I’m not much of a coffee drinker, but a friend introduced me to a McDonald’s frozen blend – a Caramel Frappe. I loved the taste, but a little investigation into the nutrition and ingredients left me colder than my ice headache! With summer approaching, I knew I had to come up with a reasonable substitute: My own Frozen Coffee Frappe.
Frozen Coffee Frappe
Luckily, I had a few guinea pigs, because I did a lot of experimenting before I finally “nailed it”. Thumbs up all around. Note: You’ll need a good blender for these; my old workhouse of a blender from the 80s didn’t do the trick.
About Frozen Coffee Frappes:
What these are missing from commercially blended versions are all the stabilizers and additives. That’s a good thing, but there’s a downside. Drink them quickly, especially on hot days. They are a fleeting thing, and once they start to melt, while they still taste great, then they’re only iced coffee. The fun is over.
One of the best things about these Frozen Coffee Frappes is that they can be easily customized just by the syrup you use. Drizzle over and/or add a little into the blender. If you already have a selection of flavored syrups or creamers, feel free to use them. Anything for ice cream works, too. I make my own syrups and sauces, below, and they’re transformative if you wish to go that route.
No need to limit yourself to the ingredients McDonalds uses. Try different flavors and add-ins. Maybe Dulce de Leche, Hazelnut, Caramel, Mocha (chocolate + coffee), Butterscotch. Use crushed cookies or candies. Add chocolate shavings. Maybe make an adult version: Baileys, Frangelica, Bourbon, or Whiskey. Choose your poison.
Frozen Coffee Frappe
Why Make Your Own:
- They take minutes to make, and you can have them at home anytime and avoid the drive-through. Just plan ahead for the frozen coffee needed.
- You can customize your flavors.
- Your own homemade copycat of McDonald’s Frappes has less than half the calories and fat of the restaurant version. About 215 calories instead of 490.
- McDonald’s small Frappe (2026) is $3.79 with tax, about $4.10. A homemade version using sale price ingredients (just the portion for the frappe) is well under a dollar. The ingredients will be more of an investment. (This is one time I will suggest using a can of whipped cream unless you’re buying whipped cream for something else.)
Making Frozen Coffee Frappes:
The Coffee:
- Use strong coffee. This recipe uses frozen coffee ice cubes, so plan ahead; they’ll take at least an hour, but may take longer. Remove the cubes immediately so the flavor doesn’t transfer to the trays. If you make it often, you might want designated trays.
- The cubes are difficult to remove from the trays. Run hot water over the back. Once they pop out, they’re slippery and hard to control – and if they skitter away, you’ll be cleaning up coffee off everything they touch. Pop the tray into a plastic bag and then twist to release them.
- This is an ideal use for leftover coffee; the stronger, the better. Freeze and toss in a plastic bag. Having frozen coffee cubes on hand to whip these up is a bonus, and a frozen cube is ideal to cool down a cup ot hot coffee.
The Condensed Milk:
- Condensed milk is ideal for this recipe, adding sweetness, but also richness. You’ll only use a partial can so transfer the excess to an airtight container. It will keep in the fridge for months. It may become thicker, but won’t spoil due to the amount of sugar preserving it.
- I have other recipes that use a small amount of condensed milk. Check out Pumpkin Spiced Lattes. Use my search bar or hit the tag at the bottom of the page.
Other Hints:
- Add your glasses to the freezer ahead of time to make the Frappes last a little longer.
- Chopsticks are ideal for removing any of the excess Frappes left at the bottom of the blender.
Chopsticks are ideal to help get items out of the bottom of the blender.
Leftover Frozen Coffee Frappes:
- Toss in the freezer for the short term. It will never be the same, but it can be held for a bit, just like a chocolate shake. Depending on how long it’s been frozen, it might need to sit on the counter for a bit.
- I have never tried freezing and then reblending. The amounts aren’t so great that I seldom have any left over. It’s probably better to halve the recipe if only one serving is needed.
The Flavors You Might Like for Your Frappe or Drizzle:
Here are a couple of my favorite homemade sauces that are fabulous in these Frozen Coffee Frappes:
- Intensely Chocolate Syrup – this keeps for weeks in the fridge; make it once, and you’ll be spoiled for all store-bought varieties.
