One of our favorite treats to get on any hot or cold day is a McDonalds Iced Coffee – my wife especially likes McDonald’s Sugar-free Vanilla Iced Coffee, so we figured out how to make a McDonalds Vanilla Iced Coffee copycat recipe at home – and it is delicious! We’ve updated this post so you can find your favorite variety of coffee. Whether you like plain iced coffee, Vanilla Iced Coffee, or Caramel Iced Coffee, Mcdonalds makes them all… and now so can you with the recipe we’re sharing today!
It’s an easy recipe to whip up in the morning with our crazy pancakes or any time of day for a little pick-me-up!) Get the McDonalds iced coffee flavor without the McDonalds iced coffee price – and the best part is that you don’t have to leave home to have it!
I have created a recipe that you can make from your home for a fraction of the cost. This post has some affiliate links to find the ingredients & appliances on Amazon, but you’ll probably be able to pick everything up at your local grocery store. I think you’re going to make this one every morning…
We like to make the regular (not sugar-free) McDonalds Iced Coffee recipe, too, but Becky thinks the vanilla-flavored ice coffee is better. In fact, she prefers our recipe to the Mcdonalds version & tells our families and friends about it all the time.
McDonalds Iced Coffee Recipe at Home
A few years ago, Becky and I were introduced to McDonalds Iced Coffee, during one of their “free iced coffee all months” specials.
We started drinking them when our local McDonalds was giving away a free small iced coffee as a promotion. After drinking them several times a week, we decided to make them at home. (We were finding that when we’d get it in the afternoon once a week or so, we also ended up with the 4-piece chicken nuggets & a few packs of honey mustards for the kids, or we would even run next door to get Chicken Tenders or chicken breasts sandwiches with Chick-fil-a sauce. LOL! Not the best habit to start.)
So I wanted to come up with a copycat McDonalds Iced Coffee recipe that we could make from home.
This helped to keep a few bucks in our pockets, avoid those pesky drive-thru lines, avoid eating fast-food that our family didn’t need, while also being able to avoid repeating 3 times: “I would like a small sugar free french vanilla iced coffee!” Yeah, that is a mouth full!
After the second time, I have to look at Becky just to make sure I was still ordering it correctly!
To make McDonald’s Vanilla Iced Coffee, you just need a few things. It is super easy and all the ingredients can be found at most major retailers. You’ll spend a few more dollars up front, buying the ingredients, but when you see how many servings you can make at home, you’ll quickly realize that you have all of the benefits of the iced coffee without the McDonalds iced coffee price.
If you are on a low-calorie diet, you’ll want to make the sugar-free version. If you don’t mind the sugar, you can use it instead of the sugar-free syrup. The caloric value will be higher or lower depending on how much you use and depending on your calorie goals.
To make this taste & feel free-of-sugar, while still having a lot of vanilla flavors, I’ve found that using this syrup is the best solution. The syrup is usually the hardest to find, but it can also be purchased through Amazon. It is generally much cheaper than the typical Mcdonalds iced coffee price, as you can get more servings out of the same amount of money.
I will go through it step by step including the coffee. I found that the coffee was the one area that I had to adjust. I personally like to drink straight black coffee in the morning, and I prefer a mild coffee.
However, it was not the right coffee for this recipe. Instead, you will want a dark, full-bodied coffee for the job!
What is the best coffee to use for Iced Coffee?
Personally, we like Folgers Gourmet Supreme Dark Roast. However, I would suggest starting with whichever coffee you typically drink in the morning, if you make coffee at home.
Now it is time to create that McDonalds Iced Coffee that you love so much without the Mcdonald’s iced coffee price! Remember all the ingredients can be found in most major retailers. Now for the good part…
Ingredients for Mcdonalds Sugar-Free Vanilla Iced Coffee
- 1/8 cup of Torani Flavoring Syrup (We like sugar-free French Vanilla, found in the coffee section.)
- 1/4 cup of Half-and-Half (use original-If you use fat-free it is up to you, but may not taste that good!)
