Attention, iced coffee girlies (and guys)! This protein iced coffee recipe is for you. If you’re looking to up your iced coffee game, start with this easy coffee drink. Get your cold brew coffee shaking with a mason jar, ice, and a few simple ingredients. Soon, you’ll be enjoying protein iced coffee with brown sugar cold foam every morning!

Listen, I wasn’t always an iced coffee girly. Really, more of a hot, brewed coffee kind of gal. That is, until these hot summer days kicked in. It’s hard to enjoy a piping hot Bulletproof Coffee when it’s 85 degrees at 8 a.m. So, I joined the iced coffee cult, and there’s no going back. I think you’ll love this recipe as much as I do!

Ingredients for High Protein Iced Coffee

Making your own protein iced coffee at home is simple; you only need a few staple ingredients. It’s likely you already have most of these at home, including the equipment. To get started, gather these ingredients:

Freshly brewed coffee or cold brew coffee
Half and half
Brown sugar
Collagen protein powder or vanilla protein powder
Mason jar with lid
Milk frother
Ice cubes

How to Make Protein Coffee

Start by choosing your favorite coffee blend. For me, it’s a medium-light roast coffee brewed extra strong. You can go for an espresso shot with water (Americano), cold brew, or ready-made cold coffee.

The key to this protein coffee recipe is to ensure you quickly chill the coffee before it melts the ice cubes. Doing so will keep your coffee flavor rich and strong rather than watered down.

Fill a 24-ounce mason jar with ice.
Pour freshly brewed coffee into the jar, about 8-10 ounces.
Gently swirl the coffee around with the ice, allowing it to cool.
Add more ice to the top of the jar and stir with a straw.

foamy iced coffee in a mason jar topped with a brown sugar cold foam in a pyrex cup

If you plan ahead, you can have your coffee chilled and ready to go. On cooler mornings, I prefer to enjoy a hot coffee in the early hours before my late-morning iced protein coffee.

Simply store your fresh coffee in a covered mason jar in the fridge until you’re ready to use it. To make things easier, you can add your collagen protein powder to the hot coffee, allowing it to dissolve.

1. Shake Your Iced Coffee

When properly (and efficiently) shaken, coffee creates a smooth and velvety foam on top. Pre-chill a mason jar with ice before adding your coffee. Add ¼ cup of collagen or protein powder, and stir completely. Then, shake for about 30 seconds or until you notice it turning a deep, caramel color.

mason jar of protein iced coffee shaken with a foamy top

2. Make Brown Sugar Cold Foam

In a Pyrex measuring cup, add ¼ cup half-and-half and one tablespoon of light brown sugar. Make sure your half-and-half is very cold to ensure it whisks into cold foam. Light brown sugar will give you a sweet cream cold foam with a hint of caramel flavor. Using your milk frother, whisk until the half-and-half has more than tripled its size, about two minutes.

milk frother whisking half and half in a pyrex measuring cup to make brown sugar cold foam for coffee

3. Pour Cold Foam Over Protein Iced Coffee

Gently pour or dollop your fresh brown sugar cold foam over your iced coffee. Using a straw, gently swirl some of the cold foam into the iced coffee to lend a hint of sweetness to your drink./im

pyrex measuring cup pours brown sugar cold foam into shaken protein iced coffee

How to Make Plant Based Cold Foam

You can easily make dairy-free cold foam using oat milk or coconut milk and coconut cream. Substitute half-and-half for full-fat coconut milk or oat milk and canned coconut cream. Use two tablespoons of your choice plant-based milk and coconut cream and follow the instructions for making cold foam.

Protein Iced Coffee with Brown Sugar Cold Foam

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Smooth, shaken iced coffee loaded with protein and topped with velvety brown sugar cold foam!

Author: Nancy

Ingredients

10 ounces brewed coffee
¼ cup collagen powder
¼ cup half-and-half
1 tbsp light brown sugar
2 cups ice

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Instructions

Brew fresh coffee on 'strong' setting.
Add ¼ cup collagen powder and stir until completely dissolved.
Pour into a small mason jar and refrigerate until ready to use.
If making iced coffee immediately, see notes.
In a 24-ounce large mason jar, add 2 cups of ice.
Pour cooled coffee over ice in the large mason jar, cover with a lid, and shake vigorously for 30 seconds or until coffee turns a caramel color.
In a Pyrex measuring cup, add ¼ cup half-and-half and 1 tablespoon brown sugar.
Using a milk frother, whisk together half-and-half and brown sugar until it has tripled in volume, about two minutes.
Pour cold foam over the top of iced coffee, which should now have a coffee foam from being shaken.
Using a straw, gently stir some of the cold foam into the coffee to add sweetness.
Enjoy your protein iced coffee with brown sugar cold foam!

Notes

If using fresh hot coffee, fill your 24-ounce mason jar with ice. Pour freshly brewed coffee and collagen into the jar. Gently swirl the coffee around with the ice, allowing it to cool. Add more ice to the top of the jar and stir with a straw. Continue to step 6 through 10.