Difference Between Frappe And Frappuccino [Detailed By A Coffee Lover]

If you are struggling to understand the difference between frappe and Frappuccino this article is for you.

The difference is very slight, which leads to a lot of confusion. Compounding that confusion is that these two drinks in America are very much the same.

Just compare a McDonald’s frappé and Starbucks Frappuccino, and you’ll see what I mean!

There is a subtle difference and a reason why McDonald’s doesn’t call their frappé a Frappuccino.

Keep reading to find out the subtle difference between a frappé and a Frappuccino.

Difference Between Frappe And Frappuccino?

The difference between a Frappé and a Frappuccino is very subtle, and is outlined in much greater detail throughout this article. I’ll get granular and compare the difference between these beverages and other popular drinks like a cappuccino, latte, milk shake and Frostino.

At the heart of the matter, the difference between a Frappé and a Frappuccino is the use of whipped cream as a topping.

A Frappuccino is a trademark owned by Starbucks. No other outlet can use or sell their frappé’s with whipped cream and call them a Frappuccino, which is why a McDonald’s and Dunkin’ Donuts frappé with whipped cream is called a frappé and not a Frappuccino.

The same can be said of Costa, who have their own name and trademark, Frostino as the name for their frappé beverages that have whipped cream.

Since they can’t call them a Frappuccino, and don’t want to call them a frappé, or because they want to make that distinction between their frappé beverages and the ones that come with whipped cream, they came up with their own name, Frostino and registered it as a trademark.

Read: Is a frappe hot or cold? 

What Is Frappé

A frappé is a tasty and delightful iced drink, to be more precise, an iced coffee drink, that originates in Greece and dates back to its invention in 1957 by a Nestlé sales representative. The Greek traditionally make a frappé with instant coffee, sugar, and milk and is shaken in a shaker or cocktail shaker.

The result is a frothy, cold and sweet coffee drink that is popular all over Southern Europe and Europe in general.

While many coffee lovers prepare and make a frappé without instant coffee, this is not a true frappé in the strictest sense as it produces a very different tasting coffee drink.

Since the original frappé coffee recipe requires the use of instant coffee, any frappé made with brewed coffee (drip coffee) or shots of hot espresso or any hot coffee is not truly a frappé.

Although coffee enthusiasts and coffee lovers frown at the use of instant coffee, its use in this beverage enhances the coffee flavor.

The caffeine content varies from 30 mg to 170 mg depending on the coffee beans used to make the instant coffee and the size of your frappé beverage.

The calorie content also varies depending on how much sugar is used to sweeten the drink which can range from being sugar-free to one or two teaspoons and of course the type of sugar.

A milk-free and sugar-free frappé has the lowest calorie count with almost zero calories.

Naturally,

as you add sugar (as desired) and milk the calorie levels can and will start to increase and can get as high as 50 calories per 100 ml (3.33 Ounces). The inclusion of ice cream, which is common in a more modern frappé will start to add extra calories.

If you are on a diet and like sweet milky coffee beverages and want your frappé with milk and sugar you can consider making a gourmet frappé with an alternative sweetener like agave or stevia or an alternative sugar like a coconut sugar, brown sugar or even honey.

To reduce the calorie content you can give some thought to low fat or nonfat milk or alternative milk like coconut milk, soy milk, almond milk, oat milk or another plant or nut based milk.

What Is A Frappuccino?

A Frappuccino is a combination of a traditional frappé and a cappuccino. The coffee used is not instant coffee but a shot of espresso and to give the beverage the cappuccino look whipped cream is used as a topping.

Notably, it is not uncommon for filter coffee to be used for the coffee content of a Frappuccino.

A Frappuccino comes in a range of flavors with vanilla, chocolate, and caramel being popular choices. A Frappuccino doesn’t always have coffee, with some tasty options and recipes involving the use of chai and tea as well as crème.

While a Frappuccino is popular in Europe due to the sheer number of Starbucks outlets, there is a distinct difference between a frappé and a Frappuccino in Europe while in America they are very much considered as the same drink.

When it comes to the calorie content, a Frappuccino has a lot more calories than a frappé due to the whipped cream and use of sugar syrups like vanilla syrup, chocolate syrup and caramel syrup being popular choices.

…Which all add to the total amount of calories.

