Frozen cafe au lait is a creamy blended coffee drink made with brewed coffee, milk, ice, and a little sugar. Inspired by the classic French café au lait, this frozen version is smooth, refreshing, and easy to make at home in just a few minutes.
In French, the word Café au lait means coffee with milk.
Also, try iced breve coffee at home.
What is frozen cafe au lait coffee?
Café au lait is a traditional French coffee drink made with brewed coffee and hot milk, usually in equal parts. The frozen version keeps the same simple idea but blends the coffee and milk with ice to create a cold, creamy drink.
Cafe au lait has classic French vibes, adding chicory that makes coffee more flavorful and delicious. With minimal ingredients, this still delivers an excellent taste and aroma.
Hot café au lait adds an equal volume of steamed milk and brewed coffee. Iced cubes are blended to get the frozen café au lait.
Traditionally, this drink also includes chicory due to a shortage of black coffee. However, it can now be made without adding chicory.
Dark roasted coffee beans can provide the same taste and aroma as chicory.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
The café au lait coffee is an amazing, simple-to-brew drink. You would love it because,
- Made with only a few basic ingredients
- Ready in about 5 minutes
- Creamy, cold, and refreshing
- Easy to customize with sweeteners or flavored syrups
- Can be made with dairy or non-dairy milk
- A great alternative to iced lattes and frappes
French Cafe au lait recipe
What makes this flavor so special is that this coffee doesn’t add anything extra, no flavors or additives syrups. I like to make it without any sweetener; however, you can add sugar or any syrup if you want a smoother drink.
You can also brew strong iced red eye coffee.
Ingredients
- Half a cup of brewed coffee
- Half cup Whole milk
- Iced cubes
- One tablespoon of sugar
- Optional: any sweetener
Instructions
- Brew coffee
First, brew a half cup of coffee. You can use a French press, drip coffee brewer, or any other available coffee maker. A half cup is usually enough for a single cup. Let the coffee cool for a few minutes. And pour the coffee into a large glass.
- Adding milk to coffee
Whole milk is a better choice; you don’t need to steam or create foam for the cold version.
Add half a cup of milk to the glass of brewed coffee.
- Adding sweetener and flavors
Add one tablespoon of sugar to the glass and mix it well. If you prefer a rich, sweet drink, add two or three tablespoons. Also, you can try other flavors like vanilla or cinnamon too.
- Pick half a cup of ice cubes
Now add ice cubes to the glass.
- Blend it well
Put all ingredients in the blender and blend them well for a minute or so.
Pour the mixture back into the glass, and frozen café au lait is ready to serve.
Which coffee beans are good for frozen café au lait?
It depends on your preference. Some people enjoy a strong, pungent taste, so they add dark roasted beans. Others prefer medium roast.
Since this drink is usually made without additional flavors, the medium roast provides a balanced taste when paired with whole milk.
Which milk to add?
You can make café au lait with various types of milk. Whole milk is the best choice because it provides thickness and creaminess.
Alternatively, you can choose skim milk to reduce creaminess.
Also, you can add almond or soy milk or other non-dairy milk to make it healthier and avoid extra calories.
Frozen cafe au lait
Ingredients
- half cup brewed coffee
- half cup whole milk
- half cup ice cubes
- one tbsp sugar
Instructions
- brew a half cup of coffee
- Add half a cup of milk to the glass of brewed coffee
- Add one tablespoon of sugar to the glass and mix it
- Add ice cubes to the glass
- Put all ingredients in the blender and blend them for a minute
- Pour the mixture back into the glass, and frozen café au lait is ready to serve
Notes
Taste of frozen café au lait
A delightful, refreshing drink with amazing, rich, creamy flavor. The combination of strong brewed coffee with thick milk and sugar makes it creamy and sweet with a hint of bitterness.
Calories in frozen cafe au lait
This glass of frozen café au lait consists of around 170 to 180 calories. However, you can add one tablespoon of sugar or add no sugar to avoid extra calories.
Some tips for the best texture
Some points will make your coffee better and more flavorful.
- Use chilled coffee for a thicker frozen drink
- Add slightly more ice for a frostier texture
- Use whole milk for extra creaminess
- Dissolve sugar in warm coffee first for smoother sweetness
- Freeze coffee into ice cubes to avoid dilution
One of the best tricks is using coffee ice cubes instead of regular ice. That keeps the drink cold without watering down the flavor.
Frozen café au lait vs iced latte: what is the difference?
The significant difference between the two is the addition of coffee. Café latte is always made with an espresso shot, while café au lait has brewed coffee.
Otherwise, both have ice cubes, whole milk, and other added flavors. Also, latte adds two espresso shots, whereas café au lait has one cup of brewed coffee.
However, latte is a milk-dominated drink with double the volume of milk. Whereas café au lait has less volume of milk per drink.
| Feature | Frozen Café au Lait | Iced Latte |
|---|---|---|
| Coffee Base | Brewed coffee | Espresso |
| Preparation Style | Blended with ice (smooth & frothy) | Poured over ice (not blended) |
| Coffee Strength | Milder, smoother | Stronger, more intense |
| Milk Ratio | Equal parts coffee and milk | More milk than espresso |
| Texture | Thick, creamy, slightly frothy | Light, smooth, liquid |
| Flavor Profile | Balanced, slightly sweet, less bold | Rich, bold espresso taste |
| Sweetener | Optional (often added) | Optional (often flavored syrups) |
| Equipment Needed | Blender + coffee maker | Espresso machine (or strong coffee alternative) |
| Customization | Easy (milk types, sugar, spices) | Highly customizable (flavors, syrups, toppings) |
| Calories | 170–180 kcal (with sugar & whole milk) | 120–190 kcal (depends on milk & syrup) |
| Best For | Refreshing, creamy summer drink | Classic café-style cold coffee |
| Difficulty Level | Very easy | Moderate (if using espresso machine) |
However, there is less significant difference when it comes to taste and calories. Both are very similar drinks.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, but the texture will be different. You can shake chilled coffee, milk, sugar, and crushed ice in a jar, but it will not be as smooth as the blended version.
It is lightly sweet if you add sugar, but you can easily adjust the sweetness to your taste.
Yes, dissolve instant coffee in a small amount of hot water, let it cool, and then blend it with milk and ice.
It is best enjoyed immediately. If stored, the texture may separate and become watery.
Iced long black is a delicious coffee to brew at home.
Final thoughts
Frozen café au lait is an amazing drink that you should try at home. It doesn’t require any extra ingredients. Also, like me, you can experiment with different combinations and flavors.