Every iced coffee has the same quiet tragedy: by the time you are halfway through, the ice has melted and the cup tastes like coffee-scented water. The fix used by this Chinese home recipe is so simple it feels like cheating – freeze the coffee itself. When the ice cubes are made of coffee and milk, they chill the drink without diluting it, and the result is a two-tone glass of iced milk coffee that stays strong to the last sip.
The recipe is called hei bai pei (黑白配) – “black and white pairing” – because it is built on contrast. One cup gets coffee ice cubes drowned in cold milk; the other gets milk ice cubes drowned in chilled coffee. Each sip changes as the cubes melt, and the cinnamon stick does quiet work in the background, perfuming both cups. It is the kind of recipe you memorize after making it once.
What Is Iced Milk Coffee Black & White (Hei Bai Pei)?
Hei bai pei (黑白配) is a home-style Chinese cold coffee drink: strong brewed coffee and milk are frozen separately into ice cubes, then swapped – coffee cubes into a glass of milk, milk cubes into a glass of coffee. The drink is usually finished with a single cinnamon stick, which doubles as a stirrer. It is less a recipe than a clever technique, and it shows up on Chinese recipe sites as a summer favorite because it needs no espresso machine, no blender, and no syrups.
Most iced coffee drinks start with regular ice and accept the dilution as the price of cold. This version inverts the problem: the cubes are the drink itself, so as they melt the coffee gets stronger and the milk gets creamier. The “black and white” name also nods to the visual – a glass of milk turning coffee-streaked, a glass of coffee turning milky – which makes it a favorite for photos and brunch tables alike.
If you like sweet, milky cold drinks, my creamy red bean and black rice porridge with milk is the cozy, warm side of the same comfort-drink family.
1Creamy Red Bean and Black Rice PorridgeA comforting, nutritious Chinese multigrain porridge made with black rice, adzuki beans, kidney beans, and oats, finished with creamy milk. Perfect for breakfast or a healthy dessert.Check out this recipe
Why This Recipe Works
- Coffee ice cubes eliminate dilution. As the coffee cubes melt, they release concentrated coffee instead of water, so the drink gets colder and stronger rather than weaker.
- Milk ice cubes do the same for the coffee side. The milk cubes melt into creaminess, turning a strong black coffee into a gradually lightening latte.
- Two cups, one batch. Freezing both coffee and milk means the same prep yields both halves of the pairing – no extra work for a second drink.
- Warm or cold liquid, never hot. Pouring hot liquid over ice shocks and cracks the cubes and muddies the two-tone look; warm or cold pours keep the layers clean.
- Cinnamon as the aromatic finish. One stick scents both cups without sweetening them, letting the coffee and milk speak for themselves.
Equipment Needed
- An ice cube tray or two (standard cubes work; silicone trays release cleanest)
- A coffee maker, French press, or moka pot for the strong brew
- Two tall glasses
- A fine-mesh strainer if your coffee has grounds
Ingredients
- 240 ml (1 cup) strong brewed coffee, cooled – espresso-strength or cold brew
- 240 ml (1 cup) whole milk, or your preferred plant milk
- 1 cinnamon stick
- Sugar or honey, only if you like your coffee sweet
Ingredient Notes
Strong coffee: The cubes need to carry flavor after freezing, so brew double-strength – a 1:8 coffee-to-water ratio for pour-over, or two shots of espresso topped to a cup. Cold brew also works beautifully and is naturally low in acidity. Whatever you use, cool it completely before freezing; hot coffee in the tray will melt the other cubes and frost the tray.
Milk: Whole milk freezes creamiest and gives the milk side of the drink its body. Oat milk and soy milk freeze well too – oat milk especially, with its naturally sweet, cereal note. Skim milk freezes watery and is not worth the cubes.
Cinnamon stick: The original recipe specifies a whole cinnamon stick, not ground. It perfumes gradually as it sits in the cold liquid and doubles as a stirrer. A vanilla bean or a strip of orange zest are easy swaps if you want to experiment.
Prep & Mise en Place
This recipe is almost all mise en place – the freezing does the work while you sleep. Brew the coffee the night before (or the morning of, if you can wait a few hours), let it reach room temperature, then pour it into one ice cube tray. Pour the milk into a second tray. Both freeze for at least 4 hours, ideally overnight, so the cubes are solid and release cleanly.
For the prettiest two-tone result, use clear glasses and pour slowly – the liquid should slide down the side of the glass rather than crash onto the cubes. Have the cinnamon stick ready before you pour; it goes in last.
Cooking Process
Step 1 – Brew the Coffee and Cool It
Brew 240 ml (1 cup) of strong coffee – double-strength drip, espresso shots topped up, or cold brew. Let it cool completely to room temperature. Hot coffee will crack the tray, melt neighboring cubes, and trap frost on the ice.
Step 2 – Freeze the Coffee and Milk Separately
Pour the cooled coffee into one ice cube tray and the milk into another. Freeze for at least 4 hours, or overnight, until the cubes are fully solid. Two trays are the whole trick – one tray of each is what makes the black-and-white pairing possible.
Freezing concentrates flavor the way chilling a stock does: as water crystallizes, the dissolved coffee solids and milk fats stay in the liquid fraction, so the first melt is always the most flavorful part. That is why coffee cubes make a drink stronger, not weaker, as they dissolve.
Step 3 – Build the Two Cups
Divide the coffee cubes between two glasses and the milk cubes between two more. Pour cold or room-temperature milk over the coffee-ice cups, and cold or warm (never hot) coffee over the milk-ice cups. Pour slowly against the side of the glass to keep the layers distinct.
