This refreshing caffeinated drink is easy to make and it’s perfect for those who don’t have a coffee maker.
This recipe for Greek frappe will teach you how to prepare an iced beverage made with instant coffee, sugar, water and if it suits your taste – milk.
The drink can be found in virtually any cafe in Eastern Europe. It’s understandable why many people from the US who have visited Greece are looking for ways to replicate this drink at home.
I will show you how to make it by using a Greek frappe mixer or a shaker.
Greek Frappe Recipe
To make a cup of this coffee frappe you need the following ingredients:
- 1 teaspoon of instant coffee
- 1 teaspoon of sugar
- Water
- Milk (optional)
Equipment: Electric milk frother, also known as Greek frappe mixer. You can see the one I use on the photo above.
It’s a mini battery-operated drink mixer that also does a fantastic job at frothing milk, so you can easily use it to make homemade cappuccinos and lattes. If you don’t have one, you can check how much this frother by Zulay costs on Amazon by clicking this link. There are also rechargeable drink mixers, such as this one by FoodVille.
Keep in mind that you can use a shaker or a whisk to make a Greek frappe instead. Nevertheless, this approach will require a bit more of your time and energy.
Without further ado, here’s how to make a Greek Frappe:
- Pour 1 teaspoon of instant coffee in a tall glass cup.
- Add 1 teaspoon of sugar.
- Add a bit of water just so it covers the instant coffee and sugar mixture.
- Use an electric frother to mix until a thick coffee foam forms.
- Add ice cubes to the foam.
- Top up with water or milk and stir the drink with a straw.
The Greek frappe is always served in a tall glass cup with a straw, as seen on the following photo:
Here you can see how it looks when it’s made with whole milk:
How to Make it With a Shaker?
As I mentioned, you can also use a shaker to beat the instant coffee and sugar mixture to achieve the signature Greek frappe foam:
If you don’t have a shaker or a drink mixer – get a mason jar, add the instant coffee, sugar, and water, close the lid and shake.
After the foam has formed, you can use a spoon to transfer it in a tall cup and continue on with the Greek caffè frappe recipe by adding ice cubes and water.
If you add milk instead of water to the foam, this drink becomes quite similar to the Dalgona whipped coffee.
Instead of adding sugar, you can sweeten your drink with sweetened condensed milk, which will bring it closer to a Vietnamese-style iced coffee.
The original Greek Frappe recipe is invented by Nescafe, so if you want the most authentic experience, you should go for this brand.
Nevertheless, in reality, whichever brand of instant coffee you have at home will work just as fine when trying this recipe out.
Can You Make It With Brewed Coffee?
If you don’t like instant coffee, you can create foam by using concentrated brewed coffee instead.
Have in mind though, that this foam wouldn’t be as stable compared to the foam instant coffee produces.
It’s also worth noting that if you don’t have one of these Greek frappe mixers, it may take you more than ten minutes of shaking to produce foam out of brewed coffee. With the battery-operated electric device I mentioned earlier, it happens much faster (within less than a minute).
At some cafes in Europe, they offer more of a sophisticated Greek Frappe made with espresso, but it’s quite different from the original.
They mix an espresso shot, sugar, milk, and ice in a blender, which results in a delicious caffeinated drink, but it lacks the signature thick foam layer on top. This is what the drink may look like:
This coffee drink is pretty similar to Starbucks’ Coffee Frappuccinos. I have quite a few Copycat Frappuccino recipes here on my WokeLark blog. Here are a few of them:
- Black and White (Zebra/Toxedo) Mocha Frappuccino
- White Chocolate Mocha Frappuccino
- Caramel Frappuccino Copcyat Starbucks Recipe
Calories
Here’s how many calories a regular Greek Frappe serving contains:
According to the USDA, when it comes to calories, a cup of instant coffee contains 3 kcal and a teaspoon of sugar – 16 kcal.
Therefore, if you have your Greek frappe with water, you will consume around 19 calories.
If you add whole milk, which generally contains 149 kcal per 8 fl. oz. (240 ml) cup (source: USDA), you will consume around 140 kcal to 170 kcal by having a cup of Greek Frappe.
As you may have guessed, the calorie content would vary if you add skimmed, plant-based, or condensed milk instead, as well as if you add more than 1 teaspoon of sugar.
With that being said, the Greek frappe generally has fewer calories than Starbucks Frappuccinos and New England frappes.
If you want to see a detailed comparison between the frappe and the Frappuccino you can check out this article.
Final Words
The easy-to-follow Greek caffè frappe recipe is perfect when you want to have an iced caffeinated drink.
I hope you’ll get to enjoy it at home by following my guide. It doesn’t matter whether you’re going to use a mixer or a shaker – both ways will let you experience the nicely textured foam.
Please, drop me a comment below whenever you prepare one of those drinks yourself. I’d love to find out whether you like it or not.
Greek Frappe
A refreshing iced coffee drink, made with instant coffee, sugar, water, ice cubes, and - if you want the "white" version - milk. It's widely spread in Eastern Europe and it's quite easy to make it (especially if you have a drink mixer)
Ingredients
- Instant Coffee - 1 teaspoon
- Sugar - 1 teaspoon
- Water
- Milk (optional)
- Ice Cubes
Instructions
- Pour a teaspoon of instant coffee into a tall glass.
- Add a teaspoon of sugar.
- Add a splash of water on top, just so it covers the instant coffee and sugar.
- Use a drink mixer/frother for the mixture, until you get a thick foam.
- Add ice cubes.
- Top up the glass with either water or milk.
Notes
* You can also use a shaker to create the thick instant coffee foam for your homemade Greek Frappe. Whipping with a whisk is also an option, but the fastest way of making this iced coffee beverage is by using a drink mixer. You can see the "Recommended Products" section to check out this type of handled milk frothers on Amazon.
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
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FoodVille MF02 Rechargeable Milk Frother Handheld Foam Maker with Stainless Whisk for Cappuccino, Latte, Bulletproof Coffee, Keto Diet, Protein Powder, Matcha
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Zulay Original Milk Frother Handheld Foam Maker for Lattes - Whisk Drink Mixer for Coffee, Mini Foamer for Cappuccino, Frappe, Matcha, Hot Chocolate by Milk Boss (Clover Green)