Starbucks Vanilla Bean Frappuccino Copycat Recipe

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Smooth, creamy, and delicious Vanilla Bean Frappuccino made in seconds in a blender! Homemade Frappuccino base syrup makes this frozen drink just like the one at Starbucks.

Vanilla bean frappuccino in cups with whipped cream.

CONTENTS

Recipe Highlights

Vanilla Bean Crème Frappuccino is made by blending ice, vanilla bean paste, heavy cream milk, and homemade Frappuccino base syrup. The drink is topped off with homemade whipped cream that’s easily made in seconds.
There’s no coffee or caffeine in this drink, which is why the Vanilla Bean Frappuccino is a popular drink for kids.
What makes Frappuccinos so smooth and creamy is the Frappuccino base syrup that’s added to every Frappuccino at Starbucks. This recipe uses a homemade Frappuccino base syrup to give it the same texture.
This homemade copycat drink recreates a grande size (16 ounces) of the Starbucks Vanilla Bean Frappuccino recipe, including the vanilla whipped cream.

Ingredient Notes

Homemade Frappuccino base syrup
This is the secret to making Frappuccinos just like Starbucks. Make a batch ahead of time and keep it in the fridge to use whenever you want to make Frappuccinos.
Vanilla bean paste
Get vanilla bean paste that has specks of vanilla bean in it if you want it to look just like the Starbucks Frappuccino. You can use vanilla syrup or vanilla bean powder if you just want the flavor and don’t care about the vanilla bean specks.
Heavy cream
This is added to make the Frappuccino and the whipped cream.
Milk
Starbucks makes all their Frappuccinos with whole milk but you can use any milk you like.
Vanilla syrup
To make vanilla whipped cream, vanilla syrup is used to sweeten and flavor the heavy cream. You can use homemade or store-bought vanilla syrup.
Ice
Use filtered water to make ice if possible.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Four photo collage showing steps to make Vanilla Bean Frappuccino.

For full ingredients and instructions, scroll down to the recipe.

Whisk heavy cream and vanilla syrup to make whipped cream. Set aside.
A handheld milk frother makes whipped cream in seconds!
Blend heavy cream, milk, vanilla bean paste, ice, and homemade Frappuccino base syrup until smooth.
Start the blender on low, then turn it up high. Use a tamper tool to make sure the ice gets blended evenly.
Pour Frappuccino into a cup.
Top drink with whipped cream.

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Expert Tips

Put ingredients into the blender as it’s shown in the ingredient list. Don’t put ice in first.
Homemade Frappuccino base syrup is made with simple syrup (sugar and water) and xanthan gum. If you don’t want to use the base syrup, you can use just simple syrup to make the drink sweet, but you won’t get that smooth Frappuccino texture without the xanthan gum.
Using a handheld milk frother is the quickest and easiest way to make homemade whipped cream. Whisk until you get peaks in the heavy cream, which should take about 30 seconds. Whisk a few seconds longer to get stiffer peaks.
The vanilla bean paste with the vanilla bean specks is what makes this drink a Vanilla Bean Frappuccino. Take out the vanilla bean specks and it’s just a Vanilla Frappuccino.

Questions You May Have

What’s in Starbucks Vanilla Bean Crème Frappuccino?

Ice, whole milk, Crème Frappuccino syrup, vanilla bean powder, and whipped cream make up the Starbucks drink.

What’s in Starbucks vanilla bean powder?

Sugar, natural flavor, vanilla bean pieces are in the vanilla bean powder.

Why is this recipe made with vanilla bean paste instead of vanilla bean powder?

I couldn’t find vanilla bean powder that had vanilla bean specks so I changed the recipe to make it with vanilla bean paste which had the specks.

Vanilla Bean Frappuccino with whipped cream in a cup.

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