This post may contain affiliate links.
Please read my disclosure policy.
This homemade Caramel Frappe is the perfect iced treat to satisfy your cravings for a refreshing and sweet beverage with a caffeine kick. Your days of needing to run out to Starbucks for your Caramel Frappuccino fix will be over when you realize how easily you can make this copycat recipe at home. Top your coffee drink with whipped cream and drizzle with additional caramel sauce!
Like Salted
Caramel Mocha, Cloud Macchiato,
this Copycat Starbucks Caramel Frappuccino is the perfect cold and creamy way
to enjoy your coffee. You’ll need a blender to make it, as well as caramel
syrup, coffee, milk and optional whipped cream. Before long, you’ll be your
very own barista, saving money while still enjoying a delicious coffee
beverage.
One of the great things about making this drink at home is that you can
easily tailor it to your personal taste. Keep reading to find out ways to
substitute dairy, try it without coffee or experiment with different
consistencies and calorie content.
What is a Caramel Frappuccino?
A Caramel Frappuccino is an iced blended coffee beverage. It combines ice, milk, coffee and caramel syrup for a cold and creamy twist on your classic coffee. The caramel brings in a wonderful sweetness, making it a great summer drink.
Ingredients and Substitutes
- Coffee: Strong brewed coffee works the best for this recipe as the coffee flavor won’t be hidden behind a wall of milk and caramel sauce. You can definitely make this recipe without coffee, for a fun caramel beverage great for kids or anyone watching their caffeine intake. Just replace the coffee in this recipe with more milk.
- Caramel Sauce: You can use store-bought or homemade caramel sauce. Caramel ice cream topping works too. You can also sub chocolate for a mocha drink.
- Milk: Use any milk for this recipe. Non-dairy milk works too. Coconut and oat milk both have “barista” blends, which can be added to this Frappuccino.
- Whipped Cream: Optional for the topping.
- Ice: The amount of ice can change the whole experience. Adding more ice will make your frappuccino thicker (but not creamier).
How to Make Caramel Frappuccino
1. Add ice and chilled coffee into a blender.
2. Then add in milk.
3. Pour in caramel sauce.
4. Blend on low speed for about 30 seconds, and then on a max speed for about 20 seconds or until the mixture is evenly smooth.
5. Pour the mixture into individual glasses and top with whipped cream.
6. Drizzle with caramel sauce. Serve and enjoy immediately.
Tips and Tricks for the Best Caramel Frappe
- Plan ahead: If you want to enjoy this drink right when you wake up, try preparing some elements ahead! Brew your coffee at night and leave it in the fridge to cool off. You can also drizzle your caramel syrup in the glass and freeze that overnight too, if you want it extra frosty in the morning.
- Experiment with consistency: You can add more ice to this recipe to make your drink thicker. If you want something really creamy, try substituting the milk with ice cream. Or, if you can find this tricky ingredient, a pinch of Xanthan gum will keep the frappe smooth and prevent separation.
- Adjust the sweetness: Add more caramel sauce for a sweeter drink.
How Much Caffeine Does a Caramel Frappuccino Have?
You can tailor the amount of caffeine you want in your drink. This recipe calls for 1 cup of coffee, any roast of your choice. You can definitely make it with decaf if you so wish. You can also try adding in a shot of espresso. Pour it into a measuring cup and fill the remainder up to 1 cup with either milk or water.
Is Starbucks Caramel Frappe Good For You?
Starbucks Frappuccinos are notoriously pretty high in sugar. There are ways you can try to cut down the calories, by swapping in a lower fat milk or using less caramel sauce. You can skip out on the whipped cream.
How Do You Order a Caramel Frappuccino From Starbucks?
It’s very simple to order a Caramel Frappuccino from Starbucks, you’ll just have to decide if you would like a Tall, Grande or Venti. The classic recipe uses whole milk and is topped with whipped cream and caramel drizzle. A grande has 3 pumps of caramel syrup and 3 pumps of Frappuccino Roast, which is a special powdered coffee they use for cold drinks. You can customize any of these things, as well as the amount of ice in your drink, when you order.
How Many Calories Does it Have?
According to Starbucks, a grande (16-oz) Caramel Frappuccino has 370 calories, a tall cup has 260 calories, and venti has 470 calories.
How to Make Caramel Frappuccino Without Coffee
You can very easily make this recipe without coffee. Just substitute 1 cup of coffee with 1 more cup of milk. This makes a great drink for kids who want to try a frappe themselves!
McDonald’s Caramel Frappe
Is there a difference between a frappe and a frappuccino? In short, no. A frappe is just a blended beverage and a frappuccino is Starbucks’ trademarked take on the drink.
There are subtle differences between the drinks at Starbucks and McDonald’s though. The Starbucks version is primarily a coffee drink with a twist, while McDonald’s offers a drink more similar to a milkshake with hints of coffee.
The McDonald’s Caramel Frappe is lower in price, but higher in calories. Starbucks is generally better at customizing your drink if you have any dietary restrictions, but as for which is better? That really comes down to personal preference.
If You Love This Recipe Try Our These Starbucks Copycat Recipes
If you tried this recipe, let me know how your Caramel Frappuccino turns out in the comments below!
Homemade Caramel Frappuccino Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup strong brewed coffee chilled use darker color coffee if you prefer a darker drink
- 2 cups ice plus more for serving. Use 1 cup ice if you prefer a thinner consistency. For a thicker consistency, you can always add more to the blender later
- 1 cup milk (You can use whole-fat or low-fat)
- 1/3 cup caramel sauce (add more if you want your drink to be sweeter. Plus more for topping)
- whipped cream
Instructions
- Prepare coffee (brewed coffee or instant coffee) and let it chill in the refrigerator.
- Add ice, coffee, milk, and caramel sauce into a blender.
- Blend on low speed for about 30 seconds, and then on a max speed for about 20 seconds or until the mixture is evenly smooth. (Taste test your frappe, if you’d like to make it thicker, add more ice cubes and blend again.)
- Pour the mixture into individual glasses and top with whipped cream.
- Drizzle with caramel sauce. Serve and enjoy immediately.
Notes
- It’s important to make your coffee ahead of time and let it chill before making the drink.
- It’s best to start with less ice, and gradually add more to reach your desired consistency. Note that more ice makes a thicker drink.
- For a creamier drink, you can use heavy cream instead of milk.
Nutrition
James Blackburn says
I tried your recipe for the frappe. It was not bad, in other words good. Instead of milk I tied my favorite coffee creamer( Cinnabon), and tried cold brew coffee instead. It had a little more flavor this way
izzycooking says
Hi James, thanks for sharing your experience!
Jonathan Motyl says
Everyday my wife gets at least one McDonald’s frappe caramel looking this up if I can Master this recipe you may have changed our lives you miss lady our hero thank you
Izzy says
Hi Jonathan, I love Caramel Frappe too! Note that McDonald’s caramel frappe tastes different than Starbucks’ version. You may want to check out this post: https://izzycooking.com/mcdonalds-frappe/
Chon says
I loved my drink however instead of milk I used Starbucks Carmel creamer and the Starbucks Carmel syrup in mine it was yummy