A budget-friendly and healthy Pumpkin Spice Frappe bursting with the fall flavors you love, like real pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice, that’s only 75 calories!
In case you’ve never had it, a pumpkin spice frappe is made by blending coffee ice cubes, milk, and sweetener with classic fall flavors like pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spice. To make it even more special, top it with whipped cream and extra pumpkin pie spice.
There’s a reason there’a cult following around this combination. It’s absolutely delicious and addicting. Plus, it feels like fall is giving you a warm hug! Thankfully, with this recipe, you won’t have to wait until fall to have this drink. Now, you can make it whenever the craving hits. With a little prep work, it only takes 5 minutes to make.
What Makes a Pumpkin Spice Frappe Healthy?
As always, healthy is a subjective word, and it means different things to different people. Although, I really do believe my copycat Pumpkin Spice Frappe is healthier than it’s Starbucks namesake, the Pumpkin Spice Frappuccino®. For comparison, I’ve compiled some nutrition info and price for the two versions:
Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Frappuccino® (12 oz)
- Price: $4.25
- Calories: 300
- Fat: 11 g
- Carbohydrate: 48 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Sodium: 190 g
My Healthy Pumpkin Spice Frappe (12 oz)
- Price: $1.75
- Calories: 75
- Fat: 4 g
- Carbohydrate: 15 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Sodium: 126 mg
As you can see, the calorie difference between the two is huge! Not surprisingly, the calorie difference is even larger with bigger sized drinks. That calorie difference can add up quickly on the waistline.
Can I also point out the Starbucks’ version has 48 grams of carbs? That’s the equivalent of 16 teaspoons of sugar! While delicious, it will definitely spike your blood sugar. Whereas, my version only has the equivalent of 4 teaspoons of sugar. Plus, I like to use Stevia, so it affects my blood sugar less than would granulated sugar.
Another positive about my version is you know what ingredients go into it. And, it’s way less expensive to make! Plus, since we are using pumpkin puree, we are getting natural micronutrients and fiber.
Additionally, this frappe is naturally gluten-free and vegan. Although, depending on which creamer and whipped cream you use, it may not be vegan if it contains dairy. So, keep than in mind when choosing your ingredients.
Healthy Pumpkin Spice Frappe Preparation Tips
My husband loves Frappuccinos®, and he’s the one who introduced them to me. However, I knew I had to figure out how to make a healthier version that wouldn’t break the bank. Let me tell you, it took over a year to find the right ratio of ingredients to make a frappe with the right flavor, consistency, and sweetness. Over a YEAR!!! That’s a lot of bad frappes.
My sweet husband kept trying my concoctions until I found one that he says replicates the experience of going to the coffee shop. His favorite is the White Chocolate Mocha frappe, and I may put that recipe on Instagram. So, be sure you’re following me there! Or let me know in the comments if you’d rather see a full blog post on it.
All that to say, don’t try to shortcut the process and use a lot of substitutions in this recipe. I cannot guarantee your results if you do. Although, feel free to experiment and try to personalize it for you.
Preparing Coffee Ice Cubes
Believe me when I say, freezing your coffee into ice cubes is NOT optional. Trust me! I’ve tried doing short-cuts, and they don’t work. Additionally, it’s also critical your remaining ingredients be cold or room temperature. Otherwise, the final consistency of the frappe will not be thick and creamy. Instead, it will be liquid. It may still taste great, but you won’t have the icy experience.
First, you’ll need some ice cube trays. I bought a standard 2-pack ice cube tray from Walmart for $0.99.
TIP: Buy the ice cube trays in a different color than your other ice cube trays. Then, you’ll know which trays are only used for coffee.
Next, brew your favorite coffee using your favorite brewing method. Allow the coffee to cool to room temperature. Or, you can proceed immediately to the next step if you’re a rebel like that.
NOTE: I use a Mr. Coffee 4-Cup Coffee Maker to brew 24 oz of coffee at a time. It’s cheap and does the job. My favorite inexpensive coffee is Café Bustelo Espresso Coffee. This will perfectly fill 2 ice cube trays for 4 servings of the frappe.
Carefully, pour the coffee into the ice cube trays, and freeze for a minimum of 2-3 hours. Once the coffee is frozen, pop the cubes out of the ice cube tray and store in a freezer plastic bag.
Once, you have the coffee cubes ready, you can make the healthy Pumpkin Spice Frappe in about 5 minutes. Doing the prep work of brewing and freezing your coffee the night before doesn’t take longer than if you did it in the morning. So, just make sure you plan ahead.
Additional Notes
Almost everyone likes their coffee prepared differently. When it comes to sweetener and creamer, use the kinds you like.
Note: My favorite granulated sweeteners are Lakanto Monkfruit Sweetener, Pyure Organic Stevia, and Whole Earth Sweetener. My favorite liquid creamer is the White Chocolate Mocha Creamer from Kroger (Smith’s). If you don’t live near a Kroger, I like the Coffee Mate Sugar Free French Vanilla Powder Coffee Creamer.
Additionally, I like to use original unsweetened almond milk instead of dairy milk. But, use whatever you like!
After blending all your pumpkin spice frappe ingredients together, taste your frappe. If desired, add more sweetener or spice to taste. If your frappe is too thick, add an additional 2 tbsp milk at a time until desired consistency is reached. Or add additional ice to thicken the frappe.
To complete your frappe, top the creamy pumpkin spice frappe with whipped cream. This is completely optional, but oh-so-necessary for me! Plus, it looks so fancy when I serve it to my hubby with extra pumpkin pie spice sprinkled on top.
Want more like the Healthy Pumpkin Spice Frappe?
If you’re like me, you like your tea hot and your coffee cold. Not to say I won’t have the opposite, but that’s my preference. So, I prefer a frappe to a latte. Whatever your preference, I hope you give this cold pumpkin spice version a try!
I love creating copycat recipes at home that are healthier and less-expensive. To keep with the Starbucks’ theme, you should check out my recipe for One Bowl Banana Bread that I think is better than Starbucks!
For all my copycat recipes, click here. To see my full collection of drinks, click here. Or to see my full collection of recipes using pumpkin, click here.
Healthy Pumpkin Spice Frappe
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups Coffee* (Frozen in Ice Cubes)
- 1 1/2 cups Almond Milk (Original Unsweetened)
- 1/4 cup Pumpkin Puree
- 2 tbsp Coffee Creamer (Kroger White Chocolate Mocha)
- 4 tsp Stevia (Or other Sugar Substitute)
- 1 tsp Ground Cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice**
- 2 tbsp Whipped Topping (optional)
Instructions
- Add all ingredients (except for the whipped topping) to a blender, and blend on high-power for 2 minutes or until the mixture is very smooth and contains no large pieces of ice.
- Taste your frappe, and if desired, add more sweetener or spice to taste. If your frappe is too thick, add an additional 2 tbsp milk at a time until desired consistency is reached. Or add additional ice to thicken the frappe.
- If desired, top with whipped topping and a sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice.
