Vanilla Bean Frappuccino Recipe (Starbucks Copycat)

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This Vanilla Frappuccino Recipe may just be my new favorite drink!

Not only is it a low calorie treat, it’s also dairy-free!

Vanilla Frappuccino Recipe hero image

What is a Frappuccino?

If you have never had a Frappuccino, you are missing out!

A Frappuccino is a cold coffee beverage that can be prepared in several different varieties and flavors. The Starbucks website describes a Frappuccino as, “a blended coffee beverage made with ice and any combination of syrups, cream bases, and other flavorings.”

It originates from the famous Starbucks Coffee Company, and was originally introduced in 1993. The Frappuccino is made of ice, blended with coffee, cream/milk, and other flavorings. Not only are they delicious but they are also very refreshing!

It is possible to make your own at home without any special equipment or previous barista experience. The recipe below will teach you how to make a Starbucks Copycat Vanilla Bean Frappuccino. This recipe has a rich vanilla bean taste that is a perfect treat for a hot summer day.

If you can’t get enough of Starbucks but don’t want to drop the money every time you crave one, then this recipe for a Vanilla Bean Frappuccino is just for you.

Starbucks Vanilla Bean Frappuccino | somethingswanky.com
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Starbucks Vanilla Bean Frappuccino {dairy free}

Ingredients

  • 1 cup Unsweetened Vanilla Almond milk
  • 1 Tbsp granulated sugar
  • 1/4 vanilla bean or 1 tbsp vanilla paste
  • 1 tsp vanilla (omit if using vanilla paste)
  • pinch of salt

Instructions

  1. Scrape the vanilla bean into the cup of milk (or add vanilla paste).
  2. Whisk in remaining ingredients. Don't worry about the sugar dissolving 100%. It will all blend up together in the end, so it's not a big deal right now.
  3. Freeze 1/2 cup of the mixture in a silicon ice cube tray. Cover the remaining 1/2 cup and chill until the ice cubes are ready.
  4. Use a single serve blender (or a mason jar and a standard blender) and blend the ice cubes and remaining almond milk mixture until smooth. Add 1-2 tsp milk as needed to make the drink thinner.
  5. Serve immediately. Serves 1.

Notes about this recipe:

  • Check out this recipe to see how to use a mason jar with a standard blender to create a single-serve blender.
  • Optional (but yummy): whip up a batch of this chocolate syrup and pour a little inside your glass before filling with the frappuccino!
How does Starbucks make a Frappuccino?

According to Starbucks, they start by blending ice with their proprietary frappuccino mix until it’s thick and creamy. Afterward, baristas will add additional flavors like caramel or vanilla bean pureeβ€”which gives this drink its distinct taste as well as its color. Finally, the Frappuccino gets topped with whipped cream and flavored syrup.

What is the difference between frappe and Frappuccino?

The main difference between the two names is that “frappe” originated in New England whereas “Frappuccino” was first used at Starbucks.

The word frappe originally referred to a thick milkshake made with ice cream whereas the word Frappuccino is used globally by Starbucks, and mainly refers to a cold coffee beverage which is also known as an iced coffee.

Both drinks are similar, but a frappe is typically made with raw eggs and without any coffee.

What is in Starbucks Frappuccino base?

Starbucks Frappuccino base is made of coffee extract, sugar, salt, natural flavor, milk powder, and xanthan gum.

Starbucks has over 20 different varieties of frappuccino with flavors like cinnamon dolce, chai, and peppermint mocha.

Do frappes have coffee in them?

Frappes are made with coffee extract, milk, sugar, water, and ice to get their thick, smooth texture.

Some frappe flavors have coffee in them but not all of them do. For example, the Starbucks Cinnamon Dolce Frappuccino does have coffee in it while the very popular Caramel Frappuccino doesn’t.

Food Allergy Awareness

In honor of Food Allergy Awareness Week, one of my personal friends Megan asked me to come up with a dessert sans at least one of the top 8 allergens. I decided that fish and shellfish weren’t super applicable here and went for something a little tougher — dairy.

