How to Make a Frappuccino

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: June 29, 2021 References Tested

A good homemade frappuccino can rival the taste of the fanciest coffee house blend, and best of all, making your own frappuccino at home costs significantly less. There are a couple of ways to make a frappuccino, and each one allows you to personalize the flavor. Once you know the basics of making a frappuccino, the possibilities for customization are endless!

Ingredients

Simple Frappuccino^{[1]
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1 to 2 shots (44 to 88 milliliters) espresso, chilled
⅓ cup (80 milliliters) milk
1 tablespoon (15 grams) granulated sugar
1 cup (140 grams) ice cubes, large
2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) chocolate syrup (or other syrup of choice)

Makes 1 grande/16-ounce Frappuccino

Custom Frappuccino^{[2]
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1 to 2 shots (44 to 88 milliliters) espresso, chilled
¾ cup (180 grams) milk
2 tablespoons (30 milliliters/grams) thickener (ie: smoothie mix, vanilla pudding, etc)
1 to 2 cups (140 to 280 grams) ice
2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) chocolate syrup (or other syrup of choice)

Makes 1 grande/16-ounce Frappuccino

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Simple Frappuccino

1
Prepare your espresso. You will need 2 shots (44 to 88 milliliters) of espresso. If you can't get any, try 2 to 4 tablespoons (30 to 60 milliliters) strongly-brewed coffee instead.^{[3]
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2
Chill the espresso, then pour it into a blender. Let it come down to room temperature first, then pop it into the fridge or freezer. Leave it there until it gets cold, then take it out and pour it into a blender.

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3
Add your choice of milk. Whole milk is the standard, but you can also use 2% or nonfat milk. If dairy isn't your thing, you can use soy milk instead.
4
Add some sweetness with sugar and chocolate syrup. You will need 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar and 2 tablespoons of chocolate syrup. You can also leave it out for a coffee frappuccino. If you do this, however, consider adding in a little more sugar.
- For a caramel frappuccino, use 1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) of caramel sauce and 3 tablespoons (45 milliliters) of caramel syrup.^{[4]
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5
Add the ice. Plan on using 1 cup (140 grams) of ice. If you want a thicker beverage, try 2 cups (280 grams). You can also add a pinch of xanthan gum instead.^{[5]
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6
Blend the frappuccino until it's smooth. This will only take about 30 seconds or so. From time to time, you may have to pause the blender push any unmixed frappuccino down with a rubber spatula.
7
Serve and garnish the frappuccino. Pour the frappuccino into a tall glass. Add some whipped cream on top, if desired, then pour a little bit of your flavoring sauce on top. If you used chocolate sauce to make a mocha frappe, consider adding some chocolate curls or shavings as well.
- You can skip the whipped cream and/or sauce if you want a simpler drink.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Making a Custom Frappuccino

1
Prepare some espresso or strongly-brewed coffee. You will need 1 to 2 shots (44 to 88 milliliters) of espresso or 2 to 4 tablespoons (30 to 60 milliliters) of double-strength/strongly-brewed coffee. You can also mix 1 to 2 tablespoons (15 to 30 grams) of instant coffee with enough water to dissolve it.
- The coffee needs to be really strong because you are only using a small amount. If it's not strong enough, then your frappuccino won't have that traditional coffee flavor.
- Skip this step if you are making a crème frappuccino.
2
Chill the espresso or coffee, then pour it into a blender. Let the espresso or coffee reach room temperature fist, then chill it in the fridge or freezer. Once it is nice and cold, take it out and pour it into a blender.
3
Add ½ to 1 cup (120 to 240 milliliters) of your choice of milk. ¾ cup (180 milliliters) would be ideal, however. Whole milk is the standard, but you can also try 2% or nonfat. If you can't have dairy, you can use soy milk or another type of non-dairy milk. Other options also include:
- 1 scoop of ice cream (preferably vanilla or coffee)
- ¾ cup (180 milliliters) of sweetened condensed milk
- ¾ cup (180 milliliters) of milk mixed with heavy whipping cream
4
Add 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters/grams) of your choice of thickener. Vanilla smoothie or vanilla soft-serve ice cream mix will get you pretty close to the actual flavor. You can also try ½ pack of vanilla instant pudding mix or 2 tablespoons of maple syrup.
- A pinch of xantham gum can also be used a thickener.^{[6]
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- Skip this step if you are using ice cream, sweetened condensed milk, or creamer as your dairy.
5
Add the ice. For a smoother frappuccino, use just 1 cup (140 grams). For a thicker one, try 2 cups (280 grams) instead. Make things easier on your blender by using crushed ice, if you can.
6
Add in some flavored syrup. Start with 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) of your favorite syrup; if you decide that the drink is not sweet enough after you blend it, you can always stir in more later. Chocolate is a popular choice. Other popular choices include: caramel, hazelnut, and vanilla.^{[7]
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- You can use vanilla extract instead of vanilla syrup. Start with 1 to 2 teaspoons.
7
Blend everything together in a blender. If you need to, pause the blender and scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula. Keep blending until the mixture is smooth. This should only take about 30 seconds or so.
8
Serve the frappuccino in a tall glass. Many people like garnishes on top of their frappuccinos, but you can leave yours plain if you want to. You can drizzle some chocolate or caramel sauce on top for something simple. If you want a fancier drink, add a swirl of whipped cream on top, then add some chocolate or caramel sauce. You can also add tiny curls or shavings of chocolate instead.
- Match the sauce to the flavor of your frappuccino. If you made a mocha frappuccino, use chocolate syrup on top.
- If you made a different flavor, such as vanilla or hazelnut, you can skip the sauce altogether, or you can use a complimentary flavor, such as chocolate.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Trying Other Types of Frappuccinos

