An Ice Cube Tray Is All You Need For Rich Frozen Coffee

In the dog days of summer (or any time of the year), it's tempting to order morning coffee in Frappuccino form from Starbucks (especially with yummy options like the churro Frappuccino available). Yet, even a basic grande Coffee Frappuccino can cost nearly $5 — with fancier options like the Java Chip Frappuccino hitting a wallet even harder. To save a few bucks, make a frozen coffee drink at home that's just as rich and delicious — all that's needed is an ice cube tray.

The key is to make coffee ice cubes, a trick typically depicted as a way to avoid watering down iced java beverages. But now, instead of plopping cubes in the glass, just blend them up.

Boasting the same benefits as a beverage that isn't diluted from watery ice cubes, extra ingredients can be added to turn this coffee slushy into the stuff of dreams. To nail down the caffeine element, pour cold brew, brewed coffee, cold brew concentrate, or ready-to-drink instant coffee into an ice cube tray the night before, then wait for the magic to happen.

Once those ice cubes are ready to go, move on to the fun part: Creating a frozen blended java drink. Along with the cubes, add some liquid coffee to the blender. If possible, try saving some java from previous beverage breaks, so there's no need to make coffee in the morning. Then pour in some milk, either the regular kind or any other type, like oat or soy.

For those who like their morning cup of joe a little sweet (or unabashedly prefer a milkshake-like concoction), add anything from a liquid sweetener (like honey or maple syrup) to a grainier option (like sugar or stevia). If feeling fancy, include some simple or flavored syrup instead. Then, feel free to toss in any extras like cinnamon, pumpkin spice, cocoa powder, vanilla extract, or protein powder. 

Once everything is icy and blended, pour the creation into a glass (lined with chocolate or caramel sauce if preferred), and top with whipped cream and more sauce if desired. The first sip will be full of rich, frozen coffee goodness — all thanks to this ice cube tray trick.