How to Make a Frozen Cappuccino – The Best Recipe for Your Blended Iced Coffee

If you prefer your coffee cold and sweet, a frozen cappuccino is always a great choice. But while I do love this cool drink, I’m not a fan of the dent in my wallet from always buying it at the café.

$5 for a Starbucks Frappucino is really pushing it, considering that the whole shebang costs about 50 cents to make at home. That’s part of the reason I can now make all types of coffee beverages…

Today, I’ll share with you my frozen cappuccino recipe. Not only is it super easy to make, but it’s also way cheaper than what you’d pay for a drink out.

Let’s get started.

What is a Frozen Cappuccino?

A frozen cappuccino is a frozen beverage made by blending chilled coffee, ice cubes, milk, and sugar/sweeteners. Variations include adding vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, cookies, caremel, or all of these for a more delectable drink with a caffeine kick.

The origin of the frozen cappuccino is not well-documented, but it’s likely that this drink has been enjoyed by coffee lovers for decades. The popularity of icy coffee drinks has soared in recent years, with many people seeking out ways to enjoy coffee even when the weather is warm, from simply adding ice to instant coffee to making cafe-level cold beverages. Starbucks’ Frappucino (combining the words frappe and cappuccino) debuted in 2002, which accelerated the adoption of this type of beverage.

What makes this cool drink a perfect choice for me is that I can control exactly what goes into my homemade version. If I feel like treating myself to something extra-special, I just whip up a glass of frozen cappuccino topped with vanilla ice cream and some caramel sauce. My kids go bonkers for the coffeeless version as well 🙂

Equipment & Ingredients Used for Frozen Cappuccino

Here are the things that you will need to make a frozen cappuccino that rivals Starbucks any day of the week:

• Coffee maker: Use your choice of coffee maker to brew a pot of strong coffee.
• Blender: Used to blend the ice, chilled coffee, milk, and flavored syrup into a slushy consistency for the frozen iced cappuccino.
• 230 ml strong coffee: Drip coffee with a ratio of less than 1:10 works well, or you can use any other method. This may seem strong compared to the normal drip coffee ratio, but remember that we’ll be diluting the beverage with double this amount of ice, and some milk as well. I don’t usually recommend them, but dark roasted beans like these are best here. On that note, cold brew works great as well, or even Aeropress cold brew.
• 2 tbsp sugar: Added to sweeten the coffee before chilling and blending.
• 2 cups of ice: Blended with chilled coffee for a slushy texture in the final drink.
• Half cup of whole milk: Adds a smooth creaminess to help balance out any bitterness from the strong coffee flavor. You can also use low-fat milk as an alternative.
• Whipped cream: Optional topping that adds additional sweetness and richness.
• 2 tbsp caramel syrup: Optional addition to add extra flavoring and sweetness.

Now that you have what you need, it’s time to jump into this easy homemade frozen cappuccino recipe.

Step-by-Step Frozen Cappuccino Recipe

Although this recipe requires some preparation time (including brewing and chilling the coffee), it’s actually quite easy to execute once all the components are ready. 

Here are the steps to making your own frozen cappuccino at home:

1. Brew 230 ml strong coffee.

• Brew a pot of strong coffee with a coffee-to-water ratio of 1:10 or lower.
• The extra strength of the coffee is to balance the amount of milk and sweeteners that would be added to the drink.
• You can also use other brews like moka pot coffee, and dilute it.

2. Mix the sugar and coffee.

• Add 2 tbsp of sugar to the coffee and stir until completely dissolved.
• Allow the sweetened coffee to cool down to room temperature before placing it in the refrigerator to chill further.

3. Combine the sweetened coffee, ice, milk, and syrup in the blender.

• Pour the chilled sweetened coffee over 2 cups of ice in the blender along with half a cup of milk and 2 tbsp of flavored syrup if you like.
• Blend on low speed until you have reached a slushy consistency that is easy to sip through a straw.

4. Transfer into 2 large glasses and add toppings.

• Pour your blended drink into a large glass (500ml volume) and top it off with whipped cream and more caramel syrup for added richness and sweetness (optional).
• Insert a straw, sit back, relax, and enjoy your homemade frozen cappuccino.

What kind of cup should you serve a frozen cappuccino in?

I recommended you use a tall glass that can hold about five to six ounces of the frozen cappuccino. Using a transparent glass also makes the treat more presentable.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Conclusion

Now that you know how easy it is to make your own frozen cappuccino, there’s no excuse not to indulge in this cool and refreshing treat to combat the heat. Plus, with the ability to customize each drink with different flavorings and toppings, the options are endless.

So why head out for an expensive café-made iced coffee when you can be a barista pro from the comfort of your own kitchen? Whip up one of these drinks today and let us know in the comments how it went.