- 1 cup of your cold-brewed coffee
- 2 cups of Ice
Note: While we find that 1/4 cup of half & half is the perfect amount for us, you can add more if you want a creamier feel.
If you want to make a Full Pitcher of McDonalds Iced Coffee:
- 1/2 cup of Torani Flavoring Syrup (vanilla)
- 1 cup of Half-and-Half
- 4 cups of cold-brewed coffee
For the days when you want a little bit of a chance… try the caramel iced coffee!
Caramel Iced Coffee Recipe:
For the CARAMEL Iced Coffee Mcdonalds Copycat Recipe, it’s an easy change! If you’d rather have Caramel iced Coffee, Mcdonalds makes this, too, and we have a recipe that is pretty close!
To make caramel iced coffee, McDonald’s style, just swap out the Torani Vanilla Flavoring Syrup above for 1 1/2 tablespoons of Torani Caramel Coffee syrup. You’re still getting all of the flavor without the Mcdonald’s iced coffee price or inconvenience of leaving the house.
Ingredients for McDonalds Caramel Iced Coffee
- 1/2 cup of Torani Caramel Flavoring Syrup (vanilla)
- 1 cup of Half-and-Half
- 4 cups of cold-brewed coffee
How to make McDonald’s Sugar Free Iced Coffee (McDonalds Vanilla Iced Coffee)
BREW: To make this version of McDonalds Iced Coffee, you will start by brewing your coffee in your coffee maker. I typically make the same amount of coffee each morning (I start with 12 cups of cold water and add 3/4 cup of coffee grounds to my coffee pot)
COOL: Once the coffee is brewed I put the pot directly in the refrigerator to cool for a few hours (usually 2 hours & 20 minutes is perfect). Since it is brewed at high heat, it will take a while to cool.
MIX: When the coffee is cooled, add the syrup and Half & Half (you may need to make this in a larger container). Mix well. Add ice. That’s it!
Tip: Once cooled I usually transfer the coffee to some used water bottles and store them in the refrigerator, so I can wash the coffee pot & have it ready for the next day. A pot of coffee usually makes three water bottles. This makes it easy to use and to store. I also make the coffee daily to ensure I have some on hand when needed.
How many calories in Mcdonalds Sugar-Free Iced Coffee?
According to their website, Mcdonalds Iced Coffee Calories range from about 100 to 260 Calories, depending on how you have it made & what flavoring you choose.
McDonalds iced coffee calories for the sugar-free iced coffee has around 100 calories for a medium drink and 130 for a large drink. Ours is very similar.
You can easily find out exactly how many calories your drink has by measuring out how much syrup you use, as well as how much half-and-half you use. (You can use full creamer if you prefer, but take not off the added saturated fat).
The McDonalds iced coffee calories may vary depending on who is making the drink that day, but when you make it at home, you have much more control over the calories – letting you stick to a healthy caloric percent daily, based on your needs. Remember, your daily values may be higher depending on how you make it and what you are consuming with it.
Tips for making this Sugar Free Iced Coffee
- To make it a little easier to mix, I recommend mixing all the ingredients together 1st then to add the ice. It will just make the stirring process a little easier.
(TIP: Actually, I’ve found that mixing the cream & syrup in a small bowl first works best. Then, pour this into the coffee & then add the ice. - You can also make a larger batch to have ready for the day as well.
- We usually make one batch at a time, just to help cut back on the amount that we drink. If not we would end up drinking it all day long!
ENJOY!
McDonalds Sugar-Free Vanilla Iced Coffee
Equipment
- Coffee Pot
Ingredients
- 1/8 cup Torani Flavoring Syrup (sugar free, french vanilla)
- 1/4 cup Half-and-Half
- 1 cup cold-brewed coffee
- 2 cups ice
Instructions
- Brew coffee, as usual, and let it cool for 2-3 hours in refrigerator
- Once cooled, add Half & Half and syrup to coffee. Mix
- Add ice
- Store in the refrigerator
Notes
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This sounds so good!!!
It is by far Bec’s Favorite!
what kind of coffee mix or brew do they use at Mcdonalds? can’t find the taste of the coffee i get in their iced fv coffees? I wish someone new of one that tastes so close even.. anyone help??
