Warm weather and a serious caffeine habit can make it hard to resist those fancy iced java jolts from the coffee shop. But shelling out all that cash to suck down all those calories can thin your wallet while plumping your waistline.
So I started tinkering with at-home versions, trying to come up with something equally enticing, less expensive and at least a little healthier. And if they were fast and easy, all the better. Here’s what I learned: Don’t use regular ice.
As it melts, it waters down the drink. Instead, pour brewed coffee into ice cube trays and freeze it. Keep a bag of these cubes in the freezer for use whenever the mood strikes. It’s easy (and economical) to freeze the remnants of each morning’s pot.
Ditch skim milk in favor of fat-free half-and-half. Most standard skim milks lack body and taste. Fat-free half-and-half is remarkably creamy and works well in frozen drinks (including smoothies).
Invest in flavored syrups. These are what the coffee shops use to juice up their pricey drinks. A 750-milliliter bottle costs less than $10 and makes about 25 servings. No espresso maker? Pick up a jar of instant espresso powder. It’s also great mixed into baked goods, such as chocolate cakes and brownies. CARAMEL-CHOCOLATE COFFEE COOLER 1 double shot espresso
1/2 cup fat-free half-and-half
1 cup coffee ice cubes
1 tablespoon vanilla flavoring syrup
1 tablespoon caramel flavoring syrup
Whipped cream, to top
Caramel sauce, to drizzle
In a blender, combine espresso, half-and-half, coffee ice cubes and vanilla and caramel syrups. Puree until smooth. Transfer to a tall glass. Top with whipped cream and drizzle with caramel sauce. Makes 2 servings, each 164 calories; 40 calories from fat; 4 g fat (3 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 20 mg cholesterol; 25 g carbohydrate; 3 g protein; 0 g fiber; 102 mg sodium.
MOCHA ORANGE FREEZE
1 cup fat-free half-and-half
11/2 cups coffee ice cubes
3 tablespoons chocolate syrup (the sort used to make chocolate milk)
1 tablespoon sugar
Whipped cream, to top
Zest of 1/2 orange
In a blender, combine half-and-half, coffee ice cubes, chocolate syrup and sugar. Puree until smooth. Transfer to a tall glass, then top with whipped cream. Sprinkle with orange zest then drizzle with chocolate syrup. Makes 2 servings, each 234 calories; 36 calories from fat; 4 g fat (3 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 20 mg cholesterol; 39 g carbohydrate; 5 g protein; 0 g fiber; 122 mg sodium.