How to Make a Frappe

A frappé is quick and simple to make with just a few common ingredients. Combine instant or freshly brewed coffee, sweetener, and some cold water or ice and you'll have a thick, foamy, delicious frappé in no time at all. But, it doesn't have to stop there. There are tons of fun ways to get creative and make a different flavored frappé each time. Make a great tasting frappé in your favorite flavor to enjoy on a hot summer day.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups coffee, chilled
1/2 cup milk
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 1/2 cups ice

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Making a Frappé

1
Prepare your coffee. To make your frappé, you will need about 1 1/2 cups of coffee. As a general guideline, use 4 tbsp. coffee per 6 ounces of water or 1 1/2 cups cold-brewed coffee concentrate.^{[1]
X
Research source} You can use fresh or instant coffee. Here are some things to consider:
- "Filter" coffee refers to coffee beans that have been roasted and ground to be used in coffee making machines. This is fresh coffee and may have a variety of qualities not found in instant coffee, like sweeter or more distinct flavors.
- "Instant" coffee refers to a coffee that has already been made and is dried (usually by freezing) into a dehydrated state. Instant coffee is recommended as a back-up to the fresh stuff.
- Use stronger coffee to give your frappé a stronger coffee flavor.
2
Cold brew your coffee overnight (optional). Cold brewing your coffee is a process that requires about 12 hours.^{[2]
X
Research source} To make cold brewed coffee:
- Add 1 cup of coarsely ground coffee beans to a large bowl and pour in 4 cups of cold water.
- Stir until combined and cover in the refrigerator for 12 hours.
- Take the bowl out of the refrigerator and place a strainer or coffee filter over another bowl. Slowly pour your coffee over the strainer and let the liquid filter through the strainer. Discard the grounds and remove the strainer.
- Cold brewed coffee can be very strong. Dilute at a 1:3 or 1:2 coffee/water ratio. Refrigerate for up to 1 week.
Advertisement
3
Cold brew your coffee over ice (optional). This method is called Japanese-style iced coffee and can be made much quicker than the previous method.^{[3]
X
Research source} To brew Japanese-style cold brewed coffee:
- Use a kitchen scale to measure 8 ounces of ice.
- Measure about 1.8 grams of freshly roasted coffee for every ounce of iced coffee you'd like.
- Grind coffee beans until medium coarse. For about 16 ounces of iced coffee, use about 30 grams of coffee. One level tablespoon is roughly 5 grams.
- Put your ice in a large glass and place a secure a coffee filter over the top.
- Brew your coffee hot and pour it over the filter into the cup of ice.
- Not all of the ice might melt, but by the end you should have a cold cup of coffee.
4
Add your sweetener to your coffee. Adding your sugar to your coffee while it's still hot will help it dissolve faster.^{[4]
X
Research source} Pour in two tbsp. of sugar, honey, stevia, or whatever sweetener you prefer.
- If you have brewed your coffee in a coffee maker, you can pour your sweetener right into the coffee pot and stir it in.
5
Chill your coffee. If starting with hot freshly brewed coffee, the fastest method will still take you about 20 minutes. To chill your coffee, try:
- In an ice tray. Pour your coffee into an ice tray and put it into the freezer until frozen. This method takes a few hours, but will create a stronger tasting drink because you won't need to add any additional ice.
- In a skillet. Once you have brewed your coffee, pour it into a wide, shallow skillet and let it sit. This method spreads your hot liquid over a large surface area, allowing it to cool more quickly than it would in a coffee pot.This method can cool your coffee significantly after about 20 mins.
- You can also place your skillet in the freezer for about 20 minutes to chill it completely.
- You can also chill your skillet ahead of time to quicken the process.
6
Make your frappé. Add your chilled coffee to a blender and pour in 1/2 cup of milk. You can use regular milk, soy, almond milk, or any other milk you prefer.
7
Add the ice (optional). If you have chilled your coffee in an ice tray, you won't need to add any ice. Start by adding about 1 1/2 cups of ice.^{[5]
X
Research source}
- Remember, the more ice you add, the more your coffee will become diluted, resulting in a less flavorful frappé.
8
Blend until smooth. Put the lid on and blend your mixture until smooth, adding more ice if you desire a thicker consistency.
9
Assemble your frappé. Pour your frappé mixture into a tall glass. You can chill your glass in the freezer for a few minutes beforehand if you prefer. Top it off with a dash of whipped cream and enjoy with a straw!

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Getting Creative

1
Make it pumpkin flavored.^{[6]
X
Research source} If you are looking for a delicious frappé with all the tastes of fall, add just a few additional ingredients and make a pumpkin pie frappé. Here's what you'll need:
- ½ tsp. vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp. pumpkin spice, ground
- ½ cup unsweetened coconut milk from a carton, not canned
- 2 tbsp. whipped cream
- 1 dash cinnamon, ground
- Include the vanilla extract, pumpkin spice, and coconut milk in your initial mixture and top your frappé off with a dash of whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon.
2
Make a blended hazelnut frappé. If you love the sweet toasted flavor of hazelnut, you're going to go crazy for these few extra ingredient additions. Just add 1/4 cup of hazelnut syrup and 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract to your initial mixture.
- Top it off with a dash of whipped cream and cinnamon if you'd like!
3
Go crazy with chocolate. Try a double chocolate chip frappé by adding chocolate chips, chocolate syrup, and vanilla extract.
- Add 1/3 cup chocolate chips to your original mixture. You can try milk chocolate, semi-sweet, or dark chocolate chips for fun variations.
- Pour in 3 tbs. chocolate syrup and 1/8 tbs. vanilla extract and blend until smooth.
- Drizzle some chocolate syrup along the inside of your glass and pour your frappé into it. Top with whipped cream drizzled in more chocolate syrup.
4
Make it vanilla.^{[7]
X
Research source} Start with vanilla bean flavored coffee beans or grounds. Add 1 or 2 scoops of vanilla bean ice cream to your mixture and blend until smooth.
- Add a dash of whipped cream drizzled with caramel syrup for a delicious foamy topping.
- Add a couple drops of vanilla extract for a stronger vanilla flavor.
- Top it off with a dash of whipped cream.
5
Make a traditional Greek Frappe. Simply add three tablespoons of instant coffee, 1-4 tbs. sugar (to taste), a small amount of water, and milk (if desired) to a shaker and shake it up. Pour it into a tall glass with ice and enjoy with a straw.
6
Get creative. Add a scoop of your favorite ice cream to the blender for a thicker milkshake frappé. Try a scoop of mint chocolate chip ice cream for a refreshing mint chocolate frappé. Break up your favorite candy bar and add small pieces to the blender for an added crunch or add about 1/4 cup of shredded coconut. The possibilities are almost endless. Mix and match your favorite sweet flavors to create the perfect frappé.

Community Q&A

Question

Can I use hot chocolate instead of coffee?

Community Answer

You could, but you may want to modify the sugar quantity because of the added sweetness.
Question

I saw a recipe where frozen cubes of coffee were used to make a frappe. Does it have a different taste or texture?

Community Answer

The frozen cubes of coffee prevent you from diluting the drink with water when you blend it. The frozen coffee will maintain the concentration of coffee in the final drink and avoid watering it down.
Question

Do I have to use a blender?

Mikisunshine

Community Answer

No, you don’t. You can add the ingredients to a jar, close the lid tightly and shake vigorously.