What Is a Frappuccino?
Not to be confused with a latte or cappuccino.
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Frappuccinos may have expanded the universe of coffee drinks further than any other beverage. In flavors from cherry pie to cotton candy to matcha, they’ve redefined what many people expect of a coffeehouse drink. Here’s what this frothy drink actually is, how it got its name and why you’ll see so many similar drinks labeled frappes.
What Is a Frappuccino?
A Frappuccino is a cold, blended coffee beverage from Starbucks made with coffee or espresso, milk and ice. Sweeteners and flavorings are typically added, and it’s usually topped with whipped cream and any number of garnishes.
The drink has a smooth, slushy texture and is typically sweet and rich. Popular flavors include just plain coffee or espresso, mocha, vanilla and caramel, although dozens of flavors, from apple pie to dragonfruit, have made appearances. Frappuccinos were popularized by the global coffee chain Starbucks starting in the mid-1990s.The company received the recipe for the original Frappuccino from Coffee Connection, a small Boston-based coffee chain they acquired in 1994. Starbucks trademarked the term the same year, and the rest is coffee-drink history.
In addition to the dozens of flavors — many of them seasonal and hotly marketed— that delight fans in their shops, the company also sell bottled, shelf-stable versions found in grocery and convenience stores. While these grab-and-go Frappuccinos are sweet and rich as well, they’re much thinner and not slushy like the coffeehouse versions. And they certainly don’t come with the sometimes intricate toppings popularized by in-house versions.
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What’s In a Frappuccino?
Coffee or espresso, milk and ice are the basics of a Frappuccino, plus a crowning swirl of whipped cream, but there’s nothing basic about the array of flavors they’re offered in today — or their garnishes. A detailed list of ingredients for each flavor (along with calorie counts) can be found on the Starbucks website. But below are the basics, a formula that’s followed pretty closely by most other coffee sellers as well:
- Base: Coffee or espresso is the usual, although some varieties use tea, ice cream or fruit juice instead.
- Milk: Most are made with dairy milk, while non-dariy milks like almond or oat milk can be used.
- Ice: Ice creates the drink’s slushy texture.
- Sweeteners and flavorings: Sugar, syrups, fruit purees and extracts like vanilla, almond or coconut are used, along with any number of flavorings and spices.
- Toppings: Whipped cream is the classic, although it can be joined by everything from caramel, chocolate sauce, cookies, candies, pretzels and more depending on the variety.
What’s the Difference Between a Frappe and a Frappuccino?
Today the major difference between a frappe and a Frappuccino is who’s selling it. Originally a frappe (or frappé) had a history in the United States and Europe denoting various types of cold, refreshing drinks, sometimes similar to an ice cream soda. But when a coffeehouse combined the words “frappe” and “cappuccino” and came up with the sweet, caffeinated Frappuccino, the meaning of frappe changed forever. Starbucks trademarked the term Frappuccino in 1994, meaning that no other seller could use it. Blended drinks of coffee, milk, ice and flavorings have been widely copied, but to avoid trademark infringement they’re almost universally called frappes.
Wondering how to pronounce the word frappe? You’ve got some leeway. If you see an acute accent on the final e, as in frappé, it’s best to go with frah-pay. If there’s no accent, and you’re in the United States, frahp is also perfectly fine.
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Can You Make a Frappuccino at Home?
Yes! It’s easy to blitz up a slushy, milkshake-like coffee drink with your blender, and you could save yourself a lot of money over coffeehouse prices. Technically what you’ll be making is a frappe since the term Frappuccino is trademarked, but your creamy, caffeinated, icy beverage will taste just as sweet. Get out some colorful paper straws and learn everything you need to know in How to Make a Frappuccino, including tips for getting a picture-perfect finish to your drink.
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