Last Updated on December 15, 2023
No drink speaks of caffeine-laden, sugary decadence quite like the Insta-worthy Frappuccino:
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The blended Starbucks coffee beverage puts some pep in the step of its consumers while also giving them a low-key vibe. The very thought of a Frappuccino gives most of us a clear image of the sometimes chocolaty, sometimes low-sugar beverage.
But what exactly is it?
Like, seriously? Is it a smoothie, or maybe a milkshake? Does it have ice cream? Is it a blended ice coffee, perhaps?
Having never ordered one myself, I needed to find out.
How to pronounce ‘Frappuccino’
Let’s start from the beginning, as in the actual pronunciation of the word. Looking at it, I always imagined it being like frozen cappuccino. But, as I found out, Fro-puccino isn’t exactly right.
Here it is: Frap – uhh – CHEE – no.
It doesn’t seem that bad. A lot of people say Frap – o – ccino. Now you can politely correct them!
Oh, and a somewhat fun fact: This is not technically a word in the English language, so don’t feel too bad if it’s hard to pronounce. If you check Webster’s dictionary or even dictionary.com, the word is not listed.
Turns out, it really is a combination of two words, as I thought before. Well, sort of. See below.
frappé + cappuccino
We’ll get back to the difference between these three things and why that is the etymology of the drink at hand. Please stay with us.
Frappuccino basics
Explaining this drink turns out to be a little more complicated than you might think. Our explosive coffee culture has given rise to so many variations of blended coffee drinks and misnomers that almost all drinks now have vague and flexible definitions.
What is a Frappuccino?
A Frappuccino is essentially a blended beverage made from coffee, either cream or milk, and ice. Most, if not all, tend to be a bit more gussied up than that.
In fact, I’d wager that a Frappuccino is the most likely Starbucks drink to go viral on TikTok.
Typically, it will come with extra ingredients like whipped cream, flavored syrups, extracts, sugar, drizzles, sauces, and maybe sprinkles. For example, a mocha Frappuccino adds chocolate syrup. A caramel Frappuccino adds caramel syrup. They all add calories. More on that later.
But these things aren’t what makes the drink. Think of pizza, which is a good analogy. We eat pizza for the toppings, but that’s not what makes it a pizza. Most people drink Frappuccinos for the extras, but those aren’t what make it what it is.
Do all Frappuccinos have coffee in them?
Starbucks offers cold, creamy, syrupy Frappuccinos that don’t contain coffee as the main base ingredient. Instead, these special Frappuccinos contain a type of tea. Starbucks calls these tea-based Frappuccinos crème Frappuccinos. Current tea Frappuccino options include Chai Crème Frappuccino and Matcha Crème Frappuccino.
Can you get a decaf Frappuccino?
There are no decaf coffee Frappuccinos on the Starbucks menu. That said, you can usually receive a decaf coffee Frappuccino at any Starbucks location upon request. The barista withholds ingredients that contain caffeine and uses decaf espresso. You merely need to ask them for this custom drink.
Why is it capitalized?
Now, interestingly enough, the definition above does not constitute a Frappuccino in itself. The coffee, cream/milk, and ice are just the ingredients, but the name itself is actually trademarked. That’s why you usually see it capitalized. Of course, it was Starbucks who did that. Most consumers make a mental association between the Frappuccino and the Seattle-based company. It’s not just marketing, it’s the law.
This gets me into the drink’s origin story.
Where did the Frappuccino originate?
Coffee Connection, a small coffee shop in Massachusetts, made the first labeled frappuccino (small ‘f’!) in the early 1990s. Back then, it was meant to be a coffee-flavored milkshake. Essentially, they took their frappé and added a cappuccino—hence the name.
When did Frappuccino debut at Starbucks?
Starbucks saw Coffee Connection’s ingenuity and bought the coffee shop, as well as the rights to its signature beverage, in 1994. Now, as a labeled trademark of Starbucks, Frappuccino specifically refers to a product line of blended coffee beverages from the corporation.
So now you know what a frappuccino was, and what a Starbucks Frappuccino is. But I’m still thinking about that frappé milkshake business. Let’s talk about that a little more.
Frappé vs Frappuccino
OK, sometimes it is easier to explain something by comparing it to something else. Enter the frappé as a contrast. Technically speaking, the Frappuccino did come from the frappé, so it really is a good starting point.
