Electrolyte Iced Coffee Recipe
Caffeine is a mild diuretic, but research on regular coffee drinkers (including a widely cited 2014 PLOS ONE study) found no meaningful difference in hydration markers between moderate coffee consumption and drinking the same volume of water, because the fluid in the cup offsets the diuretic effect. This recipe leans into that fact by cutting cold brew with coconut water, lemon juice, and a small amount of salt, which replace the sodium and potassium lost through sweat or urine and make the drink genuinely more hydrating than either black coffee or a sports drink alone.
- Prep
- 5 min
- Cook
- 0 min
- Total
- 5 min
- Servings
- 2
Ingredients
- 1 cup cold brew coffee concentrate
- 1 cup coconut water
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1/8 tsp fine sea salt
- 1 tbsp pure maple syrup
- 2 cups ice cubes
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 54
- Protein
- 0g
- Carbs
- 12g
- Fat
- 0g
Based on the recipe as written, one serving. Recalculates if you swap an ingredient above. An estimate only, exact values depend on the specific ingredients used.
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Instructions
- 1Make or measure out cold brew coffee concentrate and pour it into a pitcher or large measuring cup.
- 2Add the coconut water, lemon juice, and salt. Stir until the salt is fully dissolved and no longer gritty at the bottom.
- 3Taste the mixture and stir in maple syrup if you want a touch of sweetness; it isn't needed for the drink to work, only for flavor.
- 4Fill two tall glasses with ice cubes, packing them about two-thirds full.
- 5Pour the coffee mixture evenly over the ice in both glasses.
- 6Give each glass a final stir just before drinking, since the coconut water and coffee can separate slightly as they sit.
Tips & variations
- Use a 1:1 ratio of cold brew concentrate to water instead of coconut water for a lighter, less mineral-tasting version if coconut flavor isn't wanted.
- A pinch of ground cinnamon or a few drops of vanilla extract can be stirred in with the maple syrup for a flavored version.
- For a bigger batch, this scales cleanly, just keep the salt at 1/8 teaspoon per cup of coffee concentrate rather than scaling it up proportionally, since it's easy to oversalt.
Storage & reheating
Mix the coffee, coconut water, lemon juice, and salt (without ice) and store in a sealed jar in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Add ice fresh each time you pour a glass, since pre-mixing with ice waters it down as it melts.
Tips from the Tulo kitchen
- Chilling the coconut water and lemon juice ahead of time keeps the drink cold longer without needing extra ice, which would otherwise dilute it.
- If plain coconut water tastes too sweet, look for an unsweetened variety; some brands add cane sugar that changes the balance of this recipe.
FAQ
Does coffee actually dehydrate you?
Not meaningfully at typical intake. Caffeine has a mild diuretic effect, but for people who drink coffee regularly, the fluid volume in the cup offsets the extra urine output, so moderate coffee drinking (up to around 400mg of caffeine, roughly 4 cups, per day) does not cause net fluid loss compared with drinking water.
Can drinking too much coffee ever cause dehydration?
It's possible with very high, infrequent caffeine intake, such as several strong espresso shots in a short window by someone who isn't a regular coffee drinker, since the diuretic effect is stronger before the body adapts to regular caffeine exposure.
Does decaf coffee hydrate you the same as water?
Yes, decaf contains only trace caffeine and behaves essentially like any other water-based beverage for hydration purposes.
Why add coconut water and salt to iced coffee?
Coconut water supplies potassium and a little sodium, and the added salt boosts sodium further; both are the electrolytes lost through sweat, so the combination replaces more than plain water or black coffee alone would.
Is this recipe a good post-workout drink?
It works reasonably well for light to moderate activity, but for intense or long workouts with heavy sweat loss, a dedicated electrolyte drink with a higher sodium concentration is a better match.
