I still remember the first time I walked into a coffee shop as a complete newbie and feeling totally dumbfounded as to what to order.
My choice in the colder months was hot chocolate – obviously. But once summer hit, I ventured into blended frozen drink territory.
Enter: my love for the frappuccino.
I don’t order frappuccinos anymore at coffee shops. As I’ve said before, they have enough calories and sugar to sink a boat and I’m honestly more into almond milk lattes and straight up drip coffee these days. But every once in a while, when a craving for something cold and indulgent strikes, this is the first thing I reach for. And I can make it way more healthy (and dairy free) at home.
This Cold Brew Caramel Frappuccino is adapted from one of the very first recipes on the blog – my Cold Brew Mocha Frappe. Almond milk ice cubes create a creamy base, cold brew coffee injects a jet-fuel surge of caffeine and bold coffee flavor, and dates puréed into caramel add a sweet caramel finish.
That’s right. Just 3 ingredients, 1 blender, and 5 minutes (minus prep for ice cubes and coffee) to make this dreamy, creamy homemade frappuccino.
While your cold brew coffee is doing its thing, make your date caramel. See my in-depth tutorial here that also includes 1,000,000 ideas for how to use it.
In short, make it, love it, always have it on hand. End of story.
When your almond milk ice cubes are completely frozen, add them to a blender with your cold brew coffee and blend into creamy, dreamy bliss.
Then add as much date caramel as you’d like to sweeten things up and infuse caramel flavor into the mix. Mmm, I’ll take three, please.
You guys are going to LOVE this drink! It’s:
Creamy
Chilled
Perfectly Sweet
Caramel-infused
Bold in coffee flavor
Simple
Quick
& Seriously delicious
Make this frappuccino for a special morning treat before work. Do what you gotta do to get through the work day – no judgment here. Or, save this as a special treat for lazy weekend mornings (especially when summer is at its peak).
If you make this recipe, let us know what you think! Leave a comment and rate it – it’s so helpful to us and other readers. And while you’re at it, take a picture and tag it #minimalistbaker on Instagram so we can see what you come up with. Cheers, friends!
Cold Brew Caramel Frappuccino
Ingredients
ALMOND MILK ICE CUBES
- 2 cups Almond Breeze Almondmilk Unsweetened Vanilla (or Original Unsweetened)
COLD BREW COFFEE
- 2 cups coarsely ground dark coffee (I recommend French roast)
- 4 cups filtered water
DATE CARAMEL
- 15 pitted dates (15 dates equals ~200 g // if not sticky and moist, see notes)
- 3-6 Tbsp hot water
FRAPPUCCINO
- 16 standard-size almond milk ice cubes
- 2 cups cold brew coffee
- 3-5 Tbsp date caramel
Instructions
- The night before, pour almond milk into a standard ice cube tray and freeze. You should have about 16 ice cubes (as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size).
- The night before also make your cold brew coffee by coarsely grinding dark roast coffee beans. Add to a mixing bowl and cover with filtered water, then cover with plastic wrap and set in the refrigerator to brew.
- The next day, strain cold brew through a coffee filter – I used our Chemex with these filters.
- While your coffee is straining, make date caramel by adding 15-20 pitted dates (amount as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size) to a food processor or blender (in my experience, a food processor works best to get a creamy texture without much water).
- Pulse/mix on low until small bits remain, then stream in hot water while the blender is on until a paste is made. You will need to scrape down the sides and encourage it along periodically. Only add enough water to form a paste – too much and it will be too liquidy. Set aside.
- To make 2 frappuccinos, (amounts as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size) add all 16 ice cubes and 2 cups (480 ml) cold brew coffee to a blender and blend on high until puréed and smooth (see photo).
- Add date caramel 1 Tbsp at a time and blend. Taste and adjust flavor as needed, adding more date caramel to sweeten. I found 3 or 4 Tbsp to be the perfect amount (amount as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size). NOTE: you will have leftover date caramel, which can be stored covered in the refrigerator for 1-2 weeks.
