sipping on a chill, lazy afternoon. 

Coffee for dessert sounds like a dream, and the existence of the affogato proves that dreams can come true. You only need a double shot of freshly brewed espresso and a scoop of vanilla ice cream to make this sweet after-dinner or afternoon coffee delight. Feel free to use decaffeinated joe to make this treat; that way, you don't have to worry about the affogato dessert keeping you up all night.

It's tempting to head down to the coffee shop several times a week — or daily if you're uber-dedicated to purchasing your caffeine kick. Unfortunately, those visits can add up quickly; before you know it, the café has your entire paycheck. Yikes.

Relax; you don't have to give up coffee cold turkey. Start making it at home, and let the iced mocha be your introduction to at-home brewing. It's one of the easiest cold coffee recipes to master, so even if you're a new member of the coffee club, you'll be able to master this one quickly.

Vanilla is a classic flavor for one simple reason: it tastes great! And if you don't believe us, try this easy-to-make, sweet latte. The combination of coffee, milk, and vanilla syrup will surely charm you, and you'll be even more pleased that you only had to spare a few minutes of your morning routine to make it. 

Do you often find yourself dreaming of tropical getaways in the middle of the workday? Us, too. We might not be able to skip the morning meeting and sneak away to the beach, but we can bring a little bit of the island life to our daily lives with this coconut-flavored frosty coffee drink. 

Blend a few ice cubes, the leftover coffee from your morning brew, coconut milk, coconut flakes, and vanilla syrup, and you get a creamy concoction that'll whisk you off on a dreamy vacation with every sip. For best results, stick an umbrella in your tall glass of icy, blended joe before you enjoy.

Even the most devoted coffee fans need a break from joe, which is part of the reason the matcha latte has become a year-round coffee shop staple. The green tea latte provides enough caffeine to get you over the mid-day slump but tastes different enough from your morning cup that your taste buds don't get bored. It's a win-win. When you use our recipe to make it instead of buying one from the coffee shop, you save a few bucks, so that makes it a win-win-win!

Icy, creamy Frappuccinos are some of the most refreshing drinks you can consume during the sweltering summer months, and the salted caramel-flavored variation of the beverage is no exception. 

Sugary-sweet caramel sauce and sea salt play nicely together, and the dynamic duo is a yummy enhancement to your favorite brewed coffee's flavor. Toss it all in a blender with some ice (or coffee ice cubes, if you want to enjoy even more joe), and the result is a coffee milkshake — a.k.a., the perfect companion for a day of lounging by the pool.

Move over, milk! Oreos have a new partner in crime: coffee. To be clear, it's not a good idea to get rid of the milk for real; you'll need it for this recipe. 

The iconic chocolate sandwich cookies and our favorite brewed drink are a dynamic duo, and the mocha cookie crumble Frappuccino confirm it. Blend the two with milk, chocolate syrup, chocolate chips, and ice before topping the mixture with a mountain of whipped cream for a deliciously creamy coffee-cookie milkshake. 

Elaborate summer coffee recipes are fun, but sometimes, simple, like the iced cappuccino, is better. Making this beverage doesn't take much work, so you should have no trouble getting your precious caffeine fix, even on your groggiest mornings.

The java chip Frappuccino is like the cold coffee drink equivalent of a chocolate chip cookie. The two are almost the same. Think about it: they both have satisfying sweetness and a healthy serving of chocolate chips. The only notable difference is that making the Frappuccino doesn't require any baking, and since your homemade cookie recipe probably doesn't include coffee, they won't give you the same caffeine-induced energy jolt the Frappuccino does. 

The java chip Frappuccino is like the cold coffee drink equivalent of a chocolate chip cookie. The two are almost the same. Think about it: they both have satisfying sweetness and a healthy serving of chocolate chips. The only notable difference is that making the Frappuccino doesn't require any baking, and since your homemade cookie recipe probably doesn't include coffee, they won't give you the same caffeine-induced energy jolt the Frappuccino does. 

Have you just run out of coffee beans? That's a bummer, but no worries; the vanilla bean Frappuccino doesn't contain any joe. Some people run to Starbucks to pick up one of these sugary treats every day, but as long as you have vanilla bean ice cream, milk, a few drops of vanilla extract, ice, and whipped cream, you can make your own at home and skip the line!

