Coffee frappe recipe: a blended iced coffee at home
Jack Donnell
At a glance
Blend a coffee frappe with cooled coffee, milk, ice, and sugar. Includes one-glass quantities, blender steps, and fixes for a thin or icy texture.
A blended coffee frappe combines coffee, milk, ice, and sweetness into a slushy drink. This home version uses cooled concentrated coffee rather than pouring hot coffee into the blender. It is a blended cafe-style frappe, distinct from the shaken instant-coffee style also called frappe in Greece.
The balance between liquid and ice controls the texture. Start with the measured ingredients and add extra liquid a tablespoon at a time only if your blender needs it.
Coffee frappe recipe
Yield: 1 drink · Prep: about 5 minutes · Cook/brew: about 0 minutes · Total: about 5 minutes
Use these quantities as home starting points and adjust to taste. Times are estimates; allow extra time for an espresso machine to warm up. US volume measures are approximate metric conversions.
Equipment
Blender rated for crushing ice, measuring cup, spoon, and a 16 fl oz glass.
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup (80 ml) cooled concentrated brewed coffee
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) cold milk
- 1 1/4 cups ice cubes (about 175 g)
- 1 tablespoon (12 g) granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons whipped cream, optional
- A small pinch of cocoa for topping, optional
Instructions
- Prepare the coffee. Use already cooled concentrated coffee. Dissolve the measured sugar in it while it is warm if preparing it fresh, then chill before starting the timed blending steps.
- Load the blender. Add cold milk, cooled coffee, and sugar if not already dissolved. Add the ice in the loading order recommended by your blender.
- Blend the ice. Close the lid and blend using the manufacturer’s ice-crushing setting until no large ice pieces remain, usually about 20–40 seconds. Stop the motor before checking the texture.
- Serve promptly. Pour into the glass. Add optional whipped cream and a pinch of cocoa, then serve immediately before the blended ice melts.
Tips and adjustments
Too thin?
Start with colder coffee and milk next time. For the current serving, add a small handful of ice and blend briefly if your blender allows it.
Blender struggles?
Stop it before adjusting anything. Add 1 tablespoon of milk, refit the lid, and restart according to the manual. Never use a spoon near moving blades.
Want a mocha frappe?
Blend in 1 tablespoon of chocolate sauce and omit the sugar initially. Taste after blending because sauces vary in sweetness.
Common questions
Does this require ice cream?
No. The texture here comes from blended ice, milk, and coffee. Ice cream would produce a different, milkshake-like version.
Does the five-minute estimate include chilling coffee?
No. The recipe starts with cooled coffee, as stated in the ingredient list. If brewing fresh, allow additional time for it to cool before blending.
More coffee recipes
Browse all coffee recipes or return to our recipe collection.
Further reading: Blended coffee format. The measured preparation above is a Chroma home starting version.
Illustrative stock photo: Pexels, used under the Pexels license.