20 Best Vegan Drinks at Starbucks – what in the name of all things sweet and caffeinated are they? In previous posts I have already covered (1) How To Order Vegan Drinks at Starbucks (see How to Actually Order Vegan Starbucks Drinks); (2) Everything you ever wanted to know about Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte (spoiler – it’s not vegan) (see Is Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte Vegan? The Amazing Truth); and (3) a complete break down of Starbucks 2021 Seasonal Holiday Drinks (some are vegan – see Vegan Holiday Drinks at Starbucks 2021 – How To Order Vegan). That’s a lot of Starbucks posts. I know, but they are the biggest coffee chain in the world. Being a vegan coffee drinker is not easy, so to help make life a little easier in this post I am going to provide my personal top 20 suggestions for vegan drinks at Starbucks. Think of it as a simple go-to list you can use when ordering from any of Starbucks’ 32,000ish stores – including the one in a bank vault in Amsterdam.
What Drinks Are Vegan At Starbucks?
As a general rule, the best vegan drinks at Starbucks consist of hot coffees, flavored lattes, Frappuccinos, hot teas, iced teas, hot chocolate, mochas, iced drinks, and matcha drinks. Some of these drinks require substitutions to order vegan but some are vegan as-is.
Basic Rules for Ordering Vegan Drinks at Starbucks
To begin with let’s start with a quick recap. If you haven’t read my article How To Actually Order Vegan Starbucks Drinks here are the basic rules you need to follow:
- Completely AVOID any drinks containing white chocolate, honey blends, and the Chai Tea Latte (these are not vegan and can not be made vegan with any substitutions);
- HOLD all sauces (except mocha), cinnamon dolce topping, vanilla sweet cream, salted caramel cream, whipped cream, and java/Frappuccino chips;
- REPLACE dairy milk with almond, oat, soy, or coconut milk, and REPLACE caramel and dark caramel sauce with caramel syrups; and
- ADD any syrups or mocha sauce if desired.
Making Vegan Starbucks Coffee At Home?
Before we dig into the list, do you ever fancy making vegan Starbucks coffee at home? Well, you can, thanks to Starbucks ground coffee available on Amazon. You can find Starbucks Pike Place roast, Veranda blend, Sumatra blend, Italian roast, House blend, Breakfast blend, Espresso roast, and French roast ground coffee bags all available on Amazon. Also if you prefer making your coffee from a machine like this one, then fear not Starbucks K-cup coffee pods are also available on Amazon.
20 Best Vegan Drinks at Starbucks
Okay great, that’s how to order vegan at Starbucks, but how about some suggestions for the best vegan drinks at Starbucks? Something you can just go up to the counter and order vegan straight away with as little fuss as possible.
The below table summarizes a breakdown of all the drinks you need to know. The table is made up of the following 20 best vegan drinks at Starbucks:
- Vegan as-is: if you are the kind of person who hates ordering off the menu or having to pay extra for plant-based milk then these drinks are for you.
- Both caffeinated and non-caffeinated drinks (so to cater for whether it’s a late evening Starbucks visit or a first thing in the morning “I need my caffeine” hit);
- Some drinks that perhaps you have heard you cannot have as a vegan – (maybe the caramel macchiato or cinnamon dolce latte) – well you can have some of these drinks with a few clever modifications.
- Sweet drinks as well as no sugar drinks (in case you are a non-sugar drinking vegan, or you just don’t love your drinks sweet);
- Some warming drinks and some refreshing cold drinks – depending on what time of year you read this.
I will go through each item separately after the table.
