Starbucks drinks are famous all around the world for their unique taste. The main advantage of the company is a wide range of beverages and the ability to change their ingredients depending on client request.
In this article, I want to share the best dairy-free Starbucks drinks vegans would definitely enjoy.
Are Starbucks Drinks Healthy?
As you know, almost all Starbucks beverages are very sweet because of a large amount of sugar and have a lot of calories. Of course, if you drink them every day, it can be harmful to your body.
You can make them healthier by avoiding sugar and whipped cream. Your barista can use artificial sweeteners and sugar-free syrups.
Starbucks Milk Alternatives
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The company uses the following milk-substitutes in their non-diary drinks:
- Almond milk gives any beverage a soft creamy flavor. It is made of almonds and water and has less sugar than regular milk. There are only 30-60 calories and no saturated fat. Almond milk acts as an antioxidant on the body. The presence of vitamin E improves brain function.
- Coconut milk is a plant product with a sweaty taste made from the white pulp of ripe coconuts. Starbucks has been used this substitute since 2015 because thousands of people asked the company to find a healthy alternative to other kinds of milk. What is more, it contains only 41 calories per serving. Coconut milk Latte option includes shots of Starbucks Blonde Espresso, steamed coconut milk, and a Cascara sugar topping.
- Soy milk has a sweet flavor and is made of organic soybeans and filtered water. This non-diary alternative has a large amount of sugar and 270 calories per serving.
Starbucks Vegan Syrups, Powders and Sauces
The following additions don’t contain any milk products:
| Dairy-free Starbucks syrups | Powders | Sauces |
|---|---|---|
| Almond syrup Caramel syrup Sugar-free Caramel syrup Cinnamon Dolce Syrup Hazelnut syrup Sugar-free Hazelnut syrup Macadamia syrup Peach syrup Toffee Nut syrup Mocha syrup Vanilla Syrup Sugar-free Vanilla Syrup | Chocolate powder Cinnamon powder Matcha powder Vanilla Bean powder | Mocha sauce |
As you can see, almost all Starbucks syrups are vegan, but sauces are not.
Remember that sugar-free versions of syrups have splenda which has been tested on animals. So, its vegan status is in doubt.
Ingredients to Avoid
These Starbucks products have milk or other ingredients derived from animals:
| Caramel Brulee sauce | milk |
| Chai concentrates | honey |
| Chile Mocha syrup | milk |
| Cinnamon Dolce topping | extractives of butter |
| Fiber powder | milk |
| Maple Pecan sauce | milk, butter |
| Protein powder | milk |
| Whipped cream | milk |
| Caramel Drizzle | milk |
| Java chips | milk |
| Pumpkin spice | milk |
| White mocha | milk |
Vegan Starbucks Options
The company offers a vegan-friendly menu, which includes a large variety of non-dairy drinks without any animal-derived food.
The Best Vegan Coffee
Can vegans drink coffee? Yes, because it’s veggie-friendly and modern alternatives to milk can make any coffee-based drink suitable for you.
Here is the list of the best dairy-free coffee beverages, you must try visiting Starbucks:
| Espresso It’s one of the most popular types of coffee you can get in Starbucks. It doesn’t contain milk by default. | Ingredients: brewed espresso |
| Americano It’s an espresso-based black coffee with hot water. If you want you can ask to add some milk- alternatives to it. | Ingredients: water, brewed espresso |
| Macchiato Drink it with dairy-free milk and vanilla syrup, which is also vegan. | Ingredients: water, brewed espresso |
| Iced Caffe Latte Do you know how to order tasty Starbucks dairy-free latte? It will be of great taste with almond milk. You must try it definitely! | Ingredients: milk, water, brewed espresso. |
| Cappuccino Change the regular milk and enjoy this creamy and sweet drink. | Ingredients: milk, brewed espresso |
| Flat White The drink is based on espresso and milk and has more coffee flavor than Latte. To make it dairy- free ask to add one of the substitutes. | Ingredients: milk, brewed espresso |
| Cold Brew Iced Coffee It’s veggie-friendly and doesn’t include anything you should avoid. | Ingredients: ice, brewed coffee |
Iced versions of all these drinks are also available.
Vegan Starbucks Tea
Tea is the most popular drink all around the world. What is more, it’s a plant-based product and naturally vegan. But be aware that some teas with flavors may contain traces of animal-derived food. It can be honey, milk, etc.
