Day: July 25, 2011

I love Starbucks’ Frappuccinos. What I don’t love, however, is their price. Lately, I’ve been economizing by buying the bottled version from the grocery store. When I saw that you can buy Starbucks-brand instant coffee, I realized that it would be easy to make a home-made version of the bottled Frappuccinos since they’re really just a blend of coffee and milk. So here is my tried-and-true recipe for a vanilla Frappuccino analog:

Fill a mug with the milk of your choice (I prefer 2%).

Add Starbucks instant coffee to taste (I usually use less than half a packet per serving since I just want a subtle coffee flavor).

Add a dash of vanilla flavoring syrup (my favorite brand is Torani). Unlike ordinary vanilla extract, the flavoring syrup is made with cane sugar, so it does a nice job of sweetening things.

Stir until the coffee is dissolved and then enjoy!