Classic Greek Frappe (Iced Coffee) Recipe

BY: Jas · PUBLISHED: Jun 10, 2020 · UPDATED: Aug 31, 2020 · This post may contain affiliate links.

JUMP TO RECIPE PRINT VIDEO

Greek Frappé is a frothy blend of coffee, ice, and sugar, served with an optional layer of cream on top. With only three ingredients, this refreshing treat is easy to make and will leave you craving more.

Classic Greek Frappe (Iced Coffee) Recipe • All that's Jas (1)

If you've never had an authentic Greek frappe, get ready for a delicious surprise! It will make you forget all about that popular Starbucks frappuccino and the Dalgona whipped coffee.

This iced coffee recipe is perfect for hot summer days, especially if you're a caffeine lover. It's a real classic Greek frappe you can now have at home!

It's super simple to make, even my husband makes it several times a day when he's working in our yard on really hot days. It's his favorite go-to summer beverage.

Table of Contents

1) What is Frappe?

2) 🥤 Why you'll love this Greek frappe

3) 🛒 Ingredients and Notes

4) What type of coffee is best for making frappe?

5) How to make authentic Greek frappe (without a blender)

6) 💡 Top tip

7) 👩‍🍳 Expert Tips

What is Frappe?

In Greece, the Nescafé frappé is more than just a refreshing caffeinateddrink. It's an integral part of the outdoor Greek coffee culture and one that has been enjoyed for generations.

The Greek frappe has an interesting history, originating in the 1950s when an accidental discovery led to its creation.

It all began in Thessaloniki, Greece, when an employee of Yannis Dritsas (a representative of the Nestlé company) couldn't get hot water to make his instant coffee. Instead, he improvised by shaking a few teaspoons in a glass of cold water.

🥤 Why you'll love this Greek frappe

It's quick and easy to make.
You only need three ingredients (if you count ice cubes).
It's budget-friendly.
This frothed coffee tastes absolutely delicious!
It's perfect for every coffee lover who needs a quick caffeine fix.
There's no need for a frother, shaker, blender, or fancy coffee machine - just a jar.

🛒 Ingredients and Notes

Classic Greek Frappe (Iced Coffee) Recipe • All that's Jas (2)

Instant coffee granules - see below for the best type.
Sugar - granulated white sugar. I found that coconut sugar changes the original flavor. You can experiment with other 1:1 sugar substitutes.
Water and ice cubes - that's basically one ingredient, fresh and frozen. You can use crushed ice, but it will quickly dilute your coffee.
*Creamer - Cream or milk is optional, and it will affect the creaminess and richness of the drink. My husband drinks it black, but I love adding heavy cream or condensed milk when I have leftovers from another recipe. You can experiment with dairy-free creamers if you prefer.

What type of coffee is best for making frappe?

Frappe is only made with instant coffee. If you want authentic Greek frappe, use Nescafe Instant Coffee. Of course, you can make it with any other instant coffee brand, but it won't be an authentic Greek Nescafe frappe.

Greeks have varying preferences for the strength of their frappes, so use your preference as a guide for this recipe.

How to make authentic Greek frappe (without a blender)

Step 1

Classic Greek Frappe (Iced Coffee) Recipe • All that's Jas (3)

Pour teaspoons of instant coffee granules, sugar per your personal taste, and a little bit of water (enough to cover the ingredients) into a mason jar with a lid.

Step 2

Close the lid tightly and shake for 1-2 minutes until very foamy.

Classic Greek Frappe (Iced Coffee) Recipe • All that's Jas (4)

💡 Top tip

Shake vigorously to allow the thick foam to form. The longer you shake, the thicker and frothier the foam will be.

Step 3

Classic Greek Frappe (Iced Coffee) Recipe • All that's Jas (5)

Fill a tall glass halfway with ice cubes. Pour the frothy sugar mixture into the glass and slowly top off with more cold water.

Step 4 (optional)

Classic Greek Frappe (Iced Coffee) Recipe • All that's Jas (6)

You can top it off with a splash of cream or cold milk (regular, evaporated, or condensed).

Enjoy while dreaming of sunny Greece!

👩‍🍳Expert Tips

If you make it with milk instead of water (except for a little bit in the first step), you'll have a frapógalo - a cold frappe float.
Don't skimp on the shaking step. Shake vigorously! The harder you shake, the more foamy your frappe will be!
It's damn near impossible to get all the foam out of the jar...so pour some water in it, put the lid on, and shake. Pour contents into your glass, and repeat as necessary.
No shortcuts! If you try to add all the water and then shake, you'll end up with just the foam.

👉 Variations

In Greece, you can order this latte-like national coffee in three degrees of sweetness, the amount of which is based on personal taste.

Sweet (Glykós): 2 teaspoons of coffee and 4 teaspoons of sugar (how my husband likes it).
Medium (Métrios): 2 teaspoons of coffee and 2 teaspoons of sugar (my personal preference).
Plain (Skétos): 2 teaspoons of coffee and no sugar.
With milk (Me gála): 1 tablespoon of evaporated milk or another creamer of your preference.

This Greek frappe recipe is a classic, but you can modify it and make it your own:

Add whipping cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream if you like it extra creamy. 😋
Replace milk or cream with chocolate milk.
Make it boozy and add a shot of Baileys or Kahlúa.
Add vanilla extract or ground cinnamon.
Use decaf Instant Coffee.

Classic Greek Frappe (Iced Coffee) Recipe • All that's Jas (7)

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

Are frappe and frappuccino the same?

