You won’t believe how simple it is to make your own McDonald’s Mocha Frappe at home. The easiest copycat recipe that is perfect all-year that, dare I say, tastes better than the original!
Looking for more delicious copycat drink recipes? Our current favorites are the Copycat Chick-fil-A Frosted Lemonade Recipe, Cookies and Cream Frap, Caramel Frappuccino, McMuffin and Copycat Wendy’s Frosty!
What we love about this Mocha Frappe Recipe
- Quick and Easy: The hardest part about this recipe is remembering to freeze the coffee beforehand. Once that’s done it takes less than 2-minutes to make.
- 5-Ingredient Blended Coffee: That’s right, you only need FIVE ingredients.
- Best Copycat Recipe: Ok, so this is right up there with my all-time favorite copycat recipe. Second only to my hot caramel apple cider recipe.
This Chocolate Frappe Recipe is my go-to lately as far as a sweet afternoon pick-me-up. It’s so easy to make and beats waiting in line at McD’s. Ever since day one of taste-testing, I’ve been in love.
Also, you can thank my dad for this one. He is OBSESSED with McDonald’s frappes’ and constantly asks us to “make a quick stop” and pick him up his iced mocha. As a coinsure of McDonald’s beverages, I relied on him heavily to be our final taste tester. The final vote for this iced mocha frappe recipe?
BETTER than the original.
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What’s a Frappe?
A Frappe is a blended creamy coffee that is served in different flavors and topped with whipped cream. Incredibly popular in countries around the world, and made more well known in the United States by the brewhouse Starbucks and fast food stop McDonalds. While frappes often refer to coffee-based beverages, they can also be made with other ingredients. The coffee flavors range from mocha to caramel (my favorite) while the fruit options can be as fresh as strawberry and mango!
Mocha Frappe Ingredients
Can you really beat the frothy, creamy, and chocolate packed flavor in these blended coffees?
This blended coffee really checks all of the boxes. It’s smooth and frothy, creamy, and full of chocolate flavor. All while using the most basic ingredients! You’ll also save money by skipping the drive-thru! Win-win.
Here’s what you need for this recipe:
- Coffee: Make sure the coffee is brewed strong. Weak or less bold coffee won’t give you the flavor you are looking for, but I promise it’s sweet enough in the end.
- Sugar: Just a touch to sweeten the strong brew we use.
- Milk: 2% or higher. We’ve also made this with unsweetened almond and coconut milk with great success.
- Chocolate Syrup: Just a touch is all you need to get a bold mocha taste.
- Whipped Cream: Optional, but a fun finishing touch to your fancy made-at-home drink.
Equipment you’ll need to make the best Copycat Mocha Frappe
To make the best copycat mocha frappe, you’ll need a few key pieces of equipment:
**Blender: A high-speed blender is essential for creating a smooth and creamy frappe. Look for a blender with enough power to crush ice effectively and blend all the ingredients together. A blender with variable speed settings or a pulse function can give you more control over the texture.
Coffee Maker: To get that strong coffee flavor in your mocha frappe, you’ll want to brew a fresh and robust cup of coffee.
Ice Cube Trays**: Frozen coffee cubes are a key component in creating the chilled and slushy texture of a frappe. To ensure you have enough for blending, prepare and freeze some coffee cubes in advance using ice cube trays.
McDonald’s Mocha Frappe Recipe Variations and Substitutions
When recreating a McDonald’s Mocha Frappe at home, you can experiment with variations and substitutions to customize the recipe according to your preferences.
- Milk: We like this recipe with whole milk, but you can substitute it with other types of milk, such as almond milk, soy milk, or oat milk, depending on your dietary preferences or restrictions. Keep in mind that different types of milk might alter the taste and texture slightly.
- Sweeteners: This recipe is sweetened with sugar and chocolate syrup. You can adjust the sweetness by adding more or less sugar or using alternative sweeteners like honey, maple syrup, or stevia. Additionally, you can experiment with flavored syrups like hazelnut or mint for added depth of flavor.
- Ice cream: For a creamier and more indulgent frappe, consider adding a scoop or two of vanilla or chocolate ice cream to the blender. This will give the frappe a richer texture and enhance the overall flavor. It may take some experimentation to achieve the perfect balance of flavors and textures. Enjoy the process of creating your own unique variations!
How to make a Mocha Frappe (McDonald’s Copycat)
Here’s the big secret, you are going to need to freeze your coffee. Freezing the coffee in an ice cube tray will give you the perfect base to start with. Could you use regular ice? Sure. But you’d have a much more watered down version of this beverage.
- Pour your brewed, and slightly cooled coffee into an ice mold.
