What’s the best thing about the Holidays? Presents, Yule time joy, the smell of a fresh pine tree in your living room? None of these things. Because clearly, the best thing about the Holiday season is the release of all the holiday drinks. Yes, those holiday drinks that come out once a year and are designed to kindle that festive spirit. But what holiday drink should you go for? What are the best vegan holiday drinks at the big coffee chains? I need a complete and comprehensive guide so I can plan my exact outing to a coffee store with precision, desire, and holiday spirit. If this is you then welcome to the Vegan Bev HQ complete guide to the best vegan holiday drinks at the big coffee chains. The piece covers everything you need to know from your favorite coffee chains including Starbucks, Dutch Bros, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, Dunkin’ Donuts, and everyone’s favorite strong coffee in the world chain – Peet’s.
What Vegan Holiday Drinks Are Available?
As a general rule, many coffee chains now have vegan as-is Holiday drinks on the menu, such as Dutch Bros’ Cinnamon Swirl Oat Milk Latte, Starbuck’s Iced Sugar Cookie Almond Milk Latte, and Peet’s Holiday Spice Cold Brew Oat Latte. There are also holiday drinks that can be made vegan with modifications such as Dunkin’s Peppermint Mocha Latte and Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf’s Winter Dream Tea Latte.
Summary Table – Best Vegan Holiday Drinks
| Best Vegan Holiday Drinks at Dunkin’ | Best Vegan Holiday Drinks at Starbucks | Best Vegan Holiday Drinks at Peet’s | Best Vegan Holiday Drinks at Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf | Best Vegan Holiday Drinks at Dutch Bros |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peppermint Mocha Latte (ordered with vegan milk) | Iced Sugar Cookie Almond Milk Latte | Holiday Spice Cold Brew Oat Latte | Winter Dream Tea Latte (with vegan milk and minus the vanilla) | Cinnamon Swirl Oat Milk Latte |
A Disclaimer…
Before we get going, a quick disclaimer – all the below drinks are not called vegan by the coffee chains as there is always the chance of cross-contamination in any non-exclusively vegan restaurant/coffee chain.
Some of the below drinks also contain natural flavors and sugar. Some strict vegans choose to avoid natural flavors and sugar that is not marked as organic or raw as you can never be sure natural flavors or sugar are 100% vegan. A lot of vegans are comfortable with natural flavors and sugar – if this is you then read on.
Best Vegan Holiday Drinks at each Coffee Chain
1. Best Vegan Holiday Drink at Dunkin’ – Peppermint Mocha Latte
If you have read my previous post on holiday drinks at Dunkin’ (10 of the All-Time Best Vegan Drinks at Dunkin’ Donuts) you will have discovered that the Toasted White Chocolate Signature Latte, as well as the White Mocha Hot Chocolate at Dunkin’, are not vegan nor can they be made vegan. This is because the white chocolate sauce contains dairy. Further, the Peppermint Mocha Latte is not vegan either (even if ordered with vegan milk) as the cocoa and whipped cream contains dairy. However, there is still a way of ordering yourself a vegan festive latte at Dunkin’. Just order as follows:
- Order a latte made with your choice of oat, almond, or coconut milk, with peppermint mocha sauce added. DO NOT just order the Peppermint Mocha Signature Latte (with plant-based milk) off the holiday menu – it will still contain cocoa powder and whipped cream and still will not be vegan.
Sorted. A vegan holiday peppermint delight from Dunkin’. It had to make the list.
2. Best Vegan Holiday Drink at Starbucks – Iced Sugar Cookie Almond Milk Latte
The first vegan AS-IS Starbucks holiday drink obviously had to make this list (if you want a breakdown of all the Starbucks Holidays drinks see my post: Vegan Holiday Drinks at Starbucks 2021- How To Order Vegan). It would be rude if it didn’t. Enter the Starbucks Iced Sugar Cookie Almond Milk Latte. Inspired by German holiday sugar cookies – called Spritz, the drink is made of Starbucks Blonde Espresso, Sugar Cookie Flavored Syrup, and Almond Milk, and topped with green and red cookie sprinkles. Despite its name, it can be ordered hot or cold (although when I ordered mine hot it didn’t come with the cookie sprinkles – this could have been an oversight though). Trust me – my personal preference is the hot version. It tastes so much better than it sounds – this drink pleasantly surprised me.
3. Best Vegan Holiday Drink at Peet’s – Holiday Spice Cold Brew Oat Latte
If you have read my previous post on vegan drinks at Peets (Vegan Drinks at Peet’s – How To Know What’s Vegan) you will already know that Peet’s is pretty good at accommodating vegans. Peet’s even had a dairy-free pumpkin spice latte (compared to Dunkin’ and Starbucks whose pumpkin spice lattes cannot be ordered vegan – see my post: Is Starbucks Pumpkin Spiced Latte Vegan – The Amazing Truth).
