A café frappé is an iced coffee drink that originated in Greece and is traditionally made with instant coffee. For a better flavour, however, we recommend preparing it with espresso from a portafilter espresso machine. The coffee is blended with milk, syrup, and ice cubes to create a frothy texture. The result is a creamy and lightly foamy coffee drink.

What is the difference between a Frappuccino and a frappé?

A Frappuccino is a cold coffee drink sold by Starbucks and is a protected trademark. It is available in many different variations. A frappé, on the other hand, originated in Greece and was invented in the late 1950s by a Nescafé employee. It is traditionally prepared with instant coffee and typically mixed with milk and syrup.The Frappuccino was introduced in the 1990s and is usually sweeter and more dessert-like. In addition to milk and syrup, it often contains whipped cream and flavourings. Some Frappuccino variations are even made without real coffee. A frappé is generally simpler and more coffee-focused.

When was café frappé invented?

The answer is surprisingly precise: café frappé was invented in 1957 in Thessaloniki, Greece. During an international trade fair, Dimitris Vakondios, a Nestlé employee, could not find any hot water for his instant coffee. Instead, he mixed the coffee with milk and used a shaker that Nestlé was demonstrating for baby food products. The result was a cold, foamy coffee drink that quickly became popular, first at the trade fair and then throughout Greece.

Can you make café frappé with an espresso machine instead of instant coffee?

Café frappé can be prepared very well with an espresso machine, and arguably even better when you use high-quality coffee beans. The key requirement is a powerful electric blender that can reliably crush the ice cubes and incorporate enough air into the mixture to create the characteristic foamy texture. Instant coffee products are often made from lower-quality coffee, whereas specialty coffee can produce a more flavourful and refined café frappé.

Café Frappé with Espresso: Recipe for perfect foam

Name: Café Frappé with Espresso: Recipe for perfect foam
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Yield: 2 glasses
Cuisine: Coffee
Ingredients: 18 g Coffee beans (Brew ratio 1:2.5); 45 ml Espresso; 200 ml Milk (fresh, pasteurised, 3.9% fat); 1 tbsp Sugar syrup; 2 Ice cubes; 2 glasses of Ice cubes

In this recipe, we'll show you how we make a Café Frappé with specialty coffee. While this cold drink is traditionally made with instant coffee, we believe that using a good espresso significantly enhances the flavor of the Frappé.

⏱ Prep and preparation time: 5 minutes

⚡ Caffeine and nutrition: 60 mg , 120 kcal

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Last updated on June 1, 2026

What You Need for a Homemade Café Frappé

Ein blauer Mixer in einer Küche mit einem Mischbecher, wo der Café Frappé gemixt wird.

Blender

Eine Hebelmaschine von Kees van der Westen auf blauem Hintergrund

Portafilter machine

Mit der Comandante Handmühle wird gerade Filterkaffee gemahlen

Grinder

Coffee Scale

To prepare a beautifully frothy café frappé, you will need a powerful blender, although a Thermomix works just as well. You will also need a coffee grinder and an espresso machine to prepare the espresso. A scale is useful if your grinder and espresso machine do not have built-in dosing features such as grind by weight or volumetric dosing.

Ingredients

for 2 servings

18 g Coffee beans (Brew ratio 1:2.5)

45 ml Espresso

200 ml Milk (fresh, pasteurised, 3.9% fat)

1 tbsp Sugar syrup

2 Ice cubes

2 glasses of Ice cubes

We achieve 45 ml of espresso in the cup using 18 g of ground coffee in the portafilter.

18 g

Coffee beans (Brew ratio 1:2.5)

Prepare a double espresso using a brew ratio of 1:2.5. With a dose of 18 g of coffee, this will yield 45 ml of espresso in the cup. If your coffee is very dark roasted, we recommend a brew ratio of 18 g of ground coffee to 36 ml of espresso in the cup.

45 ml

Espresso

200 ml

Milk (fresh, pasteurised, 3.9% fat)

1 tbsp

Sugar syrup

Ice cubes

Add the freshly brewed espresso to the blender jar. Then add the milk, a little syrup, and two to three ice cubes. Blend long enough for plenty of tiny air bubbles to form, creating a wonderfully creamy foam.

You can learn which milk froths best in our milk comparison.