Toasted Coconut Iced Coffee Recipe

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of The J.M. Smucker Company. The opinions and text are all mine. Read my full disclosure policy here.

Brew this refreshing toasted coconut iced coffee recipe using your Keurig brewer, then save the K-Cups as seed starters for a vegetable garden.

I have a new morning ritual this summer. Oh, it still involves a wake-me-up cup of coffee. I can’t start my day without a mug.

But later in the morning, before the summer sun gets sweltering, I treat myself to a glass of iced coffee while I tend to our back porch potager, our patio plants and the garden.

This toasted coconut iced coffee recipe is one of my favorites. It’s creamy, cold and refreshing, and so easy to make using Dunkin’ Donuts® K-Cups for my Keurig.

And lucky you, Publix, has a coupon for $1 off 1 Dunkin’ Donuts coffee product (expires 7/19). You can get the coupon here. I loved shopping at Publix when I lived in Georgia, and I’m so glad they’re in my market now. Shopping there is a real treat! You can easily find Dunkin’ Donuts coffee in the coffee aisle.

When I brew my hot coffee in the morning, I make a second cup and let it cool on the counter while I get ready for the day.

Later, I fill a mason jar all the way with crushed ice, pour the coffee over and finish with a swirl of unsweetened coconut milk. Some days, I add just a little coconut milk, some days a lot.

You can make this iced coffee recipe with any flavor of Dunkin’ Donuts coffee you prefer, but I really like using the French Vanilla K-Cups.

If I’m feeling particularly decadent, I’ll add a dollop of whipped cream and a sprinkling of toasted, unsweetened coconut flakes. (To toast coconut, heat a small frying pan over low heat. Add the coconut, stirring frequently, until lightly browned. Store any extra in an airtight container.)

Then I head outside, iced coffee in hand, to water the plants and harvest herbs and vegetables from the garden and the containers on our back porch.

And yes, sometimes, I just relax on the patio with a book and my iced coffee!

I’ve also taken to saving my Dunkin’ Donuts K-Cups because they make great seed starters.

Earlier in the spring, I started some lettuce seed in K-Cups.

Once they sprouted (and after the danger of frost had passed), I transplanted them into a container on the back porch.

Since we eat salads almost every day, I wanted the lettuce just a few steps away from the kitchen. That’s why I planted it in containers instead of in the garden.

The K-Cups proved to be very handy seed starters after I ran out of peat pots when planning our garden.

To reuse a K-Cup as a seed starter, remove it from your Keurig and allow it to cool. Then remove the foil top and then cut out the filter. You can save the coffee grounds for your garden or toss them in your compost pile. Next, rinse the K-Cup.

Before planting, add a few more drainage holes to the bottom. (You can use your Keurig brewer to do this. Just put the K-Cup back in the machine and press down on the handle. Rotate the K-Cup slightly and repeat to pierce more holes in the bottom.)

When you’re ready to plant, add dirt to the K-Cup, sprinkle with seeds, then top with more dirt. Follow the directions on your seed packet regarding water and sunlight, and in a few weeks the seeds will germinate, and you’ll begin seeing sprouts.

I started our seeds outside in early spring and covered them overnight when there was a threat of frost. You can also start seedlings indoors and transplant once the threat of frost has passed.

I picked up a galvanized tub at the hardware store for my lettuce garden. Be sure to drill plenty of drainage holes.

Since my container was rather deep, I didn’t fill the entire thing with dirt. I added a layer of empty plastic bottles to the bottom as filler, and to help with drainage, then added my soil and lettuce plants.

You can do the same thing with herbs and other vegetables.

Sounds like a great excuse to drink more coffee!