Summary Table of Best Vegan Starbucks Drinks
| Fancy Vegan Starbucks Drinks | Sweet Vegan Starbucks Drinks | Vegan Starbucks Drinks with Caffeine | Vegan Caffeine-Free Drinks at Starbucks | Vegan Sugar-Free Drinks at Starbucks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Pink Drink | The Pink Drink | Iced Brown Sugar Oat Milk Shaken Espresso | The Pink Drink | Blonde Roast with Oat Milk |
| Violet Drink | Violet Drink | Blonde Roast Oat Milk | Violet Drink | Latte with Sugar-Free Cinnamon Dolce Syrup (with vegan milk) |
| Mocha Cookie Crumble Frappuccino (with vegan milk and no whip or java chips) | Mocha Cookie Crumble Frappuccino (with vegan milk and no whip or java chips) | Mocha Cookie Crumble Frappuccino (with vegan milk and no whip or java chips) | Steamed Apple Juice | Espresso Frappuccino (with vegan milk and NO Frappucino syrup) |
| Strawberry Creme Frappuccino (with vegan milk and no whip) | Strawberry Creme Frappuccino (with vegan milk and no whip) | Espresso Frappuccino (with vegan milk) | Strawberry Creme Frappuccino (with vegan milk and no whip) | Oat Milk Latte with Sugar-Free Vanilla syrup |
| Iced Matcha Lemonade | Latte with Cinnamon Dolce Syrup (with vegan milk) | Latte with Cinnamon Dolce Syrup (with vegan milk) | *Most of the Coffee-Based drinks in this table can be made decaf by ordering with decaf espresso or decaf coffee | Iced Black Tea |
| Iced Peach Green Tea | Iced Brown Sugar Oat Milk Shaken Espresso | Oat Milk Latte with Sugar-Free Vanilla Syrup | Iced Peach Green Tea | |
| Caramel Macchiato (with vegan milk and caramel syrup instead of caramel sauce) | Caramel Macchiato (with vegan milk and caramel syrup instead of caramel sauce) | Cafe Americano | ||
| Hot Chocolate (with vegan milk and no whip) | Matcha Tea Latte (with vegan milk) | Chai Tea | ||
| Iced Matcha Lemonade | Iced Matcha Lemonade | Emperors Clouds and Mist Tea | ||
| Mocha (with vegan milk and no whip) | Iced Black Tea | |||
| Iced Peach Tea | ||||
| Iced Peach Green Tea | ||||
| Mocha (with vegan milk and no whip) | ||||
| Cafe Americano | ||||
| Chai Tea | ||||
| Emperors Clouds and Mist Tea |
Table Breakdown
In this section, I will go through each item in the table. I have marked each item as the following so you can easily pick up the drinks that are for you:
* No substitutions needed
* No added sugar
* Caffeine-free
Before we dive into the list – a few disclaimers.
- Starbucks does not call any of its drinks vegan due to the potential of cross-contamination.
- Some of the drinks below contain sugar. The sugar situation at Starbucks is not clear (i.e. it is not clear if bone char has been used to process the sugar or not). Some vegans avoid sugar that could have been processed with bone char – other vegans do not. If you fall into the former category, then stick to the drinks labeled as “no added sugar” below.
- On the topic of sugar, the oat milk at Starbucks does not contain any sugar so the oat milk is a great choice (oat milk is my go-to milk at Starbucks now).
I also have not included seasonal drinks in the below list (to avoid disappointment depending on what time of year you read this). If you are interested in whether the Fall or Holiday drinks at Starbucks are vegan, then check out my posts: Is Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte Vega? The Amazing Truth and Vegan Holiday Drinks at Starbucks 2021 – How To Order Vegan.
20 Best Vegan Drinks at Starbucks – Item By Item
1. The Pink Drink
*No substitutions needed*
*Caffeine-free*
The Starbucks pink drink is vegan as is as it is just made of a strawberry acai base, coconut milk, and freeze-dried strawberries. The acai base has accents of passion fruit. The pink drink has the added benefit of being super Instagram-worthy (if your thing is taking photos of your drinks as well).
2. Iced Brown Sugar Oat Milk Shaken Espresso
*No substitutions needed *
This creamy drink has brown sugar and cinnamon mixed with it. If you want a sugar-free version, you could ask for it without the brown sugar – it would still be creamy and cinnamon vibes galore.
3. Blonde Roast with Oat Milk
*No added sugar*
Simple, satisfying, and provides a decent caffeine hit. Personally, I love to add oat milk, but obviously, you can add whatever plant-based milk you want. Tip – ask for a dash of COLD plant-based milk with this (whenever I order a dash of cold plant-based milk with my coffee I do not get charged extra for it – I learned this trick once from a Starbucks barista). Starbucks should only charge extra when you get warmed plant-based milk e.g. in a latte.
4. Violet Drink
*No substitutions needed*
*Caffeine-free*
The violet drink is *almost* as popular as the pink drink and is equally picture-worthy. The violet drink consists of a berry base with coconut milk and freeze-dried blackberries. Perfect if you fancy a refreshing caffeine-free drink that is vegan as-is.
5. Caramel Macchiato
*Substitute dairy milk for plant-based milk*
*Substitute caramel sauce for caramel syrup*
You may have heard that if you are vegan then the Starbucks Caramel Macchiato is off-limits as the caramel sauce contains dairy. However, there is a sneaky way of ordering yourself a sort of Caramel Macchiato. Substitute the dairy milk for your choice of plant-based milk and substitute the caramel sauce for caramel syrup (the syrup does not contain dairy). The result? A vegan latte with all the vanilla and caramel vibes.
6. Latte with Cinnamon Dolce Syrup
*Substitute dairy milk for plant-based milk*
*For the sugar-free version order with sugar-free cinnamon dolce syrup*
What was that? Do you want another sneaky trick to ordering an otherwise non-vegan drink? Okay, so you may have heard that the cinnamon dolce latte cannot be made vegan (even if ordered with plant-based milk and minus the whipped cream). Why? Because the cinnamon dolce topping sprinkled on top contains dairy. However, you can still get vegan cinnamon dolce flavor by ordering a plant-based latte and adding cinnamon dolce syrup (you could ask for the sugar-free version if your Starbucks has it).
