Making a Homemade Frappé (Recipe)

Get Your Coffreak On

When it comes to iconic DIY coffee drinks, nothing beats an ice-cold homemade frappuccino. This sumptuous beverage will wow your family and friends with its incredible burst of flavor, and leaving them wanting for more. Best of all, the base recipe for a great homemade frappuccino is deceptively simple to make and is not a time-consuming process.

To get you started, we’ve got a wild caramel frappuccino recipe that packs a punch and lets you get your coffreak on!

Coffee with an Icy Twist

The term frappuccino is actually a blend of frappe and cappuccino. A frappe is the New England term for a milkshake, while cappuccino is a mix of espresso coffee with frothed milk. These days, frappuccinos come in all sorts of wonderful flavors, some of which we will delve further into later. Despite all these variations, three key tenants still hold true in all frappuccinos, homemade or store-bought:

1. A traditional frappuccino must contain ice, and lots of it!

2. It should feature any coffee of your choice

3. Usually, frappuccinos are made with whole milk, but you can use any milk of your choice

Ingredients for Homemade Frappuccino (Serves 2)

• 1 cup espresso / strong coffee
• Make sure to use high quality coffee for your homemade frappuccino
• 1 cup of milk
• If you're not a fan of whole milk, try a milk substitute for coffee like soy milk, oat milk, or even almond milk, especially if you are lactose intolerant or vegan
• 2 cups Ice
• Any shape or size will do. It’s going to be blended later, anyway!
• 1/3 cup of caramel sauce (or to taste)
• A caramel frappuccino without caramel should be a criminal offense! Grab your favorite caramel sauce online or from your local supermarket
• 3 tablespoons of sugar
• To counterbalance the strength of the coffee

Ingredients for Homemade Vanilla Whipped Cream

• 1/3 teaspoons of vanilla extract (or to taste)
• You won’t need much of this as it is simply used to flavor the whipped cream.
• 1/2 cup of heavy cream
• Used for the whipped cream topping of your homemade frappuccino
• 2/3 tablespoons of sugar
• For that extra burst of sweetness!

Blending Up a Storm

1. Whisk together your heavy cream, sugar and vanilla exract to make whipped cream. You can use a frother for faster and more consistent results. Keep aside for later. Note, this process should only take a few seconds as over-mixing will form an unpleasant, gloopy result.

2. Add your caramel sauce, coffee, milk, ice, and sugar into a blender. Add ice near the end for a smoother blend.

3. Blend the ingredients on a low setting to begin with and increase the blending speed over time. You can use a tamper to ensure there are no large chunks of ice present.

4. Once your homemade frappuccino blend is looking nice and smooth, it’s time to get it out of the blender and into a cup that fits your growing thirst!

5. Top up your drink with the whipped vanilla cream from step 1. Then add a drizzle of caramel syrup for a real sugar rush.

3 Fantastic Flavor Variations

For each of the three following recipes, use the same blending and whipped cream instructions as above. The only major variations come from the ingredients utilized.

1. Espresso Frappuccino

If you’re searching for a homemade frappuccino that packs a real coffee kick, look no further than the espresso frappuccino. The standout feature of this aromatic drink is a shot of espresso (you can be liberal with your shot if you like) that livens things up.

Ingredients (serves 2): 1-2 shots of Espresso (depending on desired strength), 1 cup of coffee, 1 cup of milk, 2 cups of ice and 3 tablespoons of sugar

2. Mocha Frappuccino

The mocha frappuccino is the perfect middle ground that blends the flavors of coffee and chocolate. This delicious drink doesn’t have too strong of a coffee hit, nor does it lean too heavily into the sweetness of the chocolate. Perfect for those who can’t live without both!

Ingredients (serves 2): 1 cup of coffee, 3/4 cup of milk, 1/3 cup chocolate syrup (or to taste), ¼ cup of heavy cream, 2 cups of ice, 3 tablespoons of sugar

3. Java Chip Frappuccino

This is one for the chocolate lovers! Not only does our homemade java chip frappuccino recipe call for the use of chocolate syrup, but you’ll also be adding chocolate chips into the mix. Though this frappuccino does have coffee in it, the chocolate is definitely the ingredient that shines through the most.

Ingredients: 1 cup of coffee, chocolate chips (to taste), 1/3 cup of chocolate syrup, ¼ cup of heavy cream, 2 cups of ice, ¾ cup of milk, 3 tablespoons of sugar

Frappe it Up

Creating your own homemade frappuccino is a simple process that even aspiring home baristas can master in almost no time at all. The beauty in this drink is how versatile it can be, especially once you have the basic recipe nailed down. From there, you can easily craft your own creative masterpieces and be as adventurous as you like with the ingredients you use.

At the end of the day, homemade frappuccinos are all about making you happy and making use of ingredients that you love. Homemade frappuccinos bear the unique hallmark of your personality, so have fun, be creative, and frappe it up!