10 Best Vegan Drinks at Costa – for the love of java can someone just tell me about the best vegan drinks at Costa Coffee? Please! Okay, you got it. In my previous post I covered how to order vegan drinks at Costa Coffee, breaking down every beverage on the Costa Coffee menu (see my post: Vegan Drinks At Costa – How To Order Vegan). In this post, I am going to detail my personal top 10 suggestions for vegan drinks at Costa Coffee stores. Think of it as a simple and easy go-to list you can use when ordering from the UK’s largest coffee chain (and one of the most popular in mainland Europe).
What Drinks Are Vegan At Costa?
As a general rule, the best vegan drinks at Costa include the caramel cortado, chai tea latte, the whole vegan as-is Latte+ range, coffee frostino, iced latte, mango & passionfruit cooler, strawberry iced infusion, and Earl Grey tea. Six of these ten drinks require no substitutions and the remaining four just require vegan milk substitutions.
Recap – How To Order Vegan Drinks At Costa
Let’s start with a quick recap on how to order vegan drinks at Costa Coffee. If you want a full breakdown of every beverage item on the Costa Coffee menu then check out my post: Vegan Drinks at Costa – How To Order Vegan).
Costa Coffee offers vegan hot coffees and teas as well as plant-based milk so various drinks can be made vegan with substitutions. Costa also offers a vegan Latte + range. The chocolate powder used in Costa’s mochas and cappuccinos is not vegan due to potential cross-contamination. Also several of the “Frostinos” and specialty hot chocolates contain dairy and cannot be made vegan.
In short, lots of the drinks at Costa can be made vegan except (1) anything with chocolate powder in it; and (2) some of the “Frostinos” (the Frappuccino style drinks).
Vegan Costa Coffee at Home
But first, are you a Brit living abroad and feeling super sad you can no longer enjoy a cup of Costa java (as a Brit living in the US I hear you!)? I have some good news – you can buy Costa ground coffee, whole bean coffee, and k-cups on Amazon.
Now let’s dig into the list.
10 Best Vegan Drinks at Costa
Below are ten of what I think are the best vegan drinks at Costa (including a summary table and an item-by-item breakdown).
60% of the below drinks do not require substitutions. No paying extra for plant-based milk, no holding the caramel, no holding the topping, and no holding the whip.
The remaining four drinks on the list require one simple substitution – plant-based milk (soy, almond, coconut, or oat) in the place of dairy milk – AT NOT EXTRA COST. I repeat. Costa does not charge extra for vegan milk. Big thumbs up to Costa for having so many vegans as-is or easy-to-order vegan drinks on their menu. Out of all the coffee chains I have reviewed on Vegan Bev HQ Costa Coffee by far has one of the most vegan-friendly menus.
Sugar Disclaimer…Kind Of
What is also nice with this list is I do not need to include the usual disclaimer about drinks containing sugar. A lot of sugar in the US is processed with bone char, making any sugar (which isn’t organic, raw, or beet) off-limits for some vegans. Bone char sugar processing is really only a US issue (it is much more regulated in Europe), meaning you do not need to worry about the sugar used in Costa Coffee drinks not being vegan.
Summary Table of the Best Vegan Costa Drinks
The below table summarizes a breakdown of all the vegan drinks you need to know about at Costa Coffee. The Table is made of the following 10 best vegan Coffee drinks:
- Vegan as is: if you are the kind of person who hates having to order off the menu then these drinks are for you.
- Drinks that Require Dairy Milk Substitution
I will go through each item in the table separately afterward.
| Best Vegan Costa Drinks That Are Vegan As-Is | Best Vegan Costa Drinks That Require Dairy Milk to be Subtitutited for Vegan Milk |
|---|---|
| Caramel Oat Latte + Vitamin B12 and Zinc | Caramel Cortado |
| Vanilla Coconut Latte + Vitamin B12 and Zinc | Chai Tea Latte |
| Hazlenut Almond Latte + Protein | Iced Latte |
| Mango & Passion Fruit Cooler | Coffee Frostino |
| Strawberry Iced Infusion | |
| Earl Grey Tea |
10 Best Vegan Drinks at Costa Coffee – Item-By-Item
1. Caramel Cortado
*Substitute dairy milk for plant-based milk*
The Costa caramel cortado makes it on this list because if you have read any of my other posts on coffee shops (see How To Actually Order Vegan Starbucks Drinks and Vegan Drinks At Dunkin’ Donuts – How To Actually Order Vegan) you will know that the caramel sauce at most coffee chains contains dairy. Further, coffee shop toppings also tend to always contain dairy. This means any drink that can have toppings sprinkled on top is a rare occurrence as a vegan.
Step in Costa’s caramel cortado. Made using Costa’s signature espresso, swirled with rich caramel, milk, and topped off with a caramel crumb. Don’t forget to swap dairy milk for your choice of plant-based milk and you have yourself a delicious vegan caramel coffee delight.
2. Chai Tea Latte
*Substitute dairy milk for plant-based milk*
Chai Tea Lattes are not vegan everywhere (for example the Starbucks chai base contains honey – see my post: How To Actually Order Vegan Starbucks Drinks). This means as a vegan if you are into Chai Tea Lattes then you need to grab that opportunity to have one anywhere you can. Luckily at Costa, you can.
