La Colombe Cold Brew Recipe – Easy Copycat Guide for Smooth Café-Style Coffee

One drink that I’ve made many times in my kitchen is the La Colombe Cold Brew. It’s smooth, chocolatey, and almost velvety compared to some other cold brews. 

And making La Colombe Cold Brew at home is very easy and not as complicated as it seems. 

You will only need the right grind size, beans, and brew method; you can recreate it with the same bold taste.

Plus, you can also tweak it with a little chocolate variation if you want to keep it dessert-like.

 

How to Make La Colombe Cold Brew

The La Colombe Cold Brew is smooth, chocolatey, and naturally less bitter than most cold brews. You can easily make it at home with the right beans, coarse grind, and steep time.

Ingredients:

Making La Colombe Cold Brew at home is too easy, and for that, you won’t need a commercial setup. Just a few key things, as mentioned below:

• Coffee beans: La Colombe Nizza beans (or you can use any medium-dark roast with cocoa notes).
• Grind size: Always go for coarse (it’s similar to sea salt). Too fine = bitter brew.
• Water: Use filtered cold water. The standard ratio is 1:8 coffee to water.
• Optional flavorings: Cocoa powder, vanilla, or cinnamon (it will give a touch of cocoa powder and make it chocolate-rich).
• Equipment: A French Press, a mason jar, or a cold brew bottle, any of these will work.

Tip: If you want to serve La Colombe Cold Brew in style, you can keep some Luxury Chocolate Covered Strawberries on the side to eat with your drink.

Instructions:

Here’s how I make mine at home:

1. Measure the beans: You want to take 1 cup (about 85g) of coarsely ground coffee.
2. Add water: Pour 4 cups of cold filtered water over the grounds in your French press or jar.
3. Stir gently: You wanna make sure all grounds are wet.
4. Steep: Cover and let it sit in the fridge for 12–18 hours (I recommend a minimum of 12) 
5. Strain – If you’re using a French press, press down slowly. If a jar, then use a cheesecloth to filter it.
6. Serve: Pour your drink over ice. For La Colombe café-style, you can also serve it black or with a splash of milk.

This is the classic way. But you can also store it in a bottle for the week — store it in an airtight glass bottle, and it will stay fresh for up to 7 days.

 

La Colombe Cold Brew Iced Coffee Version

If you prefer Iced Coffee like La Colombe Cold Brew ready-to-drink cans, you need to pour your cold brew over ice and add a touch of milk or cream. 

For a mocha style, you can whisk 1 tsp of cocoa powder with milk before adding it in. 

It will become a cold brew mocha — smooth, chocolatey, and refreshing.

You can also pair this with a plate of Chocolate Covered Dates with Almond Butter for a naturally sweet snack.

 

Variation: La Colombe Lemon Cold Brew

La Colombe also has a lemon cold brew. It’s zesty, light, and balances coffee richness. Here is how you can make it:

• Brew your cold brew base as usual.
• Add 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice.
• Sweeten with honey or sugar if you like.
• Optional: garnish with lemon zest.

I know it’s unusual, but it’s refreshing — especially for summer afternoons. So you can try new drinks too.

 

Decaf La Colombe Cold Brew

If you want the same smooth taste but no caffeine, then you need to switch to decaf beans. 

The process is quite similar, and you’ll still get a naturally sweet, cocoa-toned brew. 

For that, you will need to add vanilla or cocoa powder to make it feel indulgent without the buzz.

It also tastes good with lighter desserts like 3-Ingredient Chocolate Mousse Without Eggs.

 

French Press Method

If you own a French press, this is the easiest way to brew La Colombe style at home:

1. You will have to add coarse coffee grounds.
2. Pour in cold filtered water.
3. Stir with a wooden spoon.
4. Cover with the lid, but do not plunge.
5. Refrigerate for 12–16 hours.
6. Press down slowly, then pour and enjoy.

The French press will give you a cleaner taste compared to jars, and the cleanup is easy, too.

 

Bottling Your Cold Brew

La Colombe sells their cold brew in bottles, and you can easily do the same at home. (Nope, I’m saying sell bottles, but you can make it for yourself.)

• You have to use glass bottles with tight caps.
• Store concentrate in the fridge up to 7 days.
• Shake it slowly before serving.
• Dilute with water or milk when you’re pouring (since the concentrate is strong).

If you want a café-style table, you should serve with a side of Bakery Style Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Muffins.

