With the warmer weather comes patio season, and that often intertwines with frosty cafe beverages with or without caffeine. While I am no stranger to these cafe offerings (especially on a lovely day out or a little walk amongst the shops), it does get pricey to buy one each time. Not to mention the amount of wasteful packaging that might accumulate in your bins, if you’re like us and try to remember to bring a tumbler but don’t always manage (it’s a work in progress).
My classic ice-cold bev tip for when you want that cafe taste but not the expense or the trash OR the questionable additives:
Make your own!
Mochanut Frappe
For one serving:
- 1 cup brewed cold coffee of your choice (or water + equivalent instant – I’m partial to Four Sigmatic mushroom coffee)
- 1 banana, ideally frozen
- 1/2 cup vanilla or chocolate coconut yogourt (can use a top quality non-dairy ice cream if preferred for clean decadence, or just omit)
- 1/2 cup unsweetened almond or coconut milk
- 1/2 scoop your fave vanilla or chocolate protein powder (keep it macronutrient balanced, peeps!)
Blend and serve! Add ice and keep blend time short for a thicker “frap”-style drink. Fiber, probiotics, B vitamins, potassium, antioxidants, and even a little blood sugar balance.
What about keeping some (maybe a pitcher or a few jars) on-hand?
Option 1: Cold-brew your coffee the night before. Steep 2 Tbsp. freshly ground coffee (OR 1 serving quality instant granules) per 1 cup water in a French press. In the morning filter the brew into a mixing pitcher or bottle. Enjoy as is or just add 1/2 cup your favourite plant milk per cup coffee (unsweetened preferable, but your favourite flavour is good too – keep an eye on sugar content). Stir or shake. Store in a large airtight bottle, or pour into individual jars/tumblers for grab-and-go refreshments in the morning.
Option 2: Make the “frap” as per the recipe above, using the cold-brewed coffee, and multiplying by however many servings you need (and/or that your blender can fit), and portion servings into individual glass jars – being careful NOT to fill all the way to the top. Freeze at least overnight. Take them out of the freezer to pack in a lunchbag (or picnic bag) – place a tea towel under the bottom of the jar to catch condensation. They should gradually thaw through the day, so that you can drink them after lunch. The less time you give them to thaw, the slushier they’ll be.
Option 3: Make the “frap” as per the recipe above, omitting the plant milk, but again multiplying the rest of the ingredients by however many servings you need. Pour it into ice cube trays. Freeze at least overnight. Add however many coffee cubes would make a serving to 1/2-3/4 cup plant milk of choice in a blender; or to a jar with the milk for later consumption (such as at your desk at work, or after a workout – the cubes should thaw into the milk; shake to combine).
Options 2 and 3 also work well with smoothies! Grab some smoothie inspo with my free LPFL 21-Day Sweet Enough Smoothie Challenge.
What other ideas have you tried to replicate cafe-style beverages at home? What flavour combos do you like?
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