In case you needed further proof that the unicorn food trend isn’t over yet, I’d like to present to you Exhibit A: This “Unicorn Frappe” drink mix from the Frozen Bean. It’s all over Instagram right now, posted time and time again by intrepid ‘grammers who found the mix at Walmart — and, I mean, it’s not exactly hard to see why. When properly blended up, the Unicorn Frappe mix creates a dreamy, pastel-colored treat that you can’t help but fall in love with — even if you’re totally over unicorns yourself.
Or maybe that’s just me. What can I say? I have a thing for blue drinks.
The Frozen Bean specializes in powdered drink mixes that are used to create coffee shop-style drinks and blended beverages. They do sell within the food industry, but for regular consumers, their pitch is that “your friends and family will think you have a personal Barista in the kitchen!” While they do have plenty of standard flavors in their stable — Hazelnut Latte, Chai Tea, even a couple of Pumpkin Spice options — they’re also known for their wilder picks like Cotton Candy, New York Cheesecake, and Bubble Gum.
The Unicorn Frappe mix is definitely one of those wilder picks — and, indeed, appears to be unique in the fact that its name describes its appearance more than its flavor. It comes in a 2.8-ounce packet adorned with clouds, rainbows, and (of course) a little cartoon unicorn; once it’s all mixed or blended up, though, you end up with a bright blue drink that many Instagrammers are dressing up with whipped cream and colorful sprinkles.
It’s not clear precisely when the drink mix was first released, but it appears to be fairly recent; the oldest Instagram posts featuring it I’ve been able to find date back to around the second week of July. The Frozen Bean’s own Instagram first teased the frappe on June 22, writing, “COMING SOON!! Something MAGICAL & TASTEY (sic) is coming your way at your local @Walmart!”
Indeed, the mix is new enough that it isn’t on the Frozen Bean website yet, so alas, I’m not totally sure of the ingredients. However, my guess is that the ingredients list probably isn’t too dissimilar from those of the Crème Blends or the Carnival Blends, which typically include things like sugar, non-dairy creamer, dry milk, natural and/or artificial flavors, soy lecithin, and xanthan gum (among a variety of others). Soy and dairy are both listed as allergens, so if you’re allergic to either of those items, you might want to give the Frozen Bean’s mixes a pass.
All you need to make a Unicorn Frappe of your own (besides the drink mix itself, of course) is five ounces of milk, one and a half cups of ice, and a blender. As the Frozen Bean’s “Mixing Instructions” video so helpfully reminds us — just in case you have never encountered a blender before — just chuck all of the edible ingredients in the blender and blend it up until it’s smooth. Pour the result in the drinking receptacle of your choice, whether it be a mason jar or a “Binx Is My Boo” wine glass, and enjoy.
(Side note: Does anyone know what nail polish the “Mixing Instructions” demonstrator is wearing? Because I love it.)
For what it’s worth, the product copy on Walmart’s website says you can also make it with water alone; should you choose to do so, however, my sense is that you should expect to end up with a regular ol’ drink instead of a smoothie. (Without the ice and the blender, it won’t achieve that frozen smoothie texture.) Heck, you can even make a hot drink if you like, according to the description on the “Mixing Instructions” video — just stir your packet of Frozen Bean mix into 14 ounces of hot milk or hot water and voila! Something more suitable for the winter months than the summer ones. My gut says that this technique works better for the coffee- and chai-based mixes than it does for, say, the Carnival Blends or the Unicorn Frappe, but, well… you could do it, is what I’m saying. Even if “could” doesn’t necessarily mean “should.”
But of course, the big question is this: What does a Unicorn Frappe taste like? Not like the Starbucks Unicorn Frappuccino, that’ for sure; indeed, it mostly seems to taste like a basic banana smoothie. According to Instagrammer and snack food blogger Collecting Candy, who commented on one of the Frozen Bean’s Instagram posts about the mix, they’re “pretty good.” Wrote the ‘grammer, “To my palette, I would say the flavor base of the Unicorn Frappe is like a creamy banana flavor, with a couple other unidentified flavors dabbed on top of that.” However, the commented also noted, “Nothing compares to my beloved Cotton Candy [mix].” Instagrammer @palmtr3, meanwhile, described the drink as “yummy,” writing that it “has tiny pieces of candy in it and has a flavor like a banana smoothie.” They also noted that it “[tastes] much better mixed with milk” than it does with water.
Most of the Instagram posts about the Frozen Bean’s Unicorn Frappe mix state that it can be found at Walmart; it’s worth noting, though, that you might want to go to an actual store to find it, rather than trying to order it from Walmart’s website. At Walmart.com, it’s only available via a third-party seller, and it looks to be a lot more expensive than a packet of Frozen Bean mix usually costs (a whopping $9.82, as opposed to a couple of bucks). You can, however, also get a hold of via Amazon, where four-packs of the stuff go for between $16.99 and $25.95, depending on the seller.
Have fun, kids!
