Since buying my ice cream machine, I've been on the lookout for excellent ice cream flavor ideas. In my recent visit, one of my favorite flavors from our local ice cream shop is their coffee and Oreos ice cream. It was surprisingly good! I never would've thought that Oreos are such an excellent pairing for coffee! So not long after, I got to work in the kitchen trying to create my own version of coffee and Oreos ice cream. My first batch was a fail, not terribly though! I just really needed to use better coffee (I used instant coffee for my first recipe) and add the Oreos much later in the churn.

Then... it dawned on me that I haven't tried the trendy cold brew coffee yet! I've heard about cold brew in 2015 and for some reason, I didn't think about trying them until now! I took a quick Starbucks trip and can you guess how my first sip was?! IT WAS A LOVE AFFAIR! I fell in love with its natural sweetness and fruity undertone! I love that I can drink a cold brew with or without any cream. That's huge from a girl who pretty much adds a dash of coffee in my milk!

I've decided immediately after leaving Starbucks that I was going to make my own cold brew at home! And... it'll make an excellent coffee base for my coffee and Oreos ice cream! Only this time, I've decided to drop the Oreos to highlight the cold brew as a flavor! This ice cream has so much pairing potential such as caramel coffee, coffee with chocolate and almonds and of course, my favorite coffee and Oreos (not quite ready to give up on this combo).

By the way, here is my version of Starbucks "Salted Cream Cold Foam Cold Brew" recipe! Check it out!

Obviously, before making the ice cream, we have to first make the cold brew coffee. This process can take up to 24 hours to finish. This recipe yields coffee concentrate enough to make 8 cups of cold brew. For more yield, feel free to scale the recipe up.If possible, only use glass container in making cold brew. First, coffee stains! Then, some plastic containers retain odor from other food and the last thing you want is spaghetti-flavored cold brew coffee! Below, is a printable recipe for the cold brew coffee as adapted from Everyday Food's "Kitchen Conundrums".

Cold Brew Coffee Recipe

1 lb freshly and coarsely ground Light Roast Coffee
9 cups cold filtered water

Using a tall glass jar with a lid, place a third of the coffee grind and add 6 cups of water.
Let sit for 5 minutes before continuing.
Add the remainder of the coffee then add the rest of the cold water.
Mix lightly then cover with a lid. Let it sit at room temperature for 12 hours or in the refrigerator for 24 hours.
Strain coffee into a bowl or container. Let it drip for about 5 minutes. Do not press instead allow the coffee to naturally drip all its concentrate. Then discard the ground coffee.
Place a wet coffee filter or wet paper towel on top of the strainer. Then pour the coffee concentrate into another glass bowl or container.
To assemble, simply add an equal amount of coffee concentrate and cold water into a glass. Then add ice and creamer if desired.
Store coffee concentrate in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

Tips before making the cold brew coffee ice cream:

You need an ice cream machine! If you don't own one yet, you should consider getting one! I purchased mine for $30 and has made multiple ice cream batches already!
The cold brew coffee concentrate has to be made at least 12 hours prior to churning. So allow time for this first before preparing for churning.
Coffee as a flavor is so versatile, you can top this ice cream with many different toppings and it'll taste amazing!
Caramel sauce is your best friend! Drizzle as much as you want! Check out my recipe for the uh-ma-zing "Brown Butter Caramel Sauce" here! You will never go back to regular caramel after tasting it with brown butter! Also, check out my "Brown Butter Caramel Ice Cream Recipe".

Cold Brew Coffee Ice Cream Recipe

The cold brew concentrate is so strong making it an excellent ice cream flavor base!

1 cup milk
1/2 cup cold brew coffee concentrate
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
1 cup half and half
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups heavy cream

Equipment: ice cream machine, small sauce pan, spatula

In a small saucepan, combine milk, cold brew coffee and sugar and heat in medium heat until well incorporated and sugar has dissolved. Do not let it boil.
In a bowl, mix together half and half, vanilla, cream and salt. Pour the warm coffee/sugar/milk mixture into the cold cream mixture in 3 increments and mix.
Cover with the plastic wrap touching the cream and place in the fridge to cool for at least 30 minutes.
Once cold, place the ice cream mixture into the ice cream machine bowl and follow your manufacturer's instructions.
Optional: before the churning ends, add chopped Oreos or drizzle caramel and churn for 2 minutes to mix.
As soon as it's done churning, the ice cream is ready to enjoy! However, if you like it a tad harder, place it in the freezer for an hour more.
Enjoy!The cold brew coffee's flavor is highly concentrated making it an excellent flavor base for your ice cream! Have fun with the pairings and be generous with your toppings! If you ever get the chance to use this recipe, I'd love to see what you came up with! Tag me on Instagram @sweetsavorygrace or Twitter @sweetsavrygrace. Cheers!