First of all, a frappé can mean a tremendous amount of things, depending on who you talk to. The word comes from the French verb frapper, which means to hit or to strike, and that’s exactly what a blender’s blades do to whatever happens to be sitting in the blender.
At its core, a frappé is just a milkshake with a wide variation in the flavor profile. Technically speaking, but ignoring the trademark business, a Frappuccino is a variation of a frappé. Basically, it’s a coffee-flavored frappé. And that is the most simple way to explain the difference between a frappé and a Frappuccino.
Now that Starbucks owns the trademark to the latter, a coffee frappé is just a coffee frappé.
What’s the difference between an iced coffee and a Frappuccino?
An “iced coffee” is any coffee-base drink made by pouring coffee over ice or blending coffee and ice. A Starbucks coffee Frappuccino is an iced coffee with a foamy appearance that specifically also contains a type of heavy cream and/or syrup added to the drink.
How to make a Frappuccino at home
I want to give you my personal favorite and well-tested recipe. Let me say first that there are about a billion out there, so play around with flavors and toppings!
Ingredients:
- 1 cup almond milk
- 1 cup cold coffee
- 2 cups ice
- 1/3 cup sweetener
Directions:
Blend ingredients with a blender until smooth.
Consider adding whipped cream and/or switching out the milk preference.
Does a Frappuccino have to be refrigerated?
If you want to wait a while to finish your freshly made Frappuccino, or a Starbucks Frappuccino, then you to need to refrigerate it to prevent it from becoming warm or tasting off. Starbucks also recommends refrigerating a bottled Frappuccino product after opening it for the same reasons.
How long does a Frappuccino last in the fridge?
The amount of time depends in part on personal taste. Typically, a Frappuccino lasts up to 24 hours. That said, you might not enjoy the taste of one kept in the fridge after only a few hours. Ingredients also separate over time. With a bottled Frappuccino, go by the “best by” date on the bottle and use the product within 24 hours of opening it.
Can a Frappuccino be hot?
By definition, a Frappuccino is a cold drink. Hot coffee drinks have other names, such as hot Americanos, brewed coffees, cappuccinos, espresso shots, flat whites, lattes and mochas. Of course, you can heat all of the blended ingredients in a Frappuccino and drink the resulting beverage. It is entirely up to you. The taste does change as a result of the heating process.
How many calories in a Frappuccino?
Sigh, there comes a time when we must consider how this drink is going to mess with our metabolism’s bottom line. Let’s talk calories for a moment.
Important disclaimer: There are so many variations of the drink that defining the number of calories is impossible and irresponsible. If you substitute Stevia and almond milk and skip the cream, you could have a not-so-bad treat.
Starbucks types: Typically, they will run between 300-600 calories for their grande size.
The recipe above: About 150-400 calories, depending on which sweetener you choose.
FAQ
How much caffeine is in a Starbucks Frappuccino?
‘The amount of caffeine in a Starbucks Frappuccino varies quite widely depending on what kind it is, and which of Starbucks’ sizes you choose. For the standard coffee version, the caffeine is:
- Tall: 64 mg
- Grande: 95 mg
- Venti: 120 mg
A Mocha Frappuccino has the highest caffeine content (110 mg for a grande, while a Red Velvet Cake Creme Frappuccino has the least (15 mg).
Are Frappuccinos sweet?
Frappuccinos are usually sweet because of the addition of flavorings. However, the plain coffee version is usually the least sweet and will have fewer calories than many of the others.
Do Frappuccinos taste like coffee?
Most Frappuccinos have at least a slight coffee taste because they are made with coffee, with additional flavors added. The exceptions, at Starbucks, would be the Green Tea Creme Frappuccino and the Chai Creme Frappuccino. These are made with tea, not coffee, but they still have caffeine.
What are Frappuccino chips?
Many customers believe that Starbucks Frappuccino chips are chocolate chips. Starbucks doesn’t use that term for good reason. The Frappuccino chips, sometimes called java chips, aren’t entirely made of chocolate. They contain a proprietary blend of other ingredients beyond cocoa and other chocolate-related ones. For example, Frappuccino chips can contain cookie crumbs made with wheat.
