This simple Homemade Mocha Frappuccino is easy to make, budget-friendly and so thick and delicious! Skip Starbucks and McDonald’s and make this copycat frozen coffee drink instead. You won’t regret it!
Coffee frappuccinos are one of my weaknesses. In fact, I love them so much that I drink them year-round, even in cold weather.
But what I don’t love, is spending $4 every time I want to satisfy my frappe craving! So, naturally, I experimented and figured out how to make my own.
And I have to say, this homemade version is every bit as good as Starbucks or McDonald’s! In fact, I personally think that it’s even tastier.
What I love about this recipe
- It’s thick and creamy. So many recipes just call for regular ice cubes, which ends up just watering down the drink. I solved that by using frozen coffee ice cubes. It gets you that classic slushy texture without weakening the drink. Perfection!
- It can be made any time. No more waiting till you’re near a coffee shop to enjoy your favorite drink!
- It’s cheap. This homemade version doesn’t even cost me $1, which makes my frugal heart very happy.
- It’s made with simple ingredients. All you need is just a few pantry staples- no special coffee syrups required!
- It’s customizable. Whether it’s the kind of milk you like, how sweet you want it or the amount of coffee flavor you prefer, it’s super easy to modify this recipe to fit your preferences!
Watch Video: Learn How to Make this Recipe
Homemade Mocha Frappuccino Ingredients
- Brewed Coffee. You want a strong brew and obviously, the better quality the coffee, the better the frappe will be!
- Milk. Whole milk will give you the creamiest frappuccino, but other milks will work too!
- Sugar. I use white sugar, but you can use brown sugar, stevia or other sweeteners instead. You’ll just obviously need to adjust the amount to suit your taste.
- Cocoa Powder. This gives the frappuccino the rich, chocolate flavor that makes it so delicious! You can use regular cocoa powder, or if you like dark chocolate, go ahead and use dark cocoa powder instead.
- Vanilla Extract. You’ll only add a little bit, but it makes it extra delicious!
- Salt. You can skip this but I highly recommend adding it as it really helps give this a fuller flavor.
- Instant Coffee. This is an optional ingredient, but if you enjoy strong coffee flavor, then definitely add it!
- Whipped Cream. This is used to top off your coffee drink, so the whipped cream in a can works the best. Obviously, you can totally skip this if you want, but it sure is fun to add it and it makes it feel more like a true Starbucks or McDonald’s frappuccino!
How to Make a Mocha Frappuccino
STEP ONE: Place all the ingredients but the whipped cream into the blender.
STEP TWO: Pour into glasses and top with whipped cream, if desired. Enjoy!
So quick and easy and so delicious!
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make this dairy-free?
Yes, you can use almond or soy milk in this frappuccino. The final drink won’t be quite as creamy, but it will still be good.
Can I make this caffeine-free?
Most definitely! Just swap out the brewed and instant coffee for decaffeinated.
What if I don’t have cocoa powder? Could I just use chocolate syrup instead?
I tested this recipe using chocolate syrup and my family and I just felt like it gave the drink a too sweet, fake chocolate taste.
In my opinion, the cocoa powder is what really makes this frappe taste so amazing. It just gives it a delightfully rich, chocolate flavor that I love!
However, if you don’t have cocoa powder, you can try subbing 1 to 2 tbsp. of chocolate syrup instead. I don’t think it’s as tasty, but it is still nice.
Can this be made ahead of time?
Because this is a frozen drink, this is best made when you are ready to enjoy it. Otherwise, it will melt and be too runny.
More drink recipes that you’ll love
Easy Homemade Mocha Frappe
Ingredients
- 2 cups strong brewed coffee, frozen into ice cubes (see Notes below)
- 1 cup milk
- 3 tbsp. sugar or to taste
- 1 1/2 tbsp. cocoa powder
- 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
- 1 tsp. instant coffee granules or to taste (optional, but will give a stronger coffee flavor)
- whipped cream (optional)
Instructions
- Place all ingredients except the whipped cream in a high powered blender. Blend until the ice cubes are crushed. If you have trouble getting the frappe thoroughly blended, let it sit for a couple of minutes and try again. (I’ve discovered that if you let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes before blending it works much better!)
- Pour into glasses and top with whipped cream, if desired.
Notes
- For me, 2 cups of coffee is about 14 ice cubes or one ice cube tray full
- Don't have a high-powered blender? You can also defrost the coffee ice cubes in the microwave to soften them a bit if you are having trouble blending them. Just use caution as it's easy to melt them too much and then you end up with a runny frappe. Forty-five seconds on the defrost setting works for me, but obviously, every microwave is different.
Karen
Going to make one
Lydia Beiler
I hope you enjoy it, Karen!