- Divide between tall serving glasses and top with coconut whipped cream (optional). Best when fresh, though leftovers can be kept in the refrigerator for a few hours, or in the freezer for a few days.
Notes
*Prep time reflects time for freezing ice cubes and preparing cold brew coffee.
*Inspired by / adapted from my 3-ingredient Cold Brew Mocha Frappe.
Nutrition (1 of 2 servings)
Lauren Chant says
I adapted the recipe for what I had on hand (soy milk vs almond, coffee made in a percolator) and it was a lovely treat this morning! My partner really enjoyed it too, and he has a very sweet tooth!
Woohoo! So glad you both enjoyed it, Lauren. Thanks for sharing! xo
Alyssa Smith says
I made some adaptations to this recipe because I forgot to make the cold brew the night before and I may recommend either making the cold brew OR subbing in regular coffee. I used my chemex and the ratio of beans to water for the cold brew and it was OVERPOWERING! Also, I only have a small personal blender because I live in a studio apartment and it did not blend the dates well. I added multiple times the water for a fraction of the dates and ended up giving up. Just a heads up for those with wimpy blenders! It’s obviously not the fault of the recipe! Just something to consider.
Hi Alyssa! We like bold coffee in this recipe but feel free to dilute it more next time. And yes, a high speed blender is ideal for getting dates well blended!
Kim says
Just made this today with homemade (sweetened) almond milk so we used less of the date caramel. This was was so delicious!!!!
Love the modification! Thanks for sharing, Kim!
Claire says
Wow, what a super caffeine boost for a fraction of the price of a fancy coffee shop! I was impatient to try it out this morning, so here’s how I modified this recipe:
-premade cold brew
-3/4 cup 1% dairy milk
~8 regular water ice cubes
The date caramel is a yummy sweetener, but my tiny food processor wasn’t able to get it perfectly smooth. Still tastes delicious, though, and I can’t wait to experiment with other flavors (and actual milk ice cubes)!
Thanks for sharing, Claire! You might want to try either maple syrup or date syrup for your food processor! Glad you enjoyed it :D
Annie says
Hey, I would like to try this using coffee that already comes ground. Would I do 2 cups of that coffee or less since it’s already grounded? Please let me know. Thank you!
2 cups will work!
Annie says
I made it! I only used 1 cup and a half since I was too eager to wait for a response lol First off, this was AWESOME! I followed the recipe exactly and added all 20 dates because we don’t normally drink coffee so we wanted it sweet. Maybe next time just 15 :) It was SO addicting. It made enough for 3 servings. Next time, we will half the recipe because our little hearts get to jittery and the coffee is too delicious to stop drinking. Thank you!!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Annie! Thanks so much for sharing! xo
Miranda says
I made it and it was super delicious and refreshing!
Thanks so much for the lovely review, Miranda. We are so glad you enjoyed it! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! Xo
Rita says
Hey Dana,
I was wondering: Could I use soluble coffee for this recipe? What about Nespresso? They have a Caramel variety, but I’m afraid it would end up getting too sweet. I also have a premade date concentrate at home, it’s very similar to date paste. Would that work? In which amount?
Hmm, I’m not sure about soluble coffee. But if you try that let us know how it goes. And yes I think the date paste would work. Start with half of the called for amount and work your way up from there! Good luck and let us know how it goes!
Sylvia says
I made this recipe-wow is it delicious!
Lisa says
OMG, I just made this recipe—WOW!!! It is unbelievably DECADENT!!! I modified the recipe a little by using premade cold brew coffee (from Trader Joe’s) and fresh made almond milk (1:2 ratio of coffee:almond milk). I blended the coffee, milk, 6 dates and a cup of ice in a high speed blender. Thank you for sharing this recipe. I will make it again, it is sooooo delicious!
