Unicorn frappuccino is a sweet and colorful way to stay cool over a hot summer day.
I do have to confess that this delicious, creamy, colorful treat is loaded with sugars and calories but, even if it might not be something you drink every day, it can certainly be a nice extraordinary experience!
Back in 2017, unicorns were everywhere and the magic frenzy became widespread. Decor, desserts, street food, clothing, movies… It was a crazy magical unicorn season. I loved the vibrant spirit behind it and, thanks to a popular coffee store jumping on to the trend, people found yet another way to make unicorn’s magic last a bit longer.
Does Starbucks still sell Unicorn frappuccinos?
Starbucks created this signature drink, Unicorn Frappuccino, amid the rainbow colors chaos of April 2017. However, the special drink was available only for that month. This means it’s not available anymore -unless you make it at home.
As soon as April 21, Business Insider reported that Unicorn Frappuccinos were sold out, for the baristas relief. Surprisingly, a Starbucks barista claimed they sold more than 500 of them in a single day!
That’s why I came up with a copycat recipe, so people could try the Unicorn Frappuccino without wreaking havoc at Starbucks. Even a few years after its debut, it’s a fun drink to try whenever you’re craving something sweet.
🤔 💡 🦄 Fun facts
- The blue syrup was based on something called “white mocha”, a combination of condensed milk and white chocolate. Additionally, it had a “secret touch” that added a surprising, but pleasant sour flavor.
- Frappuccino blend had vanilla ice cream and mango syrup. Additionally, baristas needed to prepare purple and pink colors separately, to serve it with different colors in each layer.
- The Unicorn Frappuccino was a viral drink, and Starbucks sold hundreds of thousands of it in April 2017. Since then, the company has launched dozens of specialty frappuccinos. However, we think none has been as successful as the Unicorn Frappuccino one.
- The original recipe had the whopping amount of 500 calories in a 24 oz serving, with 76 grams of sugar.
- The End, a Brooklyn-based coffee shop, started a legal battle against Starbucks because of the Unicorn Frappuccino. The small coffee shop claimed they created a very similar drink before and the Starbucks campaign harmed them. However, the latest news about the lawsuit reported that the two companies settled out of court.
How to make a Unicorn Frappuccino
You won’t need magic to prepare a Unicorn Frappuccino at home, although the result is still quite impressive. To recreate the Starbucks recipe I used some of the information they published. Then, I dug deeper to find more about their ingredients to obtain a similar beverage, with the same colors and flavors.
To start this recipe, I recreated the “White Mocha” syrup melting white chocolate with condensed milk. Then, I added a special touch, using sour powder and blue gel food coloring. To avoid having an excessively thick syrup, I added more condensed milk after melting the chocolate.
The consistency and color of the syrup are so appealing and vibrant!
Mango Syrup is crucial to give its fruity flavor to the Unicorn Frappuccino blend. Although I could have made mango jam, I went easy with a mango juice concentrate. I assure you that the result is still very good!
The frappuccino creamy blend has a generous mix of ice cream, mango syrup, and whole milk. I didn’t make a 24 oz serving, but a 16 oz instead. That’s one of the reasons my recipe has fewer calories. I used a light mango juice concentrate too.
If you want something light, this Unicorn Frappuccino would not help. Even using skimmed milk and light ice cream, it’s very likely that it will pack hundreds of calories per serving. But I always think it doesn’t hurt to have a “cheat meal” every now and then, and you can also share it with someone!
Now, without further ado, find below the step-by-step recipe with all ingredients I used to recreate this wonderful drink at home!
Homemade Unicorn Frappuccino
Equipment
- Blender
Ingredients
Blue syrup (you’ll have enough for many unicorn frappuccinos!)
- 3 tbsps of white chocolate chips
- ⅓ cup of sweetened condensed milk + +¼ cup
Mango syrup (makes enough for 3-5 unicorn frappuccinos)
- ½ cup of sugar
- 1 pack of mango juice concentrate powder (light, to cut down on sugar :P)
- ¼ cup of water
For each Unicorn Frappuccino
- 2 cups of ice (about 14-16 ice cubes)
- ¾ cup of whole milk
- 2 cups of vanilla ice cream
- 1 tbsp of mango syrup
- 1 tsp of light Purple gel food coloring
- 1 tsp of light pink/fuchsia gel food coloring
Decoration
- Whipped cream
- 2 tbsps of sour powder colored with blue food coloring
- 2 tsps Pink sugar (you can make your own with a bit of pink food coloring)
Instructions
- Melt white chocolate along with condensed milk and coconut oil. Melt these under medium heat, and don't stop mixing.
- Once it's melted, add sour powder. It will provide a surprising taste to the syrup.
- Add blue gel food coloring. Mix well, and then transfer it to a dry area for it to cool. Use a bit more condensed milk to smoothen the mix out.
- Once the mix isn't too hot, transfer it to a sauce bottle.
- To make the blue sugar to decorate, add a bit of blue food coloring to sour powder and mix it well with a spoon.
- Extend the powder on top of parchment paper and let it dry.
- To make the yellow syrup, we used mango juice concentrate for convenience. Mix the mango concentrate powder with water and sugar until dissolved.
- Put the mix under medium-low heat to help dissolve and thicken it. After a few minutes, transfer to a small bowl and let it cool in the fridge for 10 minutes.
- For the frappuccino base, add milk, ice, vanilla ice cream, and mango syrup. Blend well until you dissolve the ice.
- Separate the mix into two so that you can add the colors individually. Then, dye a half with purple and the other with pink.
- Mix each color separately and carefully until you have a homogeneous blend.
- To serve, you'll need to be quick. First, decorate the glass with blue syrup inside. Then, pour purple frappuccino filling a third of the glass.
- Add a pink frappuccino layer, and alternate with another layer of purple frappuccino.
- To top the frappuccino, add some purple and pink frappuccino with a spoon. Cover the top with whipped cream and dust it with blue and pink powder.
- Enjoy your delicious unicorn frappuccino!
Video
Notes
If you liked this Unicorn Frappuccino recipe, you might like some of my other sweet recipes too. You can check them here.
And remember, if you try this recipe and want to share your pictures, remember to tag me @lacooquette on Instagram. I’d love to share your pictures on my IG stories.
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