Sunday, June 17, 2012

Low-Cal Frappe Recipes (40-60 calories)


I'm generally trying to stay in shape these days. My lifestyle makes it easy to balloon to 200lbs if I don't watch what I eat and move around.

Even so, I was still able to let myself have a frozen hot chocolate and a coffee frappuccino, respectively, like once a day for two days without guilt tripping afterwards. (Or bloating, which is great!)

If I'd bought myself a frappuccino from Starbucks (I usually get a caramel one) it would have easily set me back by 430 calories in my daily allowance. 380 calories if I'd gotten a chocolate one; easily 400 if I asked for mint syrup like I usually do.

But with very little changes, I easily made a coffee frappe with only around 95* calories in it, and that's only because I tried to experiment by putting some cream in it (didn't really do it any favors. I wouldn't do it again). If I hadn't done that, It would have only had 40. CALORIES. IN IT. For serious. The chocolate one had around 50-60*.

So. Let's get to HOW you actually make these. It's actually a no-brainer, you just need to not have a craving that can't wait, because it needs a while to freeze. Or better yet, freeze it ahead of time before you even want one so whenever you do, you can just wait for it to thaw a bit and pop it in the blender.


You only need:

  • a few hours (I like it when the center is still liquid because it's so much easier to blend. This takes about 4-5 hours)
  • a blender
  • milk (i use 1-2 tablespoons of evaporated milk)
  • 1 packet of a zero-calorie sweetener (I recommend stevia. Any zero-cal sweetener will do, but Stevia is like the most alkaline sweetener you can get, and it's natural)
  • Your choice dose of coffee or 1 tablespoon cocoa powder


Coffee Frappe:
  1. Take a big glass/tumbler, put some water in it.
  2. Work the coffee machine. I leave the strength of the coffee to your personal preference, but I usually use two scoops (around tablespoon-sized scoops) of unground beans or one heaping spoonful of ground coffee. (You can also just use instant coffee and hot water. Basically, just make yourself some black coffee.)
  3. Put a packet of stevia or splenda or whatever sweetener you're using in the glass (if you're using instant, just put it in with the sweetener)
  4. Pour the coffee (water if using instant) in and stir.
  5. Swig a bit of evaporated milk in it (I usually end up using 1-2 tablespoons)
  6. Pop it in the freezer
Frozen Hot Chocolate:
  1. Put a tablespoon of cocoa powder (I use Goya baking cocoa powder) and contents of a packet of Stevia in your big glass/tumbler.
  2. Add hot water and stir.
  3. Add evaporated milk.
  4. Pop in the freezer.
After a few hours, it will mostly be frozen. The difficult part is getting to take it off the glass. I usually take it out while the center is still liquid so I just crack the center with a spoon, pour the liquid into the blender, and crack and pull the frozen stuff until they're all in the blender. If left overnight, it might be completely frozen, in which case, just wait for a few minutes till the outside is liquid enough that you can drop it all in the blender.

The liquid part helps to blend the thing smoothly, but if you have too much liquid, it won't really end up in a frappe-like consistency. I usually like mint in my drink, and that actually helps blend it smoother, but you don't have to put mint syrup if you don't like it. Whatever. Your choice. That's the best thing about making your own frappe, you can put whatever YOU want in it.

You can add whipped cream if you want, but personally the froth that forms on top after blending is kind of enough? hahahaha. Whipped cream adds 15 calories for every 2tbsp.

There you go! Pop a straw in and enjoy <3


Right now I'm settling for this iced coffee because I woke up late, was in the mood for a liquid drink and I can't wait too long to have my coffee because I have enough sleeping problems as it is. hehe. It's basically the same recipe, I just added ice instead of freezing and blending.

(I personally use loose measurements because I hate being too caught up with numbers, but I use equal or less than the listed measurements.)

*calorie breakdown:

Coffee Frappuccino: Coffee: 0cal | Stevia: 0cal | Evaporated Milk: 40cal (2tbsp) | Total: 40 calories

Frozen Hot Chocolate: Cocoa Powder: 10cal (1tbsp) | Stevia: 0cal | Evaporated Milk: 40cal (2tbsp) | Mint Syrup: 5cal** | Total: 56 calories

**Check your mint syrup's Nutritional Facts! It may be different from mine. Mine has 61 calories every 2cl and I used a little swig, which is about a tablespoon. (61cal/200ml  is .305 cal per ml. 1tbsp = 15 ml. .305 x 15 = 4.575. I'm not really anal about these things for myself haha, but I don't want to give unreliable numbers in my blog especially if the reader is really watching their intake.)


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