Read: Frappuccino Vs Frappe

The Similarities Between A Frappé And A Frappuccino

So far we have discussed what a frappé is and what a frappuccino is and touched on the difference between a frappé and Frappuccino, but what about the similarities between a frappé and a Frappuccino?

What exactly is it that makes these two beverages similar?

For a start, both a frappé and a Frappuccino are iced coffee drinks that are made with crushed ice and are best enjoyed on a hot summer day and are a summer favorite amongst coffee lovers.

Both are generally only available during the summer season – unless you happen to live in the tropics!

Both, when unflavored or flavored with similar ingredients, taste very much the same. A caramel frappé has a similar taste to a caramel Frappuccino. A plain, unflavored Frappuccino tastes similar to a plain, unflavored frappé.

They have the same base ingredients of coffee, milk and water.

Difference Between Frappuccino And Cappuccino?

The main difference between a Frappuccino and a cappuccino is outlined in the table below. Here are some of the notable differences:

• A cappuccino can be served hot, a Frappuccino can’t.
• A Frappuccino is made with crushed ice, a cappuccino is never served with crushed ice.
• A cappuccino is always made with coffee. Not all Frappuccino’s are made with coffee.
• A Frappuccino is a trade marked beverage owned by Starbucks, a cappuccino is a trade marked beverage.

Difference Between Frappé And Cappuccino

Now that we have compared a Frappuccino and a Cappuccino, and have highlighted the difference between a cappuccino and a Frappuccino as well as the difference between frappé and Frappuccino, let’s talk and highlight the difference between a frappé and a cappuccino.

Here are some of the key differences:

• A frappé is traditionally made instant coffee, a cappuccino is not.
• A cappuccino is always made with shots of espresso, a frappé is not always made with espresso, a way of making one that breaks with the true, traditional and original way of making a frappé.
• A cappuccino can be made using whipped cream. A frappé is never made with whipped cream.

Read: What is a Frappuccino?

Difference Between Frappé And Latte

The both a latte and a frappé are tasty coffee drinks and are both very different. A latte is a milky coffee drink that is made with a single or double shot of espresso and whole fat steamed milk and then topped with a cap of frothed milk.

And a frappé, well, we have already covered that extensively.

The key difference between a frappé and a latte:

• A latte is always served hot. A frappé is always served cold.
• A latte has frothed milk, a frappé has no frothed milk.
• A latte has steamed milk, a frappé can be made with milk, but never with steamed milk.
• A latte is only 6 oz (180 ml) typically, a frappé is a minimum 12 oz (360 ml).

Difference Between Frappé And Milkshake

The difference between a frappé and a milkshake is more subtle, and the difference the addition of one ingredient.

(No, it’s not coffee!).

A milkshake is a tasty beverage made with milk, flavoring and is blended, shaken, whipped or frothed until it is foamy.

Ice cream may be added to a milkshake to thicken it up.

The addition of ice cream does not make a milkshake a frappé, even though many restaurants and fast food outlets call a milkshake with ice cream a frappé. It is not the correct name for this beverage.

It only becomes a frappé when crushed ice is added.

A milkshake with or without ice cream to make it thicker, with crushed ice is a frappé.

Coffee?

Although the original recipe for a frappé included the use of instant coffee, and the beverage is strongly associated with the use of coffee. There are many frappé recipes that are both coffee and caffeine free.

Frostino vs Frappuccino

A Frostino is a delicious blended ice-cold beverage that is made with or without coffee and uses crushed ice, flavored syrups, herbs and whipped cream.

Does that sound like a beverage that we have already mentioned?

Yes,

it sounds a lot like a Frappuccino.

Getting to the heart of the matter, a Frostino is a trade-mark beverage and name owned by Costa while a Frappuccino is a trade-mark beverage and name owned by Starbucks. Thus you can only get a Frappuccino at Starbucks and a Frostino at Costa.

Due to the laws regarding registered trademarks, no other company without the consent of the trademark owner can use the name Frostino or Frappuccino.

Both are essentially the same beverage with another name and only a slight variation in the recipe. Both are, at the heart of the matter, a frappé with whipped cream.

Frequently Asked Questions About Difference Between Frappe And Frappuccino

Are Frappe And Frappuccino The Same Thing?

No, a frappé is a popular iced coffee beverage from Greece that is made with crushed ice, instant coffee, sugar and milk and manually shaken in a cocktail shaker. Now, it is becoming popular, even in Greece, for a frappé to be made with a shot of Espresso, crushed ice, sugar and made using a blender.

