This vegan mocha frappuccino is a copycat recipe and vegan version of the popular frosty treat at Starbucks! Who knew it was so easy and inexpensive to make it yourself at home!?
Before I was vegan, I loved getting a cold and frosty mocha frappuccino from Starbucks, especially on hot summer days spent at Disney World! It tasted so sweet and refreshing, plus it gave me a nice afternoon caffeine boost. I definitely considered it to be a treat because it was expensive and it probably contained more sugar than I was used to consuming in an afternoon snack that I would normally pack for a day at the Parks.
I'm so happy that I can make this version of a vegan Starbucks frappuccino that's dairy-free, it doesn't contain any added sugar (besides what's in the cocoa spread), and it's much more affordable! Now you can make this frosty treat anytime you want from the comfort of your own home!
Ingredients
The ingredients needed to make this copycat vegan Starbucks frappuccino are pretty simple, but each one is important for different reasons!
- Coffee - You can use freshly brewed and cooled coffee or cold brew for the base of this vegan frappuccino. I use these organic coffee beans from Costco.
- Ice Cubes - I don't like to add ice cubes to my smoothies, but they are important to blend with the coffee to give it that classic frothy and icy consistency. Cold water won't work the same as cubed or crushed ice.
- Coconut Milk - Since this is a vegan frappuccino, I didn't use heavy cream or full-fat milk, so I used coconut milk because of its high-fat content. It makes it taste super creamy!
- Cocoa Spread - You can use any vegan chocolate sauce that you have, but I absolutely love the flavor of this organic hazelnut cocoa spread! It's so fudgy and rich and it adds the best chocolate flavor!
How to Make It
First, make a fresh cup of coffee and let it cool completely. Put the cooled coffee, ice cubes, coconut milk, and cocoa spread into a blender and blend until smooth and frothy. Pour the mixture into a cup and then you can add your favorite coffee toppings.
Serving Suggestions
You can enjoy this homemade vegan Starbucks frappuccino without any toppings, that's how I used to order it at the coffee shop, but you could also add the following toppings if you want:
- Dairy-Free Whipped Cream: There are lots of options for vegan whipped cream nowadays. You can use one that sprays out of a can or my favorite, coco whip from a tub.
- Whipped Topping: If you're not a fan of store-bought dairy-free whipped cream, you could make an aquafaba whipped topping.
- Fudge Sauce
- Chocolate Shavings
- Caramel Sauce
What Goes With It?
You can enjoy this vegan frozen coffee in the morning to start your day, as an afternoon pick-me-up, or really any time of the day that you need a tasty treat. I like to make it in the morning to go with my breakfast. I can personally attest to the fact that any of the following breakfast recipes are delicious with this vegan frappuccino.
- Curried Tofu Scramble
- Breakfast Burrito Bowls
- Rawnola Bowls
- Slow Cooker Overnight Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal
Recipe Variations
Wanna switch it up? This frosty coffee is great just like this, but any of the following variations are delicious too.
- Add Peanut Butter: Chocolate and peanut butter are a classic combination! Add 1 tbsp creamy peanut butter to the blender cup to make this drink taste even more indulgent.
- Make it a Smoothie: You could make this drink a little more substantial by adding a frozen banana to the blender cup with the rest of the ingredients. If the mixture is too thick, you may need to add a little more coconut milk.
- Skip the Chocolate: If mocha isn't your jam, you can substitute 3 tbsp of vegan caramel sauce for the cocoa spread.
Notes & Substitutions
- Cocoa Spread Substitutions: You can use vegan fudge sauce, melted chocolate chips, or 1 tbsp of cocoa or cacao powder instead of the spread that I used. If you use cocoa or cacao powder, you'll definitely need to add 1-2 tbsp maple syrup, date syrup (low-glycemic), or agave to sweeten the drink.
- Coconut Milk Substitutions: You can use any type of plant milk (oat, cashew, almond, etc) to replace the coconut milk. I only used coconut milk because its high-fat content makes the drink extra rich and creamy. Don't use vanilla-flavored plant milk because the vanilla flavor will clash with the chocolate flavor.
- Should I add any sweetener? I prefer my drink to not taste super sweet, so I used unsweetened plant milk and I didn't add any extra sweeteners. However, if the drink isn't sweet enough for you, you can add 1-2 tbsp maple syrup or your sweetener of choice to sweeten the drink.
- Is there a refined sugar-free option? You could make the drink with just coffee, unsweetened coconut milk, ice, and cacao powder or carob powder, but it may taste too bitter. If you want to naturally sweeten the drink, you could use date syrup instead of using a spread or syrup that contains refined sugar.
- This vegan recipe is inspired by this recipe from Crunchy Creamy Sweet.
Success Tips
- Use ice to give the frappuccino that iced, blended coffee texture that you find in Starbucks frappuccinos.
- If you have any leftovers, pour it into an ice cube mold and freeze it. Then you can blend it again in the future to make another frozen coffee drink or you could use them to make a coffee smoothie.
Want More Vegan Drink Recipes?
Vegan Mocha Frappuccino
Equipment
- Coffee Maker
- Blender
Ingredients
- ½ cup coffee cooled
- 1 cup ice
- ⅓ cup unsweetened coconut milk (from a refrigerated carton)
- 3 tbsp vegan cocoa spread
- ½ cup dairy-free whipped cream (optional)
Instructions
- Brew a fresh cup of coffee and let it cool completely before adding it to the blender.
- Add the ice cubes, coconut milk, and cocoa spread to the blender cup with the coffee. Blend on high until the mixture is smooth and icy.
- Pour the blended coffee into a cup and top it with dairy-free whipped cream.
Notes
- Use ice to give the frappuccino that iced, blended coffee texture that you find in Starbucks frappuccinos.
- If you have any leftovers, pour it into an ice cube mold and freeze it. Then you can blend it again in the future to make another frozen coffee drink or you could use them to make a coffee smoothie.
Nutrition
*This recipe was originally shared on 10/20/16, but I updated it on 8/9/20.
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