Here are the best Starbucks diary-free teas suitable for a vegan diet:
| Black tea If you order it without sweeteners or other additives, it has zero calories. It is one of the healthiest dairy-free Starbucks drinks. | Ingredients: water, black tea |
| Peach Tranquility You’ll definitely like the combination of natural ingredients in this herbal tea. It has delicious flavor with citrus notes. | Ingredients: water, apple pieces, candied pineapple pieces, rose hip peels, peach pieces, chamomile flowers, lemon verbena, artificial flavoring. |
| Earl Grey It’s a black tea mix with bergamot and lavender. | Ingredients: water, black tea, bergamot essence, lavender flowers. |
| Emperor’s Clouds and Mist It’s a classic green tea with soft and a little bit sweetie aftertaste. The main advantage that it doesn’t go bitter at all. | Ingredients: water, green tea |
| Jade Citrus Mint Green Tea The flavors notes are spearmint and lemongrass, which make it fresh. | Ingredients: water, green tea, spearmint leaves, lemon verbena, lemongrass, natural flavor |
| Youthberry An excellent white tea with candied mango and pineapple pieces, you’ll definitely remember its taste for a long time. | Ingredients: water, white tea, candied pineapple pieces, rose hip peels, apple slices, hibiscus flowers, red currants, artificial flavor, rose petals, acai fruit powder. |
Starbucks Best Frappuccino’s
Do you know how to order dairy-free frappuccino at Starbucks, which is also very delicious?
The best Starbucks frappuccino’s for vegans:
| Caffé Vanilla Frappuccino It’s a very sweet drink with a vanilla taste. Ask for some milk alternatives and order it without whipped cream. | Standard ingredients: ice, milk, coffee frappuccino syrup, coffee, whipped cream, vanilla syrup, vanilla bean powder. |
| Caramel Frappuccino Get rid of regular milk, whipped cream, and caramel drizzle, and enjoy your frappe! | Standard ingredients: ice, milk, coffee frappuccino syrup, whipped cream, vanilla syrup, caramel syrup, caramel drizzle. |
| Cinnamon Dolce Frappuccino To make it dairy-free choice one of the non-dairy milk and ask the barista not to add whipped cream and topping. | Standard ingredients: ice, milk, coffee frappuccino syrup, whipped cream, coffee, cinnamon dolce syrup, cinnamon dolce topping. |
| Coffee Frappuccino It’s a very simple drink, but at the same time still delicious. Change the milk and drink it. | Standard ingredients: ice, milk, coffee Frappuccino syrup. |
| Matcha Green Tea Crème Frappuccino It will also be great with almond or soy milk and no whipped cream. | Standard ingredients: ice, milk, crème frappuccino syrup, whipped cream, classic syrup, matcha tea blend. |
| Midnight Mint Mocha Frappuccino Substitute the dairy milk to soy one and ask to hold the whip. | Standard ingredients: ice, milk, whipped cream, coffee frappuccino syrup, coffee, dark mocha powder. |
| Mocha Frappuccino Veganize it with non-dairy milk and omit the whipped cream. | Standard ingredients: ice, milk, coffee frappuccino syrup, coffee, whipped cream, mocha sauce. |
| Salted Caramel Mocha Frappuccino Ask to make it with caramel syrup instead of caramel sauce and not to use dairy milk and whipped cream. | Standard ingredients: ice, milk, coffee frappuccino syrup, whipped cream, coffee, mocha sauce, caramel sauce, sea salt topping. |
| Strawberries and Crème Frappuccino As usual, a milk substitute, no whipped cream and you have your dairy-free vegan drink. | Standard ingredients: ice, milk, crème frappuccino syrup, strawberry base, whipped cream, classic syrup. |
Best Cold Drinks at Starbucks
These non-coffee cold drinks are in most cases vegan by default:
| Matcha Lemonade It’s hard to describe the taste of this drink. First, you feel the lemonade and then green matcha. If you like both of them, you probably may fell in love with it. | Ingredients: ice, lemonade, matcha tea blend, sugar, lemon oil. |
| Pink Drink It’s a refreshing dairy-free beverage with a sweet flavor and creamy notes. It’s one of the best tasting dairy-free Starbucks drinks. | Ingredients: ice, strawberry acai base, coconut milk, freeze-dried strawberries |
| Very Berry Hibiscus Refresher One of the perfect drinks for hot summer. It has a berry flavor with a soft floral aftertaste. | Ingredients: ice, berry refresher base, water, sugar, white grape juice concentrate, natural flavor, green coffee extract, citric acid, erythritol, ascorbic acid, water, freeze-dried blackberries |
| Strawberry Smoothie Don’t forget to order it with non-dairy milk and without protein powder. | Ingredients: strawberry base, ice, banana, milk, protein and fiber powder. |
| Violet Drink It’s a lighter alternative to a smoothie with a combination of sweetness and tartness. | Ingredients: ice, berry refresher base, coconut milk, water, freeze-dried blackberries. |
There are a lot of other dairy-free cold drinks at Starbucks. You’ll find the perfect one for you without a doubt.
Starbucks Bottled Drinks
If you need a vegan bottled drink, you can choose one of them:
- Evolution Fresh juices which are natural and organic.
- Tazo Iced tea that has a lot of flavors.
- Cold Brew Black Coffee.
