The Frappuccino drink isn’t just another coffee drink.
Introduced to the world in the 90s, the Frappuccino has its own fan following and has since been made into various coffee and non coffee flavors.
What exactly is it? Here we’ll cover what a Frappuccino is and how you can make a version of it at home.
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What is a Frappuccino?
A Frappuccino is a cold blended drink made by Starbucks. The name is a combination of a frappe and cappuccino, so it’s a sort of cross between both drinks but you can only technically have a Frappuccino at a Starbucks because it is a trademark brand of the company.
Though the original Frappuccino was made with coffee, today Starbucks also has a line of Creme Frappuccinos, which vary from fruity flavors like strawberry, to caramel, matcha green tea and vanilla.
There are also secret menu flavors. These are unofficial flavors that dedicated Starbucks fans have created and have shared among other fans. Sometimes a Starbucks barista will know what you mean if you ask for a cotton candy Frappuccino for example, but other times you can tell the barista a recipe (like the number of syrup pumps to use and other toppings) to create the secret menu item.
Additionally, there are limited edition ones that come out every so often (Unicorn Frappuccino anyone?) and flavors you can only get at Starbucks locations in other countries using flavors native to the country.
What’s the difference between a frappe and a Frappuccino?
A frappe is actually a frothy iced coffee drink that originated in Greece. It is made with instant coffee and does not usually contain milk. However, I’ve found that lots of cafes that have frappes on their menus are actually serving something closer to a Frappuccino than a Greek frappe.
Because the Frappuccino name is exclusive to Starbucks, other coffee chains and shops have made something similar, but cannot call it a Frappuccino. For example, The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf has their own trademarked beverage called Ice Blended, meanwhile McDonald’s has their line of McCafe Frappes. (This is an example where the word frappe is used to describe a drink more like a Frappuccino than a Greek frappe.)
Read More: Frappe vs Frappuccino: What’s the Difference?
And what about a milkshake vs a Frappuccino?
Milkshakes are typically made with milk and ice cream meanwhile, Frappuccinos are ice based (as you’ll see in our recipe!)
Is there coffee in a Frappuccino?
Yes. At Starbucks, their original Frappuccinos contain coffee. However, they have a line of Creme Frappuccinos, which do not contain coffee.
For our recipe, we will be using 2 shots of espresso.
What are the ingredients in a Frappuccino?
A Starbucks Frappuccino is made with three main ingredients, ice, milk and Coffee Frappuccino Syrup. The syrup is made with sugar, water, natural flavor, salt, xanthan gum (which makes the drink thicker), potassium sorbate and citric acid. These three ingredients make up the base of the Frappuccino. Depending on which flavor you order, other ingredients like caramel or chocolate sauce, vanilla syrup or graham cracker toppings will be added.
Our homemade Frappuccino contains 6 ingredients. It’s a version of the popular Java Chip Frappuccino but once you have the recipe down, you can try switching out ingredients for others to change up the flavor.
Making a Frappuccino at home means you’ll know exactly what you’re drinking and you can customize it to your liking. Plus, you won’t have to pay $7 for a Frappuccino!
How to Make a Frappuccino at Home
Since Frappuccinos are ice based, we decided to use coffee ice cubes to give our homemade Frappuccino an extra coffee taste. I also chose to use Torani’s Puremade Dark Chocolate Sauce, which blends really well with coffee.
Read More: How to Make Coffee Ice Cubes
What You Need to Make a Frappuccino
- 2 cups ice cubes (or coffee ice cubes)
- 2 shots espresso (use Starbucks Espresso Dark Roast Whole Bean Coffee)
- ¼ cup milk (or milk alternative, I like using oat milk)
- 2 tablespoon chocolate sauce
- ¼ cup small chocolate chips
- whipped cream
Step 1
Brew two shots of espresso.
If you don’t have an espresso machine, I recommend using a moka pot. This will give you strong shots of coffee.
Step 2
Blend ice cubes, espresso, milk, chocolate sauce and chocolate chips in a blender and pour mixture into a glass.
Step 3
Top with whipped cream and a drizzle of chocolate sauce.
To make your own whipped cream, use ½ cup of heavy cream and add in ¼ teaspoon of vanilla syrup. Use an electric mixer on medium speed for about 5 minutes until stiff peaks form.
Frappuccino Recipe
Homemade Frappuccino
Make a Java Chip Frappuccino at home.
Materials
- 2 cups ice cubes (or coffee ice cubes)
- 2 shots espresso
- ¼ cup milk (or milk alternative)
- 2 tablespoon chocolate sauce
- ¼ cup small chocolate chips
- whipped cream
Instructions
1. Brew two shots of espresso. If you don’t have an espresso machine, I recommend using a moka pot. This will give you strong shots of coffee.
2. Blend ice cubes, espresso, milk, chocolate sauce and chocolate chips in a blender and pour mixture into a glass.
3. Top with whipped cream and a drizzle of chocolate sauce.
Notes
To make your own whipped cream, use ½ cup of heavy cream and add in ¼ teaspoon of vanilla syrup. Use an electric mixer on medium speed for about 5 minutes until stiff peaks form.
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