Homemade Caramel Frappuccino — This drink is too good to be true! It’s cold, creamy, rich, and satisfying, plus it’s easy to customize. Way BETTER than Starbucks!
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Better-Than-Starbucks Caramel Frappuccino Recipe
I can suck down iced coffees like nobody’s business and would go broke if I had to buy them out. A $5 dollar drink lasts me maybe 63 seconds.
Which is why this copycat Starbucks Frappuccino recipe is perfect. It’s icy and bulkier, so it takes me longer to inhale.
This caramel frappuccino recipe makes two large drinks. If you were at Starbucks, we’re talking two venti drinks. Feel free to halve the recipe, or quarter it, if you’re not as much of a java addict or power drinker.
If you don’t inhale it all right away and let the drink melt while you’re taking too many photos, the coffee will begin to separate and fall to the bottom of the mug. Give it a quick stir and problem solved.
Homemade caramel Frappuccinos are creamy, frothy, foamy, fluffy, and satisfying. Even better, the recipe is ready in about 1 minute, I can quench my thirst, save money, and get my caffeine on, in one fell swoop.
Caramel sauce, whipped cream, and coffee are three of my favorite food groups.
Ingredients in a Caramel Frappuccino
To make this copycat Starbucks caramel Frappuccino recipe, you’ll need:
- Ice cubes
- Brewed coffee, allowed to cool completely
- Milk of choice
- Sweetener of choice (white stevia powder, liquid vanilla stevia drops, Splenda, or granulated sugar)
- Vanilla extract (optional but recommended)
- Fat-free whipped topping (or whipped cream)
- Caramel sauce (homemade or store-bought, may use sugar-free if desired)
How to Make a Caramel Frappuccino
If you’ve never made a caramel Frappuccino at home, you’re in for a treat! The process is so simple. If you’ve made a smoothie before, you can make a Frappuccino yourself.
- To make this caramel Frappuccino, simply combine all the ingredients (minus the two garnishes) in a blender and blend until smooth.
- Give it a taste and adjust the flavors as needed, adding more milk or coffee as you see fit.
- Pour your Frappuccino into a large glass and dollop whipped topping on top, followed by a drizzle of caramel sauce.
- This caramel Frappuccino is best enjoyed right away, but it’s still delicious even after it melts a bit.
Tips for the Best Caramel Frappuccino
Instead of brewed, fully cooled coffee, you can also freeze leftover coffee in an ice cube tray and use coffee cubes instead of some of the ice cubes. Your Frappuccino would be incredibly strong, but some people may like that!
Also, you can find cold brew coffee in most stores now, so feel free to use that instead of coffee you brewed and chilled yourself.
Just double check that your store-bought coffee has no sugar in it, as that may make your drink too sweet.
Recipe FAQs
Not at all! I used unsweetened vanilla almond milk, but you may use any dairy or non-dairy milk you like. I just recommend using unsweetened milk, otherwise your drink will come out far too sweet.
Yep! You can use any sweetener you’d like. Just add in a little at a time until you figure out exactly how much you like.
And if you don’t like sweet drinks, you can always omit the sweetener and make a blended caramel iced coffee instead.
Totally! I recommend making the full recipe and putting the extra portion in the freezer, and the next time you want one, it’s ready. No need to dirty the blender.
All you have to do is let it defrost a bit, either 30 minutes at room temp or about 1 minute in the microwave. Or you can kind of pick at it, granita-style.
Just note that if you plan on freezing part of your homemade caramel frappuccino, you should wait to top it with whipped topping and caramel sauce until just before you eat it.
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Homemade Caramel Frappuccino
Ingredients
- 3 cups ice cubes, 3 big handfuls of cubed ice, not crushed ice
- 1 cup cold strong coffee, previously brewed and chilled
- ½ cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk, or your favorite milk
- sugar-free sweetener, white stevia powder, liquid vanilla stevia drops, Splenda, or your favorite, to taste
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, optional
- 2 tablespoons fat free whipped topping, for garnishing
- 1 tablespoon sugarfree caramel sauce, for garnishing
Instructions
- Combine first 5 ingredients in the canister of a blender and blend until smooth, creamy, fluffy, frothy, and combined, less than 1 minute.
- Taste, and if necessary, adjust with a splash more coffee, milk, dash of sweetener, or a few ice cubes.
- Garnish with whipped topping and caramel sauce. Serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Amazing! Sounds delicious. Splurging without splurging, I like it:) I’ve been crushing on AriZona’s Green Tea . . . so good! A homemade version of it really wouldn’t be that hard, I would just would have to experiment. Thank you for figuring this one out for us, it will be a treat to have in the summer!
