Paleo Mocha Frappé, two ways

(left) Paleo frappé, (right) almost paleo frappé 

Instead of giving a traditional gift to my dad this year for Fathers Day, I “paleo-ified” one of his favorite non-paleo treats, a Mocha Frappé, and gave him the recipe.  My parents have followed paleo for several years, even long before I jumped on the AIP bandwagon. My dad saw great improvements to his seasonal allergies once he eliminated grains, sugars & dairy from his regular diet.

Since my dad does not have diagnosed chronic or autoimmune health conditions that I have, he is able to follow the 80/20 rule. Yet, he still has a great love for Mocha Frappés--the ones that come from a certain fast food joint known for its golden arches. I wanted him to be able to indulge in the flavors of his favorite treat while maybe consuming *slightly less* of the non-paleo ingredients found in the commercial blended (flavored) iced coffee beverages. So, I set out to create a slightly better-for-you version that he could enjoy at home.

(left) Paleo frappé, (right) almost paleo frappé

In the end, I created not just one, but two frappé versions, both of which are still very much treats. The first is completely paleo, though it requires some prior planning to make the chocolate sauce, cold brew coffee & make coffee ice cubes, prep coconut cream.... I realize that not everyone may have the right forethought to prepare so many components ahead of time (basically, you would need to decide almost 36 hours ahead of time that you’d like to make a frappé), so I created a second, less labor intensive, version. The second version potentially uses some grey-area paleo ingredients but is more easily created on a whim. Still, with either frappé, the end product will have better, more “real” ingredients than a store bought treat.

Paleo Mocha Frappé 
Yield: 1 serving

3 Super Cubes (approximately 150 g) of cold brewed coffee (see recipe below)
90 g (a little less than 1/2 c) Coconut Cream
60 g / 3 Tbl Paleo Fudge Sauce, plus additional for optional garnish
½ tsp Vanilla Extract
Coconut Whipped Cream (see recipe below), optional garnish

1. Scale all the ingredients, in the order listed above, into a high-speed blender single-serve cup (I have this Ninja  but another brand should work too). 
2. Screw on the blender cup top & blend until all the ice is pulverized. Allow the blender to rest as necessary. It may be beneficial to remove the blender cup from the base & shake it a couple times during the blending process. 
3. Top with coconut whipped cream and/or a drizzle of paleo fudge sauce, if desired. Add a straw & serve immediately.

Note:

• This frappé is not as sweet as the ones commercially sold. If desired, add 2 tsp (or more to taste) Coconut Sugar, or other Paleo sweetener of choice, during the blending process. 
• This recipe can be easily doubled (or tripled) by using a regular blender container, instead of the single-serve cups. Scale ingredients directly into the larger vessel & blend.  
• As always, use the weight measurements for the best accuracy. But this recipe isn't a fussy as a cake or other baked good, so if your amounts are slightly off, it should still be ok. 

Cold-Brewed French Press Coffee

8 Tbl Ground Coffee

32 fl oz Filtered Water 

1. Measure the coffee grounds into the main vessel of a French press. Pour in the water. Stir to combine. 
2. Place the lid on the French press, but keep the plunger up. Steep in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours and up to 12 hours.   
3. After 8-12 hours, press the plunger to separate the coffee from the grounds.  Make coffee ice cubes, if desired. Store any leftover coffee in the refrigerator until ready to use. 

Coconut Whipped Cream

Yield: enough for 2 frappés 

1 can Coconut Milk, refrigerated at least 8 hours

1 tsp Grade B Maple Syrup 

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

1. Refrigerate the can of coconut milk at least 8 hours. Open the can from the bottom & pour out the liquid. Save the liquid for a future use, such as in a smoothie. Scoop the solids into a medium sized mixing bowl.  
2. Add the maple syrup & vanilla extract to the solids. Use a hand-held mixer (or the whisk attachment of an immersion blender) to whip the ingredients to soft peaks. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve. 

Notes:

• Coconut milk with thickeners added (like guar gum) will produce the best textured whipped cream; however, thickeners can be gut irritants…. So keep that information in mind & make your own educated decision. 

Almost Paleo Mocha Frappé

Yield: 1 serving

125 g / ½ c + 2 Tbl Chocolate Coconut Milk Ice Cream 

      (Coconut Bliss brand is what was used for testing this recipe )

125 g / 4 fl oz / ½ c Cold Brewed Coffee (see above recipe) 

25 g / (a litle less than 2 Tbl) Coconut Cream

75 g / approximately 6 regular cubes Ice

2 tsp Coconut Sugar, plus more to taste, as needed

Coconut Whipped Cream, optional (see above recipe) 

Paleo Fudge Sauce, warmed, optional 

1. Scale all the ingredients, in the order listed above, into high-speed blender single-serve cup (I have this Ninja  but another brand should work too). 
2. Screw on the blender cup top & blend until all the ice is pulverized. 
3. Top with coconut whipped cream and/or a drizzle of paleo fudge sauce, if desired. Add a straw & serve immediately. 

Notes:

• Unless you make your own coconut milk ice cream, most commercial brands are not entirely paleo, due to added thickeners (like carrageenan, locust/carob bean gum, guar gum…) and/or sweeteners (like agave or cane sugar). 
• I chose to use Coconut Bliss brand chocolate coconut milk ice cream because I have diagnosed sensitivities to locust/carob bean gum and carrageenan (discovered via blood tests), which are found in most other brands of coconut milk ice creams. Yes, coconut bliss contains agave (read more about agave here), but for me, agave is a "less bad" choice than choosing a brand with those thickeners.
• This recipe can be easily doubled (or tripled) by using a regular blender container, instead of the single-serve cups. Scale ingredients directly into the larger vessel & blend.  
• As always, use the weight measurements for the best accuracy. But this recipe isn't a fussy as a cake or other baked good, so if your amounts are slightly off, it should still be ok. 

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