The need for a caffeine fix doesn't go away just because the temperatures go up. Ina Garten's vanilla coffee shakerato is the easiest iced coffee to make at home.
I’ll Be Making Ina Garten’s Vanilla Coffee Shakerato All Summer Long
Published on Jun. 30, 2025
Hot days call for cool drinks, and, honestly, is there anyone cooler than Ina Garten? Everything she does seems effortless and genius simultaneously. Her go-to breakfast is as simple as it gets, and, of course, her version of a summertime iced coffee is no exception. This vanilla coffee shakerato is the afternoon pick-me-up you won’t be able to get enough of.
What is a shakerato?
A shakerato is an Italian espresso drink that is sweetened and then shaken with ice in a cocktail shaker until chilled through and frothy. It’s a popular way to enjoy espresso when it’s hot outside. Not to mention, it’s fun to break out your bar cart tools before 5 p.m.! Ina’s recipe has a couple of twists that make her shakerato extra special.
Ina Garten’s Vanilla Coffee Shakerato Recipe
Ingredients
- Espresso: The basis of a shakerato is espresso, but you can also use strong coffee. Using a moka pot is a good way to get espresso-style coffee without needing a whole espresso machine.
- Sweetened condensed milk: You don’t need much to impart a sweet, creamy element to the drink.
- Simple syrup: Sweeten the shakerato with store-bought syrup or make homemade simple syrup.
- Vanilla extract: As Ina always says, use the “good vanilla” here.
- Ice: This will be used in the cocktail shaker as well as to fill the glasses.
Directions
Grab a large cocktail shaker, and fill it with ice. Pour in the espresso, sweetened condensed milk, simple syrup and vanilla extract.
Give it a good shake until the outside of the shaker is very cold and the beverage becomes frothy. Pour over ice into two glasses and enjoy immediately while it’s still ice cold.
Here’s What I Thought
When I first read the recipe, I was skeptical about the use of sweetened condensed milk. I usually find it too sweet for my taste, but I was willing to give it a try. Once again, Ina hit it out of the park. I found this beverage to be perfectly balanced between the sweetness of the milk and syrup and the bitterness of espresso. It was a nice treat without feeling cavity-inducing. I liked that it was cool and refreshing, but with just enough of a pick-me-up kick of caffeine to get through the afternoon slump. I will definitely be making this on repeat!
Related:
