If you recently made the switch to a plant-based diet, congratulations on embracing a more sustainable and compassionate lifestyle. While adjusting your meal plan, you might wonder how to navigate your favorite Starbucks beverages and treats. Fortunately, ordering vegan at Starbucks is simpler than you might think. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll unveil the hidden vegan menu at Starbucks and provide you with easy-to-follow tips on ordering vegan options. So sit back, relax, and get ready to enjoy your favorite Starbucks drinks and treats guilt-free!
How to Order Vegan at Starbucks:
Ordering vegan drinks at Starbucks primarily involves avoiding dairy products. Coffee itself is naturally plant-based, so if you prefer it black or enjoy espresso shots or Americanos, your order won’t require any modifications. However, if you usually add milk, or cream, or enjoy lattes, cappuccinos, or macchiatos, you can simply request a plant-based substitute such as soy milk, coconut milk, almond milk, or oat milk.
When it comes to flavor syrups and sauces, you can add them to your drinks as they are typically dairy-free. However, if you follow a strict vegan diet, you may choose to avoid sweeteners made with non-organic sugar. Non-organic sugar is often processed using animal bone char, which acts as a decolorizing filter. To ensure your drink aligns with your dietary preferences, you may opt to skip these sweeteners.
For food options, it’s important to steer clear of items that contain cheese, eggs, butter, chocolate, or caramel. However, fear not, as Starbucks offers several vegan-friendly choices such as oatmeal, bagels, açai bowls, and a selection of other snacks.
- Vegan Coffees and Cold Brews: Coffee is inherently vegan since it consists of coffee beans and water. Whether you prefer your coffee hot or cold, you can enjoy it without any modifications. However, if you typically add milk or sugar, you can request non-dairy milk and flavor syrup to customize your drink.
Here are some vegan-friendly coffee options at Starbucks:
- Freshly brewed coffee
- Caffè Misto
- Iced coffee
- Cold brew
- Nitro Cold Brew (without foam or with oat milk cold foam)
- Vegan Starbucks Espresso Drinks: Espresso shots and Americanos are vegan-friendly as they are made from espresso grounds and water. However, for dairy-based drinks like cappuccinos, lattes, cortados, and macchiatos, you’ll need to replace regular milk with a non-dairy alternative. While these substitutes may differ slightly in foam and mouthfeel, they will still satisfy your coffee cravings. Additionally, Starbucks has introduced the Oleato Caffè Latte and Iced Shaken Espresso, made with oat milk and infused with extra-virgin olive oil, offering a pleasantly silky texture to surprise your taste buds.
Here are some vegan espresso options:
- Americano
- Cappuccino
- Flat white
- Caffè Latte
- Latte Macchiato
- Espresso
- Cortado
- Vegan Starbucks Syrups and Sauces: If you’re a fan of flavor syrups and sauces to enhance your Starbucks experience, you’ll be pleased to know that most of them are vegan-friendly. You can enjoy a variety of syrups and sauces without any adjustments. However, it’s important to note that caramel sauce/drizzle and white mocha sauce contain dairy, so it’s best to avoid these if you’re strictly following a vegan diet. Additionally, remember to skip the whipped cream as it is not vegan.
Here are some vegan syrups and sauces you can enjoy:
- Mocha sauce
- Classic syrup
- Vanilla syrup (regular and sugar-free)
- Caramel syrup
- Cinnamon Dolce syrup
- Brown sugar syrup
- Hazelnut syrup
- Toffee Nut syrup
- Frappuccino bases
- Vegan Starbucks Seasonal Drinks: While Starbucks offers a range of seasonal drinks, it’s important to note that a few of them contain non-vegan syrups. The Toasted White Chocolate Mocha, Winter Irish Cream Cold Brew (contains sweet cream), and Caramel Brulée Latte (contains caramel sauce) are not suitable for a vegan diet. Moreover, the Pumpkin Spice Sauce, a key ingredient in the famous Pumpkin Spice Latte (PSL), also contains dairy. Additionally, the Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew, topped with pumpkin-infused cold foam, is not vegan-friendly. Lastly, the Honey Almond Flat White, made with almond milk but containing actual honey, is not suitable for strict vegans.