This looks wonderful! Can’t wait to try it on a 3-H day. I’ve been making my own lattes for a while. I use a dark roast Via, reconstituted with about 1/2 cup of hot water. (sometimes I add a little instant espresso powder to make it a little stronger. Then I nuke 1 cup of skim milk for a minute. I have this nifty tool called an “Aero-Latte” to whip the milk. It works great. The Aero Latte is a small, battery-powered whisk. It costs about $20, but, if you drink a lot of lattes, it pays for itself rather quickly. Skim milk actually whips up better than whole milk. Plus, no stopping @ the coffee shop and waiting in line. I even brought my Aero Latte with me when I traveled earlier this year. PS LOVE your blog. I have been reading it for some time, but I think this is my first comment.
I had an Aero Latte whipper about 5 yrs ago. It broke on me but fun little gadget! And yes, skim whips better than whole. Thanks for reading & saying hi!
Wow. That looks so amazing! I have got to try that!
You are too funny, Averie! Inhaling this amazing creation of yours would cause a brain freeze…but I’d totally be getting one! YUM! You always amaze me with your recipes…every single one is my fav!
You’re so sweet – thanks, Gloria!
Mmm what a fabulous treat, Averie! This looks so lovely!
That looks absolutely sinful! I love caramel and it makes such a pretty “garnish” too.
I love all your drinks Averie!! And any drink that saves me money and calories is a plus!!! Can’t wait to try this one too!
Yay! LMK how it goes if you try it!
Love these homemade frozen coffee drink recipes; thank you for sharing this one! I learned to make homemade mocha fraps recently and haven’t looked back. I figure I’m saving at least $20 a week because I’m hooked on them and would buy the $5 grande a few times a week. Perfect for the hot summer!
$20 a week that you’ve been saving is HUGE! That is awesome – congrats!
Averie, I just love this coffee drink recipe of yours! It is so nice to see unsweetened almond milk and stevia powder going mainstream. This is how I drink my coffee…hot or iced! Well…except for the sugar-free caramel part. Must add that as a treat this summer! Thank you for sharing! xo
Well I don’t know if it’s mainstream or not because I know I’ll get plenty of emails and questions about it, but hey, it works and hopefully more people are catching on or will be, too!
Oh my GAH do you have my number on this one or what????????????? I am an iced/frozen coffee junkie. I can stay away from most everything else in the summer but coffee drinks are my downfall. This is awesome. I AM MAKING THIS TODAY!!!
Woot! Glad you’re so happy and excited to see the recipe & LMK if you try it what you think!
Oh man, LOVE this! It’s just perfect for this hot weather we’re having right now! Delicious and refreshing but no guilt. Fabulous.
I wish it was hot here – but it’s like 75F. Maybe? Coastal breeze and it never seems to get super warm in by the ocean here in San Diego but I guess I shouldn’t complain :)
I have been looking for a recipe like this for the summer. This looks great and I will be trying today!
Ok good! LMK what you think!
Hello! :) You forgot to add the calories of the milk, so its 65 Kcal. No big deal, it still looks amazing!! Unfortunately here in the UK I cant find the fat free topping, so I’ll have to go for something with more calories. I have just recently discovered your blog and already tried a couple of recipes..OMG they were AMAZING! Thank you for sharing all these goodies!! :)
The milk is 15 calories for 24+ ounces of finished drink. It’s basically half of one calorie per ounce, or less. It’s so ridiculously small that the value is hardly worth mentioning. You burn more calories fixing the drink that you do ingesting the milk so I just left it off.
Thanks for finding me – glad you’re enjoying! :)
I am going to need one of these later today to power through work. We’re going to be a bit short on help but very busy…so on second thought, I just might take the whole batch with me! I have everything I need for this except the sf caramel…I think I’ll sub in choc sauce today and try the caramel over the weekend!
Ohhhh choc sauce sounds super good! I almost turned this into a mocha frappe – and may be doing that next week :) Enjoy this one and good luck with your day. Sounds shorthanded and busy and like you may need one of these – or a glass of wine :) LKM what you think of it!
This was the perfect little boost yesterday afternoon–cold, sweet and creamy with just a little caffeine (my kind of summer comfort beverage)! I went with a drizzle of chocolate sauce and picked up some caramel on my way home so I can have the rest today….yum yum yum!
I think chocolate sounds great – I almost made the recipe ‘mocha’ by adding cocoa powder to it. I still may :) Glad you liked it!
Holy Stickin moly!! This is so good looking and I can not believe it is only 50 calories. That just crazy and way to good to be true, but I believe you cause you can produce some pretty amazing things!
Looks awesome, Averie!
Thanks, Tieghan. Normally I don’t get too caught up in the stats of things but every once in awhile, if I can make something that even surprises myself, then hey, may as well post about it, loud and proud :)
Yes, I need one of these in my life…or one every afternoon.