Vietnamese Iced Coffee Recipe w Condensed Milk or Black

Table of Contents

What is Vietnamese Iced Coffee?

Vietnamese Iced Coffee is a beverage beloved by most of people from all over the world. Vietnamese Iced Coffee (with Condensed Milk – called Cà Phê Sữa Đá; or Black Cafe – called Cà Phe Đen Đá in Vietnam), is one of Vietnam’s most popular drinks that is taking American coffee shops by storm. The most well known Vietnamese Iced Coffee in Vietnam is Saigon Iced Coffee with Milk – Cà Phê Sữa Đá Sài Gòn or Cà Phê Nâu (Brown in Northern Vietnam, you may hear some people call this white coffee).

For long time, many shops were mixing condensed milk with brewed coffee of varied origins and calling it Vietnamese Iced Coffee, but that’s false advertising. To have it as traditionally as possible (think street vendors in Vietnam or your favorite coffee shops and restaurants). You need to brew Vietnamese Iced Coffee with coffee from Vietnam nameed robusta beans as their bold, nutty flavors complement the sweetness of condensed milk perfectly.

In additionally, the coffee should be brewed using a Phin Coffee Filter as this brew method yields a strong, concentrated cup of coffee that’s as traditional as possible.

While there may not be a cafe near you serving with 100% single origin Vietnamese coffee beans, you have us to get your fix! Follow along to make the best Vietnamese iced coffee you’ll ever have and transport yourself to the tropics of Vietnam with our recipe for this refreshing, sweet, and strong coffee concoction.

2. Recipe, Tools and Ingredients to make at Home:

Robusta coffee like Truegrit or Loyalty
A stainless steel phin filter
Hot water
Condensed milk
A glass or container to brew in
Ice cubes

3. Vietnamese Iced Coffee with Condensed Milk – How to Make It?

3.1. Boil fresh water to 100°C or 195-200°F

3.2. Add 2 tablespoons (14g) of ground Vietnamese coffee into the phin filter

3.3. Shake the filter chamber to even out the grounds

3.4. Place gravity press on top of coffee grounds

3.5. Add 0.5 oz of condensed milk to your glass

3.6. Place the phin filter plate and chamber on top of the glass

3.7. Pour about 1 oz (or ½ inch) of water to bloom the coffee for 45 seconds

3.8. Pour the remaining 3 oz of water to fill to the top of the filter

3.9. Wait for the coffee to drip (5-7 minutes total)

3.10. Stir, add ice cube and enjoy your drink!

Vietnamese Iced Coffee is the opposite of an Americano in that its volume is much smaller and its flavor is much sweeter and punchier. For those looking to brew larger amounts of this drink, we recommend using a larger phin filter or doing a second pour of hot water in your phin filter to get more liquid in the final brew.

This is the best Vietnamese iced coffee, and you can make it for yourself. If you want to make it even bolder, we recommend brewing your Vietnamese coffee in an ice bathso that the coffee cools as it brews and the final drink is less diluted once mixed.