Classic Coffee Frappuccino (Starbucks Copycat Recipe)

Hi Everyone! Today we’re making a faithful copycat version of the Starbucks coffee Frappuccino, the drink that started all the craze for the frozen category of caffeinated drinks. 

Blending coffee with ice is nothing new, but the apparently straightforward recipe soon became one of the most popular coffee-shop summer drinks in history. The name Frappuccino is actually a trademark owned by Starbucks, but the green, giant, coffee chain didn’t invent it, they bought it.

The original Frappuccino was invented by the entrepreneur George Howell as a specialty for The Coffee Connection coffee shops in Boston. Starbucks bought the chain in 1994 and, with it, the name and recipe for the first Frappuccinos. 

Coffee and mocha. Those were the authentic flavors released in 1995, and although now there are dozens of variations, the originals are still some of the chain’s best sellers. Frappuccinos are a 2 billion dollar business!

According to Starbucks, an original Coffee Frappuccino comprises ice, milk, coffee and Coffee Frappuccino Syrup. So, what’s the syrup all about? It’s basically just sugar, natural flavors and preservatives. For our copycat version, we’ll use almost the same ingredients in the precise proportions for a coffee Frappuccino as good or better than the original. 

We’ll start with a cup of whole milk, which you can substitute with any milk, including nut and soy milks. As for the coffee, I recommend using a heavy roast Arabica espresso. A good old shot of strong espresso will lift the Frappuccino and resist the natural dilution that comes from blending the drink with ice. 

As a sweetener, I like brown sugar, but any sweetener will do, and you can adjust the sweetness to your taste. You can even go low-carb with one of those fancy sugar substitutes that are everywhere today. 

The actual Coffee Frappuccino is served plain without whipped cream, but you can add some if you want to. You can also add an extra shot of espresso for a strong, yet refreshing drink, or drizzle some chocolate syrup for a mocha version. The coffee frappuccino is a blank canvas for creativity, and the sky’s the limit!

Let’s make ourselves a classic coffee Frappuccino and celebrate the birth of coffee lover’s favorite summer drink.