Before buying a nice espresso machine, my husband and I would go to Starbucks daily sometimes even twice. With the current state of the economy we cannot in good conscience or afford to continue spending $12/daily. Instead we opted to invest in a nice home espresso machine knowing the machine would pay itself off in a few months. And for the record it has. Now we just make our favorite espresso drinks at home. Most mornings I usually drink a hot latte but by afternoon you can find me drinking an iced coffee beverage including my own home version of a Starbucks Frappuccino. Besides saving Instead of giving Starbucks almost $5 for a frappuccino, I feel better knowing I have broken free from the power of the green topless mermaid. Let me tell you right now how much I love making these at home because of the flexibility of controlling the amount of sugar, type of milk(s), and flavoring (therefore calories) to cater to whatever it is I’m craving. It is my own personal opinion that these homemade iced coffee blended drinks are just as good as the local mermaid-cafe if not better. As an added bonus, it only take less than 2 minutes from start to finish. So if you find yourself trying to save some money (and who isn’t?) but love frappuccinos may I present to you my version of this beloved favorite.
**Disclaimer: This is not Starbuck’s actual proprietary recipe. This is my own version copycat clone frappuccino recipe of it. This recipe is for a blended icy coffee frappe / beverage similar to but not the same as Starbucks.
- 1½ cups crushed iced
- 2-1 ounce shots of espresso OR use ¾ cup of double strength (strong) coffee mixed with ½ cup of milk and increased crushed iced amount by ¼ cup.
- ¾ cup your choice of milk
- 3 tablespoons sugar (more or less depending on preference)
- optional whipped cream in a can or freshly made and chocolate syrup
- Blend all the ingredients except the whipped cream in a blender for 30-45 seconds. Pour into a tall glass and top off with whipped cream and garnish with chocolate syrup. Best served with a straw. Enjoy!
Chase says
Amazing! Easy and tasted great!
Charles says
Hi I just tries this and I loved it. However it foams up a lot and the foam taste okay however I let it set about 15 min and all the foam was gone and tasted much better. How can I reduce the foam or make it turn to liquid faster? Thanks 🙂
Matthew Borowski says
You can make the Green Tea Frappuccinos at home too. Buy Matcha powder (available at Wegmans for $8.99 for an 0.7 ounce tin, or check local Asian groceries or order online for cheaper). Use 4 ounces of milk. Dissolve 2 tablespoons of sugar in the milk then add half a teaspoon of matcha powder and dissolve. Lastly, add about 1 cup of ice and blend just until the ice is completely crushed. Enjoy. You can add a very small amount of vanilla extract, or substitute vanilla syrup for the sugar if you want a more vanilla tasting drink, but if you leave the vanilla out it will taste exactly like the Starbucks product.
Cindy says
Thank you so much for this recipe! I loved it. 🙂
Brenda says
This recipe is amazing. Unfortunately, I just made it for the first time and it makes an enormous amount! I suggest halfing the recipe if you only want one. I didn’t want to waste the deliciousness, but now I’m bouncing off the walls LOL! Thanks for the awesome recipe!
Cassidy says
This was amazing! thanks for the recipe i will be using it a lot now instead of having to go to starbucks!
Megan says
Ohmygoshness! That was one of the best frappes I’ve ever had! I added some chocolate milk mix to give it a chocolatey taste, and it was fantastic!
Michelle says
@Don, OMGosh…. I add a banana to mine also. I thought I was “The only one”. LOL But I like French Vanilla the most. Sometimes I have Mocha. 🙂
Emily says
Fabulous copy cat recipe! Thank you!
kris says
she’s not a mermaid, she’s a siren…
Adam says
You can use a pinch of Xanathan Gum to keep everything together. It can be bought at Whole Foods and Amazon.com.
Jake says
Spencer,
I bought a Mr. Coffee espresso maker for about $35 at target. It’s not a perfect espresso (it lacks a thick “crema” that espresso is known for), but the flavor is great, it comes with a steaming wand to make cappucinos, and the price is unbeatable.
If money isn’t an option, get a nespresso machine. They are excellent but go for about $300.
Taylor says
This recipe tastes really good! Except, mine is veryyy liquidy. I tried adding more ice, but it didnt make any difference. Is it not thick because I am using skim milk or what?
chad says
I followed the recipe pretty closely except that I added about a cup of coffee from a French press. It did not turn out like a store made mocha frappe. It seemed that the recipe calls for too much milk and to be blended too long. It was very liquid and had a head of foam. Sorry.
eloise says
Wow, tastes exactly the same as starbuck’s. but i used vanilla ice cream instead of milk and sugar. it gives a thicker consistancy. thanks for this amazing recipe 🙂
Cassandra says
To make them thicker and keep the ice from separating and floating to the top, add a pinch or two of xanthan gum. This is what Starbucks uses. You can buy it bulk at a lot of shopping center stores (winco, etc.). It’s a little pricey, but buy just a small amount. I use two pinches to make three servings/tall glasses. Totally worth it!
Sektor says
Wow… I cannot say Thank you enuff… My family loved it. I was an unsrant hero. My sister wanted more and my wife says I’m a genious…. I owe it to you. Thank you si much for making lots of people happy.
asdfghjkl says
hello
it was awesome i loved your recipe i will make it again and share the recipe…………………………………………….
Sarah says
try adding pectin, or even better, try adding xanthan gum! its a bit pricey up front, bit a little bit goes a long way!
Lea says
Hello ‘ how do you make the frappachinos thick ?
Sarah says
try adding dry pectin! (find it at the grocery store in the canning section). Add just one tablespoon at first, and if that doesn’t work, add a little more…
Angie Smith says
Dear Alice,
I tried making frappuccinos using your recipe, and the taste was fantastic! However, the consistency was more like milk than a milkshake. Do you have any ideas on how to harden the consistency? Thanks.
Sarah says
Green-tea frappuccinos will be really difficult to make, especially since Starbucks uses a special blend of pre-sweetened matcha to make theirs. You can find matcha at any specialty tea store, but it is typically VERY expensive. You may be better off simply buying your drink from Starbucks, but you might try smaller, locally-owned coffee and tea shops to find a better price.
Sarah says
Green-tea frappuccinos will be really difficult to make, especially since Starbucks uses a special blend of pre-sweetened matcha to make theirs. You can find matcha at any specialty tea store, but it is typically VERY expensive. You may be better off simply buying your drink from Starbucks, but you might try smaller, locally-owned coffee and tea shops to find a better price.
alice says
Suellen: Yes! I am all for saving money!