Starbucks Vanilla Bean Frappuccio | somethingswanky.com

I actually suffer from a mild case of dairy intolerance, so I like to use Almond Milk where I can! This is a perfect recipe for using Almond Milk — maybe even better than regular milk, because you can buy Vanilla flavored Almond Milk.

I also added a swirl of this dairy-free Homemade Chocolate Syrup, just because that’s how I like to get my frappuccinos at Starbucks! Enjoy!

Learn more about and connect with Food Allergy Research & Education here:

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25 thoughts on “Vanilla Bean Frappuccino Recipe (Starbucks Copycat)”

  1. Eek! This looks SO GOOD! I love Starbucks drinks, but I hate the price tag that comes along with ’em. We use a lot of almond/coconut milk at our house, so I’m going to try this out SOON. And thanks for linking up my Biscoff Cookie Dough Milkshake – made my day! πŸ™‚

    Reply
  2. What do you mean scrap the vanilla bean? I’ve never bought vanilla beans before so I have no idea how to use them — or where to get them.Thanks!

    Reply
    • You can always use Vanilla Paste– it’s a lot easier to work with πŸ™‚ But if you use the vanilla bean, just cut about a quarter of the fruit (the long dried strand in the jar) off and cut a slit down the side, so it opens up. Then use the knife to scrape out the beans that are inside.

      Reply
  3. Love this. One of my favorite things at Starbucks (as if I really have that many choices πŸ˜‰ is this! And I love that you did this for Food Allergy Awareness Week. Jack has a severe lactose and fructose intolerance, and while it isn’t life threatening (thankfully) it is still so hard, and it’s nice to find recipes like this that Jack can have (and myself, because we discovered I have a lactose intolerance as well, which doesn’t fare well for my love of all things creamy.) Definitely pinning this one!

    Reply
  4. I am lactose intolerant and my son is allergic to dairy, so I am always looking for new recipes! I hope you don’t mind, but this would be even creamier it you used a can of chilled coconut milk, and no, it will not taste like coconut:) I might have to make one of these today!!!

    Reply
  5. I really appreciate your bringing attention to food allergies, Ashton. I have had severe reactions to tree nuts and my daughter has had severe reactions to shell fish. People lucky enough not to be affected don’t realize how sensitive allergies can be and how quickly they can turn into a life threatening situation. We have a friend who ate peanuts on an airplane coming home from a business trip. Hours later, he kissed his peanut sensitive daughter on the cheek when he returned home. She had such a bad reaction, she had to be rushed to the e.r. ! Scientists are close to a cure. Hopefully soon. This frappuccino looks like an amazing summer time treat!

    Reply
  6. A few things… I think it’s awesome the way the classroom handles someone with an allergy. It’s great to hear schools are thinking like that and showing kids that just because someone else has a bad reaction doesn’t mean you’re free to enjoy it.

    Second, I’d like to blame you for my current supply of almond milk in my fridge. Holy crap, that stuff is good. I used to make my smoothies with milk with no problems but now regular milk tastes like water compared to almond milk.

    Lastly, the frap sounds great! I love the idea of freezing the actual frap to use the cubes as the blending ice. That’s just pure genius!!

    Reply
  7. Just found this post via your peanut butter moo’d post πŸ™‚ Quick question: Could you make a bunch of frozen cubes and store them in a freezer bag for later use? I loooove vanilla bean fraps, but I’m not particularly patient. Once I want it I want it now πŸ™‚

    Reply
  8. Thanks for the recipe. You state above the recipe that there is no cure for food allergies. If you take measures to heal your gut, most allergies can be cured. There is an online class that I took called Heal Your Gut by Lydia Shatney. Amazing information. Odds are your doctor doesn’t know any of this as they are not trained to heal most things just suppress the symptoms with drugs of course.

    Reply
  9. I appreciate you bringing more awareness to food allergies. As someone who has anaphylaxis, any increased awareness is appreciated. However, you should be mindful that many who suffer a peanut allergy, or tree nut allergy, are also allergic to or avoid almonds for simplicity. I’d love to see a recipe even more inclusive.

    Reply

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