Intensely Chocolate Syrup
- Easy Caramel Buttercotch – a fabulous old-fashioned sauce and just minutes to pull together with a handful of ingredients. It’s fool-proof
easy caramel butterscotch sauce
- Salted Caramel Sauce – A real old school burnt caramel. You’ll be surprised if you’ve never had it made at home like this.
Toffee Caramel Cheesecake, garnished with homemade Salted Caramel Sauce and Milky Way Bars
Saving Money on Groceries:
What you pay for groceries depends on not just WHERE you shop, but WHEN. Be strategic and stock up at rock-bottom prices.
- The best sales are before holidays; check out Win at the Grocers. Think beyond the occasion & use the opportunity to stock up at a low for the coming weeks to months.
- If available, take advantage of discount stores like Aldi or Lidl. The pricing at Buyer’s clubs is not always the lowest, but can trump in quality. Be selective when shopping there.
The best way to save money on this or any recipe is to have a well-stocked pantry, fridge, and freezer full of sale-priced items.
Coffee:
- It pays to pay attention to when you buy coffee. It’s cheapest in December and January, and you’ll find good sales prior to almost any holiday that beat the regular sales price. As long as it’s vacuum-packed, it will keep for a good long time, or if you have a freezer, it can be stored there.
- Not using pods will always save money (and the environment). Over and over, Folgers is considered to be a top-rated budget brand.
Condensed Milk:
- Rock bottom pricing is during the Winter holidays. Watch for sales at the discount grocerys and dollar stores. Shoot for $1.00 to $1.25 a can and stock up for the year.
- Good pricing will be found at Latino or other ethnic markets, as well as during grocery store sales before any holiday known for baking.
- Condensed milk stores for years; dates have little meaning. If it has settled and is denser at the bottom, stir it back together. If darker than usual, heat and/or time have started to carmelize the sugars. It is perfectly safe.
Frozen Coffee Frappe
Frozen Coffee Frappe
- 1 cup strong coffee, frozen into cubes
- 1/2 can of Condensed Milk
- 1/2 to 3/4 cup Milk
- 1/4 cup fluid whipping cream, which equals 1/2 cup whipped
- Chocolate, Caramel, or Butterscotch Drizzle
Ingredients
Place all ingredients into a blender and whiz away. Start with the lesser amount of milk, and only add the rest if your blender needs it to mix. It might be helpful to open blender and stir, then blend some more.
Serve right away – remember, there are no strange ingredients or stabilizers in this, and it will melt. Serving in a frosted glass would be ideal on a hot, summer day.
A whipped cream garnish with a drizzle of chocolate or caramel sauce over the top is a wonderful addition. This is one place where I might, for convenience’s sake, consider using a premade squirt bottle of whipped cream because it could be used over a period of time.
Makes about 3 cups, or two 12 ounce servings.
Notes:
- My ice-cube tray holds two cups of liquid, and one cup is therefore 8 cubes.
- I remove coffee cubes after they’re frozen so the aroma of coffee won’t linger in the plastic.
- These coffee cubes are difficult to remove – I run hot water over the bottom of the tray, then put the whole tray into a plastic bag and twist. This helps to avoid the cubes from skittering around the kitchen – they melt quickly, and it saves cleaning off anything they happen to touch.
- Store the extra cubes right in the plastic bag in the freezer. They do look a little disgusting, but it’s so nice to have them on hand when the mood hits.
- This is an ideal use for leftover coffee, and the coffee cubes are great to have on hand if you happen to have a little leftover whipped cream from something else.
Nutrition:
Servings 2; Amount Per Serving: calories 215, % Daily Value; Total Fat 13 g 20 %; Saturated Fat 8 g 41 %; Monounsaturated Fat 4 g; Polyunsaturated Fat 0 g; Trans Fat 0 g; Cholesterol 50 mg 17 %
Sodium 141 mg 6 %; Potassium 425 mg 12 %; Total Carbohydrate 16 g 5 %; Dietary Fiber 0 g 1 %; Sugars 14 g; Protein 8 g 17 %; Vitamin A 3 %; Vitamin C 0 %; Calcium 9 %; Iron 0 %
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