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Starbucks Caramel Ribbon Crunch Frappuccino Recipe
I love the variety of drinks at Starbucks, but frappuccinos have had a special place in my heart very soon after I came to Canada.
I believe my first frappuccino was the Java Chip, and along with the Mocha Cookie Crumble, that’s my favourite frapp to enjoy! However, from what I’ve had, they’re all pretty awesome. I’m guilty of not even trying them all, but I really need to!
I used to have frappes quite often but now I save them for special occasions. There’s no particular reason for this other than to keep the novelty, and to be honest they are fairly expensive! However, now that I’ve made my own, I want to make them more often for sure!
I honestly can’t tell you how long I’ve been wanting to make my own frappuccino, and it’s finally been time! I’ll totally go out to try the other flavors of frappuccinos to inspire me! When you’re in a slump or need some inspiration, I mention in my 5 Tips To Make Cooking Fun! free guide that going out can inspire you! Take a trip to Starbucks and see what you want to recreate at home! You can make it as part of your Live to Cook one-month challenge! Get these free goodies by signing up to my newsletter! Don’t forget to tag me on Instagram so I can see your delicious drinks!
To follow along with me preparing this awesome Starbucks drink, watch the video! I’d really appreciate if you subscribe to my YouTube channel if you’re not already! Please hit the bell button so you receive all the notifications when my video recipes go live! I love to share the videos to complement the written recipes so you can tangibly grasp all the concepts. Let’s get brewing!
What is in This Frappuccino?▼
Let’s check out Starbucks’ definition of the frappuccino to get an idea of the components.
Buttery caramel syrup blended with coffee, milk and ice, then topped with a layer of dark caramel sauce, whipped cream, caramel drizzle and a crunchy caramel-sugar topping—oh-so-beautifully delicious.
source: Starbucks.com
Yum, sounds super good, especially in the summer heat! Whenever I replicate food or drink from popular chains, I like to investigate the ingredient list to get the full picture of what’s happening. Let’s check it out.
ICE, MILK, COFFEE FRAPPUCCINO SYRUP [SUGAR, WATER, NATURAL FLAVOR, SALT, XANTHAN GUM, POTASSIUM SORBATE, CITRIC ACID], WHIPPED CREAM [CREAM (CREAM, MONO AND DIGLYCERIDES, CARAGEENAN), VANILLA SYRUP (SUGAR, WATER, NATURAL FLAVORS, POTASSIUM SORBATE, CITRIC ACID)], COFFEE, DARK CARAMEL SAUCE [CORN SYRUP, SWEETENED CONDENSED MILK (MILK, SUGAR), WATER, SUGAR, NATURAL FLAVORS, BUTTER (CREAM, SALT), SALT, SUNFLOWER LECITHIN, POTASSIUM SORBATE], CARAMEL SAUCE [SUGAR, CORN SYRUP, BUTTER (CREAM (MILK), SALT), WATER, HEAVY CREAM, NONFAT DRY MILK, NATURAL FLAVORS, SALT, MONO & DIGLYCERIDES, SOY LECITHIN, SULFITES], CARAMEL SUGAR TOPPING [CANE SUGAR, NATURAL FLAVORS, VEGETABLE COLORS (PUMPKIN, APPLE, PURPLE CARROT, HIBISCUS), SALT, ANNATTO, BAKING SODA]
source: Starbucks.com
Oh boy that’s quite long! Of course this drink is delicious, but I guarantee that our frappuccino won’t have so many ingredients! Actually, we’ll only need a handful, as I’ll discuss later in this post! Our caramel sauce is all natural with a few ingredients! I will be using store-bought whipped cream and toffee bits for this recipe, but of course you can make your own for both of these components! I would love to make my own toffee bits one day, but first I need to learn how to do that! As for the whipped cream, I like the aerosol whipped cream because it’s fluffier and the toppings will hold better.
Is the This Frappuccino Seasonal?▼
Yes, this frappe is available on the Starbucks summer menu. The year-round frappuccino is the Caramel Frappuccino. The beauty of making your own food and drink at home is that you can satisfy your cravings whenever you want! I don’t know about you, but in my world there’s no good time for good food! I’ll eat ice cream in the winter and have hot chocolate in the summer! Once this is off the menu, don’t be sad - all you have to do is whip this up! It’s so quick to make and the cost per serving will be significantly less than when you buy it from Starbucks!
Is there Caffeine in this Frappuccino?▼
Yes, there is. When you order the drink from the Starbucks website or app, you’ll see that the default recipe contains “3 Frappuccino® Roast pump(s)”. You can also add espresso shots if desired. By default, one shot of espresso is added. However, you can get the Caramel Ribbon Crunch Creme Frappuccino for a non-caffeinated option at Starbucks.
In this recipe, all you have to do is omit the instant coffee to avoid the caffeine! You’ll essentially be making the “creme frappuccino” version in that case.
How Much Sugar is in this Frappuccino?▼
I don’t demonize food and enjoy treats in moderation. However, for the sake of comparison, the grande has 60 grams of sugar!
Even if you have a sweet tooth, I don’t think you’ll get 60 grams of sugar by making it at home! Making this drink at home is excellent because you can really craft it to suit your preferences and be mindful of what’s going in your drinks and body!