Frappe is iced coffee, sometimes topped with milk or cream, whereas Frappuccinois rather like a milkshake with coffee, milk, and ice cream.

What to do with leftover iced coffee?

Freeze it in an ice cube tray. Then, when you're ready to make your frappe, use your coffee ice cubes instead of regular ice cubes! This won't water it down like regular ice cubes do, keeping it strong and bold until the last sip! You can do the same with leftover hot coffee, just let it cool before freezing.

🥙More Greek Recipes:

Greek-Style Beef and Cheese Tortellini Skillet
Greek Pastit*io Pasta Casserole
Greek Skillet Orange Fillo Cake - Portokalopita

🧡 LIKED THIS RECIPE? Leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating and/or a review in the comments section. 😋 HUNGRY FOR MORE? Subscribe to my Newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram for the latest updates.

By Jas

Learn how to make authentic Greek Frappé at home. Frappe is a frothy blend of coffee, ice, and sugar, served with an optional layer of cream on top. With only three ingredients, this refreshing treat is easy to make and will leave you craving more.

5 from 23 votes

Rate this Recipe Pin Recipe Print Recipe

Prep Time 3 minutes mins

Total Time 3 minutes mins

Course Beverage

Cuisine Greek

Yields 1 serving

Calories 38 kcal

EQUIPMENT

Mason jar

Ingredients

US Customary - Metric

▢ 2 teaspoons instant coffee , Nescafe
▢ 2-4 teaspoons white sugar, adjust to your preference of sweetness
▢ 2 tablespoons water
▢ Ice cubes
▢ Milk (optional), or use heavy cream, condensed milk, or evaporated milk to taste (optional)

Instructions

Pour 2 teaspoon instant coffee granules, 2 teaspoon (or more) sugar, and 2 tablespoon water into a small mason jar with a thigh-fitting lid or co*cktail shaker. [*See our step-by-step process photos in the post above and extra tips.]
Close the lid tightly and shake vigorously for 1-2 minutes until very foamy.
Fill a tall glass halfway with ice cubes. Pour the foam into the glass and slowly top off with cold water.
Top it off with a splash of milk or cream if using.

Video

Notes

This recipe makes one serving. Feel free to double (or triple) the ingredients if you need to serve more people.
If you make it with milk instead of water (except for a little bit in the first step), you'll have a frapógalo - a cold frappe float.

Don't skimp on the shaking step. Shake vigorously! The harder you shake, the more foamy your frappe will be!

It's damn near impossible to get all the foam out of the jar...so pour some water in it, put the lid on, and shake. Pour contents into your glass, and repeat as necessary.

No shortcuts! If you try to add all the water and then shake, you'll end up with just the foam.
Check out the "Variations" section in the post above to learn how to modify it to get the best-tasting iced coffee!

Nutrition information is approximate and meant as a guideline only.

Storage:

If you have leftover frappe, you can freeze it in an ice cube tray. Next time you make it, use them instead of plain ice.

Nutrition

Tried this Recipe? ❤️ Tag us on Facebook!Let us know how it was! Mention @AllThatsJas or tag #allthatsjas!

Update Notes:This recipe was originally published in May 2017. It was updated in March 2024 with new photos, a video, and great recipe tips.

Classic Greek Frappe (Iced Coffee) Recipe • All that's Jas (2024)

FAQs

What is in a frappe Greece? ›

A frappé coffee, cold coffee, Greek frappé, or just frappé (Greek: φραπέ, frapé, [fraˈpe]) is a Greek iced coffee drink generally made from spray-dried instant coffee, water, sugar, and milk. The word is often written frappe (without an accent).

Discover More Details ›

What is the difference between frappe and Greek frappe? ›

But is there a real difference between frappé coffee and Greek frappé? Yes, because the original Greek recipe uses instant coffee, whereas in the rest of the world, frappés are made from any type of coffee. Regardless, the method remains the same: the coffee is shaken with ice cubes.

What makes a frappe a frappe? ›

A frappé (pronounced frap-pay) is an iced beverage that has been shaken, blended or beaten to produce a tasty, foamy, and refreshing drink. It is served cold, often with whipped cream and toppings. You can add ice before or after beating the coffee and custom additives such as sugar, milk, vanilla, and sweet sauces.

Know More ›

Is a frappe just iced coffee? ›

A frappe, or rather a frappé (pronounced frap-pay), is a deliciously sweet drink similar to a milkshake. A frappé is a cold drink that is typically made with milk, sugar, ice and various additional ingredients for flavour, such as coffee or vanilla syrup.

Read On ›

What is the difference between Greek coffee freddo and frappe? ›

The former consists of one or two shots of espresso, shaken in a mixer and served over ice. Freddo cappuccino is the same, but with a thick layer of cold, frothy milk on top. (You can tell the difference between a frappé and a freddo: one has brown froth, the other white.)

Learn More ›

Is a frappe and a frappuccino the same? ›

A frappuccino is different from a frappé in that it either uses strong brewed coffee rather than instant or it doesn't include any at all, as is the case with the Starbucks' Creme Frappuccino line. While the two blended frozen coffee drinks — the frappé and frappuccino — sound similar, they can be quite different.

Learn More Now ›

Is the word frappe Greek? ›

Its name is obviously not Greek: Frappé is French and refers to iced drinks. The word derives from the French verb frapper, meaning to hit or strike, likely a reference to the beating movement of a shaker.

See Details ›