Sometimes, there isn't enough time in the morning to make a cup of coffee and breakfast. But you can't skip out on either of those, can you? Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and coffee? Well, that's the lifeline! However, if you turn your coffee into breakfast by blending a delicious coffee smoothie, you can enjoy the best of both worlds and save a few minutes. 

Few wacky flavor combinations are as strange as orange and chocolate. But somehow, the pair works. Try the orange mocha Frappuccino (inspired by Zoolander, of course), and you'll see. With this recipe, you get a serving of caffeine, some extra Vitamin C, and maybe even a new favorite summer coffee drink.

Complex coffee recipes are fun, but only if you have enough time and energy to dedicate to sharpening your at-home brewing skills. But when you need a cold drink and don't have much time to spare, the iced espresso saves the day. You make it just as you think you would: by serving a shot of espresso coffee over ice. The simple recipe leaves plenty of room for adding creamer and sugar to your liking and ample time to devote to other activities. 

You know what they say: if it ain't broke, don't fix it! We generally agree with that statement, but sometimes, it's more than acceptable to make improvements, even if the item in question is already great. Take the iced latte, for example. Many java drinkers love it dearly, especially when the weather is hot. But adding a little ube extract and sweetened condensed milk only makes it better; it gives the cold java an element of sweet creaminess and a one-of-a-kind light purple hue. 

We reckon most people probably associate hazelnut-flavored syrup, creamer, and coffee grounds with the fall and winter months, but there isn't a rule that says you can't savor this nutty flavor in the middle of the summer. Hazelnut is a four-season ingredient! Dress your cup of iced coffee with a drizzle of hazelnut syrup and a splash of milk, and if you need even more nuttiness, you can replace whole milk with one of the many nut milks available. 

Let us introduce you to another of our favorite summer coffee recipes: the cinnamon roll iced coffee. This fun coffee drink isn't just easy to make; it tastes good, too, thanks to the distinctive flavors of cinnamon, sugary sweet maple syrup, and rich, strong coffee.  

There's no getting around it: honey is the bee's knees. It has impressive health benefits, is all-natural, and makes a lovely sweetener for your morning joe, especially if you're drinking an iced honey vanilla latte. From the first sip of this sweet coffee treat, you'll see just how well honey and vanilla play together. Since the recipe is so simple and quick, we wouldn't be surprised if you made one honey-sweetened latte after another all summer long.

Anything with coconut screams summertime, don't you agree? For that reason, we felt the spiced cinnamon coconut latte deserved a spot among the rest of these delicious summer coffee recipes. Mix coconut milk and coconut sugar with a freshly brewed espresso shot, spicy-sweet cinnamon, and a few drops of vanilla extract, and that's it: you've just made your newest caffeinated obsession. 

If you've ever been to New Orleans — or Louisiana in general — you know it feels like summer almost all the time in the Bayou State. With that said, it shouldn't be surprising that the good folks in the Big Easy have a go-to cool coffee drink. Cold brew flavor notes play well with ground chicory here, and milk and a bit of sweetened condensed milk make it pleasantly creamy. Trust us: New Orleans iced coffee isn't something you want to pass up. 

Have you ever mixed tonic water into your cold brew concentrate? If you haven't tried this fizzy concoction yet, you should. This recipe brings the bubbles you love from your favorite soft drink to your mid-day caffeine kick while being easily customizable. You can add almost anything for extra flavor, from simple syrup to orange bitters (if you love coffee cocktails and are the legal drinking age or older, of course).

Considering this has the word jelly in its name, you've probably already guessed that this isn't your standard iced or cold brew coffee recipe. Coffee jelly is like Jell-O, except made from coffee, so eat it the same way you would enjoy the jiggly dessert — topped with whipped cream or mixed with ice cream, for example.

If you, like most of us, spent too much time scrolling through TikTok during the COVID-19 quarantine, you're already familiar with Dalgona coffee. The whipped instant coffee, sugar, and hot water mixture had us all in a chokehold for a few weeks, and we'll admit we still haven't tired of this coffee trend — and honestly, we probably never will.