Frappe vs Frappuccino – How well do you know the difference?

Ice cream, fruit, and vegetables are the favorite foods and drinks for summertime. This is why Frappe and Frappucino are ideal for a cool summer break, thanks to their ice-included ingredients.

In this article, we’ll see the differences and similarities between the two and how to prepare each.

The good news is you don’t need expensive or big fancy equipment to make a frappe or frappuccino. A low to mid-range espresso machine or manual espresso machine will do just nicely.

What is the Difference between a Frappe and a Frappuccino?

Both may seem similar, there are a lot of differences between frappe and frappucino. Perhaps the main difference separating them is the ice cream. The simplest way to describe frappucino is that it is coffee added to a milkshake. Here, hot coffee, ice cream with flavors, and milk are mixed and turned into a drink filled with froth with milk topping.

Frappe is simpler. It’s made of water and instant coffee. However, frappe has many variations. It can include ice cubes, milk, brewed coffee, and cream. Frappe uses instant coffee. Frappucino does not. Frappucino only uses brewed coffee.

Also, Frappuccino is a patent of Starbucks. It’s the only company producing it. Frappucinos may sometimes not include coffee while frappes include coffee all the time.

Frappucinos have a lot of sugar and cream. Hence, it’s not for diabetics and it’s more for children. Frappe however is more suitable to Europeans.

Also see: The Top 10 Ways to Make Coffee at Home

What is a Frappe?

The traditional frappe is made from crushed ice, instant coffee, and milk. As decoration and for an improved and tastier drink, we can include whipped creams, ice cream balls, cinnamon powder, or the aromatic ingredient that we like the most.

Preparing it is very simple and will allow you to obtain a very refreshing cold dessert for hot seasons, especially. Even the cappuccino frappe is one of the alternatives to the more classic fruit frappés, ideal for cheering up during the day or starting it with an extra cuddle.

To prepare it you need milk, coffee, cocoa, ice, sugar, and maybe whipped cream to taste.

First of all, the coffee is prepared, then it is heated together with the milk in a saucepan, also adding the sugar and cocoa.

Once hot, you’ll need to turn it off and leave it to cool. Once the mixture is cold, it is put in the blender together with the ice, and it is turned at maximum speed for a few minutes, to crush the ice well.

In the meantime, the glasses in which it will be served can be placed in the freezer, to cool them. And when it is ready, pour it inside, decorating with a few tufts of whipped cream and cocoa powder.

The frappé can also be prepared with ice cream, although this variety is often called milkshake.

For example, to prepare a coffee frappe with ice cream, you can use a few scoops of coffee ice cream, a few tablespoons of restricted coffee, a little milk and ice cubes.

Put everything in the blender, and let it turn until a thick and homogeneous drink is obtained. Unlike the milkshake prepared with milk, this variant remains creamier and decidedly more caloric, because the milk is almost entirely replaced by ice cream.

• Ingredients: To prepare Frappe, you need milk, coffee, cocoa, ice, sugar, and whipped cream (optionally) to taste
• Size of Average Drink: 10 oz
• Flavor/Coffee Strength: slight coffee taste
• Different Variations: Greek frappe, frapógalo, freddo espresso
• How Much Caffeine: around 70 mg
• Is a Frappe Hot or Cold: A frappe may be prepared hot but it is served cold

What is a Frappuccino?

Frappuccino originally consisted of espresso mixed with ice and various ingredients, usually topped with whipped cream.

The name is a registered trademark of the Starbucks chain and although quite new in many countries, it has been in existence for more than 15 years.

It was not created, however, by Starbucks, but by a coffee shop currently considered a “cult” in the United States in the early ’90s.

Frappuccino is an acronym for frappe and cappuccino. Although frappe coffee is a popular summer frothy iced coffee drink in Greece, the term was used in the Boston area in reference to a frothy shake. In any case, both derive from the French term that refers to a frozen or shaken drink.

The Coffee Connection, a coffee shop owned by George Howell, pioneer of the specialty coffee movement and origin coffee, was bought by the expanding Starbucks firm in 1994, which not only took over its stores but also the popular beverage that began to sell in 1995.

This refreshing and energetic option, whose legion of enthusiasts does not stop growing around the world, also has its detractors. These argue that coffee goes into the background as it is asphyxiated by whipped milk, additives, and glucose, contrary to the classic and elegant cappuccino, espresso with milk foam, capable of highlighting some of the most subtle characteristics of an espresso coffee.

