Ube Frappé

Our Ube Latte is built on a batch of real Ube Syrup — thinned ube halaya (purple yam jam), not food coloring standing in for the flavor. This blends that same syrup with espresso, milk, and ice into the vivid purple blended drink most people picture when they hear “ube Frappuccino.”

Make the Syrup First (Just Once)

This recipe assumes you already have a jar of Ube Syrup in the fridge — a 10-minute batch (thinning real ube halaya, not cooking a syrup from scratch) that makes about 10 drinks’ worth and keeps for 2 weeks. If you haven’t made a batch yet, go do that first, then come back here.

Building the Frappé

1. Pull a double shot of espresso (about 2oz), or brew strong coffee/cold brew instead.
2. Add the espresso, 2 tbsp of the ube syrup, 1.5 cups of ice, and 4oz cold milk to a blender.
3. Blend on high for 30-45 seconds until smooth, slushy, and evenly purple.
4. Pour into a 16oz glass, top with whipped cream if using, and serve immediately with a straw.

Café grande ube Frappuccino-style blended drink (specialty-menu pricing)$6.45

Home ube frappé (espresso, milk, ice, syrup)~$1.29

Savings per drink$5.16

The syrup batch itself is a one-time ~$7.65 and makes about 10 drinks — see the full syrup recipe for the batch method. It’s the priciest syrup on the site, but this still pays for itself well before drink #10 against a $6.45 café blended drink.

Assumptions: grande-size blended drink, national-average specialty-menu pricing, dairy milk, $16/lb specialty beans or equivalent grocery beans, an 8oz jar of ube halaya at typical specialty-grocery pricing. No seasonal ceiling — at 5 a week over the site’s standard 48-week year, that’s roughly $1,238/year back in your pocket versus the café version.

Swaps & Notes

• No espresso machine? Strong cold brew or a moka pot shot both work fine.
• Want it richer and more dessert-like? Coconut milk (dairy or the carton coconut milk beverage listed in the milk-swap options) is a real, common pairing with ube in Filipino desserts.
• Want the chocolate version instead? See our Ube Mocha — real ube halaya syrup split with our Mocha Sauce, 1 tbsp each. We haven’t built the frappé version of that combo yet.
• Prefer it poured over ice instead of blended? See the Ube Latte and use its Hot/Iced toggle.
• Watching sugar? This is Standard-tier only for now (no Frappé-format Sugar-Free tier yet). Blend a batch of the syrup with ice yourself in the meantime.

Recipe Card Summary

Ube Frappé

• 2oz espresso + 4oz milk + 2 tbsp Ube Syrup (made ahead) + 1.5 cups ice, blended
• Prep time: 5 minutes (after the syrup is made) · Total: 5 minutes
• Cost: ~$1.29/drink vs. $6.45 café equivalent

FAQ

Is this made with real ube, or just purple food coloring?

Real ube — the syrup behind this drink is thinned from actual ube halaya (purple yam jam), a genuine Filipino dessert staple, not food coloring standing in for a flavor. See our Ube Syrup recipe for the full sourcing note.

Can I make this without a blender?

Yes — the iced Ube Latte uses the exact same espresso, milk, and syrup quantities poured over ice instead of blended.

Why does this cost more than most other frappés on the site?

Because real ube halaya is a specialty ingredient, not a pantry staple — the syrup itself runs about $0.77/serving versus $0.05-$0.15 for most of our other syrups. It’s still a strong savings story against a $6.45 café blended drink.