However, you can still enjoy the following seasonal drinks by skipping the whipped cream and substituting non-dairy milk:
- Apple Crisp Oatmilk Macchiato
- Sugar Cookie Almondmilk Latte
- Peppermint Mocha
- Salted Caramel Mocha
- Chestnut Praline Latte
- Caramel Apple Spice (without caramel drizzle)
- Vegan Starbucks Blended Drinks: If you’re a fan of blended beverages, fear not, as Starbucks offers several vegan-friendly options. The Frappuccino bases, both regular and light, are vegan-friendly. You can customize your blended drink by avoiding dairy-based mix-ins such as java chips, caramel drizzle, or dark caramel sauce. Instead, you can substitute them with vegan options. However, it’s important to note that the Chai Crème, White Chocolate Crème, Caramel Ribbon Crunch, and White Mocha Frappuccinos cannot be made vegan. Also, be sure to avoid the Frappuccino chips found in the Double Chocolatey Chip and Java Chip Frappuccinos, and opt for the vegan-friendly cookie crumble.
Here are some vegan blended drink options:
- Coffee Frappuccino
- Espresso Frappuccino
- Caffè Vanilla Frappuccino
- Caramel Frappuccino (without caramel drizzle)
- Mocha Frappuccino
- Vanilla Bean Créme Frappuccino
- Strawberry Crème Frappuccino
- Matcha Crème Frappuccino
- Vegan Starbucks Steamers: For those seeking hot non-coffee beverages, Starbucks offers a range of steamers. Steamers are made with steamed milk and various flavors. You can enjoy a steamer by replacing regular milk with non-dairy milk. Options such as Classic Hot Chocolate and Caramel Apple Spice can be customized to your preference. However, please note that the caramel drizzle in the Caramel Apple Spice is not vegan. Unfortunately, white hot chocolate is not available for vegans, but you can still enjoy regular hot chocolate and enhance it with additional flavor syrups like hazelnut, raspberry, or caramel.
Here are some vegan steamer options:
- Steamer
- Classic Hot Chocolate
- Caramel Apple Spice (without caramel drizzle)
- Vegan Starbucks Teas: If you’re a tea lover, good news! Both hot and iced teas are naturally vegan-friendly. You can enjoy plain teas without any adjustments. For tea lattes, you can simply substitute non-dairy milk for regular milk. Lemonade and various flavor syrups, such as classic, mango, peach, and raspberry, are also vegan-friendly additions. However, be sure to avoid the chai tea concentrate, as it contains honey.
Here are some vegan tea options at Starbucks:
- Royal English Breakfast Black Tea or Tea Latte
- Earl Grey Tea or London Fog Tea Latte
- Emperor’s Clouds & Mist Green Tea
- Jade Citrus Mint Green Tea
- Green Ginger Tea
- Mint Majesty Herbal Tea
- Peach Tranquility Herbal Tea
- Iced Black Tea (plain or mango)
- Iced Black Tea Lemonade (plain or mango)
- Iced Green Tea (plain or peach)
- Iced Green Tea Lemonade (plain or peach)
- Iced Passion Tango Tea
- Iced Passion Tango Tea Lemonade
- Vegan Starbucks Refreshers: Starbucks Refreshers are primarily composed of water, sugar, and green coffee extract, which provides a hint of caffeine. They are naturally vegan-friendly. The milky versions of refreshers, such as the famous Pink Drink, are made with coconut milk, making them suitable for vegans. You can even substitute water with lemonade or coconut milk for added flavor.
Here are some vegan Starbucks Refreshers:
- Mango Dragonfruit Refresher
- Mango Dragonfruit Lemonade
- Dragon Drink
- Strawberry Açaà Refresher
- Strawberry Açaà Lemonade
- Pink Drink
- Pineapple Passionfruit Refresher
- Pineapple Passionfruit Lemonade
- Paradise Drink
- Vegan Starbucks Foods: While many of Starbucks’ food options contain animal products such as butter, milk, eggs, and meat, there are still a few vegan-friendly choices available.
You can enjoy the following vegan foods at Starbucks:
- Rolled & Steel-Cut Oatmeal
- Strawberry Overnight Grains
- Vegan Superberry Açai Bowl
- Plain Bagel
- Everything Bagel
- Avocado Spread
Final Thoughts:
Ordering vegan at Starbucks is easier than you might think. With the variety of plant-based milk options available and the ability to customize your drinks, you can still enjoy your favorite Starbucks beverages while adhering to a vegan lifestyle. By substituting dairy milk with non-dairy alternatives, skipping whipped cream, and avoiding non-vegan ingredients like caramel and honey, you can create a guilt-free and delicious Starbucks experience. Additionally, some food options such as oatmeal, acai bowls, and bagels can provide a satisfying vegan snack or meal. So the next time you visit Starbucks, feel confident in your ability to order vegan and enjoy your favorite drinks and treats while staying true to your dietary choices.
