Sometimes you need coffee and dessert. Simultaneously. That’s why Frappuccinos are so popular; there’s nothing like that milkshake-type creamy sweetness paired with a caffeinated edge. It’s the perfect pick-me-up, especially on a hot day.
As we all know, though, store-bought frappés aren’t exactly a sustainable habit, financially speaking. Plus, who knows what’s in some of those mixes? (I once saw a strange powder being added to mine at a coffee shop. Powder!)
They might sound fancy, but all you need to make frappés at home is a blender, some ice, coffee, something to make it creamy, and your desired flavoring. If you’re brewing (or buying) cold-press coffee by the batch, this is a great way to use it. To get even more coffee flavor, use ice cubes made with cold press.
You can experiment with different ways to add the sweetness: chocolate almond milk, vanilla soy milk, or any of the seemingly endless flavors of coffee creamers (for this recipe, we’re using Caramel Macchiato). To thicken the drink, you’ll need yogurt (dairy or non-dairy) or ice cream, if you want to get really decadent. Yogurt ice cubes are also a pretty genius option.
The toppings are up to you, but whipped cream or whipped coconut cream is always a no-fail accompaniment. I also topped this one with a drizzle of caramel, which makes it almost too pretty to drink. Almost.
Photos by Ana-Maria Stanciu
Caramel Iced Coffee Frappé
Ingredients
- 6 ounces cold-press coffee
- 4 dates
- 4 tbsp coconut cream
- 1/2 cup yogurt or ice cream dairy or non-dairy in plain, vanilla, coffee, chocolate or caramel flavor (I used Oikos' Caramel Macchiato Greek yogurt)
- 1/2 cup ice cubes or cold-press or coffee ice cubes
Instructions
- Place two small glasses in the freezer 5-10 minutes before making the frappé.
- Add the dates and coconut milk into the blender and process to obtain a smooth, caramel-like texture. Transfer into a small bowl
- Add all the rest of ingredients to blender, pouring liquid in first.
- Blend just until smooth (I like when there are a few ice shards left) and pour into glasses (you could also go with one big glass — no judgement here).
- Enjoy the light, frothy mixture as your a.m. coffee, or make it a dessert by garnishing with whipped coconut cream and a caramel drizzle.
The powder that was added to your drink was probably xanthan gum, it’s a food thickener and in that case it’s used so the coffee and the ice doesn’t separate.
I can almost taste it! That sounds like how I make my caramel vanilla latte, yum! I had one of those this morning. I’ll be pinning this! Thanks for sharing, happy Friday!