Ingredients for This Starbucks Caramel Ribbon Crunch Recipe
Let’s see what’s needed to make our frappuccino. I’ll share what’s needed to make your own caramel sauce and what’s needed for the frappuccino itself. Be sure to scroll to the bottom of this post for the FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE CARD for all ingredient quantities and to save the recipe for later. You can also scale the recipe based on how many frapps you want to make - these would be amazing for an outdoor party in the summer!
For the Caramel Sauce
- Heavy Cream
- Butter
- Sugar
- Water
- Vanilla extract
For the Caramel Ribbon Crunch Frappe
- Ice cubes: It wouldn’t be a frappuccino without ice! The amount of ice you use will matter so that you don’t have a slushy consistency - you still want it to be smooth and creamy.
- Instant coffee: I’m using Javy coffee concentrate in this recipe (be sure to click the link to save 20% off your order!). It’s a liquid coffee concentrate which is a perfect alternative to powdered instant coffee! I’m using the caramel flavor here which will act as the “dark caramel sauce” that’s in the Starbucks recipe. If you don’t have Javy, feel free to use any instant coffee or espresso powder for this recipe, depending on how strong of a coffee flavor you want. Furthermore, you can brew coffee or espresso if you have a machine or want to do so.
- Caramel sauce: Notice earlier that there are two different caramel sauces in the Starbucks standard drink. When you order in the Starbucks app or website, the default is “5 pumps New Dark Caramel Sauce.” I’ll just be using my Simple Caramel Sauce for this recipe since I’ve got the caramel-flavoured Javy. If you want to do two sauces, you could use this sauce and pair it with my Coffee Whiskey Caramel Sauce - though I suggest you avoid the whiskey in there if you’re drinking this in the morning!
- Milk: The Starbucks standard recipe uses whole milk. I’m using 1% milk because that’s what I had in the fridge. It’ll work just fine!
- Whipped cream: For topping! Use it from the aerosol can as I’m doing, or make your own! If you have the option to apply your whipped cream in a whipped cream dispenser, then that will give the most professional results! To learn more about choosing the right whipped cream dispenser for you to purchase and essentials on how to use one, check out my complete guide here.
- Toffee bits: This garnish is part of the standard recipe and it’s part of what makes this frappuccino the “caramel crunch.”
- Sweetener of choice: The standard recipe uses vanilla syrup to sweeten. I’ll be using my Quick Vanilla Syrup for Coffee recipe in the frappuccino blend. If you don’t have a syrup, then no worries! Table sugar will be just fine. For natural sweetener options, you can try brown sugar, honey, cane sugar, or maple syrup.
How to Make Starbucks Caramel Ribbon Crunch Frappuccino
For the Caramel Sauce
In a pan, add the sugar and water and whisk well to combine.
Turn the heat to medium-high heat and leave the sugar-water mixture alone. The mixture will start to simmer, and eventually the color will change from white to amber. Keep a close eye and don't stir or shake the pan until the color changes.
Then, remove the pan from the heat and pour in the cream gently, while whisking well. Add the butter as well.
Once the mixture has stopped bubbling and has turned into a rich caramel color, add the vanilla extract and whisk to combine.
Set aside to cool down.
For the Frappuccino
In a blender/food processor add the milk, ice, Javy coffee, vanilla syrup and caramel sauce.
Blend well until the ice is completely crushed.
Pour to serving glass top with whipped cream, toffee bits and caramel sauce.
Serve immediately and enjoy!
How can I Switch up the Frappuccino?▼
You can totally customize this frappe to make it your own! The goal with this recipe was to replicate the standard recipe, but like at Starbucks, feel free to adapt this base recipe and create something fabulous! Comment below what you’ll do and be sure to share it with me on social media! Here are some ideas:
Try a different syrup: If you’re choosing to sweeten your frappuccino, the standard syrup is vanilla. However, nothing is stopping you from trying a different flavour! Here are some great flavours:
Sauce: The name has “caramel” in it, but if you’re a chocolate-lover like me, then you could also add in a Cafe Mocha Chocolate Syrup for garnish and/or in the blend! Substitute the semi-sweet chocolate chips with white chocolate to make it a white chocolate syrup!
Garnishes: Instead of the toffee bits, you can replace with butterscotch chips. Another great idea would be to top with some cinnamon sugar or pumpkin spice for a little fall twist!
Extra caramel: If you don’t have a caramel sauce or want to further enhance the caramel-ness of this frappuccino, you could add a packet of butterscotch Jello pudding!
Lighten the calories: You can use skim milk and a light whipped cream topping to cut some calories. Furthermore, you can use a sugar free caramel sauce if you’d like, and a zero-calorie sweetener such as Stevia. Keep in mind that if you are making the caramel sauce and the vanilla syrup from scratch, you can replace regular table sugar with Stevia or a zero-calorie sweetener if desired.
Salted caramel: If making your own caramel sauce, you can add a pinch of salt to it and/or add a pinch of salt to your blend to make this a salted caramel frappuccino!
Make a vegan frappuccino: To make the frappuccino vegan, ensure you use a vegan caramel sauce, a plant-based milk such as coconut milk, oat milk, almond milk, cashew milk or soy milk; and a coconut whipped cream. I cannot guarantee that the taste and texture will be the same.
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