3. Caramel Oat Latte + Vitamin B12 and Zinc
*No substitutions needed*
Costa recently launched a Latte + range consisting of three delicious vegan AS-IS drinks with added vitamins/nutrients. No substitutions are needed.
The first Latte + drink is the Caramel Oat Latte + Vitamin B12 and Zinc.
As I mentioned above it is unusual to be able to order caramel-style lattes as a vegan. This drink also has the added benefit of being made with oat milk, so no substitutions are needed. It also contains added zinc and B12. B12 is the only nutrient that can be difficult to get enough of on a balanced vegan diet, so I love the fact this is added.
4. Vanilla Coconut Latte + Vitamin B12 and Zinc
*No substitutions needed*
Are you more of a vanilla coconut fan rather than a caramel oat person? If you are then there is also a Vanilla Coconut Latte + option to close from. Personally, I’m on team caramel, but if your jam is vanilla then this version of the Latte + is for you. Plus it still contains the additional Vitamin B12 and added Zinc.
5. Hazelnut Almond Latte + Protein
*No substitutions needed*
Because I am so impressed with the fact that all Latte + drinks are vegan as-is I decided to include the entire range of all three drinks to this list. This final version of the Latte + is a Hazelnut Almond Latte drink with added protein. All the hazelnut almond vibes, no substitutions, and a protein and caffeine hit at once.
6. Iced Latte
*Substitute dairy milk for plant-based milk*
This entry is a simple one but a goodie. Personally, I don’t think you can go wrong with an oat milk iced latte when you want a caffeine hit in the summer months.
7. Coffee Frostino
*Substitute dairy milk for plant-based milk*
The Frostinos are essentially Costa’s Frappuccino-style drink. The coffee variety is the only one that can be made vegan, so it had to make it onto this list. The only substitution that must be made is to order plant-based milk in place of dairy. The coffee Frostino is the only Frostino that doesn’t come with whipped cream on top, so you do not need to hold the whip.
8. Mango & Passion Fruit Cooler
*No substitutions needed*
Do you want a refreshing tropical drink that contains no caffeine? Then the mango & passion fruit cooler may be the one for you. This drink is made up of a mango and passion fruit puree base which is blended with ice. It also comes in a Red Summer Berries variety if you are more of a berry fan. No subs are needed with this one – order as-is.
9. Strawberry Iced Infusion
*No substitutions needed*
Freshly brewed super fruity infusion hand-shaken over ice with strawberry. Refreshing and fruity.
10. Earl Grey Tea
*No substitutions needed*
As Costa is so big in the UK it felt like a must to include a traditional tea on the list such as Earl Grey. I personally adore the bergamot vibes you get from a cup of Earl Grey. Traditionally you are supposed to drink Earl Grey tea with a slice of lemon (a bit of a pointless fact – as you obviously can’t order a slice of lemon with it in Costa). Regardless I personally prefer it with a splash of oat milk. Some people still prefer it black. And if bergamot isn’t your thing there is always the fail-safe English Breakfast Tea (just make sure to order it with plant-based milk)
If you love tea and want to learn about whether all types of tea are vegan or not you might want to check out my whole piece dedicated to the leafy stuff – see: Is Tea Vegan? Time To Know The Complete Facts.
10 Best Vegan Drinks at Costa – The Final Sip
Is it possible to have a vegan drink at Costa Coffee? Yes. In fact, Costa Coffee is one of the most vegan-friendly coffee chain menus I have come across and I have reviewed a lot of coffee chains (from Starbucks to Dunkin’, to Scooters, to Dutch Bros, to Scooters, to Gloria Jeans … you get the idea). If you live in the UK or mainland Europe, I really do envy you. My personal go-to choices would be the Caramel Oat Latte + followed closely by the Hazelnut Almond Latte +. In the interim, whilst I am in the USA, I will just have to keep having more in-depth conversations with my coffee server …. “Hold this, add that, no dairy, what non-dairy milks do you have…please and thank you”.
…now you know.
Beverage makers may change ingredients and/or manufacturing processes. Always double-check ingredients before purchasing any beverages.
Like What You Are Reading
Want to know what is and is not vegan at other coffee chains and restaurants, such as Dunkin’ Donuts (including all of their Holiday Drinks), Coffee Bean, Dunkin’ Donuts, Peet’s, Philz, or Dutch Bros. If you do, then check out my other posts below:
- How To Order Vegan Coffee? What Every Vegan Must Know
- How to Actually Order Vegan Starbucks Drinks
- Vegan Drinks at Dunkin’ Donuts – How to Actually Order Vegan
- Which Dutch Bros Drinks Are Vegan? The Complete Guide
- Vegan Drinks at Gloria Jean’s – How To Know What’s Vegan
- Vegan Drinks at Peet’s – How to Know What’s Vegan
- Vegan Drinks at Philz – How to Actually Order Vegan
- Vegan Drinks at Panera – How to Know What Is Vegan
- Vegan Drinks at Coffee Bean – How to Order Vegan
- Vegan Drinks at Biggby Coffee – How To Really Order Vegan
- Vegan Drinks at Costa – How To Order Vegan
- Vegan Drinks at Scooter’s – How To Order Vegan Coffee
- Is Starbucks Pumpkin Spiced Latte Vegan? The Amazing Truth