It is national Frappé day. While most of us think about drinking them for the coffee element, you can absolutely make them kid friendly. I will be honest though, Matthew has them with coffee. I have mentioned it before that Coffee keeps neurodivergent kids calm, so does soda. No I am not saying to only give them those drinks, but on occasion or when they are a bit up the wall (sometimes literally) I encourage it a bit. Even when I don’t encourage it like the other day when I had my own, he always steals, I mean drinks, some anyway.

History of the Frappé

The name frappé comes from French, where it describes drinks chilled with ice. Beginning in the 19th century, a variety of cold coffee drinks named café frappé (à la glace) are documented, some similar to slushes, others more like iced coffee.

The Greek version of café frappé, using instant coffee, was invented in 1957 at the Thessaloniki International Fair. A representative of the Nestlé company, Giannis Dritsas, was exhibiting a new product for children, a chocolate beverage produced instantly by mixing it with milk and shaking it in a shaker. Dritsas’ employee Dimitris Vakondios was looking for a way to have his usual instant coffee during his break but could not find any hot water, so, he mixed the coffee with cold water and ice cubes in a shaker.

This improvised experiment established the frappé which quickly grew in popularity in Greece. Nestlè capitalized on the drink with intense marketing campaigns in the 1980s that broadened the drink’s popularity and left the brand name Nescafé inextricably linked with the frappé. While today the drink is usually simply called a ‘frappé’ in Greece, in the past it was often called a ‘Nescafé frappé’.

Frappé vs Frappuccinos

Frappuccino is a trademarked brand of the Starbucks Corporation for a line of highly-sweetened iced, blended coffee drinks. It consists of coffee or crème base, blended with ice and other various ingredients like flavored syrups, usually topped with whipped cream and or spices.

Frappuccino is a portmanteau of “frappe”, the New England name from the french “lait frappé”, a milkshake with ice cream, and cappuccino, an espresso coffee with frothed milk. The word was coined and trademarked in Boston, Massachusetts. In the Boston area, a “frappe” is a thick milkshake with ice cream, derived from the French word frappé.

The original Frappuccino drink was developed, named, trademarked and sold by George Howell’s Eastern Massachusetts coffee shop chain, The Coffee Connection, and created by then-employee Andrew Frank. When Starbucks purchased The Coffee Connection in 1994, they also gained the rights to use, make, market, and sell the Frappuccino drink. The drink, with a different recipe, was introduced under the Starbucks name in 1995 and as of 2012, Starbucks had annual Frappuccino sales of over $2 billion.

The recipe is derived from a fusion of various cold drinks, including the “coffee frap” (similar to iced coffee) and the “frappe” (blended ice cream, syrup, and milk), with the Italian cappuccino. The recipe today consists of brewed coffee, ice, and other additives such as milk, sugar, flavored syrups, and whipped cream.

Frappé and Frappuccino Recipes

Now I personally love making these drinks at home and making Disney Versions. If you are interested in those please join our Facebook group The Disney Pixar Connection. Anyway, here is our round up. We hope you enjoy them as much as we do. Oh and just to note, these are all kid friendly.

VANILLA FRAPPE – Crayons and Cravings

“It doesn’t get any easier than this 3 ingredient vanilla frappe recipe. If you enjoy vanilla bean frappuccinos, you will love this delicious, creamy drink. Plus, the recipe is so easy that the kids can make a batch themselves. (Just be sure to supervise, especially when they use the blender!)” – Jaclyn

Homemade S’mores Frappe (Frozen Cappuccino) – Plating Pixels

“Homemade S’mores Frappe made with blended espresso, milk and toasted marshmallow syrup. Topped with chocolate sauce, graham cracker crumbs and mini marshmallows.” – Matt

Gluten-Free Cookies & Cream Frappuccino – Strength & Sunshine

“Move over Starbucks! This Cookies & Cream Frappuccino is gluten-free, soy-free, and vegan! This homemade recipe has all the sweet deliciousness without the cost and is made right in your blender with minimal fuss!” – Rebecca

COPYCAT STARBUCKS CARAMEL FRAPPUCCINO – Dancing Through the Rain

“If you’ve been searching for a delicious Caramel Frappuccino Starbucks recipe, look no further! This is a copycat recipe and it is super kid-friendly!” – Alli

Mocha Frappuccino (Vegan, Paleo) – Living Healthy with Chocolate

“Learn how to make Starbuck’s famous Mocha Frappuccino coffee drink without using unhealthy syrups and other bad ingredients. This recipe is Paleo, Vegan and has a low-carb option).” – Adriana

Healthy Coffee Shake – Amy Gorin

“Love a refreshing coffee smoothie? This copycat Frappuccino full of fueling protein and boasts no added sugar. Sip this coffee shake today!” – Amy

You can even make one that is puppy friendly, which we all know my little one would absolutely do.

STRAWBERRY PUPPUCCINO – We Are Not Martha

“When you order your dog a Puppuccino at Starbucks, they’ll get a cup of plain whipped cream. When you make your dog a homemade Strawberry Puppuccino, they’ll get a delicious strawberry smoothie topped with fresh whipped cream. If your dog could talk, they’d definitely say thank you (but instead, you’ll get lots of kisses)!” – Sues