What Is Frappuccino Roast? (A Sneak Peak At Starbucks Drink)

Last Updated:

Fluent In Coffee is reader-supported. We may earn a small commission if you buy via links on our site. Learn more

what is frappuccino roast

If you’re a big fan of Starbucks Coffee Frappuccino, you maybe heard of Frappuccino roast.

But, what is Frappuccino Roast actually?

The short answer is that it’s a coffee powder used for making a Frappuccino. But there is a lot more to it.

Stay with me because I will get into all the nitty-gritty details about this roast, what makes it different from regular espresso, and how Frapp is made.

Buckle up! You might also be wondering, what is cold foam?

What Is Frappuccino Roast?

frappuccino roast

If you’re a Coffee Frappuccino fan, you probably have wondered what kind of coffee they use for making it.

You might be surprised, but it’s not a freshly pulled espresso.

Obviously, hot coffee would mess up the recognizable consistency of the drink.

Frappuccino is a trademarked MVP delicacy of the Starbucks coffee company.

Because of that, they created a unique blend for it.

It’s called Frappuccino roast. It’s a staple ingredient in every Starbucks Frappuccino coffee drink.

It comes in the form of a powder, and it is specially formulated to dissolve in cold water.

By itself, it isn’t quite the best coffee in the world. It has a strong roasted aroma, and it’s bitter. As you can see, it’s similar to instant coffee.

Frappuccino roast is a mix of Italian and Espresso Roast. It’s a dark roast with a strong flavor.

The strong taste and bitterness serve to balance out all the creaminess and overpowering sweetness of a Frappuccino beverage.

The Difference Between Frappuccino Roast And Espresso 

pouring coffee in a cup

You’re probably asking yourself why Starbucks doesn’t use freshly brewed coffee in a Frappuccino.

Although a hot espresso shot has incomparably better taste, it was never a part of Starbucks’s Frappuccino recipe.

When you think about it, it’s really self-explanatory.

What’s the most special thing about Frappuccino?

You’re right, the creamy and frosty texture.

Now you get it:

You can’t blend hot brewed coffee and get this perfect frosty texture. The coffee would melt the ice.

When it comes to taste, Frappuccino roast has a bitter and intensive taste, and espresso has a sweet and smoky aroma.

Frappuccino is a sweet drink by itself. Frappuccino roast is a perfect choice because it won’t be overwhelmed with sweetness and added flavors.

If you’re worried about your caffeine buzz, don’t be!

Coffee Frappuccino has more than a decent amount of caffeine.

To give you a picture, a single shot of espresso usually has around 75 mg of caffeine content.

The smallest serving size for Frappuccino is Tall Cup (12 fl oz). It has two pumps of Starbucks Frappuccino Roast and 65 mg of caffeine.

The great thing is that you can customize your coffee at Starbucks. You can ask your barista for more or fewer coffee pumps in your Frapp.

However, you can add espresso shots if you want to. Barista won’t blend additional espresso shots into your Frapp. He will pour hot espresso over the Frappuccino.

Hot espresso will melt cold Frappuccino slowly, creating a new texture and adding more coffee aroma.

Baristas call this technique affogato.

Give it a try, it’s an interesting option when you need a stronger caffeine kick.

On the other hand, if you’re trying to avoid caffeine, there is a whole product line in Starbucks called Creme Frappuccino.

It’s a coffee-free Frappuccino, and it tastes great.

Also, Starbucks has loads of other caffeine-free drinks. You will definitely find something that suits your taste.

How Is Frappuccino Made?

The frappuccino meaning encompasses a delightful blended coffee beverage that typically includes ice, milk, and toppings.

Standard ingredients of Starbucks Coffee Frappuccino are:

  • Ice
  • Milk
  • Coffee Frappuccino Syrup
  • Starbucks Frappuccino roast
  • Flavored syrup, sauce, and dry toppings

Amount of these ingredients changes with the size of a cup:

Tall (12 fl oz)Grande (16 fl oz)Venti (24 fl oz)
Frap Roast (pumps)234
Coffee Frappuccino Syrup234
Flavored Syrup 122
Sauce112
Dry toppings (scoops)234

But, you can adjust all of these to your taste.

Let me guide you through the ingredients and ways how you can customize your order.

First of all, coffee.

Frapp roast comes into your local Starbuck as a powder, in 2 oz packs. Then they mix it with triple-filtered, ice-cold water.

One pack of the roast should be mixed with 1 liter of water, and placed in bottled pumps. Its shelf life is about 48 hours.

Depending on the cup size that you ordered, a barista will add 2 to 4 pumps of coffee. You can ask for more or fewer pumps of coffee or even an additional espresso shot.

Coffee Frappuccino Syrup is an important ingredient in Frappuccino drink. It gives thickness and texture to it. It’s made from sugar (mostly Splenda), water, xanthan gum, and natural flavors.

Unless you request otherwise, you will get whole milk. But, if you’re avoiding regular milk, there are plenty of other options to choose from, like non-fat, 2% milk, half & half, coconut, soy milk, etc.

And, here comes the fun part.

Flavored syrups, sauces, and toppings are made to add more flavors to your beverage. You can choose from many different flavors and create the perfect beverage for yourself.

The flavored syrup is blended with coffee, ice, milk, and Frappuccino Coffee syrup.

In the end, you can add on top of that drizzles, toppings, frappuccino chips or whipped cream. Let your creativity go wild!

My favorites are Triple Mocha Frappuccino,  Mocha Cookie Crumble Frappuccino, and, of course, a delicious Caramel Frappuccino (or anything with caramel, to be frank).

Conclusion

And that’s all:

Starbucks’s Coffee Frappuccino is made with a specially created Frappuccino Roast.

It’s a soluble coffee in powder form, which dissolves in cold water. It is made to complement the amazing texture of Frappuccino.

Espresso Frappuccino is not a standard thing. But if you need an extra caffeine boost, just ask your barista for an additional espresso shot in your Frapp.

Trying to make yourself Frappuccino at home? Take a look at our article and try the best Starbucks Frappuccino copycat recipe.

How useful was this post?

Click on a star to rate it!

As you found this post useful...

Follow us on social media!

We are sorry that this post was not useful for you!

Let us improve this post!

Tell us how we can improve this post?

Photo of author
Tijana Veljovic
Tijana spent a few years working as a barista. Now she’s enjoying writing about everything she learned about coffee and sharing it with you. Her weapon of choice for making it through the day is a hot latte. Besides writing and coffee, she loves traveling, camping, cooking, and good music.