This may be true. The drink should be understood as an alternative to ice cream or a smoothie without more since it is even possible to order a frappuccino without coffee.

You can however customize Starbucks frappucino. The customer can choose all the ingredients of the frozen drink, from the type of milk (skim, semi-skimmed, soy), through the coffee (espresso or decaffeinated), and ending with the syrup with infinite varieties. There are even fruits, cookies, spices, or tea flavors.

• Ingredients: Frappuccinos are made of milk, instant coffee powder (sometimes not included), sugar to taste, whipped cream, and an ice pack.
• Size of Average Drink: 12 oz
• Flavor/Coffee Strength: pistachio, chocolate flavor; not really tasting like coffee
• Different Variations: There are up to 36,000 variations of frappucino, according to Starbucks.
• How Much Caffeine: Mocha and coffee frappucinos can have up to 70 grams of coffee.
• Is a Frappuccino Hot or Cold: Frappuccinos are served cold.

What Are the Similarities Between Frappe and Frappuccino?

In the summer heat, our diet must vary compared to those needed in winter. During this period, we do not need many daily calories to combat the cold.

However, light, fresh, and cold drinks and meals are sufficient. Summer foods must be richer in fiber and water and less in protein, much slower to digest.

This is why Frappe and Frappucino are great for this period and is partly the reason they come neck-to-neck in comparisons.

Both the frappe and frappucino belong to the soft group of drinks that is based on coffee.

Similarly, frappe, like Frappuccino is made from crushed ice, instant coffee, and milk. Both drinks contain ice. Hence, they are both suitable for summer. Frappe and Frappucino are large drinks. The latter can be up to 12 oz while the former can reach 10 oz.

Where they both get more similar is when the Frappe drink, like Frappuccino, contains ice cream and whipped topping of cream as you can find in some European countries.

How Do You Make a Frappe at Home?

Below are the ingredients, equipment, and simple instructions needed for making a frappe drink at home.

Ingredients

•  4 glasses of milk
•  4 tablespoons of Coffee powder
•  Sugar to taste
•  1 jar of whipped cream
•  1 ice pack

Equipment Needed

• Blender
• Glasses
• Refrigerator

Simple Instructions

Below are the step-by-step instructions for making frappe at home:

• Making this coffee frappe is very simple, the first thing we are going to do is take the glasses that we are going to use to serve it and fill them with milk. Count one glass per person and pour the milk into the blender.
• Then, add the coffee powder, a tablespoon per glass, sugar to taste, the crushed ice to the blender.
• Next, crush everything. We are preparing this recipe for four people, but you can make it for the glasses you want.
• Once everything is well blended, it is poured into the glasses and they are reserved in the refrigerator. Now go with the Chantilly cream. Beat it until it reaches the level of snow and be able to introduce it in a pastry bag to decorate the glasses of frappé. If you wish, you can substitute it for whipped cream.
• Sprinkle a little coffee powder on top as a decoration and that’s it! You already have a delicious coffee frappe to serve and taste.

How Do You Make a Frappuccino at Home?

Below are the ingredients, equipment, and simple instructions needed for making a frappuccino drink at home.

Ingredients

• 80 ml cold espresso
• 80 ml milk
• 1 tbsp granulated sugar
• 1 cup ice cubes
• 2 tbsp chocolate syrup
• Whipped cream for garnish

Equipment Needed

• Refrigerator
• Blender
• Glasses for serving

Simple Instructions

Making a frappucino is simple and straightforward. Follow the process below:

• Blend the ice cubes with the espresso.
• Add the milk, sugar, and chocolate syrup.
• Blend for 30 seconds until the ice is completely crushed and the drink is smooth.

Serve in a tall glass and decorate with the whipped cream.

Which is Better, Frappe or Frappuccino?

The Frappucino has whipped cream, while the Frappe is based on milk. Frappe may have whipped cream if you want too. The latter is much fresher and more digestible, the former is tastier and more nutritious and perhaps more suitable for children.

Frappucinos may be too sugary for an adult with high blood sugar while Frappes are often consumed in Europe. On the market, you can find Frappucinos by Starbucks made for kids of 4 to 6 years, 7 to 9 years, and 10 to 12 years.  

Final Thoughts

Both are drinks that include the use of ice and coffee (although some frappucino drinks don’t have coffee). With frappe, the manufacturer can bring in its variations. It can be made with brewed or instant coffee and other flavors added. However, frappucino is only made and patented by Starbucks, a soft drink and coffee drink maker.