The good news is that Peet’s holiday menu is just as accommodating to vegans. My fav Peet’s holiday drink is vegan as is (no substitutions and no paying extra for vegan milk). The Peet’s Holiday Spice Cold Brew Oat Latte is simple but oh-so satisfying. Made of baking spices (cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg), oat milk, and cold brew, it’s a great option if you prefer less sweet holiday coffees. It even comes with a dollop of oat foam on top. If you have read any of my previous posts (e.g. how to order vegan at coffee shops post: How To Order Vegan Coffee – What Every Vegan Must Know) you will know that it is a rare treat to have a dollop of vegan topping on top of your coffee.
Big thumbs up to Peet’s.
What Other Holiday Drinks at Peet’s are Vegan?
Not only is Peet’s Holiday Spice Cold Brew Oat Latte vegan as-is, but Peet’s Holiday Spice Latte (hot or iced) can also be ordered vegan if the dairy milk is substituted for vegan milk.
On top of this, Peet’s Holiday Spice Frappe as well as Peet’s Peppermint Mocha (hot or iced) can be ordered vegan if ordered with vegan milk and minus the whipped cream.
That means even though it was Peet’s vegan as-is Holiday Spice Cold Brew Oat Latte that made this holiday drinks list, the entire range of Peet’s holiday menu deserves a mention as every drink can be ordered vegan with a few small substitutions.
I have summarized Peet’s Holiday Drink options for you in the table below.
| Peet’s Vegan AS-IS Holiday Drinks | Peet’s Vegan Holiday Drinks if ordered with Vegan Milk | Peet’s Vegan Holiday Drinks if ordered with Vegan Milk and Without Whipped Cream |
|---|---|---|
| Holiday Spice Cold Brew Oat Latte | Holiday Spice Latte | Holiday Spice Frappe |
| Iced Holiday Spice Latte | Peppermint Mocha | |
| Iced Peppermint Mocha |
4. Best Vegan Drink at Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf – Winter Dream Tea Latte
If you have read my previous post on vegan drinks at Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf (Vegan Drinks at Coffee Bean – How To Order Vegan) you will know that a lot of the flavored drinks at Coffee Bean cannot be ordered vegan.
The good news is that you can enjoy a version of Coffee Beans’ Winter Dream Tea Latte. This drink is not vegan as-is as it contains milk, and the vanilla powder contains dairy. However, you can get a vegan version by ordering with plant-based milk and by holding the vanilla powder.
The result is a warming holiday drink made of back tea, rooibos, and sweet spice. Okay, so you won’t have the vanilla aspect of the original, but you can always add some more sweetener if you would like it a little sweeter. The remaining holiday drinks at Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf (cookie butter drinks and peppermint mocha drinks) cannot be made vegan even with adjustments.
5. Best Vegan Holiday Drink at Dutch Bros – Cinnamon Swirl Oat Milk Latte
If you have read my previous post on vegan drinks at Dutch Bros you will know that Dutch Bros is known for its massive menu of wild-sounding flavored drinks (see my post: Which Dutch Bros Drinks Are Vegan? The Complete Guide). The only vegan as-is holiday drink from Dutch Bros is the Cinnamon Swirl Oat Milk Latte.
Dutch Bros may only have one vegan as-is drink, but it is a good one. This winter delight consists of espresso, cinnamon, vanilla, and oat milk – giving you all the holiday vibes with no substitutions required. As I mentioned this is the only vegan as-is Holiday Drink on the Dutch Bros menu. The other holiday drinks at Dutch Bros contain white chocolate, caramel, chocolate milk, and or soft top, so would be difficult to make vegan even with vegan milk and other substitutions without completely changing the drinks.
Best Vegan Holiday Drinks – The Final Sip
Can the holidays be Vegan? Yes. Yes, when it comes to all things festive and coffee-related, they can. Are some coffee chains better than others? Again, yes. Whilst some like Dunkin’ Donuts have a limited offering of vegan-friendly holiday drinks (you must literally improvise one yourself – but it can be done), others like Peet’s have a great selection (just be prepared for a vegan albeit strong coffee). As for my personal favorite – it would have to be the Starbucks Sugar Cookie Almond Milk Latte, but the hot version. I tried this for the first time the other day (the cold version just doesn’t take my fancy as much) and I must admit I was really surprised. I thought I wouldn’t like the drink, but it was perfectly sweet and came with an awesome foam top. I couldn’t put it down and if that isn’t the sign of a good beverage, I don’t know what is.
…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:
- 20 of the All-Time Best Vegan Drinks at Starbucks
- 10 of the All-Time Best Vegan Drinks at Dunkin’
- 10 Vegan Drinks at Costa You Need To Know About
- 10 Vegan Drinks at Dutch Bros You Need To Know
- Vegan Holiday Drinks at Starbucks
- Vegan Holiday Drinks at Dunkin’
- 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
- Vegan Drinks at McDonald’s – The Complete Guide For Vegans
- Vegan Drinks at Taco Bell – How To Order Vegan
