I remember going grocery shopping with my friend Lisa once and we pulled over to the in-house Starbucks to grab a drink before the hot and heavy produce picking commenced. Lisa is one to indulge when she’s earned it, eating a plate of alfredo pasta if she made it to her morning spin class. Effort = reward; I like it.
On this particular day she ordered a luxurious looking coconut mocha frappuccino with piles of whipped cream, toasted coconut and chocolate syrup dripping down the side. I jealously watched her slurp it down and she must’ve caught on because she offered me a few sips, saying she couldn’t finish it all by herself (though I believe she probably could’ve). How generous.
Oh my, it was heavenly. Consider this my healthier homage.
This beverage is so simple to throw together. Simply freeze coconut milk into ice cubes, toast up your coconut flake, then add it all to a blender with a little chocolate syrup, cocoa powder and strong brewed coffee. Oh dear. Takes me right back to the grocery store, only this time it’s all mine.
- 1 cup strong brewed coffee, chilled (french press or cold brew is best)
- 8 coconut milk ice cubes (or other milk) (~3/4 cup full fat or light coconut milk)*
- ¼ cup toasted unsweetened coconut flake + more for topping
- 2 Tbsp light chocolate syrup (or other chocolate sauce) + more for topping
- 1 Tbsp cocoa powder
- The night before making, pour your (well-shaken) coconut milk (about 1 can) into an ice cube tray. You’ll need 8-10 cubes for one drink, and one can yields about one full tray. Save the leftover cubes for another drink.
- In the morning, toast your coconut by spreading ¼ on a baking sheet and cooking for 3-5 minutes in a 350 degree (F) oven.
- Next place all ingredients in a blender and mix until smooth and well combined.
- To thicken, add more coconut ice cubes. To thin, add more coffee or chocolate syrup.
- Serve immediately, or freeze for later. Top with coconut whipped cream, more toasted coconut and a drizzle of chocolate syrup, if desired. Nutrition does not reflect toppings.
Bee Girl February 23, 2013 at 8:23 am
Oh my goodness! As soon as the weather warms up a bit, this *will* be my drink of choice!
Monica February 23, 2013 at 11:05 am
Your version looks so much better than Starbucks. That chocolate dripping down the side… I think I deserve one of these too!
Averie @ Averie Cooks February 23, 2013 at 1:52 pm
I would want one of these all the time if I had it just laying around! I do happen to have a all the ingredients on hand :)
Esmer February 23, 2013 at 4:38 pm
Are the nutrition facts correct? 19 grams of trans fat?!
Dana February 23, 2013 at 5:00 pm
Yes, it is correct. I used full fat coconut milk, which is high in saturated fat, but it is not like other forms of saturated fat in that it’s metabolized by the body more efficiently, making it healthier. Read more about it here. However, if you want to reduce the fat, you could easily sub coconut milk BEVERAGE, which contains a fraction of the calories but is still very creamy, or cow’s milk or almond milk. Hope that helps!
Esmer February 23, 2013 at 5:33 pm
Is some of the fat both saturated and trans? Because otherwise it adds up to 50 grams total, not 36 grams. It just doesn’t make sense either way, because 36 grams of fat is 324 calories, plus the 19 grams of carbohydrates and 4 grams of protein is 416 calories total.
Dana February 23, 2013 at 7:26 pm
Oh, I see what you’re saying. I did accidentally type a figure into the trans fat category and did not mean to do so. I’ve updated it and it’s now correct!
Izy February 23, 2013 at 5:50 pm
No waaayyyy! That looks and sounds way too good! Stupid UK starbucks with their limited flavours, I’ve never seen this combo before :O But I guess it’s all good, because I can make it at home now, eh?
Lindsey February 24, 2013 at 6:59 am
yum! and i love the fact that it’s dairy-free!
cindy February 24, 2013 at 7:49 am
Toasted coconut always gets me! I love that you froze the coconut milk! I bet it makes the drink super creamy.
Laura (Blogging Over Thyme) February 24, 2013 at 8:16 am
Looks so good! And love your idea of freezing coconut milk cubes–makes it that much easier and you don’t need to worry about diluting it with regular ice. Hmm…coconut is the best :)
Sarah February 24, 2013 at 6:47 pm
This looks awesome. Can’t wait for a sunny day to try this!
Jess February 24, 2013 at 11:07 pm
I’m with Lisa – I love a good reward. But your version looks like it could definitely give the original a run for its money!
thelittleloaf February 25, 2013 at 3:25 am
This looks so incredibly good. Pinned to make this weekend!
Kathryn February 25, 2013 at 8:32 am
I don’t care that it’s snowing outside right now – I want one!!
M&K February 25, 2013 at 6:21 pm
Okay wow! This looks so delicious. And we will now be following your blog. Thanks for sharing! Xo, M&K
Liz February 25, 2013 at 10:05 pm
YUM! Looks so good!
Liz @ rusticpeach.com
Lukas April 12, 2013 at 1:53 pm
Hey, thanks so much for the idea! Stumbled across it last night and it sounded awesome, so I stuck a can of light coconut milk I had on hand into a tray in the freezer and made it this morning. I admittedly didn’t really follow your recipe / measurements too closely… mostly what I get out of recipes are concepts and then work to taste, but I liked reading the story behind it! : ) I just pureed coffee, unsweetened cocoa powder, dates and the toasted coconut together for the syrup, because I like to avoid sugar whenever possible, and it turned out awesome… drinking it right now. Thanks again!