$1.50 Low Fat Starbucks Frappuccino

Homemade Almond Joy Frappuccino

I am not much of a breakfast person but I just LOVED enjoying my Venti Starbucks each morning on my drive in to work. In my quest to develop a healthier, more balanced lifestyle all around I decided to forgo the caloric and financial expense of my daily latte. I replaced my Cinnamon Dolce Latte (yum!) for Strawberry Oatmeal Smoothies which are certainly tasty but lacked the "Kick" that I sometimes need to fuel my busy life. Imagine my delight when I discovered the Via Iced Coffee packets sold at Starbucks locations for $5.99 for a packet of 6. I immediately knew that I could tweak my smoothie recipe to both satisfy my "espresso fix" yet get in the fiber and nutrients that my body needs. This is the recipe that I came up with and I am happy to say that it tastes as good as anything that I could buy at a Coffee House. Yay Me!

3/4 cup Quick Cooking Oats
3/4 cups water
1 cup of ice
1/2 cup Vanilla Almond Milk
2 Tbsp Coffee House Skinny Caramel Macchiato Coffee Creamer
1 Starbucks Via Iced Coffee Packet

Place items in the blender in order listed and mix on high speed for 1 /2 minutes until smooth and creamy. The oats should completely absorb into the smoothie so that you don't taste them.


This is what mine looked like: 

The best part is this: For about a buck fifty I can enjoy a healthier version of one of my coffee house favorites and save nearly $5 per day. That is a savings of almost $1200 per year!

I would love to know what you think of this idea. Feel free to adjust the amounts to suit your personal taste. I want to try coconut milk and cocoa powder for a "Mounds Bar" inspired drink next. The possibilities are endless...Until next time. Live Well!