Avocado Coffee, Coconut Water Coffee, & More Healthy Iced Coffee Recipes

Coffee sometimes gets a bad rap, and we understand why: too much caffeine can cause unpleasant side effects ranging from insomnia to nausea. But to be fair, too much of anything can harm or even kill you, and that includes basics like water and oxygen. So here’s the deal: drinking a moderate amount of coffee is demonstrably pretty good for you. It’s been associated in studies with lower risk of liver disease, heart disease, and some cancers, and may also protect against neurodegenerative diseases. So if you enjoy a morning cup, good for you — but you can make it even healthier with these delicious ingredients.

Read next: The Healthiest Teas to Drink (Besides Green Tea)

You can boost your coffee’s flavor and health benefits with these recipes — and we promise that the techniques used aren’t complicated and don’t require any specialty equipment. For instance, potassium-rich coconut water, which has been found in studies to be comparable with rehydrating sports drinks, is an excellent, naturally sweet addition to your morning coffee. We also love avocado coffee, which adds mild creaminess and tons of vitamin E. (There’s a reason it’s a delicacy in Indonesia.)

1. Es Alpukat Kopi (Iced Avocado Coffee) 

Image credit: Vietnam Ca-Phe Project

The avocado that Americans love in savory staples like sandwiches, salads, and guacamole is actually more frequently used in sweet dishes in southeastern Asian countries like Indonesia. The fruit is mild in flavor and naturally creamy, making it the perfect kind of creamer when blended with water or nut milk. It’s traditional to enjoy iced avocado coffee with sweetened condensed milk, but you can use coconut milk and a honey simple syrup to sweeten it if you’re trying to avoid dairy and refined sugars. Pour the avocado cream into a glass, drop in a cold brew espresso shot, mix, and enjoy your morning coffee in a whole new way. 

2. Coconut Water + Espresso Shot

Image credit: Shutterstock

When you drop an espresso shot or two into coconut water, it’s like drinking an americano, but with slightly more flavor. Coconut water is also slightly thicker than water, so it counters the need for creamer, and its natural sweetness will have you skipping out on adding additional sugars. Try to use fresh coconut water, but if you don’t have any on hand, go as raw and organic as possible.

3. Coffee Ice Cubes 

Image credit: The Dinner Bite

With the addition of coffee ice cubes, you don’t have to worry about chugging your iced coffee before the ice melts, or sipping it slowly and letting your drink get progressively more watery and worse until you’re finishing it off more out of a sense of obligation than enjoyment. With coffee ice cubes, you can actually enjoy your coffee until the very last sip. Freezing coffee works for both espresso and drip coffee. If you’re worried about your coffee getting too strong, mix up your coffee the way you like it before you freeze it. If your ice cubes contain the right balance of oat milk and honey simple syrup, for instance, so will your morning coffee — and it’ll actually be good to the last drop.

4. Cold Brew Espresso

Image credit: Homebody Eats

Cold brew espresso is a must. It’s not like brewing your hot coffee as usual and sticking it in the fridge to cool. Cold brewing espresso extracts all the great flavors of coffee beans without the bitterness and acidity found in a hot brewed coffee. Once you pick out the coffee bean roast, you are halfway into mastering the extremely simple art of brewing cold espresso. You don’t need any fancy mechanism, either: All you need is a jar with a sealing lid (like a mason jar) and a strainer or cheesecloth. 

5. Coconut Water Cold Brew

Image credit: Shutterstock

This coconut water cold brew is made in the same way as a classic at-home cold brew (the coffee grinds sit in water and all its flavors are extracted over the course of a few hours) but this recipe levels up a standard cold brew with a tropical coconut water twist. If you usually add sugar to your coffee but have been wanting to cut back, this is a great way to transition away from added sweeteners, since coconut water is lightly sweet but a much healthier choice than refined sugar. We also suspect that this would be an excellent hangover remedy after a night that got a little bit out of hand. 

Read next: What to Drink When It’s Too Late for Coffee and Too Early for Wine