How to Make a Café-Style Frappé at Home
A good frappé is thick, cold and smooth, never icy or watery. The secret isn't an expensive blender. It's the right balance of frappé powder, milk and ice, blended for the right amount of time.
What Is Frappé Powder?
Frappé powder is a ready-made base that cafés use to make blended drinks. It usually contains sugar, milk solids, flavour and a stabiliser that stops the drink separating, which is why café frappés stay thick and creamy while homemade ice-and-milk drinks turn watery. Melina makes Chocolate Frappé Powder and Vanilla Frappé Powder in 1 kg packs.
Basic Frappé Recipe
Ingredients
- Frappé powder: use the amount recommended on the pack. About 3 heaped tablespoons (roughly 30–40 g) is a good starting point for one large glass.
- 150 ml cold milk (full-cream gives the creamiest result)
- 1½ cups of ice (about 200 g)
- Optional: whipped cream and a drizzle of syrup to finish
Method
- Liquid first. Pour the cold milk into the blender, then add the frappé powder. Adding liquid first helps the blades move freely.
- Add the ice. Put the ice on top.
- Blend 30–45 seconds. Start on low for a few seconds, then switch to high until there are no ice chunks left and the drink looks thick and glossy.
- Serve straight away. Pour into a tall chilled glass, top with whipped cream and serve with a wide straw.
Five Frappé Flavours to Try
| Frappé | Base | Add |
|---|---|---|
| Classic Chocolate | Chocolate frappé powder | Nothing else needed |
| Vanilla Cream | Vanilla frappé powder | A drizzle of Vanilla Syrup on top |
| Caramel Frappé | Vanilla frappé powder | 20 ml Caramel Syrup |
| Hazelnut Mocha | Chocolate frappé powder | 15 ml Hazelnut Syrup + 1 shot coffee |
| Strawberry Cream | Vanilla frappé powder | 40 g Strawberry Puree |
Coffee Frappé
For a coffee frappé, add one shot of espresso or 50 ml of very strong, cooled coffee to the basic recipe and reduce the milk by 30 ml. Chocolate powder makes a mocha-style frappé; vanilla powder lets the coffee taste come through more. Always cool the coffee first. Hot coffee melts the ice and gives you a thin drink.
New to making coffee at home? Our guides to coffee-to-water ratios and brewing methods explain how to make strong coffee without an espresso machine.
Common Frappé Mistakes
- Using warm milk. Always start with fridge-cold milk.
- Too much ice. It makes a crunchy, bland drink. Stick to about 200 g of ice per 150 ml of milk.
- Blending too long. Over-blending warms the drink and melts the ice. Stop once it's smooth.
- Leaving it to stand. Frappés separate after 10–15 minutes. Blend just before serving.
Making Frappés for a Café
If you sell frappés, weigh the powder instead of using spoons so every drink tastes the same, and train staff on one blend time. A strong commercial blender, like those in our bar tools range, crushes ice faster and gives a smoother texture during busy hours.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a frappé and a milkshake?
A milkshake is usually made with ice cream and milk. A frappé is made with ice, milk and a frappé base, so it's lighter, colder and more slushy, and it often contains coffee.
Can I make a frappé without a blender?
Not really. Shaking with ice chills the drink, but you need a blender to get the smooth, thick frappé texture.
Why is my frappé watery?
Usually the milk was not cold enough, there wasn't enough powder, or it was blended too long. Use cold milk, measure the powder and blend for 30–45 seconds.
Can I use low-fat milk?
Yes, but the frappé will be less creamy. Full-cream milk gives the closest result to a café frappé.
How should I store frappé powder?
Keep the pack tightly sealed in a cool, dry place, away from moisture. Check the pack for the best-before date.
0 comments