Make This 4-Ingredient Mocha Frappé When It’s Too Hot to Function

If you ask me what runs through my veins, the answer isn’t blood—it’s coffee. In every form, every mood, every temperature. I’ll happily sip a demure little demitasse of double espresso, its crema glistening like satin in the sun. But I also want my coffee loud, cold, and in a cocktail shaker—especially when summer’s trying to kill me. This mocha frappé, developed by my colleague Julia Levy from our Birmingham, Alabama test kitchen, is my seasonal armor: a frothy, icy, chocolatey jolt of joy that doesn’t require a drive-thru, a whipped cream crown, or a $10 price tag.

Now, let’s clarify: when I say “mocha frappé,” I’m not talking about the extra-thick, blended-to-oblivion milkshakes masquerading as coffee drinks. You know the ones—layers of syrup, whole dairy farms’ worth of cream, and more sugar than a Halloween haul. This isn’t that. This is the Greek-style frappé’s chocolatey cousin: shaken (or frothed) instant coffee, cocoa, a hit of brown sugar, and a generous tumble of ice, all topped with cold milk that swirls in like some caffeinated magic trick.

Yes, I said instant coffee. Before you roll your eyes and reach for your grinder, hear me out: when you shake instant coffee with a bit of water and sugar, something alchemical happens. You get this thick, creamy foam—no espresso machine required. It’s the secret not just to a great Greek frappé but also Dalgona coffee. That foamy magic is thanks to instant coffee’s solubility and the presence of natural surfactants—compounds that reduce surface tension and help trap air. Unlike brewed coffee, which contains oils that inhibit foam formation, instant coffee dissolves quickly and cleanly, letting those surfactants do their job and whip into a dense, stable froth. Basically, it’s engineered for foam. Add cocoa powder and a splash of vanilla, and you’re hacking your way into iced mocha territory without leaving your kitchen or changing out of your pajama shorts.

Unsweetened natural cocoa powder is also essential here—trust us. When Julia tried this with Dutch-processed cocoa, chaos ensued. No foam. Just sad, flat coffee. Turns out it wasn’t the cocoa’s pH, but the Dutch-processed cocoa’s fat content—the added cocoa butter in Dutch-process interrupts the surfactants (those compounds mentioned above that lower the surface tension between liquids), meaning the foam bubbles just pop and die. Through ample testing, she found the best workaround is using natural cocoa to keep the drink frothy.

After the frappé is whipped up, you’ll tilt the glass and pour in your cream or milk of choice. We love the creamy body and richness that evaporated milk or half-and-half brings to this drink—they add just enough weight to balance the bitterness of the coffee and cocoa. That said, you can absolutely use your preferred milk or non-dairy alternative. Just keep in mind that lighter milks (like skim or most plant-based options) will produce a thinner, less decadent final drink.

This mocha frappé is a drink that makes you feel like a barista without the 5 a.m. shift. If you’ve got a cocktail shaker, great. If not, a milk frother works beautifully, especially for those of us who like playing with kitchen gadgets. Pour it all into a tall glass, tilt it with a bit of flair, and drizzle in your milk of choice. The result is a layered, bittersweet, refreshing coffee drink that’s somewhere between an iced mocha, a Greek frappé, and pure caffeinated fun.

I love this recipe because it’s completely customizable—you can make it sweeter or stronger depending on your mood or add a little splash of booze, such as coffee liqueur, if you’d like. It’s playful, portable, and proof that coffee doesn’t have to be serious to be delicious.

Cook Mode
(Keep screen awake)