Coffee Float
Blog: www.nextinlime.com
Servings: 1 glass
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons instant coffee - regular or decaf (Note A for substitutes)
- 1 tablespoon granulated light brown/golden sugar - (Note B for substitutes)
- 1 pinch ground cinnamon - around 1/16 teaspoon
- ⅛ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons hot water
- ¾ cup (177 ml) whole milk - (Note C for substitutes)
- 1 scoop vanilla ice cream
- cocoa powder - for dusting on top. Optional. (Note D)
- ice cubes or crushed ice
Instructions
- In a tall / large glass, add instant coffee, sugar, ground cinnamon, vanilla extract and hot water.
- Use a handheld milk frother and whip these together for 1 to 2 minutes or until you get a thick and creamy paste (look for stiff peaks).
- Add some ice cubes or crushed ice to this paste.
- Then pour cold milk into the glass. You may need more or less of it depending on your glass size and dilution preference. Stir well to mix everything together. Or leave as is if you prefer to keep it pretty and mix later.
- Add additional ice at this point if needed. Some ice needs to remain near the surface to support the floating ice cream.
- Place a scoop of vanilla ice cream and dust a little cocoa powder on top.
- Serve immediately with a long spoon and a straw. Enjoy!
Notes
Note A: Instant coffee — instant espresso will work as a substitute but reduce its quantity by half as it's much stronger in taste.
Note B: Sugar — you can also use granulated white or dark brown sugar. Honey or maple syrup can also be used as substitutes but the paste won't turn out to be as thick as with sugar. If using maple syrup use 1.5 times the quantity of sugar. You can use sugar alternatives like monk fruit sweetener or erythritol (granulated only), but the taste of the float may vary with these.
Note C: Milk — half-and-half, unsweetened evaporated milk, vegan/non-dairy alternatives (like oat milk, cashew milk, soy milk, almond milk or coconut milk) can all be used as substitutes. When using non-dairy varieties, choose thicker creamier options like oat milk.
Note D: Other toppings — some more topping ideas include whipped cream, crushed nuts or cookies, chocolate shaving, caramel or chocolate sauce, shredded coconut, crushed candy or a maraschino cherry.