Red Velvet Frappuccino {Starbucks Copycat}

The Red Velvet Frappuccino is a Starbucks secret menu item made with a mixture of mocha Frappuccino and white chocolate mocha Frappuccino with raspberry syrup mixed in. This sweet copycat version is easy to make at home and perfect to share with your loved ones this Valentine's Day!

Jump to:

• ❓ What's in a Red Velvet Frappuccino?
• ❤️ Why you'll love this recipe
• 🗒 Ingredients
• 🍫 How to make mocha sauce
• 🤍 How to make white chocolate mocha sauce
• 🩷 How to make raspberry syrup
• 🧋 How to make a Red Velvet Frappuccino
• 🎉 Variations on recipe
• ⚡️ Is there caffeine in this Frappuccino?
• 🥤 More Frappuccino recipes
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Comments

Happy red velvet season! Let's be real; there's never a bad time of year for red velvet treats... But there's something extra special and fun about them during Valentine's Day.

This Red Velvet Frappuccino actually never goes out of season at Starbucks. Why? Because it's not actually on their regular menu! This Frappuccino is a secret menu item and all of its elements are available year-round.

But it's also easy to make your own version at home whenever you want. And I think it's extra special for Valentine's Day. It's such a fun drink and perfectly sweet for the sweetie in your life.

❓ What's in a Red Velvet Frappuccino?

I will tell you that the red velvet Frappuccino is a bit more intensive to make than most. That's because it combines two flavors of Frappuccinos and adds in a simple syrup.

If you were to order the Frappuccino in Starbucks, you'd ask for:

A Frappuccino that's half white mocha and half regular mocha with raspberry syrup blended in and topped with whipped cream, chocolate curls, and red sprinkles.

Yes, this Frappuccino does have espresso in it since a mocha Frappuccinos have espresso, but you can easily leave it out if you want.

The Valentine's Day Frappuccino comes out absolutely delicious. It's definitely more of a chocolate color, but has a nice little red tint to it.

❤️ Why you'll love this recipe

If you love enjoying Starbucks drinks that correlate with various holidays, you need to try this Valentine's Day Frappuccino!

Though the red velvet drink does take a little time to prepare if you're making it all from scratch, you can also easily purchase many of the ingredients to make it super quick and easy.

It tastes absolutely delicious- a little bit chocolatey and nice and sweet with a hint of fruity flavor.

It's perfect for treating your loved ones on February 14 and any day.

🗒 Ingredients

I chose to make all my red velvet Frappuccino elements from scratch, but I also have recommendations for you if you prefer to purchase the ingredients. Either way, I think you will love this drink!

Here's everything you need for the Frappuccino (be sure to check out the recipe card at the bottom of this post for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions):

• Whole milk
• Cooled espresso or strongly brewed coffee
• Xanthan gum: this helps thicken the Frappuccino and really makes a difference! You can substitute with cornstarch if needed
• Mocha sauce: you can use the recipe I provide or get a store-bought version (this is the mocha sauce Starbucks uses and here's another mocha sauce option)
• White mocha sauce: you can use the recipe I provide or get a store-bought version (this is the white mocha sauce Starbucks uses and here's another white mocha sauce option)
• Raspberry syrup: you can use the recipe I provide or get a store-bought version
• Ice
• Whipped cream: for topping
• Red sprinkles: for topping
• Mini chocolate chips: for topping

If you're making your own mocha sauce, you'll need:

• Granulated sugar
• Cocoa powder
• Water
• Salt

If you're making your own white mocha sauce, you'll need:

• Rough chopped white chocolate
• Fat free sweetened condensed milk: you can use regular if you can't find fat-free
• 2% milk: or the dairy/nondairy alternative of your choice

And if you're making your own raspberry syrup, you'll need:

• Water
• Granulated sugar
• Fresh or frozen raspberries

🍫 How to make mocha sauce

The mocha sauce is VERY easy to make!

Just put all the ingredients (sugar, cocoa powder, water, and salt) in a saucepan and whisk together.

Bring the mixture to a boil and once boiling, lower heat to a simmer. Let simmer for about 15 minutes to thicken.

Pour the syrup into a heat-proof bowl or jar and place in fridge to cool completely. It should continue to thicken as it cools.