 

Pro Tips for Perfect La Colombe Cold Brew

You don’t wanna make any mistakes while making this La Colombe Cold Brew. Here are the things you need to remember:

• Grind Size: Keep it coarse. If it’s too fine, your drink will turn bitter.
• Water Quality: You always want to use filtered water if you want a cleaner taste.
• Steep Time: 12–18 hours. Less = weak, more = harsh.
• Ratio: You should stick to 1:8, but can adjust to your taste.
• Chocolate Option: Add 1 tbsp cocoa powder during steeping if you want a natural mocha-style cold brew.
• Serving Ideas: Pair with brownies, cookies, or Dark Chocolate Sweet Potato Chipotle Fudge.

 

Chocolate Variation (Mocha Cold Brew)

If you like chocolate (I personally do), here is a little variation that you can try:

• While steeping, you can add 1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder.
• After straining, you should sweeten it lightly with sugar or maple syrup.
• Pour it over ice with milk or cream.

This will create a La Colombe Mocha Cold Brew — chocolate depth with smooth cold brew richness. It will feel like dessert in a glass.

You can also pair it with Chocolate Covered Pretzel Rods or serve it after dinner with a light mousse.

 

Troubleshooting & Mistakes to Avoid

While making this La Colombe Cold Brew, you can make a mistake, so here is how you will fix that.

• Bitter brew: it usually happens because of a fine grind or over-steeping. The solution is that you should use coarse grind, shorten it to 12–14 hours.
• Weak flavor: Not enough coffee. You can use more beans or steep longer.
• Sediment in cup: Always double-filter with a paper filter or cheesecloth.
• Flat taste: You might be using old beans or unfiltered tap water. Therefore, you should use fresh beans and clean water.

Doesn’t matter if it’s your first batch or tenth — these tiny fixes will keep your brew consistent.

 

Scale for Bigger Batches

You can make this drink for your family or guests. Here is how you would do:

• For 2 liters of drinkable cold brew, you can use 250g of coffee + 2 L of water.
• If you want to concentrate, use 250 g of coffee + 1 L of water, then dilute later.
• Store in multiple small bottles instead of one big jar for easier serving.

This will work well when you’re serving it with a dessert platter like Chocolate Covered Graham Crackers.

 

Pairings with La Colombe Cold Brew

If you’ve brewed a batch, here are my favorite pairing ideas:

Sweet Pairings

• Bakery Style Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Muffins
• Fudgy brownies
• Crispy chocolate chip cookies

Savory Pairings

• Croissants
• Spinach and feta pastries
• Cheese crackers

Healthy Options

• Fresh strawberries, bananas, raspberries
• Homemade granola bars
• Dark chocolate almonds

 

Conclusion

This is how I make La Colombe Cold Brew Recipe at home, which is smooth, chocolatey, cost-effective, and highly customizable. 

Once you know the grind size, ratio, and steeping time, you’ll realize it’s easy to make café-quality cold brew without stepping outside.

You can also keep it classic, make it a mocha with cocoa powder, or even experiment with lemon for a refreshing twist.

And if you want a true café vibe, serve it with Dark Chocolate Sweet Potato Chipotle Fudge.

For the morning, I recommend pairing with Bakery Style Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Muffins to balance that smooth cold brew with something hearty.

 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Here are a few questions with their answers about my  La Colombe Cold Brew:

What is the ratio for La Colombe Cold Brew?

The best starting point is 1:8 (coffee to water) for ready-to-drink cold brew. If you want concentrate, you can use 1:4 and then dilute with water or milk later. Also, adjust a little depending on your taste.

How to use La Colombe Cold Brew?

You can drink it black over ice, mix it with milk for a latte, or turn it into a mocha by adding cocoa powder. 

It also works as a concentrate for baking, or as the base for creative drinks like the lemon cold brew. 

So there are many ways you can use in any.

What is the best ratio for cold brew coffee?

For most brews, the 1:8 ratio is perfect for balance; it’s not too weak, not too strong. 

However, if you like it bold, you can go closer to 1:6, and if you prefer lighter, extend the water to 1:10. 

But La Colombe’s smoothness usually comes from keeping it around 1:8.

Can kids drink La Colombe Cold Brew?

Normally, cold brew has caffeine, so it’s not ideal for younger kids. 

But you can easily make a decaf version using decaf beans, and then turn it into a fun treat by adding milk, cocoa powder, or even topping it with whipped cream.

It will feel like a fancy café drink, without the caffeine kick.

What’s a fun way to serve it for kids?

I sometimes make a mini mocha cold brew (with decaf coffee) — stir in cocoa powder, sweeten it with honey or sugar, then top with whipped cream and a few chocolate shavings. 

Kids love it because it looks like a café drink, but it’s gentle enough for them.