A Frappuccino is a flavored coffee drink* made with crushed ice, shots of espresso, flavored syrup, herbs (if required by the recipe) and milk and is blended in an ice crushing blender.

Whipped cream is used as a topping and more often than not a drizzle of syrup is added on top of the whipped cream. Frequently a sprinkling of chocolate powder, cinnamon or chocolate shavings are sprinkled on the whipped cream.

Cast your mind back to what a frappé is and what is served as a frappé at McDonald’s, Costa, Dunkin’ Donuts and other such coffee outlets.

These are much more like a Frappuccino than a frappé.

The reason behind this is they are not legally permitted to call their frappé’s Frappuccino’s (and they are Frappuccino’s and not frappé’s) is because the name Frappuccino is a trademark owned by Starbucks.

Strictly speaking, only a Frappuccino is sold by Starbucks. All the others are a frappé with whipped cream and flavored syrup, which is essentially what a Frappuccino is!). At Starbucks, if you want a frappé, simply ask for a Frappuccino without whipped cream.

*A Frappuccino can be made with coffee, tea or crème.

Is It Called FRAP Or Frappe?

The beverage frappé is pronounced Frah-Pay in two syllables. The original word frappe (no accent on the e) can be traced back to New England and being the word used to describe a thick ice cream based milk shake, which of course is derived from lait frappé (with the accent) meaning an iced milk drink with crushed ice.

To be clear, it is called frappé and not FRAP.

Does A Frappe Always Have Coffee In It?

No, not always. A frappé does not always have coffee in it. There are many variations made that are made with tea (the Matcha green tea and chia are amazing!).

A frappé can be made with various fruits, fruit combinations and even milk or ice cream and does not always mean that it has coffee. A frappé in modern times thanks to gourmet coffee shops has become synonymous with coffee.

What Does Frappe Stand For?

The word frappé is from the French language meaning iced. The term iced does not mean iced in the same context as the English language; it means with crushed ice. Frappé is not taken to mean a coffee beverage with crushed ice, which is how it is served in Greece, all over Europe and from many coffee outlets.

Is A Frappe Just Iced Coffee?

No, an iced coffee and a frappé are two different beverages. Iced coffee is served with iced cubes. The term “iced” in the coffee world describes any coffee beverage that has whole ice cubes.

The term frappé in the coffee world is in reference to a coffee beverage that is made with crushed ice.

Does McDonald’s Put Alcohol In Their Frappes?

The alcohol content of a frappé beverages at McDonald’s is zero, but alcohol is used during the manufacturing of the following frappé beverages:

• Chocolate chip iced frappé.
• Caramel iced frappé.
• Whipped cream.

The amount of alcohol used during the manufacturing process is very low and evaporates and thus, although used, the amount in the beverages is zero.

Final Thoughts – Difference Between Frappe And Frappuccino

The difference between frappe and Frappuccino is very subtle, almost unnoticeable and most people don’t even think about how they are different and happily consider them as the same drink.

It is very clear that they are both different drinks with that subtle difference of not being made with espresso shots (traditionally at least) and being made with instant coffee (traditionally) and the lack of whipped cream as topping.

Of course that trademark name which Starbucks obtained in 1994 when they bought out the coffee connection chain of coffee shops is what prevents anyone else from using or calling their drinks Frappuccino’s.

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Derek Marshall

Derek Marshall, a certified barista by the Specialty Coffee Association possesses over two decades of experience in specialty coffee shops. He holds professional certifications for coffee brewing and barista skills. Derek is also an author with authoritative books covering various coffee topics including specialty coffee, sustainability and coffee, coffee brewing, coffee recipes, coffee cocktails and books focusing on Brazilian coffee, Vietnamese coffee, Indonesian coffee and Malaysian coffee. As a barista for over two decades, Derek Marshall has worked in specialty coffee shops across the United Kingdom, Spain, Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia, Indonesia, and Vietnam. His expertise extends to the distinct coffee cultures, specialty beverages, and brewing techniques of each nation. Functioning as a coffee consultant, Derek charges US$50 per hour. To learn more about Derek Marshall and Latte Love Brew, visit his About Me Page. For coffee inquiries, contact him at +34-639-410-375 or Derek@LatteLoveBrew.com, mentioning your name and location