The Complete Guide to Holiday Starbucks Drinks
If you are a Starbucks fan, you know about seasonal drinks which you can buy every fall and Christmas. Some of them can’t be veganized, because of their dairy additives. But most beverages you can make vegan by holding milk and whipped cream.
Below you’ll find a guide on how to get dairy-free holiday drinks at Starbucks.
Christmas Drinks
| Drink | Dairy ingredients to remove | Replace with |
|---|---|---|
| Apple Spice | Caramel drizzle and sauce, whipped cream | Oprah Chai syrup |
| Peppermint Mocha Latte | Milk, whipped cream | Coconut milk |
| Joy Tea Latte | Milk, whipped cream | Soy milk |
| Candy Cane Frappuccino | Milk, whipped cream | Coconut or almond milk |
| Holiday Cookies and Cream Coffee Frappuccino | Oreo cookies, milk, java chip, whipped cream | Dairy-free milk, spiced praline crumbs |
| Ferrero Rocher Hot Chocolate | Milk, whipped cream, chocolate, and java chip | Coconut milk |
| Caramel Brulee Latte | Caramel brulee sauce, milk, whipped cream | Almond milk and caramel brulee sprinkles |
| Gingerbread Latte | Milk, whipped cream | Soy or coconut milk |
| Christmas Cookie Frappuccino | Caramel drizzle and sauce, milk, whipped cream | Coconut milk |
| Chestnut Praline Latte | Milk, whipped cream | Almond milk |
| Caramel Toffee Mocha | Milk, whipped cream | Coconut or almond milk |
Fall Drinks
| Drink | Dairy ingredients to remove | Replace with |
|---|---|---|
| Witch’s Brew Crème Frappuccino | Milk, whipped cream | Dairy-free milk |
| Caramel Frappuccino | Caramel drizzle and sauce, milk, whipped cream | Mocha syrup and coconut milk |
| Maple Pecan Crème Frappuccino | Maple pecan sauce, milk whipped cream | Maple syrup and almond milk |
| Salted Caramel Mocha Crème Frappuccino and Salted Caramel Mocha | Caramel sauce, milk, whipped cream | Soy or almond milk |
| Horchata Almond Milk Crème Frappuccino | Caramel sauce, cinnamon dolce topping, whipped cream | Cinnamon dolce syrup |
| Caramel Cocoa Cluster Frappuccino | Caramel drizzle and sauce, milk, whipped cream | Any dairy-free milk |
| Chai Crème Frappuccino | Chai tea concentrate, milk | Oprah chai syrup, coconut milk |
In October 2019 there was a limited edition Phantom Frappuccino topped with ghoulish lime slime. This Starbucks vegan-friendly fruity blend of coconut milk and mango essence was available only for one week. So check seasonal options from time to time, you may find something interesting here.
You can also make your own vegan coffee drink with the help of a blender food processor.
Vegan Food at Starbucks
Starbucks offers not only drinks but also veggie-friendly food. And what is more, the company wants to expand its menu.
Here the list of dairy-free Starbucks food available at the moment:
| Sweets and cakes | Bunnie Cakes Passion Fruit Cupcakes Emmy’s Organic Dark Cacao Macaroons Macadamia Oat Cookie Vegan Chocolate and Raspberry Cake |
| Snacks | Assorted and Mixed Nuts Dried Fruits Fruit Salad Fruit Chips Trail Mixes Granola That’s It Bars Sea Salt Potato Chips Dream Pops Superfood Ice Cream Treats Hippeas Organic Chickpea Puffs Kale Chips Roasted Almonds |
| Sandwiches | Vegan Winter Sandwich |
| Wraps | BBQ Jackfruit Wrap BBQ Vegan Wrap with Jackfruit and Slaw Vegan Wrap with Falafel and Slaw |
| Breakfast | Lentil’s and Vegetable Protein Bowl Blueberry/Sprouted Grain/Multigrain/Plain/Raisin Bagel Strawberry and Toasted Almonds Overnight Grains Vegan Superberry Acai Fruit Mix Pot |
| Spreads | Justin’s Chocolate Hazelnut Butter Justin’s Classic Almond Butter Organic Avocado Spread |
Summary
I hope, now you know how to get your Starbucks dairy-free drinks. Never forget to ask the barista to use a milk substitute and to leave off the whipped cream. Also, remember about other non-vegan ingredients you have to avoid.
References:
- https://veganswithappetites.com
- https://www.teenvogue.com
- https://customerservice.starbucks.com
- https://spoonuniversity.com
- https://urbantastebud.com
- https://www.peta.org
- https://www.peta2.com
- https://whoopwellness.com
- https://madebyluci.co.uk
- https://www.buzzfeed.com
- https://www.starbucks.com
I’m a healthy living blogger who loves to help people who care about having an eco-friendly home environment and a healthy lifestyle. With proper nutrition I helped my brother to cure gastritis and my father to normalize his blood pressure.
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