Mocha Cookie Crumble Frappuccino
Make Starbucks' Mocha Cookie Crumble Frappuccino at home! Mocha blended coffee with cookie pieces, topped with cream and crumbles. Decadent copycat recipe for chocolate lovers.
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Why you’ll love it
The Starbucks Mocha Cookie Crumble Frappuccino is the ultimate indulgent treat for chocolate and coffee lovers - it's essentially a cookies and cream milkshake meets a mocha coffee, all blended into one decadent, over-the-top beverage. Originally introduced as a seasonal summer drink, it proved so popular that it became a permanent menu item in many markets, joining the ranks of Starbucks' most-loved Frappuccinos. What makes this drink so special is the combination of textures and flavors: you've got smooth mocha-flavored coffee ice cream texture from the blended base, crunchy chocolate cookie crumbles mixed throughout, fluffy whipped cream on top, and even more cookie crumbles sprinkled over the cream. It's maximum indulgence in a cup! The drink starts with Starbucks' Frappuccino Roast coffee, which is blended with milk, ice, and chocolate sauce to create a mocha base. Before blending, chocolate cookie pieces are added to the cup, then the mocha mixture is blended and poured over them. The whole thing is topped with whipped cream and a generous sprinkling of chocolate cookie crumbles, creating a drink that's part beverage, part dessert. The cookie pieces used are essentially crushed chocolate sandwich cookies similar to Oreos, which provide that cookies-and-cream flavor that pairs so perfectly with mocha. This recipe recreates the Starbucks experience using readily available ingredients - espresso or strong coffee, chocolate sauce, milk, ice, chocolate cookies, and whipped cream. The result is a luxurious, cafe-quality drink that costs a fraction of the £5.45 you'd pay for a Grande at Starbucks. It takes about 7 minutes to prepare and requires a blender, but the payoff is a show-stopping drink that looks as impressive as it tastes. Perfect for treating yourself on a hot day, satisfying chocolate cravings, or impressing guests with your barista skills!
About the original
The Mocha Cookie Crumble Frappuccino was introduced by Starbucks in 2013 as part of their Summer Frappuccino lineup, a seasonal strategy they use each year to create buzz and drive traffic during their busiest season. The drink was an immediate sensation, particularly popular with younger customers and on social media where its photogenic layers of cookies and cream made it highly shareable. Unlike some seasonal drinks that come and go, the Mocha Cookie Crumble proved so popular that Starbucks brought it back year after year, and eventually made it a permanent fixture in many locations.
The drink fits perfectly into Starbucks' strategy of creating 'Instagram-worthy' beverages that blur the line between coffee shop drink and dessert. It's unabashedly indulgent - a Grande contains around 490 calories - and Starbucks has leaned into this, marketing it as a treat or reward rather than an everyday drink. The Mocha Cookie Crumble spawned numerous variations and inspired other cookie-based Frappuccinos, cementing cookies and cream as a permanent flavor profile in Starbucks' lineup. For many customers, ordering this drink represents a special occasion or a well-earned indulgence, and it remains one of the most-requested drinks on social media, with countless copycat recipes attempting to recreate that magical combination of mocha, cookies, and cream at home.
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Ingredients
For the Cookie Crumbles
- 4 cookies Chocolate chip cookies — or 60g chocolate sandwich cookies (like Oreos)
For the Mocha Frappuccino
- 60 ml Espresso — 2 shots, or 90ml strong coffee, cooled
- 180 ml Whole milk — cold
- 3 tbsp Chocolate sauce — plus extra for drizzling
- 2 tbsp Vanilla syrup
- 250 g Ice cubes — about 2 cups
For the Topping
- 60 g Whipped cream — generous amount
- 1 tbsp Chocolate sauce — for drizzling
Method
Prepare the cookie crumbles: Take 4 chocolate chip cookies or about 4-5 chocolate sandwich cookies (like Oreos) and break them into crumbles. You want a mix of sizes - some larger chunks and some fine crumbs. Place the cookies in a sealed plastic bag and gently crush with a rolling pin or the bottom of a cup, or simply break them up with your hands. Don't pulverize them - you want texture! Set aside about 2 tablespoons of the crumbles for topping, and keep the rest for the drink.
Prepare the glass and add first layer of cookies: Drizzle chocolate sauce around the inside of your serving glass in a spiral pattern - this creates those beautiful chocolate stripes you see at Starbucks. Add about half of your cookie crumbles to the bottom of the glass (reserve the other half and the topping crumbles).