This mocha sauce works well in Frappuccinos, but also has so many other uses and makes the best ice cream topping!

🤍 How to make white chocolate mocha sauce

The white mocha sauce is also super easy to make; the technique is similar to how you'd make a ganache.

Start by putting the roughly chopped white chocolate in a medium heat-proof bowl.

In a small saucepan, combine sweetened condensed milk and 2% milk over medium-low heat until it's just coming to a simmer.

Pour milk mixture over white chocolate and let sit for a minute.

Then, stir until chocolate is completely melted and smooth.

Pour sauce into a heat-proof jar or bowl and let cool. Keep in the fridge until ready to use.

Another sauce that has a ton of uses. Over pancakes?? SO good!

🩷 How to make raspberry syrup

The last homemade element of this red velvet Frappuccino is the raspberry syrup!

I love making homemade simple syrups and find them so easy to whip up, but remember that this is another element you can easily purchase instead.

All you have to do is put sugar, water, and raspberries in a medium-size saucepan and bring the mixture to a boil.

Once boiling, lower heat and let simmer for about 10 minutes, until mixture has thickened a bit.

Strain mixture into a bowl, being sure to press down on the berries to extract as much juice as possible.

Keep syrup in bowl or pour into a mason jar and place in fridge to cool completely before using. Syrup will continue to thicken as it cools.

In addition to using in Frappuccinos, this raspberry syrup is also pretty fabulous in all kinds of cocktails!

🧋 How to make a Red Velvet Frappuccino

Now that you have all the various elements of the Frappuccino set, you're ready to whip up the drink... This part is easy!

Just put the milk, espresso, xanathan gum, mocha sauce, white mocha sauce, raspberry syrup, and ice in a blender.

Process until smooth.

Pour into a cup.

And top with whipped cream, red sprinkles, and mini chocolate chips. You can use chocolate shavings if you prefer, but I find chocolate chips much easier.

This Frappuccino is nice and icy cold and has the perfect amount of thickness (thanks, in part, to the xanathan gum!).

I wouldn't say it tastes exactly like a slice of red velvet cake, but it does have a chocolatey and sweet flavor with a little bit of tanginess from the raspberry syrup (as opposed to buttermilk in traditional red velvet).

And it's just so festive and fun for Valentine's Day!

🎉 Variations on recipe

I developed this red velvet Frappuccino recipe based on how Starbucks makes their's in store. But since you're making it at home, there are all kinds of alterations you could make to it to amp up the flavor and make it your own.

Here are some fun ideas:

• Instead of making the Frappuccino with whole milk, try using buttermilk or half buttermilk instead. This will give the drink that classic red velvet tang.

• Add a little red food coloring. If the drink isn't red enough for you, you can add red food coloring to amp this up.

• Add the syrup flavors of your choice. Hazelnut syrup or vanilla syrup would be especially delicious in this drink.

• To add more chocolate flavor, you can blend chocolate chips into the Frappuccino. Starbucks calls them "Frappuccino chips," but you can use regular.

• Consider lining the cup with chocolate mocha sauce, too. You could also try caramel sauce.

• If you don't want any caffeine in your drink, you can leave out the shot of espresso. Or you can add an extra shot if you prefer!

• To make a vegan Frappuccino, use a dairy-free milk alternative, like almond milk, coconut milk, or oat milk. Be sure to use dairy-free whipped cream, too.

⚡️ Is there caffeine in this Frappuccino?

Since this Frappuccino has chocolate and espresso in it, the drink does contain caffeine. A grande mocha Frappuccino has about 100 mg caffeine, so this copycat recipe likely has slightly less since half of it is made with white chocolate (but it still has 2 shots of espresso!).

🥤 More Frappuccino recipes

I love making homemade Frappuccinos... I even have a couple fun Frappuccino recipes for dogs! Here are some of my favorite copycats:

They all pair perfectly with a delicious slice of homemade Starbucks lemon loaf!

This red velvet Frappuccino is the perfect Valentine's Day treat for kids and adults alike. Or you can just make it to show love for yourself... you deserve it!

Your loved ones will be so impressed you created the Starbucks secret menu item at home!

📖 Recipe