The frappuccino is a beverage sold by the coffee house giant Starbucks. The basic coffee contains espresso, milk, and crushed ice, but there are over 36,000 different ways to customize the brew (according to Starbucks).
It’s impossible to make the exact same beverage from the comfort of your home, but with a few ingredients and some coffee brewing equipment, you can make a similar iced coffee…
In this article, we teach you how to make a coffee frappuccino with our five-step guide. We also have four ways you can spruce up this summertime beverage to bring coffee house customization straight to your kitchen.
What You’ll Need to Make a Frappuccino
A frappuccino is relatively simple in terms of ingredients. However, you’ll need the right coffee and some essential equipment if you’re to make a Starbucks-like beverage at home.
Here’s what you need to make a coffee frappuccino:
Ingredients
- High-quality coffee (2 shots of espresso)
- Ice (2 cups)
- Whole milk (1 cup)
- Whipped cream (½ cup)
- Sugar (optional)
Equipment
- Coffee grinder
- Espresso machine (or moka pot)
- Blender
- Large glass
- Straw (optional)
Best Coffee for Frappuccino
The best coffee for a frappuccino comes down to your personal preference. The original iced coffee uses a dark roast arabica blend, but you can adjust the flavor to suit your palate.
We recommend Cafely DaLat Coffee (100% Arabica) for a smooth, sweet frappuccino. Or, if you prefer a darker, stronger coffee, the DaNang Coffee (Arabica x Robusta) is a good option.
How to Make Coffee Frappuccino: Step-by-Step Guide
Follow this simple five-step guide to make a frappuccino-like iced coffee at home:
1. Grind the Coffee
First, grind your coffee beans finely. Grind enough to fill the portafilter on your espresso machine for a double shot (usually around 18 grams). If you use a moka pot instead, grind enough to fill the filter basket.
Don’t have either of the brewers above?
Try our Instant Vietnamese Espresso instead.
2. Brew a Double Shot of Espresso
Warm up your espresso machine and add cool, filtered water to the reservoir. Fill up the portafilter with around 18 grams of coffee — enough for a double shot. Tamp it with your tamper, applying even, firm pressure to achieve even extraction.
Lock the portafilter onto the group head and extract the double shot — 25 to 30 seconds. Aim for a rich coffee with a creamy crema.
If you don’t have an espresso machine, you can use a moka pot to brew a similar coffee. Learn how to use a moka pot here.
3. Blend the Ingredients
In a blender, add the double shot of espresso, two cups of ice, and one cup of whole milk (or a dairy-free alternative). Blend the ingredients thoroughly, ensuring that the ice is completely crushed. You can also add sugar or syrup if you wish to sweeten the beverage.
Aim for a foamy, light, creamy mixture but don’t over-blend — this will melt the ice, ruining the texture of the beverage.
4. Pour the Coffee
Pour the frappuccino into a large serving glass immediately after blending to retain its light, frothy texture.
5. Top with Whipped Cream
Top the coffee with a spiral of whipped cream and top with a few coffee beans for aesthetics. Serve with (or without) a straw and enjoy while cold.
Spruce up Your Frappuccino: Three Alternative Recipes
Starbucks famously offers endless ways to customize its coffees. The frappuccino can be made with a variety of tasty syrups and sweeteners that enhance the flavor of this chilled beverage.
Here are three ways to spruce up your home-made frappuccino:
1. Caramel Frappuccino
Salted caramel, coffee, and milk go beautifully together.
Making a caramel frappuccino is easy. Simply follow the recipe above, but add two tablespoons of salted caramel syrup to the blender before blitzing.
You can also squirt caramel inside the glass before serving to improve aesthetics and flavor. Drizzle a bit over the cream before serving, too.
2. Vanilla Frappuccino
Vanilla pairs wonderfully with a frappuccino.
You can make a vanilla frappuccino by adding vanilla syrup to the mix before blending. One to two tablespoons is usually enough. Use high-quality vanilla syrup, or follow this simple recipe to make it yourself…
Ingredients:
- 1 Madagascan vanilla pod
- 2 cups of white sugar
- 1 cup of water
How to make vanilla syrup for coffee:
3. Mocha Frappuccino
If you love chocolate and iced coffee, you’ll enjoy a mocha frappuccino.
Making a mocha frappuccino is simple. Follow the recipe above but add in chocolate syrup before blending. You can also squirt chocolate sauce inside the glass and on top of the whipped cream before serving.
If you don’t want to use store-bought chocolate sauce, you can make some by melting milk or dark chocolate in a pan and mixing it with cream. This mixture can be added to the blender while making the frappuccino or stirred in at the end according to taste.
FAQs: Coffee Frappuccino
Want to learn more about frappuccinos and other types of coffee?
Read through the answers to the FAQs below…
1. What Is the Difference Between a Coffee Frappuccino and an Iced Coffee?
A frappuccino is a line of iced coffee invented and sold by Starbucks. The only difference between a frappuccino and a “regular” iced coffee is that a frappuccino comes from Starbucks. According to the coffee shop giant, there are more than 36,000 ways to customize a frappuccino.
2. How Do You Make a Vegan Coffee Frappuccino?
You can make a vegan frappuccino by swapping out regular milk with a dairy-free alternative.
Here are some of the best vegan-friendly milk alternatives for a frappuccino:
- Coconut milk
- Oat milk
- Almond milk
- Soy milk
- Hazelnut milk
3. What Is the Best Type of Coffee to Use for a Frappuccino?
Starbucks typically uses an arabica-rich blend for its frappuccinos. The “frappuccino blend” is a dark roast used to make espresso.
4. Can You Make a Coffee Frappuccino With Cold Brew Coffee?
Yes. You can make a frappuccino-like coffee with a cold brew. Simply take 100 mL of strong, cold brew coffee and combine it with ice and whole milk.
5. Can You Make a Coffee Frappuccino With Instant Coffee?
Yes. You can make a surprisingly good frappuccino with a strong, high-quality instant coffee. Simply swap out the espresso shot with a shot made from our Vietnamese Instant Coffee.
6. Can You Add Alcohol to a Coffee Frappuccino?
Yes. You can add a shot or two of Baileys Irish Cream to a frappuccino to give it a warm, alcoholic kick. You can also add light spirits and coffee liqueurs such as Kahlúa if you want to experiment with iced coffee cocktails.
7. What’s the Difference Between a Frappuccino and a Cappuccino?
A frappuccino is an iced coffee beverage from Starbucks. A cappuccino is an Italian coffee made from espresso and steamed milk that’s served warm.
8. How Do You Make a Coffee Frappuccino Without Ice?
You can make a coffee frappuccino with a strong espresso shot that has been chilled in the refrigerator and combined with cold milk.
9. What Are the Differences Between a Frappuccino and a Frappe?
Frappuccinos and frappes are both milky iced beverages. However, Starbucks’ frappuccino is slightly thicker as it uses crushed ice.
10. Can You Add Protein Powder to a Coffee Frappuccino?
Yes. Milk protein powder pairs surprisingly well with frappuccino and other iced coffees. It’s a great way to get some extra protein and a caffeine hit pre and post-workout.
