These Pumpkin Spice Frappuccinos are a tasty spin on a fall fave, especially if you love iced coffee – and you won't even need to go to Starbucks!
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How to make pumpkin spice frappuccinos
I think as I'm getting older I have a more natural aversion to overly sweet things, so that's the other reason I prefer to make my fancy cappuccinos and lattes at home.
Not only do you save a TON of money making frappuccinos at home, but once you have the ingredients on hand, you can make some fancy coffee drinks ALL THE TIME. No driving, no walking, no spending. Here's how to make these frappuccinos:
- Make the simple syrup and make the pumpkin spice mix.
- Add espresso, simple syrup, milk, pumpkin puree, pumpkin spice mix and ice to a blender.
- Mix together until smooth.
- Add whipped cream and garnish with a pinch of pumpkin spice mix. Serve and enjoy right away!
Ingredients in pumpkin spice frappuccinos
If you know anything at all about my Starbucks obsession, then you know that I need to start making more copycat recipes at home so I can start saving a little more money.
Believe it or not, Starbucks has a PUMPKIN SPICE FRAPPUCCINO on their menu! OMG! And I've recreated it at home – it's super easy! Here's everything you need below:
- espresso
- homemade simple syrup (see the recipe below)
- 2% milk – any type of milk (skim, whole, non-dairy) will work here
- pumpkin puree
- homemade pumpkin spice mix (see recipe below)
- ice cubes
- Whipped cream (optional garnish)
How to make the simple syrup
It is SO easy to make simple sryup. All you need is 1 part boiling water, 1 part sugar. Here are the measurements I use:
- 1/3 cup boiling water
- 1/3 cup sugar
You can make even more syrup and store leftovers in a mason jar in the fridge up to 2 months.
What type of coffee to use
Espresso is key with these frappuccinos – you want strong coffee, not drip coffee as that's what's used in most lattes and cappuccinos. You also don't want the liquid-ice ratios to be thrown off.
You can even use one of those coffee machines that uses pods (Keurig, Tassimo, Nespresso, etc.) Just be sure to choose espresso and brew them short.
If you're looking for a great tasting espresso blend and have a fancy espresso maker, I prefer Lavazza coffee – it's my fave store bought brand. You can also pick up specialty coffee from small, independent coffee shops too!
How to make them dairy-free
With just a few small changes, this drink can easily be made vegan/dairy-free!
I use dairy milk and whipping cream for the pumpkin spice frappuccinos, but they can easily be switched with non-dairy milk and whipped cream. Coconut milk is a great option because it is thicker and more creamy than dairy milk, and you can even find coconut whipped cream in many grocery stores these days!
Making homemade pumpkin spice
Here's what you need for the homemade pumpkin spice blend:
- 2 tbsp cinnamon
- 2 tbsp nutmeg
- 1 tbsp ginger
You can store leftover spice mix in a plastic bag or small mason jar in your pantry up to 3 months.
Tricks to blending
If you have a good blender, you should be able to add all the ingredients all at once and just blend everything up!
If you just want to make one frapp at a time, cut the recipe in half and then add to Magic Bullet for a personalized drink.
If you have a cheaper blender, I'd recommend adding half the ice at a time so that the liquid has a chance to develop. I also recommend adding the liquid ingredients in first, then adding ice bit by bit.
Storing components for future frappuccinos
I make the simple syrup and pumpkin spice blend in advance so that it's easy to make a frappuccino in no time! You can store both components of the drink in your kitchen up to 2-3 months. You can also store leftover pumpkin puree in a glass container up to 2 weeks so that you can enjoy multiple frappuccinos!
I don't recommend making these drinks in bulk because they will become watered down – they are best to enjoy right away!
More pumpkin spice drinks
Meal prep tools for this recipe
- I use 16oz mason jars as cups and storage containers for these drinks
- Vitamix is my all-time fave blender – it crushes through ice super easily!
- You can also use a Magic Bullet for individual servings of this drink
- I use smaller 4oz jars for storing homemade spice mixes (and just regular spices) such as the pumpkin spice blend
Pumpkin Spice Frappuccinos!
Ingredients
- 4 espresso shots
- 1/3 cup simple syrup more or less depending on how sweet you like things
- 1 cup 2% milk 1% or skim if you want a low-fat version)
- 1/4 cup pumpkin puree
- 2 tsp pumpkin spice mix
- 12 ice cubes
- Whipped cream optional
- Pumpkin spice mix for garnish
Simple syrup
- 1/3 cup boiling water
- 1/3 cup sugar
Pumpkin Spice Mix
- 2 tbsp cinnamon
- 2 tbsp nutmeg
- 1 tbsp ginger
Instructions
- Make simple syrup by boiling water and mixing it with sugar. In a small bowl, mix together the pumpkin spice mix and set aside.
- Add espresso, simple syrup, milk, pumpkin puree, pumpkin spice mix and ice to a blender.
- Mix together until there are no chunks of ice left.
- Add whipped cream (if desired)and garnish with a pinch of pumpkin spice mix. Serve and enjoy right away!
Video
Nutrition
*nutritional info is for 1 frappuccino minus the whipped cream – add 25-30 more calories for the whipped cream
Ian says
Hi there I made this recipe this morning and all I can taste is the spices. I also had to use almost three times the amount of ice cubes to get the frappuccino consistency. Could that be why? I used coconut milk too. If I was to make this again I’d probably have to use 3x the amount of puree/syrup. I used a butternut squash for a pumpkin substitute also. Apparently it tastes the same
Taylor Stinson says
Hey Ian – did you use 2 tsp pumpkin spice mix per two drinks? I have ingredients listed to make the pumpkin spice mix (2 tbsp cinnamon, etc) but you will have some leftover. Just want to make sure you used the correct measure first. With the substitutions you made there could be a change in consistency and taste so it’s hard to tell what went wrong here.
Marly says
OK, don’t laugh when I tell you this – this looks amazing! The thing is, I’m vegan and I don’t drink coffee. But somehow, someway, I need to adapt this recipe for my life. 🙂
Taylor Stinson says
Haha aww Marly!!! I’m sure you could adapt possibly as a chai pumpkin spice latte frapp? I don’t drink tea very often but assume it could sub in for the coffee and then you could definitely use almond or coconut milk instead! In fact, I’m a HUGE fan of coconut milk in lattes and cappuccinos – it brings this different subtly sweet flavour but it’s oh so good! Lemme know if you end up tweaking this!