A frappuccino from the coffee shop costs six dollars and has an ingredients list longer than most cocktails. This one has six ingredients, a blender, and one minute of your time. Milk, ice, frozen cool whip, the insides of a vanilla bean, vanilla extract, and honey.
Split the vanilla bean lengthwise, scrape out the seeds, and drop them into the blender with everything else. You get vanilla flavour from the extract, and from the bean you get those tiny black specks in every sip that tell you this was not made from a powder mix. We keep making this all summer. Pretty damn good for six dollars saved.
Tips for Making a Copycat Vanilla Frappuccino
Use frozen cool whip
The recipe calls for frozen fat-free cool whip, not thawed. Frozen is what gives the drink its thick, icy texture without making it watery. 
If you use thawed cool whip, you get a milkshake. Not bad, but not the same consistency.
Blend for the full minute
One minute sounds like a lot for a blender, but the ice needs to be totally crushed. Under-blended frappuccinos have chunks of ice at the bottom.
If your blender struggles with ice, add the milk first, then the ice in stages.
Copycat Vanilla Frappuccino
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: Serves 4
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Cool off with this copycat Starbucks favorite!
Skip the coffee shop and make it at home.
Ingredients
- 2 cups (473 ml) milk
- 2 cups (473 ml) ice
- 1.5 cups (355 ml) frozen fat free cool whip
- 1 vanilla bean split lengthwise and inside scooped out
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons honey
Instructions
- Place all ingredients in a blender and blend for one minute or until the ice is totally crushed.
Notes
- For a stronger vanilla flavor, increase the vanilla extract to 1.5 teaspoons or add an extra vanilla bean.
- If you don’t have honey, you can substitute with simple syrup or another liquid sweetener.
- For a thicker frappuccino, reduce the amount of milk slightly.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 250
- Sugar: 25
- Sodium: 50
- Fat: 10
- Saturated Fat: 5
- Unsaturated Fat: 5
- Carbohydrates: 40
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 5
- Cholesterol: 5
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use fresh whipped cream instead of frozen cool whip?
You can, but the texture will be different. Frozen cool whip gives the frappuccino its thick, slushy consistency. Fresh whipped cream is lighter and will produce a thinner drink. If you use it, add more ice to compensate.
Do I need a whole vanilla bean or can I just use extract?
The recipe uses both: a whole vanilla bean split and scraped, plus a teaspoon of extract. You get double the vanilla intensity. If you skip the bean, increase the extract to two teaspoons, but you will miss the visual specks.
How can I make this with coffee?
Add two tablespoons of instant espresso powder or a quarter cup of cold strong coffee to the blender. Reduce the milk by the same amount if using liquid coffee. Everything else stays the same.
