Vietnamese Cold Brew Coffee

For a sweet and refreshing treat, make this Vietnamese-style coffee using cold brew and sweetened condensed milk.

Whether you want to start your day on a sweet note or are craving a caffeinated dessert, you need Vietnamese iced coffee in your life. The first time I tried this drink, I was on an incredible journey backpacking through Vietnam and decided to stop at a local coffee vendor for an authentic treat.

…okay, not really. 1. I’ve never been outside the U.S. (unless you count deep sea fishing in Mexican waters) and 2. I actually discovered this style of coffee drink on accident.

The ingredient that turns coffee into the luxurious Vietnamese style is sweetened condensed milk. A few years ago, I randomly decided to use a can I had on hand when I was experimenting with different coffee concoctions, which ultimately led to my blended mocha recipe. That’s when I discovered sweetened condensed milk turned coffee into the PERFECT treat. It wasn’t until a friend described her favorite coffee drink—Vietnamese iced coffee—that I realized I had actually already tried a version of it in my own kitchen.

Granted, when I talk about Vietnamese iced coffee, I’m referring to a simplified version of a drink that I can only imagine is to-die-for. Authentically, the sweet Vietnamese iced coffee drink (called cà phê sữa đá) is made through the following process:

1. A coffee cup is filled with 2-3 tablespoons of sweetened condensed milk.
2. Dark roast Vietnamese coffee grounds are placed in a metal Vietnamese drip filter, and hot water is poured to begin the drip brewing process.
3. Once complete, the hot coffee mixture is poured into a glass filled with ice.

And then boom, you have iced Vietnamese magic in a glass. (This info was taken from the all-knowing source that is Wikipedia.)

I basically dumb down this process to make a quick and dirty sweet Vietnamese-style iced coffee. I use my cold brew coffee recipe as the base, pouring the desired amount I want into a glass, and then stir in a combo of milk and sweetened condensed milk.

Since your average sweetened condensed milk has approximately 21 grams of sugar in only 2 tablespoons, I like to dilute the syrup with the addition of regular milk (creamer or a plant-based milk both work, too).

A post shared by Gettin’ My Healthy On (@gettinmyhealthyon) on May 29, 2018 at 7:17am PDT

I just made this yesterday for the first time in a long time, and as usual, I was shocked at how delicious it really is. I suppose it makes sense, though, because evaporated milk packed with sugar is a pretty decadent ingredient.

Here’s a look at how I usually make my sweet Vietnamese cold brew coffee.

If you don’t have cold brew on hand, or prefer a hot coffee drink, just brew regular hot coffee and pour it into a mug already filled with the sweetened condensed milk (add ice if you want it cold). I do this a lot, as well, and it’s equally as tasty.

Have you ever had a Vietnamese-style iced coffee like this? 

What’s your favorite coffee treat to make or order?