We are so glad you enjoyed it, Lisa! Thanks for sharing! :D
Lucinda says
Yes! I just made this amazing iced cold brew Frappuccino! Amazing! I love that it tastes jut like a Starbucks just without all those syrups and the price tag. This is definitely my to-go- to indulgence! Thank you!
Glad to hear that, Lucinda!
Jessica C. says
I found this recipe while searching for how to make date paste. This looks devine, and oh so easy! I’m not a big coffee drinker but I do like ice coffee drinks, coffee ice cream, and coffee flavored yogurt so I will try it this summer. I’ll make mine with cold prepared Cafix for two reasons: 1) I’m breastfeeding, and 2) more than one cup of coffee makes me jittery but that wouldn’t be enough to enjoy!
We hope you love it, Jessica! :D
Charlotte says
Ahhh I’ve made this a few times now and it is so delicious! Such a great solution to my cravings for something sweet and cold along with my need for caffeine. Thank you!
Rosa Slape says
This is the most delicious caramel frappuccino I have ever tasted!!! My fridge makes ice automatically, so I don’t own an actual ice tray, instead I added about a cup of soy milk and lots of ice. Wasn’t quite a frappuccino as such, but still fantastic! Kudos to you, I’ll be keeping this recipe forever <3
Kathy says
Looks delishh!! Trader Joe’s now has pre made cold brew coffee. Can I use that? How many cups should I use?? I want to make this tomorrow. Thanks !!
Hi Kathy! Is it the Cold Brew Concentrate? If so, I would recommend following the directions on pack to make 4 cups of cold brew. Hope this helps!
Sarah says
THIS IS SO AMAZING!!!!!
Beth Kaplan says
Could I use coconut milk with this? Nut allergy.
Hi! I haven’t tried it but that should work! It will change the taste a little but if you try it out, I’d love to hear back on how it goes!
KJ | Omnomherbivore says
Pinned!! This looks sooooo good!!! I agree with you – I don’t like to order frappes because I don’t want that much sugar and I like a more prominent coffee flavor. :D
Linda says
I love this recipe even though I didn’t follow it exactly. I used leftover coffee from my French press this morning, chilled. Used fat free milk and only let them freeze 30 mins or so. Made the date caramel exactly as directed. Threw it all together- oh my good! Can’t imagine if I followed the recipe exactly! Thanks!!
Tsabs says
Hi! I love the idea of date caramel! Usually I use 1-2 tbs cocoa powder for flavor and thickener, but I can’t wait to put this into rotation. I don’t know if you have tried reversing the iced almond milk and cold brew? Make a concentrate with the cold brew, or pour over method if you have less time and just fill selected cup with ice, top 2/3 with almond milk and fill with coffee concentrate of your choosing. So delicious, and I didn’t have to wait on ice cubes or cold brew.
Chioma says
We gave this recipe a go this morning with home-made cashew milk sub and we were so amazed by how creamy & delicious it was. Just like a Starbucks drink with less calories and all natural sugar. Seriously, what’s not to love about it? We now have a second batch of cashew milk ice cubes in the freezer for the next round. :) I’ve made over a dozen recipes from you and I can’t thank you enough for making being vegan easy, simple and delicious. <3
Crystal says
This is the best coffee photo I have come across! Wondering if you would share some of your behind the scenes techniques for getting this image? The texture in the drink is very appetizing looking. Did it really look this great straight from the blender and into the glass? Are you using a constant light or natural light? Very nice, quality imagery. Thanks!
Ana @ Ana's Rocket Ship says
Awesome!!!
Billy Bulmahn says
Best Frap ever! Wanted a healthier alternative to Starbucks and found this recipe. Beyond amazing (and easy)! Can’t wait to make a pumpkin spice version!
Yay! Thanks for sharing, Billy!
Alicia says
This sound delicious. I may have to try this asap.
Also I have a recommendation for cold brew that you both should try ! Well 2 recommendations actually.
