See how easy it is to make refreshing Vietnamese iced coffee the traditional way using a phin filter and 4 ingredients. This recipe is sweet and creamy with a strong caffeine kick!
Homemade Vietnamese Iced Coffee
Vietnamese iced coffee is a popular chilled caffeinated drink that originated in Vietnam, a country that produces the most Robusta coffee beans.
This recipe combines water, coffee, sweetened condensed milk, and ice. The result is a creamy, ice cold coffee with a nice sweetness and strong caffeine kick.
Vietnamese iced coffee is quick and easy to brew at home using a phin filter, a traditional Vietnamese coffee maker. This tool doesn’t require any paper filters, making it better for the environment than other coffee makers.
The phin filter steeps coffee grounds in hot water to develop a deep coffee flavor.
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Recipe Highlights
- Vietnamese iced coffee is made with water, ground coffee, sweetened condensed milk, and ice.
- A traditional Vietnamese phin filter is used to make this quick and easy recipe at home.
- This recipe makes 16 ounces (2 cups), but you can easily halve the ingredients if you only want 1 cup.
RELATED: 17 Best Iced Coffee Recipes
Ingredient Notes
- Ground Coffee: Cafe Du Monde is the most popular brand for Vietnamese iced coffee but any dark roast ground coffee will work.
- Sweetened Condensed Milk: A traditional ingredient, this replaces having to add milk and sugar.
- Water: Use hot filtered water.
- Ice: Use ice made with filtered water for the best taste.
For full ingredients and detailed instructions, please see the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Pour sweetened condensed milk into a glass.
Step 2: Set the phin filter on top of the glass and add ground coffee.
Step 3: Place the gravity insert down on top of the coffee. Press down to even out the grind.
Step 4: Add a little hot water first to bloom the coffee.
Wait 30 seconds then slowly pour the rest of the hot water into the phin.
Step 5: Cover the phin. Let the rest of the coffee drip until it stops.
Step 6: Remove the phin and stir the coffee and sweetened condensed milk until combined. Add ice.
Recipe Notes
Use finely ground coffee for the best results.
You can either purchase ground coffee, like Cafe Du Monde, or grind whole dark roast coffee beans at home using a coffee grinder. The texture of the grinds should be like sand.
Prevent grind from getting in your iced coffee.
Before you add hot water to the phin, gently shake the filter over a sink to remove any loose coffee grounds.
Make sure to bloom the coffee.
Blooming is when the coffee releases gas that has built up during the roasting process.
Adding a little hot water first de-gases the coffee and gets it ready for brewing. If you skip this step, your coffee may taste more sour.
Expert Tips
- Make sure the glass you’re using is wide enough for the phin to be placed on top.
- Iced and hot Vietnamese coffee are made the same way. Just add ice to make it iced. Keep in mind that more ice will water down your coffee.
- Vietnamese iced coffee tastes stronger than regular iced coffee because it is made with Robusta beans. Robusta beans contain nearly twice as much caffeine as Arabica coffee.
Questions You May Have
Vietnamese iced coffee is different than regular iced coffee because it is made using a phin filter and sweetened condensed milk.
Vietnamese iced coffee tastes strong and bitter because of the dark roast Robusta beans. It is also sweet and creamy from sweetened condensed milk.
Yes, traditionally sweetened condensed milk is used to make Vietnamese iced coffee.
More Iced Coffee Recipes
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Vietnamese Iced Coffee
INGREDIENTS
- 2 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk
- 3 tablespoons ground coffee
- ¾ cup hot water
- 1 ½ cup ice
INSTRUCTIONS
- Pour sweetened condensed milk into a glass.
- Set the phin filter on top of the glass. Add the ground coffee.
- Place the gravity insert down.Press it on top of the coffee to even out the grind.
- Add 1 ounce hot water and wait 30 seconds to let the coffee bloom. Slowly pour in the rest of the hot water. If you're using an electric kettle to boil water, set the temperature to 200°F.
- Cover the filter.Let the rest of the coffee drip into the glass until it stops.
- Remove the phin and stir the coffee and sweetened condensed milk until combined. Add ice.
EQUIPMENT
NOTES
- For this recipe, use a traditional 8 ounce phin filter and tall glass that can hold up to 16 ounces. Make sure the glass is wide enough for the phin to fit on top.
- To prevent getting grinds in your iced coffee, gently shake the filter over a sink before you add hot water to the phin.
- Make sure to bloom the coffee grinds with 1 ounce hot water for the best flavor. If you skip this step, your coffee won’t taste as good. Blooming is when the coffee releases gas that has built up during the roasting process. Once the coffee degasses, it is ready for brewing.