Green Tea Frappe

Howdy Partners,

Today I have for you a recipe that has been requested for me to make by a few of my readers.  The request was for a Starbucks Green Tea Frappuccino, low-calorie!!!   With much researching, I think I finally came up with the recipe for you!!!

I’ll be honest with you, I have only ordered this drink once, and I liked it!  The only issue was, when I went home, I found out it had 280 calories for a grande and I almost fell over!  That is just crazy!!  I like to have my frozen drinks, but I don’t like to drink my calories away!!

To make this drink I had to search high and low for green tea powder, otherwise known as matcha powder.  I searched the Asian grocery store but everything was in Chinese and I hadn’t a clue what was what.  So I did the next best thing, I searched on Amazon.  I found several green tea powders, but I didn’t know what one to get.  The price range goes from $5.00 all the way to $80.00.  Sorry, I am not paying $80.00 for green tea.  I read reviews and opted for a cheaper powder.  I figured I’ll be adding other things into it, so I’m not to concerned, as long as I can taste the green tea.  Now if you know me I have no patience to wait for Amazon to ship my tea.  So I printed a picture from Amazon and headed back to the Asian grocery store and sure enough I found the exact green tea powder for $5.99.  Sold!!!  You have to check out your local Asian stores, their cheaper and kind of fun to walk around in, as long as you can handle the fish smell.

At work, whenever my co-worker comes into the office, we go to Starbucks at 10:00am for our coffee date!  It’s a ritual!  I always get a Venti ice coffee with sugar-free vanilla and non-fat milk.  My Friend always gets what he calls his fun drink, which is a Green Tea Ice Latte  with 7 scoops of matcha and 6 pumps of sweetener.   So when I made this drink I thought of him.  Some how I highly doubt he would make this drink at home.

When I was researching this drink I found out that Starbucks uses a melon syrup to sweeten the drink.  I searched everywhere for melon juice.  I don’t think they make one?  So I decided to use about a half cup of fresh honeydew melon.  That was perfect!!  Since the green tea powder is pretty strong in flavor I only needed to use 1/4 tsp.  I know it doesn’t sound like much, but trust me, it’s strong.  I also used a pinch of vanilla extract, one packet of stevia, one cup non-fat milk and I either used 6 or 8 ice cubes.  This drink is pretty quick and easy to make.  I am betting coconut milk or a frozen banana added to this would taste fantastic!!

The best way to describe this drink is refreshing and light!  I think I like my drink better than Starbucks.  Mine tasted more natural, almost more smoothie like, then a Frappuccino.  My recipe makes just shy of 3 cups.  If you like green tea and a cucumber / melon taste, then this is the drink for you!!  This turned out so much better than I thought it would.  I am very pleased!!!

You know I have to so my Starbucks Comparisson.

Starbucks Green Tea Frappe, Grande, non-fat milk, no whip:  Calories:  280,  Fat:  0,  Sodium:  220,  Carbs:  65,  Fiber:  0,  Sugar:  64,  Protein:  5

PB&P Green Tea Frappe, almost 3 cups, non-fat milk, no whip:  Calories:  102.8,  Fat:  .01,  Sodium:  140,  Potassium:  153,  Carbs:  17,  Fiber:  .04,  Sugar:  16.6,  Protein:  8.3

Ha Ha!!  I love it!!  Look at the Carbs and Sugar!  Holy crappers theirs is high!!!  Mine is natural sugar that comes from the milk and melon, no additional sugar!!

Green Tea Frappe

 

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Prep time

5 mins

Total time

5 mins

 

A refreshing blend of sweetened green tea, fresh honeydew melon, milk and ice.

Serves: 3 Cups

Ingredients

• 1 cup non-fat milk
• 55 grams (about ½ cup) honeydew melon
• ¼ tsp. green tea powder
• ½ tsp. stevia
• ¼ tsp. vanilla extract
• 6 - 8 ice cubes
• ⅛ tsp. xanthan gum (optional)

Instructions

1. In a blender add all of your ingredients and process until smooth.

Notes

Calories: 102.8, Fat: .01, Sodium: 140, Potassium: 153, Carbs: 17, Fiber: .04, Sugar: 16.6, Protein: 8.3

Nutrition Information

Serving size: 3 Cups

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3.5.3251

Now don’t get me wrong I love Starbucks, after all I’m a gold card member, but some of their drinks are so high in calories and I don’t get why?  I have so much fun creating these drinks for you.  What drink would you like me to conquer next?

Speaking of Starbucks, today I met my first Foodie Friend Marlene from Nosh My Way at our local Starbucks.  I met Marlene on the Foodbuzz/Daily Buzz Facebook page.  Her and I will be going to the Foodbuzz event together next month!  It’s so nice to meet someone so nice and has the same things in common with me.  I can’t wait till the festival.  Are you going to the event in October?

One last thing about my drink.  I did touch up the photos to make them more green.  The lighting wasn’t very good and the drink was green but the pictures made it more white.  If you like there Green Tea Frappe, I really think you will like my drink.  I plan on making this again with the addition of a banana.  Yummy!

Have a great weekend!  I’m off to my food photography class today!!  Yah!

Toodles,

Jennifer

P.S.  I dissected another Starbucks recipe and I am hoping it turns out so I can share it with you!  I plan on making it this weekend!!!  Crossing fingers my calculations come out right!