- Freeze solid, roughly 3 to 4 hours.
- Place the frozen coffee cubes, sugar, milk, and chocolate syrup in a blender.
- Blend at a medium/high speed for 2 minutes.
- Pour into a glass and top off with whipped cream.
Storing leftover Mocha Frappe
If you have leftover Frappe that you’d like to save for later, here’s the best way to go about it. Pour the leftovers into a sealable container (I like to use a mason jar). Place it into the refrigerator to help keep things chilled. Enjoy within the first 24 hours. Remember, the texture may slightly change after being refrigerated due to the ice melting, so it may not be exactly the same as when freshly made. However, with a quick stir or blend, you can still enjoy the flavors and sweet caffeine boost.
Frappe Recipe Tips and FAQs
Yes! You can definitely use a decaf coffee in this recipe. In fact, I recommend using your favorite coffee in general. You won’t see a difference in the overall flavor.
Not a big fan of chocolate? I’ve got you. Swap the chocolate syrup for a vanilla flavored syrup. Easy peasy.
This recipe could be made using sugar free options. Stevia is a good alternative to the sugar and I believe I’ve seen sugar free chocolate syrup in the ice cream aisle of our local grocer.
The short answer? Yes, but you shouldn’t. This drink is best when made just before serving.
However, I do recommend keeping frozen coffee in the freezer to make this extra simple to whip up whenever the mood strikes. You can keep frozen coffee cubes in the freezer for up to 2 months in an airtight container of freezer bag.
More Coffee Recipes You’ll Love
- Iced Latte with Vanilla
- Copycat Starbucks Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew
- 3-Ingredient Caramel Iced Coffee
- Quick Coconut Horchata Latte
- Coconut Milk Latte Recipe
- Starbucks Dirty Chai Latte Recipe
- How to Make Cold Brew Coffee
- Cinnamon and Sugar Snickerdoodle Latte
- Holiday Gingerbread Latte
- Homemade Pumpkin Spice Latte
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Copycat McDonald’s Mocha Frappe
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup strong brewed coffee
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 tablespoon chocolate syrup
- Whipped Cream optional
Instructions
- Pour your brewed, and slightly cooled coffee into an ice mold.
- Freeze solid, roughly 3 to 4 hours.
- Place the frozen coffee cubes, sugar, milk, and chocolate syrup in a blender.
- Blend at a medium/high speed for 2 minutes.
- Pour into a glass and top off with whipped cream.
Notes
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Comments & Reviews
Jaime says
Where are the actual portion amounts for each ingredient
Jesseca says
The portion amounts for each ingredient are listed in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. Let me know if you have trouble finding it—I’m happy to help!
Alexis Mitchell says
Good
Elizabeth Csir says
I Love McDonalds Frappe, I usually get 2 or 3 every week, the Mocha is my favorite., When I saw this recipe, I couldn’t believe how delicious it tasted, just like McDonalds Frappe, So Thank You For Sharing it.
Now I can make my own Frappe at home.🥳💜🙋♀️🎉
Alexa Larsson says
I am a huge McDonalds mocha frappe addict and lover.
But I recently moved to Sweden and they don’t taste the same as the American ones. (Not as flavorful or icy)
There is only one McDonalds near my village which takes 20 minutes to drive to, who also never blends them fully so they make horrible quality ones that has unblended ice cubes. (staff who get sour if I ask for a new one)
But I am so happy with this recipe and it even tastes BETTER than the McDonalds ones.
Thank you so so much! you have restored the balance in my life and have made a frappe addict so happy!
I am excited to be able to make them whenever I want them and to spend less money on them.
10/10 rating on the recipe! 💥
Jesseca says
Ok Alexa, you sure know how to make someone’s day! This comment was so kind and really made my crazy busy week feel worth it.
Macy says
how many ice cubes to put in the blender?
Mariah says
lol i love the face that theres still bits of ice in mine when i get one from mcdonalds. i actually get sad when its fully bleded. crunching on the ice easily as i drink is my favorite part of drinking it. ive been trying to find a recipe that actually tastes like the McDonald’s mocha frap so hopefully this one works and maybe i can put aside extra ice to half bled for that effect since this calls for coffee ice cubes lol
Jesseca says
I 100% know what you mean. You should be able to get that slightly under blended finish by cutting back how long you blend the ingredients together.
Linda L Houle says
this is my most favorite drink. and it taste just like McDonalds mocha frappe
Jesseca says
Thank you, Linda!
Peggy says
Love the Michael frappe
Karen Messinger says
What would thicken this up a bit would be to add a 1/4 tsp of xanthan gum. That’s what Starbucks uses. I tried it & it works well.