1
Go classic with a mocha frappuccino. Combine all of the ingredients listed below in a blender, then pour them into a tall glass. Top it off with some whipped cream and chocolate drizzled on top. If you want to make a chocolate-caramel frappuccino instead, replace the sugar with caramel sauce instead.^{[8]
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- ¼ cup (60 milliliters) strongly-brewed coffee
- 1 cup (240 milliliters) milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
- 3 tablespoons (22.5 grams) powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons (45 milliliters) chocolate sauce
- 10 ice cubes
2
Make a green tea frappuccino with matcha powder. Even though it has the words "green tea" in it, green tea frappuccinos are not made with regular green tea, but rather matcha green tea powder. Combine all of the ingredients listed below in a blender, then pour them into a tall glass. Top it off with whipped cream, if desired, then serve it immediately.^{[9]
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- 1½ tablespoon (9 grams) Japanese matcha-green tea powder
- 1 cup (240 milliliters) milk
- 3 tablespoons (22.5 grams) powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 10 ice cubes
3
Use defrosted frozen strawberries to make a strawberry crème frappe. Buy or freeze 8 to 10 strawberries first (stems cut off), then defrost them. You want them to be soft, but very cold. Place the strawberries into a blender, then add the rest of the ingredients listed below. Blend everything together until the color is even, then pour it into a tall glass. Top it off with whipped cream, if desired, and serve it.^{[10]
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- ¼ cup (60 milliliters) strongly-brewed coffee
- 8 to 10 frozen strawberries, defrosted
- 1 cup (240 milliliters) milk
- 3 tablespoons (22.5 grams) powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 10 ice cubes
4
Use vanilla bean ice cream to make a vanilla bean frappuccino. If you can't get vanilla bean ice cream, then try French vanilla ice cream. If you can't get that either, you can use regular vanilla ice cream instead. Blend the ice cream with the other ingredients listed below in a blender. Serve it in a tall glass with a dollop of whipped cream, if desired.^{[11]
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- ¼ cup (60 milliliters) strongly-brewed coffee
- 3 scoops vanilla bean ice cream
- 1 cup (140 grams) ice
- 1½ cup (350 milliliters) milk
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
5
Make a simple frappuccino using a bottled frappuccino. But a bottle of unblended frappuccino; you can find it at Starbucks and well-stocked grocery stores. Pour it into a blender with about 10 ice cubes. Blend it together until it is smooth, the pour it into a tall glass. Top it off with whipped cream, if desired.
- 1 bottle frappuccino
- 10 ice cubes

Community Q&A

Question

Do I have to use pudding?

Community Answer

No. Just take ice cream, coffee, some caramel or chocolate sauce, then put creamed coffee in and mix it up.
Question

Can I use decaffeinated coffee?

Community Answer

Yes you can, if you want a decaffeinated Frappucino. Although the coffee taste might not be exactly the same as the caffeinated coffee, the difference will be small enough that you are unlikely to detect it in a Frappuccino.
Question

How can I reduce the calories, other than using nonfat milk?

Community Answer

Try using a calorie-free sweetener, such as Stevia. You can also reduce the amount of sweetener as well. The frappuccino may taste more bitter than you are used to, but it's something that you can get accustomed to.