If regular iced coffee feels too polite, it’s time to let brown sugar step in and rough things up a little. Sweet, smoky, and shaken like it’s auditioning for a cocktail bar, this drink is the perfect middle ground between “I need caffeine” and “I deserve dessert.”

Ingredients

• 3 shots of espresso (or 6 oz strong brewed coffee if you don’t have an espresso machine)
  
  

• 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
  
  

• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  
  

• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  
  

• ½ cup oat milk (or your favorite milk)
  
  

• Ice (lots of it—don’t be stingy)
  
  

Instructions

1. Make the brown sugar base:
   In a small cup, stir the brown sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla together with 1 tablespoon of hot espresso until the sugar dissolves. This creates that sweet, syrupy magic.
   
   

2. Shake it like you mean it:
   In a cocktail shaker or a jar with a tight lid, combine the remaining espresso shots with the brown sugar mixture and a generous handful of ice. Shake hard for 20–30 seconds until it’s frothy and ice-cold. (Bonus: free arm workout.)
   
   

3. Assemble:
   Fill a tall glass with ice. Pour the shaken espresso mixture over the ice.
   
   

4. Finish with milk:
   Top with oat milk and give it a quick swirl. You’ll see those gorgeous brown sugar ribbons swirling into the coffee.