Make your cold brew in a french press. It’s the easiest, most effective way. Grind the coffee to the coarsest setting and add the cold filtered water. Steep for 20 hours on the counter, then push the press down, and pour out your delicious cold brew. Do not need to chill till after extracted from the press and it can keep in the fridge for up to 5 days!
After sharing this, I think I should probably write my next post on cold brew iced coffee…
Sarah says
Delicious!
Toni Rae says
Got a glass right next to me. So easy to make and my sweet tooth husband loved it too! Gonna try the suggestion from an earlier comment to use Trader Joe’s cold brew. Home run in my book!
BTW, what is another good use for the date caramel? I’m sure I could figure it out, but recs welcome :)
Terri says
This is a delicious low fat treat! LOVE the caramel date suggestions, use it all the time!! Thanks for the great recipes!!
Emma Everleigh says
Oh my gosh, this sounds incredible! Will have to try soon. xxx
Murielle says
I live in Montreal and right now there is a big heat wave, it’s about 40 degrees so I decided to make this recipe this morning to replace my usual latte & it was the best decision ever!! Amazing recipe! Its a good thing I have some date caramel left over, I will be making this recipe tomorrow again! Thank you so much for sharing :))
renay says
SPOT ON. if you haven’t made this already, do not hesitate and just get to it, you will not regret it. the flavor is PERFECT, i mean incredible. my husband and i kept saying “this is unbelievable” the entire time it lasted in our glasses, which was only a few minutes (and only that long because we kept getting brain freezes). absolutely flawless recipe (much like others that i’ve tried from here, always winners) with FANTASTIC ingredients (i made cashew milk and froze into ice cubes). the date caramel is perfect and super useful in many recipes. the next time i make this (likely tomorrow!) i will definitely be making whip cream and maybe a chocolate drizzle just for looks, and will instagram this baby with credit to you, dana. i dare say your most brilliant, simple, and perfect recipe yet. bravo!!
Manon says
Waaauw, this looks amazing!
I love frappuccino’s and I’m going to make this for sure!
xx
Rachel says
I made the frapps this morning and it was awesome! Thanks for the recipe!
whoop! Glad you liked it, Rachel!
Ashley says
This. Was. So. Good. I am drinking one as I type this sentence. Honestly, I think this tastes better than the Starbucks version, which I find cloyingly sweet. I can’t believe it is so simple– and the use of date caramel?! Genius. Thanks Dana! This is going to be me go-to summer treat from now on! It is recipes like this one that make your blog one of my faves.
haha yes! Best compliment! Glad you liked it, Ashley!!
Amy says
I’ve never done cold brewed coffee, but I think I need to try and have this in my life!
Sarah | Well and Full says
Oh. Mygosh. Dana. This looks AMAZING!! I remember when I went to summer camp at Yale, we always would go to the Starbucks on Chapel Street over by the Museum of British Art. My friends and I lived off of frappuccinos that summer! I always got caramel because, well, caramel. I know that you can get a version at Starbucks that’s vegan but it’s full of all these weird chemicals and additives. I love how your recipe is so simple and (basically) healthy. It even has that perfect frothy iced coffee look too! Absolute perfection. :)
ha! Sounds like a good time at summer camp. But yeah, I don’t trust other people’s “caramel sauces” anymore. Dates do the trick!
Lina says
I would love to try this, but I don’t have any of the ingredients! I can’t go shopping because of the current pandemic… Could I use this instead? Regular milk, date syrup & Nescafé jar coffee… I feel like such a fraud, trying to substitute fresh coffee with instant coffee, but it’s all I have! Lol
Hi Lina, we think that would work! Let us know how it goes!
Lynice Anderson says
Looks amazing and love the step by step and photos! Can’t wait to try this-thanks!
Hannah says
Dear Dana!
It Looks delicious – it’s very hot summer here at the Moment – so I will try.
Sometimes I brew my coffee cold – but I always let it out of the fridge brewing over night. Could you tell me why you prefer to brew it in the fridge?
Thanks a lot!
Hannah
That’s just how I’ve always done it! But you could really do it any way you’d like!
