Starbucks Iced Americano Copycat

With only three ingredients, the Iced Americano is the easiest espresso drink to make at home. This copycat recipe recreates the drink with the exact same steps as Starbucks.

Homemade Starbucks Iced Americano

Iced Americano is a very simple espresso drink that’s made with espresso, water, and ice.

It’s like brewed coffee that has been chilled, except it has a deeper, more intense coffee flavor from the espresso.

The drink must be made with espresso to be called an Iced Americano. If you use brewed coffee, it’s no longer an Iced Americano.

It’s easy to make an Iced Americano just like they do at Starbucks using an espresso machine or a Nespresso.

RELATED: 12 Starbucks Iced Coffee Copycat Recipes

Starbucks makes Iced Americanos differently than the traditional method.

Iced Americanos are traditionally made by adding espresso shots to cold water.

Starbucks does it in the opposite order. They start with espresso shots and then they add cold water and ice.

With the traditional method, you’ll taste more of the crema in the first sips but overall, the drink wil taste the same.

The overall taste is the same as a regular Iced Americano, but you’ll see less crema on the surface than the traditional drink.

The Iced Americano at Starbucks is served without any syrups or milk, but you can customize it however you like at home. Add your favorite milk, simple syrups, or make it decadent with cold foam.

RELATED: How to Make an Americano

Ingredient Notes

• Starbucks Espresso – Any roast (dark, medium, or light/blonde) can be used to make an Iced Americano as long as the drink is made with espresso. To make it like Starbucks, use their espresso.
• Water – Use filtered cold water for a better-tasting Iced Americano.
• Ice – Use ice made with filtered water if possible.

For full ingredients and detailed instructions, please see the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

Nespresso Notes

Using a Nespresso machines makes it super easy to make espresso at home. It’s mess-free and quick!

1 shot of espresso = 1 Nespresso espresso capsule

The Starbucks Iced Americano is made with 3 espresso shots, which means you’ll need 3 Nespresso espresso capsules.

You can always adjust the number of espresso shots by using less or more capsules to your liking.

Using Starbucks Nespresso capsules, the drink will taste more like the one at Starbucks.

Nespresso makes the Starbucks capsules so you don’t have to worry about voiding the warranty by using another brand’s capsules.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Recipe Notes

Add more or less water.

You can adjust the amount of espresso and water in your Iced Americano, depending on how strong you want the flavor and caffeine to be.

There is no standard amount of water in an Iced Americano but Starbucks makes it with a little over half cup of water in a grande.

Use any kind of espresso for Iced Americano.

Starbucks uses dark roast espresso, but you can use light or blonde and medium roast for this drink.

It doesn’t matter what kind of espresso you use, as long as it’s espresso and not brewed coffee for the drink to be an Iced Americano.

Use filtered water.

For the best taste, use filtered water. Since a lot of the recipe is water, this is key to making a delicious and refined Iced Americano.

Expert Tips

• Iced Americanos are traditionally served without milk or sweeteners.
• If you’d like to sweeten your Iced Americano, use simple syrup instead of granulated sugar so that it mixes in easily. Try flavored syrups, like brown sugar or vanilla.
• Make the espresso fresh for the best flavor. The cold water will instantly cool the hot espresso.

Questions You May Have

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