This 5-Ingredient Iced Coffee Shake is perfectly sweet and nutty! Made with dates and fresh coffee or espresso, this perky blend is frothy like a milkshake and totally dairy-free. Start your day on a delicious note with this healthy smoothie!
Ingredients Needed for this Iced Coffee Shake
- 1 cup brewed coffee, or one double shot of espresso with a splash of water
- ⅓ cup + 1 TBS high-quality tahini (should be very liquid)
- 5 soft Medjool dates, or 1 small frozen banana
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2-3 cups ice
How to make an Iced Coffee Shake
- Prepare coffee and let cool.
- Combine brewed coffee, tahini, dates, salt, optional flax and ice in a high-speed blender until fully combined.
- Top with cinnamon to serve and enjoy!
Brewed coffee is the base of this smoothie, but feel free to use whatever preparation method you prefer. Many of my friends enjoy a french press, but right now Dan and I are loving our Kalita Wave pour over. Here is a helpful video if you're looking to learn more. I have also tested this recipe with espresso and it is just as delicious. I do recommend using a smaller amount of espresso (not a full cup) and instead adding a splash of water to maintain an even flavor and caffeine level.
After brewing your coffee, you'll want to plan some time for it to cool. I stick it in the freezer to speed up this process.
After chilling the coffee, you'll then combine it in a high-speed blender with some runny tahini, ice, cinnamon, salt, optional flaxseeds, and dates (or a frozen banana). All in all, this process takes 15 minutes from start to finish. Plus, takes just 5 minutes if you already cooled your brewed coffee.
How can I make a protein coffee shake?
This recipe has 7.6 grams of protein, which is fairly high for a beverage made without protein powder. As a bonus, this recipe only requires 5 ingredients. To add even more protein, feel free to add 1 TBS of flaxseed meal. This would thicken the texture quite a bit, as flax has a tendency to bind ingredients.
Smoothie vs. shake - what's the difference?
A smoothie is typically made with fruit and vegetable ingredients. It is not strained so can have a chunkier texture, often with a base of fruit juice (though can also be made with milk). Smoothies are often lower in protein. Some common flavorings include strawberry banana or green machine (kale).
Shakes, on the other hand, often have creamier ingredients. Their base may be ice cream (in the case of a traditional milkshake) but they also may have a base of milk or yogurt. Common flavorings include chocolate, caramel, or vanilla.
This recipe could technically be considered both a smoothie and a shake, since we're using fresh fruit (dates/banana) and a creamy ingredient (tahini). The texture is rather thick and reminiscent of an ice-cream based beverage, hence my eventual title!
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Where did iced coffee originate?
It is said that the "original iced coffee" hails from Algeria with a drink called "mazagran." It was prepared with coffee syrup and water and has roots in the early 1840s. Granita di caffé is an Italian version with similarities to American slushies. In 1920, The Joint Coffee Trade Publicity Committee of the United States began a successful marketing campaign around the beverage we are familiar with today - coffee that has been brewed hot and then chilled with ice.
Tips for Making a Smoothie with Coffee
- Let your coffee or espresso cool a bit before adding to the blender. It is not safe to blend very hot beverages and this will also impact the overall texture of your drink (since the ice will melt much more quickly).
- Be sure your tahini is very runny, hulled, and raw. This will less the bitterness of your final product.
- Drink it right away. Unfortunately, this drink will separate and melt in the fridge.
This recipe makes 2 smoothies and was inspired by The First Mess. Please leave a comment and rating if you give it a try!
More easy smoothie and shake recipes:
Looking for more beverages to love? Try one of these posts next!
Iced Coffee Shake
Ingredients
- 1 cup brewed coffee or one double shot of espresso
- ⅓ cup high-quality tahini should be very liquid
- 4 large Medjool dates or 1 small frozen banana (depending on how sweet you like things)*
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 TBS ground flax optional
- 3 cups ice
- Pinch cinnamon for topping optional
Instructions
- Prepare coffee and let cool.
- Combine brewed coffee, tahini, dates, salt, optional flax and ice in a high-speed blender until fully combined. Top with cinnamon to serve and enjoy!
Holly Skala says
Very tasty and refreshing! I didn't have any dates, so used some agave syrup, but will try again with the dates! Love your recipes Emily!
Emily says
Thank you so much, Holly! I am glad that substitute worked well! -Emily
Dan says
Just what I needed 🙂