Ah, the Frappuccino – the perfect indulgent treat from Starbucks. But you probably haven’t heard of its signature ingredient, the Frappuccino Roast. What is Frappuccino Roast, and is it the reason why Frapps taste so good?
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Topics Explored
- Frappuccino Roast, What Is That?
- What is a Frappuccino Roast pump?
- Do all Frapps contain Frappuccino Roast?
- Does it have caffeine?
- How you can make your Frapp stronger?
Frappuccino Roast – What Is It?
Frappuccino Roast is a Starbucks roast designed specifically for Frappuccinos. It comes in powder form, formulated for use with cold water.
The taste alone is not ideal, but it’s made to work with other Frappuccino ingredients.
Since the introduction of Frappuccino Roast, it’s possible to order more pumps of coffee in your Frappuccino.
Frappuccinos are brewed cold, gently whipped, and delicate in texture. When it comes down to keeping the drink together, traditional coffees and espresso just don’t cut it.
So Starbucks stepped up and developed a new roast that will preserve the Frappucccino’s integrity!
The Frapp Roast almost resembles instant coffee, with a roasted aroma and bitter taste. Employees claim that the bitter taste of the roast is intentionally developed to offset the excessively sweet drinks.
Frapp Roast is typically made from Italian Roast – a dark roast on the stronger side of the flavor spectrum.
If it’s powdered, what is a Frappuccino Roast pump then?
Frappuccino Roast refers to the powder form which comes into the stores in 2 oz packs. The roast is then mixed with cold filtered water to produce large batches of coffee. The mixture gets placed into bottled pumps.
So when you order your Frappuccino, the barista adds 2 to 4 pumps according to your drink choice and size preference.
Why not just use espresso shots?
Frapuccino is a cold drink, so the Frap Roast is formulated for cold use, unlike the espresso.
Freeze-dried coffee works best for Frappuccinos as it contains less oil than regular brew and allows for a richer foam.
Espresso shots are hot and change the texture of the drink. Plus, espresso is not part of the original Frappuccino recipe.
Do all Frappuccinos contain Frapp Roast?
Not all Frappuccinos are made with Frapp Roast or have coffee. Coffee blended frappuccinos are the only ones made with the Frapp Roast. The amount of Frapp Roast varies in each size and flavor.
If you enjoy the coffee flavor but don’t like the caffeine that comes with it, Frapp Roast can be substituted for decaf espresso. Creme frappuccinos, however, don’t contain Frapp Roast.
Does Frappuccino Roast Have Caffeine?
Frapp Roast is essentially instant coffee, so it does contain caffeine. It’s the main ingredient that gives coffee blended Frapps their caffeine and distinct flavor. However, there’s no nutritional information available on Frapp Roasts specifically.
The Frapp Roast is only used commercially in Starbucks’ kitchens, so we can’t be sure of the exact caffeine content. However, we can take an educated guess by looking at the nutritional content of the finished Frappuccino. Breakdown below:
Two pumps of Frappuccino Roast equals less than one regular espresso shot. Since one standard espresso shot has approximately 75 mg of caffeine, we can estimate that one pump of Frapp Roast contains between 35 to 38 mg of caffeine.
| Frapp Roast Caffeine Content |
|---|
| 1 shot of espresso = 2 pumps Frapp Roast |
| 1 shot of espresso = ~ 75 mg caffeine |
| 1 pump Frapp Roast = ~ 37.5 mg caffeine |
If you’re trying to watch your caffeine consumption, look at the total caffeine content of the finished drink rather than the Frapp Roast itself.
Sometimes, additional ingredients with caffeine may be included in the Frappuccino to enhance its flavor.
RECIPE: Caffeine Levels Of Your Favorite Frappuccinos
Want more coffee or caffeine? Here’s what you can do.
Modifications are always possible and met without a frown, especially at Starbucks.
If you want a more caffeine-packed drink but still want a Frappuccino, you can ask for more Frapp Roast or espresso. Or you can take a look at the menu and pick the Frappuccinos with the highest caffeine content.
1. More Frappuccino Roasts pumps
Adding more Frappuccino Roast is the simplest way to add in more coffee flavor. The Frapp Roast is the blend that works best with the Frappuccinos, so adding more won’t change the texture or taste of the drink.
However, Frapp Roast doesn’t contain as much caffeine as the options we’ll mention below.
Since the Frapp Roast already blends well with frappuccinos, it’s the easiest way to add more caffeine to your drink.
2. Add espresso shots
Instead of Frapp Roast, you can choose to add more espresso shots to enhance the coffee flavor and make your drink more caffeinated.
You can add either regular or Blonde Espresso shots. If you want to try something new, you can ask for the espresso to be added affogato style – it’s pouring the espresso on top when the drink is finished.
Adding espresso to frapps will give it a higher caffeine boost. However, it may affect the consistency of your frappuccino.
3. Order these Frapps instead
Not everyone is as open to communicating with their barista. If you’re one of them and don’t like customizations, some Frappuccinos already have more caffeine than others.
We picked the top three, but you’re free to explore and find more that suit your caffeine needs.
Espresso Frappuccino
Description:
The Espresso Frappuccino is the one with the highest content of caffeine, about 155 mg for a Grande(1) size. The amount of caffeine comes from the 3 pumps of Frapp Roast and one shot of espresso.
The coffees are blended with milk and ice, producing a delicious, caffeine-packed drink.
Caffeine Boost:
- 3 pumps of Frapp Roast
- 1 espresso shot
- 155 mg caffeine (grande)
Coffee Frappuccino
Description:
The Coffee Frappuccino comes with less caffeine, 95 mg for a Grande(2). This flavor is made with 3 pumps of Frapp Roast and coffee Frappuccino syrup.
A large amount of Frapp Roast combines with the coffee syrup gives it a more pronounced coffee taste with slightly more caffeine than other Frappuccinos.
Caffeine Boost:
- 3 pumps of Frapp Roast
- Coffee frapp syrup
- 95 mg caffeine (grande)
Mocha Frappuccino
Description:
Mocha Frappuccino is made with coffee Frappuccino syrup, 3 pumps of Frapp Roast, and optionally, an affogato style hot espresso shot on top.
It comes at exactly 100 mg of caffeine for a Grande(3). The espresso shot alters the coffee taste and switches the texture of the chocolatey drink.
Caffeine Boost:
- 3 pumps of Frapp Roast
- Coffee frapp syrup
- 100 mg caffeine (grande)
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Summary
Frappuccinos have a good reputation among people who enjoy a sweet treat or don’t necessarily enjoy the full strength of espresso brews. So after trademarking the popular Frappuccino, Starbucks continued working on developing the perfect roast.
If you ever wondered what is Frappuccino Roast, think of it as an instant coffee formulated for cold use, with mild strength and bitter taste, that works great with the other Frappuccino ingredients.
Wondering where your info comes from? We totally understand. Hey Joe only obtains our information from reputable sources. Contents from this article are sourced from the following publications:
- Espresso Frapp: https://www.starbucks.com/menu/product/espresso-frappuccino
- Coffee Frapp: https://www.starbucks.com/menu/product/coffee-frappuccino
- Mocha Frapp: https://www.starbucks.com/menu/product/mocha-frappuccino