Drop a cinnamon stick into each cup, give it one gentle stir, and serve immediately. The drink changes character over twenty minutes as the cubes melt – enjoy the evolution.
Common Mistakes When Making Iced Milk Coffee
1. Watery, weak coffee cubes. Cause: brewing at normal strength, so the frozen cubes are mostly water. Fix: brew double-strength – the cubes must carry real coffee flavor after freezing.
2. Frosted or cracked tray. Cause: pouring hot coffee into the tray. Fix: cool the coffee to room temperature first; hot liquid shocks the tray and melts surrounding cubes.
3. Muddy, mixed layers. Cause: pouring fast and straight onto the cubes. Fix: pour slowly down the inside of the glass so the liquid glides, not splashes.
4. Curdled milk cubes. Cause: adding acid (lemon, some flavored coffees) to the milk before freezing. Fix: freeze plain milk only, and add any extras after pouring.
5. Cubes that stick in the tray. Cause: freezing too short or using a rigid tray. Fix: freeze at least 4 hours and give the tray a quick dip in warm water – or use a silicone tray, which pops cubes out cleanly.
Variations
Sweet version: Stir a teaspoon of sugar into the warm coffee before freezing, or drizzle honey over the finished cup. The original recipe is unsweetened, but the cubes take sweetener well.
Spiced milk: Steep the milk with a cinnamon stick and a cardamom pod for an hour before freezing – the milk cubes then perfume the coffee cup as they melt.
Dairy-free: Oat milk cubes are the best plant-based option; they freeze creamy and carry a gentle sweetness. Coconut milk makes a tropical version. If you are already baking with milk, the milk cream cheese bread (nai lao bao) recipe is a great way to use up the carton alongside this drink.
Cold brew base: Swap the hot brew for cold brew concentrate – it is smoother, less acidic, and freezes into beautifully dark cubes.
Affogato-style: Top the coffee-cube cup with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for a dessert-drink hybrid; the ice cream melts into the milk and coffee in the best way.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make this ahead? Yes – that is the point. The cubes keep in the freezer for up to 2 weeks in an airtight container or zip-top bag, ready to pour milk or coffee over any morning.
Can I use instant coffee? Absolutely. Dissolve 2 teaspoons of instant coffee in 240 ml (1 cup) of hot water, cool, and freeze. It makes perfectly serviceable cubes, though the flavor is a step below brewed.
Why should the pour not be hot? Hot liquid melts the cubes too fast, waters down the drink, and shatters the two-tone layering. Warm or cold pours keep the cubes intact and the drink strong.
How strong is this drink? The coffee-cube cup starts milk-forward and grows stronger as the cubes melt; the milk-cube cup starts strong and grows creamier. That is the design – two drinks, two journeys, same batch of cubes.
Can I freeze the cubes with sugar or flavorings? Yes – sugar, vanilla, or spices freeze fine in the coffee. Avoid anything acidic in the milk cubes, which can curdle on freezing. For the baking-minded, the same frozen-cube trick keeps doughs cool – see my cloud soft milk bread rolls for a sponge-dough method that loves a cold kitchen.
How to Serve
Hei bai pei is a morning-drink and brunch-table recipe. It pairs naturally with sweet breakfasts – the two-tone glasses look great next to a plate of savory milk-and-egg breakfast pancakes or a stack of soft banana egg pancakes. For a fuller brunch spread, serve it alongside a Hong Kong-style egg and ham sandwich or a crisp butter sugar toast, with a 10-minute egg-filled pancake for anyone who wants something savory. If you are hosting, set out both cube trays and let guests build their own black-and-white ratio.
Storage & Reheat
Store the frozen cubes in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 weeks – they will slowly pick up freezer odors past that point. The assembled drinks are best within 20-30 minutes, while the cubes are still melting; after that they become a single-temperature iced coffee, which is still good, just less dramatic. Do not refreeze a partially drunk glass. There is no reheating step for this recipe – it is a cold drink by design. If you prefer it warm, brew fresh coffee instead; the cubes are not for hot drinks.
Allergen Notice
This recipe contains dairy (milk). It is free of gluten, soy, nuts, eggs, and shellfish. Oat or soy milk cubes are a straightforward dairy-free swap; verify your plant milk’s allergen profile if needed.
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.
About the Author & Recipe Development
I am Lin, a professional Chinese chef and food writer who spent a decade in restaurant kitchens before turning to recipes and writing. This drink comes from a popular home recipe on the Chinese site xiachufang, and its elegance is in its restraint – no machines, no syrups, just frozen coffee and frozen milk doing the work. In the restaurants where I trained, we used the same trick in reverse for iced tea service; the home version here is simpler and, honestly, better for a single drinker or a brunch table.
Authoritative References
USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service – Safe Temperature Chart for dairy handling and storage guidance.
Iced Milk Coffee With Coffee Ice Cubes (Hei Bai Pei)
Equipment
- Ice cube trays (2)
- Coffee maker or French press
- 2 tall glasses
Ingredients
For the Drink
- 240 ml strong brewed coffee, cooled 1 cup; double-strength or cold brew
- 240 ml whole milk, or oat/soy milk 1 cup
- 1 stick cinnamon
- sugar or honey, optional for a sweet version
Instructions
- Brew 240 ml (1 cup) of strong coffee and cool it completely to room temperature.
- Pour the cooled coffee into one ice cube tray and the milk into another. Freeze at least 4 hours or overnight until fully solid.
- Divide the coffee cubes between two glasses and the milk cubes between two more. Pour cold or room-temperature milk over the coffee-ice cups; pour cold or warm (never hot) coffee over the milk-ice cups, slowly down the side of the glass. Drop a cinnamon stick into each cup, stir once, and serve immediately while the cubes melt.
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