103 Best Vegan Options At Starbucks: Complete Guide 2023

Vegan coffee lovers can rejoice! There are plenty of vegan options at Starbucks to choose from! From its famous strawberry açai refresher to a delectable blonde roast drip coffee, Starbucks knows how to cater to its clientele.

Unfortunately, ordering at Starbucks is not always straightforward for vegans and those with dietary restrictions, as modifications often need to be made. This is why we created a thorough guide to save you time and let you know how to make your favorite vegan Starbucks drinks.

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Ordering A Vegan Drink At Starbucks

Starbucks is known worldwide for its customizable and consistent drink options. From cup size to syrup pumps, your drink can be built to complement your taste buds, dietary needs, and preferences.

With so many options and many secret menu combinations to choose from, one of your hardest decisions will be to decide what type of drink you would like to order. This is why we have created a list of Starbucks vegan options to make your decisions making process that much easier. 

What drink sizes are available?

• Short (8 oz)
• Tall (12 oz)
• Grande (16 oz)
• Venti (24 oz)
• Trenta (31 oz)

What plant-based milk is available?

Starbucks has built a reputation for being vegan-friendly, in large part due to its great selection of plant-based milk. This is fantastic for vegans and those on a plant-based diet who are looking for a cafe that serves their favorite nut milk or dairy-free alternative.

Currently, Starbucks has almond milk, coconut milk, oat milk, and soy milk options available. This is an excellent selection in comparison to many cafes that have only one or no options available.

For hot drinks, oat beverage is popular due to its creamy texture and higher fat content. For those looking to add a boost of protein, soy is perfect, as a soy latte contains 5g of protein. For those cutting back on calories, the almond beverage is a great option, as it contains 50% fewer calories than dairy milk. Alternatively, coconut milk’s sweeter flavor makes it perfect for vegan frappuccinos and cold drinks. 

Almond Milk

Ingredients: Filtered Water, Almonds, Sugar, Calcium Carbonate, Sunflower Lecithin, Sea Salt, Xanthan Gum, Guar Gum, Vitamin A Palmitate, Vitamin D2 (Ergocalciferol)

Coconut Milk

Ingredients: Water, Coconut Cream, Cane Sugar, Contains 2% Or Less Of Tricalcium Phosphate, Coconut Water Concentrate, Sea Salt, Natural Flavors, Xanthan Gum, Gellan Gum, Corn Dextrin, Guar Gum, Vitamin A Palmitate, Vitamin D2

Oat Milk

Oatmilk (Water, Oats), Low Erucic Acid Rapeseed Oil, Contains 2% Or Less Of: Dipotassium Phosphate, Calcium Carbonate, Tricalcium Phosphate, Sea Salt, Dicalcium Phosphate, Riboflavin, Vitamin A, Vitamin D2, Vitamin B12.

Soy Milk

Ingredients: Filtered Water, Whole Organic Soybeans), Organic Evaporated Cane Juice, Calcium Carbonate, Natural Vanilla Flavor With Other Natural Flavors, Sea Salt, Carrageenan, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Bicarbonate, Vitamin A Palmitate, Vitamin D2, Riboflavin (B2), Vitamin B12

Problematic Plant-Based Milk Ingredients

Following a vegan lifestyle can be challenging, especially when certain companies do not disclose which products or ingredients contain animal products. Dining out or consuming packaged foods can also be tricky. Often there is no way to confirm with 100% certainty that what you are consuming is, in fact, vegan. This is why it is important to be aware of which items may not be vegan so that you can weigh your options and make the best choice for you. 

Natural Flavors

Natural flavors and flavorings are common in commercial products and packaged foods. They are added to improve and enhance the flavors and smells of packaged foods. This is especially true in products with a long shelf life. Unfortunately, companies are not required to disclose if the natural flavor is plant-based or animal-derived. This means that your Starbucks seasonal drink or food may actually contain animal products.

This can be frustrating, as often there is no way of confirming the source. For example, the natural flavor “vanilla bean” used to be derived from the castor sacs of beavers. Today, more commonly, a synthesized vanilla molecule (vanillin) is used instead and is considered vegan. For those that are worried, try to stick to what would more likely be derived from plants. For example, hazelnut syrup is unlikely to contain animal products, while caramel syrup is more likely to contain animal derivatives. 

