What’s really in your blended coffee drink? Powdered coffee!

Is there fresh coffee in Frappuccino? (Starbucks)

If you thought the main ingredient in your blended iced coffee beverage is coffee-- think again.

Many consumers don't know that many of the nations biggest coffee chains use some sort of powder, extract or flavored syrup to create those signature, creamy cold beverages, and not fresh brewed coffee.

Starbucks, for example, has developed an instant coffee powder they call "Frappuccino Roast." Though Lisa Passe, a spokeswoman for the prolific coffee chain, told the New York Times that their blend is "made from 100 percent Arabica beans." So why not use freshly made coffee? “Using hot brewed coffee doesn’t offer the creamy texture our customers are looking for,” Passe told the Times.

But of course, loyal Starbucks customers can still add "real coffee" by way of an espresso shot.

Peet's is rolling out a new iced drink that's made from fresh brewed coffee. (Peet's Coffee & Tea)

And at Dunkin' Donuts, Coolattas are not crafted from a brewed house blend but rather a highly concentrated extract "in order to ensure product consistency and to deliver the signature coffee flavor our guests love, only in frozen form,” John Costello, president for global marketing and innovation at Dunkin’ Donuts, assured the Times in a statement.

So is there any place a consumer can go to for a fresh brewed blended coffee drink?

Peet's Coffee & Tea-- with just 235 stores-- is taking on the big guys with its new Javiva drink, a fresh brewed beverage they claim is "never instant." The chain is calling out its competitors with its new #StandUpForFresh campaign but it could be risk for such a small chain to take on a giant like Starbucks.