Sabrina says
Amazing!!! my boyfriend loved it too!!!
Yay! Thanks for sharing, Sabrina!
Silvia @ Ribas with Love says
Dana, I am amazed by this recipe… it looks fantastic and I cannot wait to try this. Thankfully I have all the ingredients at home, which means as soon as the almond milk ice cubes are frozen I can get started! I also very much agree with you about buying these types of drinks elsewhere, they are looooaded with sugar I can’t stand it. Awesome job girl ! xoxo
Linda Li says
Never thought of pairing dates with coffee but looks good!
Julie | Small Green Kitchen says
STUNNING photos, Dana! Also, I want this drink right now, even though it’s 10pm and I have to go to bed soon! I’ll be having sweet dreams about this frappuccino tonight.
ha! I think I’d drink this morning, noon and night. Hope you love it, Julie!
Dawn says
Delicious! I was a touch skeptical, because I’m not a huge fan of dates. However, I was so impressed that I have already made this twice (and I just saw the recipe yesterday!) A perfect balance of sweetness, creaminess and a little bite from the coffee.
That’s how you know it’s love, when you make it again! Thanks for sharing, Dawn!
Rebeca says
Just this morning I was thinking I needed to make some cold brew coffee and you’ve totally convinced me to do it! Coffee in the fridge and almond milk in the freezer – frappuccino happening tomorrow. Oh, and I love that it’s sweetened with dates instead of sugar. Date paste is so versatile, tasty and plain awesome.
P.S. Your photography is STUNNING. I read quite some food blogs (okay, too many!) but your photos always stand out – love their ‘clean’ look.
Ah, thanks Rebeca! So kind. Thanks for sharing – hope you love this drink! xo
Nicole {VeganShowOff.com} says
This is such a beautiful sight on this hot and humid summer day! I’ve never made cold-brew, I’ve only bought it, but this looks super easy!
sanghamitra chowdhury says
I simply loved it!1st of all frappucino is always my favorite..and here you have explained the steps so well..perfect caramelised one more over..and the photos you took are just so perfect<3
ah, thanks! So glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for the kind words and for sharing!
Jessie Snyder | Faring Well says
This is positively genius. I love the use of the date caramel!
Luuuuvvv yeeewwwww.
Medeja says
Looks so so good!
Kaitlin @ Heaps of Me says
If you haven’t yet discovered Trader Joes cold brew coffee concentrate it’s a must! It would be perfect in this recipe! I use it to make copycat blueprint cleanse cashew coffee! Xx
Ooh, nice! I’ll give that a try next time! Sounds even easier!
Danielle says
My son just made a batch of cold brew for me, an I couldn’t wait to prep almond milk for this frappe. Instead of almond milk cubes, I added a handful of raw cashews + ice. Yum!! Love that caramel paste! Thanks so much! I love all your recipes!
Smart swap! Thanks, Danielle! xo
s.e. says
I’ve got leftover coffee frozen as cubes in my freezer:) I’m going to try this with cold almond milk and a bit of frozen banana as well as the date caramel for extra creaminess:)
I had that idea, too! But didn’t try it. Let me know what you think!
Loretta says
Hi, I stay in Nigeria! Really love this recipe nd I would like to try it. Can I replace almond milk with normal milk because I don’t know where I could get almond milk in Nigeria.
Of course!
Katrina @ Warm Vanilla Sugar says
I love those ice cubes! Such a great idea. This sounds awesome!
Allie Lindstrom says
I just made this and it was great! But it was also super strong (my sister and I, the tasters, aren’t regular coffee drinkers). Was I supposed to use two cups of coffee grounds or enough coffee grounds for two cups of regular coffee?
two cups coffee grounds + 4 cups water. If it was too strong, Scale back and make a bit weaker coffee next time, such as 1 cup coffee grounds + 4 cups water.
