Black Forest Frappe Recipe: Cherry, Banana and Dark Chocolate Blended Ice Drink Tips, FAQ & printable recipe

Tips for success

Chill the cherries, glasses and cream before you start. Cold ingredients keep the frappe thick, help the whipped cream hold its tall swirl and make the drink more refreshing when it reaches the table. Chilling the glasses in the freezer for about 10 minutes is enough, and it makes a noticeable difference on a warm day.

Adjust the sweetness to your taste after the first blend. If the frappe tastes too bitter, add a spoonful of sugar and blend for a few seconds more. If the banana is less ripe than you like, the drink may taste slightly tart, so a little extra sugar in the chocolate base can balance it.

Variations

• Dairy-free frappe: Replace the milk with an unsweetened non-dairy milk and use dairy-free dark chocolate and a dairy-free whipped topping. The drink keeps its dark cherry and chocolate flavor and stays thick and cold.
• Frozen cherry frappe: Use frozen dark cherries, thawed and drained before pitting and halving. Add a few extra ice cubes so the frappe stays thick and cold, and blend just until smooth without any visible fruit pieces.
• Toasted almond frappe: Toast the chopped almonds in a dry pan over medium heat for about 2 minutes, stirring often, until fragrant and lightly golden. Cool them before adding to the blender for a deeper nutty flavor.
• Extra chocolate frappe: Add an extra ounce of grated dark chocolate to the blender with the ice, and drizzle more melted chocolate inside the glass. The drink becomes richer, darker and more intensely chocolatey, with a fuller texture.

Storage and make-ahead

Fridge

Keep leftover frappe covered in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours, stirring well before serving.

Freezer

Freezing is not recommended, because the texture becomes icy and separated when thawed.

Reheat

This is a cold drink and does not need reheating. Blend briefly with a splash of milk if it has thickened too much.

A frappe is best served fresh, straight after blending, because the ice melts and the texture softens over time. If you have leftovers, pour them into a sealed container and keep them in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.

Let the mixture cool to room temperature for no more than 2 hours before refrigerating it. Stir the frappe well before serving, since it may separate slightly as it sits. Keep the whipped cream and grated chocolate separate until serving, so the topping stays firm and the chocolate stays crisp on top.

You can prepare the components ahead of time so the final blending takes only a few minutes. Pit and halve the cherries, slice the banana and chop the almonds up to a day in advance, keeping the cherries and banana in separate sealed containers in the refrigerator.

Grate the dark chocolate and store it in a covered container at cool room temperature. Make the chocolate base a few hours ahead and chill it until you are ready to blend. Whip the cream just before serving, since it holds its shape best when freshly whipped and kept cold until piping.

Serving ideas

Serve the black forest frappe straight from the blender into a chilled footed glass, with the dark chocolate drizzle running down the sides so the color and pattern are visible from the first sip. Add the tall swirl of whipped cream on top and finish with a sprinkle of grated dark chocolate.

A wide straw or a long spoon works well, since the frappe is thick and the cream can be enjoyed with each sip. It makes a generous dessert drink for two, and it pairs well with a plain shortbread cookie or a light vanilla cake on the side.

For a party table, set out the frappes in chilled glasses with small bowls of extra grated chocolate and a little bowl of whipped cream so guests can add more to their own drinks. Keep the blender jug nearby so you can make a second round quickly.

Because the drink is thick and cold, serve it right after blending, and offer a long spoon along with a straw so the whipped cream and chocolate are easy to enjoy while the frappe stays at its best.

Frequently asked questions

Recipe card

Black Forest Frappe Recipe: Cherry, Banana and Dark Chocolate Blended Ice Drink

Prep 15 minCook 2 minTotal 17 minServes 2

Ingredients

• 1 cup fresh dark cherries, pitted and halved
• 1 ripe banana, peeled and sliced into rounds
• 2 tbsp whole almonds, roughly chopped
• 1 cup ice cubes
• 2 oz block of dark chocolate, grated, plus more for garnish
• 1 cup milk
• 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 tbsp granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup heavy cream, whipped to stiff peaks
• 1 oz dark chocolate, melted, for drizzling

Instructions

1. Wearing gloves if you like, pit the dark cherries and cut each one in half with a small knife. Peel the ripe banana and slice it into rounds. Set the cherries and banana aside on the board.
2. Roughly chop the whole almonds on the cutting board into small irregular pieces. Set them aside in a small bowl so they are ready to add to the blender.
3. Set a box grater over the board and grate the block of dark chocolate across the coarse or fine side. Let the curls and shavings pile up, keeping a small handful aside for garnish.
4. Whisk the milk, cocoa powder and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat until smooth and steaming. Stir in most of the grated chocolate until melted and glossy, then let it cool for 5 minutes.
5. Add the prepared cherries, banana, chopped almonds and a generous handful of ice cubes to the glass blender jug. Pour the dark chocolate base over the top.
6. Secure the lid and blend on high until the mixture is smooth and thick, with an even chocolate-brown color and no visible chunks. Stop and scrape down the sides if needed.
7. Melt the drizzle chocolate in the microwave in 15-second bursts, stirring between each. Drizzle it down the inside of the footed glass so it runs over the faceted sides, then pour in the frappe.
8. Whip the heavy cream with a hand mixer until stiff peaks form. Fit a piping bag with a star tip, fill it with the cream, and pipe a tall swirl on top of the frappe.
9. Sprinkle the reserved grated dark chocolate over the whipped cream. Serve the frappe right away with a straw or spoon, while it is still thick and cold.

Contains: milk, tree nuts

Estimated nutrition per serving

Calories

420

Protein

8 g

Carbohydrates

52 g

Fat

20 g

Fiber

5 g

Sugar

40 g

Sodium

120 mg

Automatic estimate from the ingredient list, not laboratory-verified.