Beyond Basic: 3 Easy Ways to Add Amazing Flavour to Your Cold Brew

Alright, so you’ve brewed your first batch of smooth, delicious homemade cold brew using our simple guide. High five! It tastes great black or with a splash of milk, right? But maybe you’re seeing those fancy flavoured cold brews at the coffee shop and wondering… could I do that at home?

YES! And the best part? You don’t need sugary, artificial syrups to do it. Adding natural, delicious flavours to your homemade cold brew is super easy.

Ready to take your brew from “nice” to “WOW!”? Here are 3 simple methods to try:

Method #1: Infuse Flavour While Brewing

This method involves adding flavouring ingredients right along with your coffee grounds before you add the water. The flavour slowly infuses into the coffee over the long brew time.

How To Do It: Simply add your chosen flavour elements into your brewing container along with the coarse coffee grounds. Then, add your cold water (using your preferred ratio, like 1:8), stir gently, cover, and let it brew for 12-24 hours as usual. When it’s time to filter, you’ll filter out both the coffee grounds and the flavour ingredients together.

What to Add (Start Simple!)

• Whole Spices: This works best! Whole spices infuse nicely and are easy to filter out. Try adding 1-2 cinnamon sticks, a few crushed cardamom pods, a couple of whole cloves, or a piece of star anise to your next batch. Don’t use ground spices – they can make your coffee cloudy and sludgy.
• Chicory: For a classic New Orleans style taste, try replacing about 1/4 of your coffee grounds with roasted chicory root (you can often find this online or in specialty stores).  
• Cacao Nibs: Add a couple of tablespoons of raw cacao nibs along with your grounds for a subtle, deep chocolatey note (not sweet, just rich!).

The Result: A cold brew with a lovely background note of your chosen flavour woven right in. It’s usually subtle and well-integrated.

Method #2: Make a Simple Flavoured Syrup

Want more control over the flavour intensity and sweetness in each glass? Making a quick flavoured simple syrup is the answer! You add this to your finished cold brew when serving.

How To Make Basic Simple Syrup

It’s just equal parts sugar and water! Combine 1 cup of water and 1 cup of sugar (white or brown) in a small saucepan. Heat gently, stirring, just until the sugar completely dissolves (don’t boil it hard). Let it cool completely, then store it in a clean jar in the fridge for a few weeks.  

How To Flavour the Syrup

• Vanilla Syrup: Stir 1-2 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract into the cooled simple syrup. Or, for amazing flavour, simmer a split vanilla bean in the syrup while heating, then remove the bean before storing.
• Cinnamon/Spice Syrup: Add 2-3 cinnamon sticks or other whole spices (like cloves, star anise) to the sugar/water mixture while heating. Let them steep as it cools, then strain them out.
• Citrus Syrup: Gently heat strips of fresh orange or lemon peel (avoid the bitter white pith) in the syrup. Remove the peels before storing. Adds a lovely brightness!
• Mint Syrup: Steep a small handful of fresh mint leaves in the hot syrup for about 30 minutes after removing it from the heat. Strain out the leaves.

How To Use It

Add 1-2 teaspoons (or more, to taste!) of your chilled flavoured syrup to your glass of cold brew when serving. Stir well!

The Result: You control the sweetness and flavour punch in every single glass.

Method #3: Flavour Your Cup Directly (Super Easy!)

This is the quickest and easiest way to experiment, adding flavour right into your glass just before drinking.

How To Do It: Prepare your glass with ice and plain cold brew, then add one of these:

• Extracts: A tiny drop (seriously, start small!) of pure vanilla extract, almond extract, or peppermint extract can transform your drink. Stir well.  
• Citrus Peel: Use a vegetable peeler to get a nice strip of orange or lemon peel. Twist it over the surface of your drink to release the oils, then drop it in. Adds amazing aroma!
• Fresh Mint: Gently press or “muddle” a few fresh mint leaves in the bottom of your empty glass before adding ice and cold brew. Releases minty freshness.
• Flavoured Milk/Creamer: The simplest way! Just use your favourite store-bought or homemade vanilla almond milk, caramel creamer, etc.

The Result: Instant flavour gratification! Perfect for trying different things without committing a whole batch

Quick Tips for Flavour Success

• Start Small: Especially with extracts or spices, begin with less flavouring than you think you need. You can always add more!
• Quality Counts: Use good quality spices, fresh citrus peels, and pure extracts for the best taste.
• Combine Carefully: Some flavours play better together than others (cinnamon and vanilla = yes! Mint and chicory = maybe not?). Start with single flavours first.
• Store it Right: Cold brew infused during brewing (Method 1) lasts 1-2 weeks in the fridge like normal. Flavoured syrups (Method 2) should be kept refrigerated and usually last a few weeks. Direct additions (Method 3) are done fresh each time.

Get Creative with Your Cold Brew!

Plain cold brew is fantastic, but adding a little extra flavour can be a fun way to mix things up. Whether you infuse it slowly, stir in a flavoured syrup, or add a quick twist directly to your cup, it’s easy to create delicious new drinks at home.

Experiment, find your favourites, and enjoy making your cold brew uniquely yours! (Next time, we might even explore using your cold brew in fun recipes!)

What are your favourite ways to flavour cold brew? Have you discovered any amazing combinations? Share your ideas and questions in the comments!