Sara @ Oats & Rows says
This looks amazing! I’ve got a fresh batch of cold brew in my fridge sOoOo it looks like these will be happening today :)
Gayatri says
I’m going quite nuts over your photographs! So beautiful :) Definitely going to try this!
Thanks so much! xo
Aleeha says
Just the words Caramel Frappuccino make my mouth water! I love Almond milk.
Aleeha from HALE, xXx
Kim says
As I live in southern Spain frappé coffee is a necessity; LOVE this récipe with the addition of dates! I would also sprinkle cinammon on top for an extra twist.
Ooh, nice! Yes, cinnamon would be awesome here.
Valerie Robertson says
Sounds really good except the prunes due to a stomach problem (being dainty…)
What can a person use instead of prunes PLEASE
maple syrup? Or stevia.
lori says
dates are not prunes. prunes are plums.
Cassie Tran says
So beautiful and delicious!
Samantha Clarke says
Seriously Dana, like, how are you such a genius?
Also I moved home to Portland. If you ever want to have a little blogger’s meeting or something. Just throwing that out there.
haha, not at all! I just dream in food ;D
So cool you’re in PDX! We do intend to do more meet ups this summer. Stay tuned on social media for any announcements!
Velvet & Vinegar says
Oh this really looks refreshing and even better as it comes with coffee in it. I just love coffee…
Definitely need to try this, although I`m a little bit concerned the icecubes will damage my mixer.
xoxo
The ice cubes shouldn’t do any damage. But if you’re concerned, let them thaw a little first.
Tammy Thiele says
This looks so amazing…cooling & decadent! My daughter and I are drooling over it right now! Can not wait to try it…hoping to do it tomorrow since we are in for another hot day! Thank you for another healthy take on a favorite.
ps. Can I ask where you found those cool metal straws?
Yay! Hi tammy – I feel like you’re our most faithful and long-time reader! So much love for you and your daughter. The metal straws were from an online shop that I don’t recall the name of! I’m sure if you google it, you’ll find it!
Abby says
Gahhh I NEED this drink in my life, like, immediately. Stunning photos, Dana! xo
Too kind! thanks Abby ;D
Emily says
Looks great! I will be actually caramelizing the date paste with a bit of coconut oil and a pinch of salt over low heat until the paste is extra fragrant.
NICE. Love that!
Laura says
great recipe! Love the photos too! Just great job all around!
Amber says
Oh this sounds amazing!
Emily says
So delicious! Even better than regular frappuccinos!
Leah M @ love me, feed me says
I can’t wait to make this as soon as I get home, it looks too good to be true! Yum!!
It’s not too good to be true. TRY IT. And report back!
Eve @ Baking the Day says
Wow, this looks amazing! I have never had a frappe from a coffee shop, the amount of sugar and cals makes me a bit queasy. However, this frappe looks delicious, especially with the date caramel, I love date caramel so much! Pinned!
Right? Love how this one’s naturally sweetened, which allows the coffee to really shine. Hope you love it!
Laur says
This looks SO amazing. I’m not a cold coffee person, but I want to make this for my mom SO badly. It would be nice for her to come home to it after work. :)
Agreed! Your mom would love this if she’s a coffee drinker ;D
Kelly says
This looks amazing!! I’ll definitely be giving this a try :)
Yay! Let me know how it goes, Kelly!
Sam ~ it doesn't taste like chicken says
Oh this looks heavenly!! Perfect for a hot summer day. So when is it you are inviting me over for frappuccinos again? Haha ;)
haha, soon! I have leftover cold brew and almond milk ice cubes in the fridge/freezer right now! ;D
Geanna says
This looks so good! I just got into making cold brew, so this recipe looks like the logical next step.
Agreed. DO IT!
Kathy @ Beyond the Chicken Coop says
Such a great idea! Making the ice cubes is simply brilliant! This looks so perfectly refreshing!
Liz @ Floating Kitchen says
This looks awesome! I love making ice cubes from almond milk. Such a great trick. I am definitely going to need one of these to cool off today!