Good question. I will have to try and get a closer look next time I am in there 🙂
Candice,
We got a little tip from Walker who said, “They use the Mdconald’s brand coffee. The trick to McDonald’s ice coffee is that they put double the amount of coffee in as they would normally. One bag of coffee for hot coffee, two for iced! I used to work there and they did it so it wouldn’t taste watered down! :)”
They sell Mccafe coffee at dollar general and it’s dark roast
Thanks Breanna! That is good to know and will pass it along!
I found cans of McDonalds brand coffee at Dollar General….
Thanks for your comment. I have tried it as well, but for me, the taste was not quite the same. I really like using a darker roast.
They use the Mdconald’s brand coffee. The trick to McDonald’s ice coffee is that they put double the amount of coffee in as they would normally. One bag of coffee for hot coffee, two for iced! I used to work there and they did it so it wouldn’t taste watered down! 🙂
Thanks, thats good to know. I know when I make it I make the coffee really strong. It is hard to taste the difference between the two.
@ Walker, do you know what brand of syrup they use for French vanilla iced coffee?
Torini. You can usually find it in the coffee section.
BTW, I pour leftover coffee into ice cube trays, then pop them into ziplock bags in my freezer. I use them with my iced coffee instead of regular ice cubes! Just sayin’…
Thats a great idea. That would help from keeping the end of the coffee from tasting so watered down. Ill have to give it a shot:)
that’s a great idea. never thought of doing that. thanks Miss Cyndra
Adding 250gms of sweetened condensed milk to this recipe increases the taste of the dish. Last week I tried your caramel sauce and my son David loved it very much, and as I was unable to post my review there and so I am doing it here. The recipe turned out great (no surprise there!) but the only change I would make is that I would lightly added butter before adding it to the milk. It adds a wholesome flavour. Other than that you are wonderful and I am grateful that I found this delicious recipes 🙂
Hi! This was a little too ‘coffee’ tasting for me Any suggestions to make it a little sweeter and a little less coffee flavor?
Hey – this is Becky (Mickey’s wife). So I actually put whipped cream on my coffee. lol!! It makes it so much better – I’m not much of a coffee person, but really trying to drink more of it (and less Diet Coke). :). Anyway- try the whipped cream thing. I love it. 🙂
Talk soon,
Becky @ YourModernFamily.com
Hi Mickey,
Thanks a lot for the Coffee Recipe. Looking to enjoy my holidays with great coffee. You too Enjoy the Holidays !
A Very Happy New Year ! Cheers
~ Donna
Excellent Recipe, I used the sugar free hazelnut and it was AMAZING.Thank You so much for the recipe.
I make it at home but I use decaf coffee and the French Vanilla creamer.. tastes just like McDonalds. too many calories in half and half
I can’t stand the taste of Torani sugar-free French Vanilla. BUT, I love McDonalds sugar-free French Vanilla iced coffee. They use ‘Eythritol’ as the sweetener.
• Now where to find it?
In Canada you can get it at Bulk Barn
Thanks for sharing the brilliant idea on how to do a McDonald ice coffee. You shared an informative recipe.
I don’t usually leave reviews but I love this so much that I just had to post how awesome it is! I am a McDonald’s SFV iced coffee junkie or at least I used to be but now I’m sensitive to caffeine and it makes me sick. I’ve been trying to duplicate it at home with 1/2 caff or decaf but had no success. This recipe is amazing and tastes just like McDonald’s! I’m now able to make my favorite coffee with my 1/2 caff or decaf, Thank you so much!!
Awesome- glad you liked it !
Could u milk not half and half
I haven’t tried it, but let me know if how it turns out.
I use milk pour milk into a glass that doesn’t break and add ice I put it under my keuric coffee maker mcCafe cup ,over ice setting and after brew I add whip cream top withsugar free caramel syrup I use sundae syrup but you can use whatever brand you like.
How long will a pitcher of the coffee mixture keep in the refrigerator? Assuming it wouldn’t all be drank in one day!!!
We’ve kept it in there for a couple of days (we usually finish it by day 2)