Carrageenan

Carrageenan is a food additive that is commonly used as a thickening agent to increase the shelf life of food products. Diary-free milk alternatives often contain carrageenan to reduce separation and improve consistency. Originally derived from Irish Moss (red seaweed) and native to the British Isles, carrageenan has recently obtained a poor reputation. Carrageenan has been linked to bloating, poor gut health, and even cancer, making it a product that is not suitable for human consumption. Unfortunately, many vegan products contain carrageenan, as it is a plant-based alternative to many animal-based thickeners. Although many companies are now avoiding the use of carrageenan, it is still an ingredient in many vegan-based products and should be avoided if possible. 

Does Starbucks have vegan whipped cream?

No. Currently, the Starbucks corporation has yet to announce that they have come out with a vegan whipped cream alternative. Although there are rumors that a lentil-based option is available at select locations in the USA, without confirmation from Starbucks directly, these are only rumors. Hopefully, one day Starbucks will come out with a vegan-friendly whipped cream option at a location near you! 

Is Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Vegan?

No, unfortunately, in the USA, the pumpkin spice sauce contains condensed skim milk. This means that there is no way of creating a vegan pumpkin spice latte in the USA at this time. Outside the USA, though, certain locations have plant-based pumpkin spice sauce available, for example, in the UK. So visitors are able to order a vegan pumpkin spice latte by substituting the dairy milk for a plant-based alternative and opting out of the whipped cream.

The List: Vegan Options At Starbucks

Vegan Coffee Drinks At Starbucks

Did you know that many of your favorite Starbucks drinks can be made vegan? Craving a nitro cold brew or a white mocha? We have you covered! The list below contains the entire Starbucks menu, with tips on how to make each drink vegan-friendly. 

Are you interested in learning about other vegan foods? If so, you might like this blog post, Are Oreos Vegan? Yes And No, Explained!

Hot Coffee Options

• Caffè Americano: No changes. Order as-is.
• Brewed Coffees: Cafè Misto, Featured Starbucks Medium Roast, Featured Starbucks Dark Roast, or Veranda Blend. Order as-is.
• Cappuccino: Ask for your choice of non-dairy milk when ordering.
• Espresso Shots: No changes. Order as-is.
• Flat White: Ask for your choice of vegan milk when ordering.
• Caffé Latte: Ask for your choice of non-dairy milk when ordering.
• Cinnamon Dolce Latte: Order this latte with your favorite alternative milk, NO whipped cream, and NO cinnamon dolce topping.
• Starbucks Reserve Latte: Ask for your choice of non-dairy milk when ordering.
• Starbucks Blonde Vanilla Latte: Ask for your choice of non-dairy milk when ordering.
• Caramel Macchiato: Order with non-dairy milk and NO caramel sauce. You can ask to substitute the caramel sauce with caramel syrup if you like.
• Espresso Macchiato: Ask for your choice of non-dairy milk when ordering.
• Caffè Mocha: Order with your choice of non-dairy milk and NO whipped cream.
• Starbucks Reserve® Dark Chocolate Mocha: Order with your favorite vegan milk, NO whipped cream, and NO dark chocolate curls.
• Peppermint Mocha: Ask for your choice of non-dairy milk. NO whipped cream and NO dark chocolate curls. (Winter time only.)

Hot Drinks (Coffee-Free & Tea-Free)

These are non-coffee and non-tea vegan Starbucks drinks that are served hot.

• Hot Chocolate: Order with your favorite vegan milk and NO whip.
• Caramel Apple Spice: Ask for NO whip and NO caramel sauce.
• Steamed Apple Juice: Order as is.
• Steamed Milk: Ask for your choice of non-dairy milk.
• Vanilla Cremè: Order with plant-based milk and NO whip.

Are Starbucks Cake Pop Vegan?

No, Starbucks cake pops are not vegan. Starbucks cake pops contain egg whites, nonfat milk powder, whey solids, whey powder, and butter. This means that, unfortunately, cake pops are not suitable for vegans.