Make the coffee base: Brew 2 shots of espresso (60ml) or make 90ml of very strong coffee and let it cool completely. You can speed this up by putting it in the fridge for 10 minutes or even adding an ice cube to cool it down (which will melt and become part of the drink). The coffee must be cold before blending or it will melt your ice too quickly.
Blend the mocha Frappuccino: In a high-powered blender, combine the cooled coffee, cold milk, 3 tablespoons of chocolate sauce, vanilla syrup, and ice cubes. Blend on high speed for 30-45 seconds until completely smooth and the texture resembles a thick milkshake with no ice chunks. The mixture should be thick enough to drink through a straw but still pourable. If it's too thick, add a splash more milk; if too thin, add more ice and blend again.
Layer and assemble: Pour half of the blended mocha mixture into your prepared glass (over the cookie crumbles at the bottom). Sprinkle the remaining cookie crumbles from your main batch over this layer. Pour the rest of the blended mixture on top. This creates layers of cookies throughout the drink!
Top with whipped cream and finish: Add a very generous dome of whipped cream on top - this is a key part of the drink, so don't be shy! Drizzle chocolate sauce over the whipped cream in a criss-cross pattern. Finally, sprinkle the reserved cookie crumbles over everything. The finished drink should be towering and impressive! Serve immediately with a wide straw so you can get cookie pieces with each sip, or enjoy with a spoon first for the whipped cream topping.
Tips & Variations
- Use chocolate sandwich cookies (like Oreos) for the most authentic Starbucks taste - Starbucks uses a proprietary chocolate cookie that's very similar. You can use chocolate chip cookies as an alternative, or even brownie pieces for extra decadence!
- Make sure your coffee is completely cold before blending - warm coffee will melt the ice and give you a watery, thin Frappuccino instead of that thick, creamy texture.
- A high-powered blender is really helpful for this recipe. If your blender struggles, crush the ice first or use smaller ice cubes.
- For an even thicker, more indulgent texture, blend in 50g of vanilla ice cream or chocolate ice cream with the other ingredients.
- Make your own chocolate sauce by mixing 2 tablespoons cocoa powder with 2 tablespoons hot water and 2 tablespoons sugar until smooth - it's cheaper and you control the sweetness!
- If you want to reduce calories slightly without sacrificing too much flavor, use semi-skimmed milk and reduce the whipped cream to a smaller dollop, but keep the cookie crumbles - they're essential!
- For a twist, try using mint chocolate cookies (like mint Oreos) to make a mint mocha cookie crumble version - absolutely delicious!
- The cookie crumbles will sink to the bottom over time, so drink it fairly soon after making it, or give it a stir halfway through drinking to redistribute the cookies.
FAQs
- Can I make this without coffee for a non-caffeine version?
- Yes! Simply omit the espresso/coffee and replace it with an extra 60ml of milk. You'll essentially have a chocolate cookies and cream frappuccino, which is still absolutely delicious. You can also add an extra tablespoon of chocolate sauce to boost the chocolate flavor if you're not including coffee. This is perfect for kids or anyone avoiding caffeine!
- What kind of cookies work best?
- Chocolate sandwich cookies like Oreos are the closest to what Starbucks uses and give that classic cookies and cream flavor. However, you can experiment with any chocolate cookies - chocolate chip cookies, chocolate brownie cookies, or even chocolate graham crackers all work well. For a fun twist, try peanut butter sandwich cookies, mint Oreos, or even biscoff cookies for completely different flavor profiles!
- How many calories are in this drink?
- This homemade version contains approximately 450-490 calories depending on how much whipped cream and how many cookies you use, which is very similar to a Grande Mocha Cookie Crumble Frappuccino from Starbucks (which has 490 calories with whole milk and whipped cream). It's definitely an indulgent treat rather than an everyday drink! You can reduce calories by using skimmed milk, less syrup, fewer cookies, or skipping the whipped cream.
- Can I make this dairy-free?
- Absolutely! Use your favorite plant-based milk (oat milk works beautifully and is very creamy), dairy-free chocolate sauce (check labels - many are naturally dairy-free), dairy-free cookies (Oreos are actually vegan in most countries!), and coconut whipped cream or other dairy-free whipped topping. The result is just as delicious as the dairy version!
- My Frappuccino is too watery. What went wrong?
- The most common causes are: 1) Coffee was still warm/hot when blended, melting too much ice, 2) Not enough ice was used, 3) Over-blending - blend just until smooth, about 30-45 seconds maximum. Make sure your coffee is completely cold, use the full amount of ice, and blend in shorter bursts. If it's already too thin, add more ice and blend briefly to thicken it up.
Nutrition (per serving)
| Calories | 666 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 9.3 g |
| Fat | 29.9 g |
| Carbs | 91.4 g |
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