7. Matcha Tea Latte
*Substitute dairy milk for plant-based milk*
A simple one but a goodie. Oat Milk Matcha lattes are my favorite mid-afternoon drinks when I no longer fancy coffee but still want a pick-me-up. If you want to read more about whether tea is always vegan, you can here – Is Tea Vegan? Time To Know The Complete Facts.
8. Mocha Cookie Crumble Frappuccino
*Substitute dairy milk for plant-based milk*
*Hold the whip*
*Hold the Frappuccino chips*
This is a great way of ordering an indulgent feeling vegan Frappuccino – so long as you are comfortable making a few substitutions. What I love about this Frappuccino is the fact you still get the chocolate cookie grind topping on top (it is dairy-free). I have found that most toppings in coffee chains contain dairy and so are usually off-limits. So, if you are vegan it’s nice to be able to enjoy an indulgent topping sprinkled on top of your drink for once.
9. Strawberry Crème Frappuccino
*Substitute dairy milk for plant-based milk*
*Hold the whip*
*Caffeine-free*
All the creamy strawberry feels. None of the caffeine.
10. Espresso Frappuccino
*Substitute dairy milk for plant-based milk*
*For the sugar-free version order without Frappuccino syrup*
The espresso Frappuccino contains both coffee and espresso. Perfect if you want a real caffeine hit from your Frappuccino. It does contain Frappuccino syrup – if you don’t like your Frappuccino sweet or don’t consume sugar you can ask for it without the Frappuccino syrup. Unlike most other Frappuccino drinks the espresso one does not come with whipped cream, so no need to hold the whip.
11. Oat Milk Latte with Sugar-Free Vanilla Syrup
*Sugar-free*
A simple but sweet caffeine hit.
12. Hot Chocolate
*Substitute dairy milk for plant-based milk*
*Hold the whip*
Hot chocolate isn’t vegan at all coffee stores (for example it isn’t vegan at Dunkin or Costa – Vegan Drinks at Costa – How To Order Vegan) so make the most of being able to get a vegan one at Starbucks. Just steer clear of the white hot chocolates. This is because any flavors containing white chocolate cannot be made vegan.
13. Steamed Apple Juice
*No substitutions needed*
*Caffeine-free*
*Sugar-free*
Fancy a warming wintery drink that is caffeine-free (perhaps during an evening Starbucks run) and that does not require substitutions. Steamed apple juice may be the drink then.
14. Iced Matcha Lemonade
*No substitutions needed*
This is the perfect drink if you want a cold, sweet refreshing drink with a bit of a caffeine hit, but aren’t in the mood for coffee.
15. Iced Black Tea
*No substitutions needed*
*Sugar-free*
The classic. A simple way of having a refreshing vegan sugar-free coffee.
16. Iced Peach Green Tea
*No substitutions needed*
*Sugar-free*
The perfect vegan summer afternoon drink. What I love about this drink is that the peach flavor comes from a peach juice blend with no added sugar rather than peach syrup. If you want to read more about whether juice is always vegan, you can here – Is Orange Juice Vegan? Revealing What You Need To Know.
17. Mocha
*Substitute dairy milk for plant-based milk*
*Hold the whip*
Mochas aren’t vegan everywhere (they are at Starbucks as the mocha sauce is the only sauce that does not contain dairy). For example, the chocolate sauce at Coffee Bean contains dairy so you cannot have a vegan mocha at Coffee Bean (see Vegan Drinks at Coffee Bean – How To Order Vegan). May as well make the most of the mochas at Starbucks then
18. Cafe Americano
*Sugar-free*
Add a dash of your COLD plant-based milk of choice if you wish (make sure to order it cold if you don’t want to pay extra for it).
19. Chai Tea
You may not be able to have a chai tea latte (as the chai base contains honey) but you can still have all the warm clove, cardamom, cinnamon, and ginger notes from a chai tea (which is different from a Chai Tea Latte). How about recreating latte vibes with a splash of cold oat milk added
20. Emperors Clouds and Mist
*No substitutions needed*
*No added sugar*
This green tea infusion has the best name. And no substitutions are required.
20 Best Vegan Drinks At Starbucks – The Final Sip
Is it possible to have a vegan drink at Starbucks? Yes. In fact, the above list includes some easy and quick-fire drinks you can order with minimal or no substitutions. They include coffee, tea, warm, cold, and even steamed apple juice (I have to admit I didn’t even know that was a thing you could order at Starbucks until I wrote this). What’s my personal go-to choice? A Blonde roast with oat milk if it is before 2 pm. After 2 pm a decaf oat milk latte. Got to watch that caffeine.
…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