Starbucks is known for their wide selection of sweet drinks, but we all know how bad sugar can be for you.
If you're trying to cut back, you may not know what you're able to order, or you may even think that you need to avoid Starbucks altogether.
Thankfully that's not the case, and in this guide, we'll introduce the best sugar free Starbucks drinks for you to try.
15 Sugar-Free Starbucks Drinks (Best Orders To Try)
Starbucks actually offers a wide range of sugar-free hot and cold drinks.
Just because they're sugar free or unsweetened drinks doesn't mean they have to be bland, and we've included some options which are still good for those with a sweet tooth:
1. Brewed Coffee
Starbucks brewed coffee is made every few hours using the drip coffee method.
Drip coffee is brewed more slowly and has a slightly more subtle flavor than a regular espresso, but it is still fairly smooth.
Starbucks offers a variety of options to choose from, including Blonde roast coffee, Pike Place roast coffee, or decaf.[1]
Blonde roast is more acidic and has a slightly sweet flavor, but Pike Place has a richer and nuttier taste.
The decaf is a great caffeine free option for those trying to cut back on their caffeine content.
All of the Starbucks brewed coffees have no natural sugar and 0 calories. The non-decaf versions have 180mg of caffeine in a serving and should give you a big energy kick.
Most people choose to add milk, cream, and sugar to their brewed coffee to sweeten the taste.
This will obviously add to the sugar and calorie content, so if you're trying to go sugar free, you should just have it black.
Starbucks offers free refills on their brewed coffee, so it is one of the best value drinks.
2. Espresso
An espresso is the classic Italian coffee that has been enjoyed for generations.
Starbucks use their own unique espresso roast, which has a bold, but balanced flavor and a slight bitterness.[2]
It's a favorite with coffee purists because it is literally just coffee, with nothing else added.
Starbucks makes their espresso by forcing pressurized hot water through ground espresso beans.
The water absorbs the espresso as it passes through and gives you a short drink that’s packed with flavor.
You can order it in a solo, doppio, triple, or quad (1-4 shots), and there's 75mg of caffeine in each shot.
An espresso is one of the hot beverages used as a base for many sugary Starbucks drinks, but if you have it on its own, then there is no natural sugar.
This is a great sugar free Starbucks drink for the keto diet.
3. Americano
The Starbucks Americano is regarded as the classic coffee order.
It has a full-bodied taste which comes from the unique espresso beans, and is a favorite with coffee lovers who want something a bit easier to drink than an espresso.
It’s made with an espresso base and hot water poured on top. Many people choose to add milk or sugar, but if you have it black, then there are zero grams of sugar and no calories.
It’s also a dairy free Starbucks drink, so you can enjoy it if you’re lactose intolerant, and it’s perfect for those on a keto diet.
Americanos are naturally sugar free and enjoyed worldwide and available year-round.
They give you the classic taste of Starbucks coffee, and there’s 150mg of caffeine in each serving.
4. Espresso Macchiato
An espresso macchiato is a creamier version of a classic espresso which is popular with those who find a regular espresso too harsh to drink.
It’s made with a double espresso shots as the base, and then topped with a layer of milk foam. There's no added sugar or calories and has a slightly creamy texture.
The strong, slightly caramel flavor blends well with the foam and gives it a much smoother taste.
It's a good variation for espresso lovers, and there is 150mg of caffeine from the espresso shots.
The Starbucks espresso macchiato is a great sugar free drink for coffee lovers who prefer something a bit less bitter.
5. Caffe Misto
A regular Caffe Misto is half brewed coffee and half steamed milk.
This gives you the bold coffee flavor with the richness of hot milk and makes it a much creamier alternative to a standard Americano.
To make it very low sugar, you need to switch to steamed Starbucks almond milk, which is healthier and gives it a slightly nutty taste.
A Starbucks Caffe Misto has about 170 calories per serving and 170mg of caffeine.
It's perfect for coffee lovers who want something a bit lighter than an Americano but still want to cut down on their sugar intake.
6. Caffé Latte
Now, technically a Starbucks latte does have some sugar, but it is a low sugar option.
Lattes are universally popular and available in every Starbucks store.
You can choose from a range of flavored drinks which make use of the Starbucks classic syrup, but they contain a lot of sugar, so if you're trying to cut back, you should stick with a regular Starbucks latte.
However, you can request a Starbucks sugar free syrup to flavor your Starbucks sugar free drinks.
A sugar free vanilla latte (made with sugar free vanilla syrup) is the most popular option, but there's usually a few to choose from.
Starbucks caffé lattes are all about texture. Steamed milk and foam are layered on top of espresso shots to give it a rich, velvety texture.
There are 16 grams of sugar in a regular latte, which is lower than many other Starbucks drinks, but if you switch to almond milk, you can pretty much cut the sugar out entirely.
Using a plant-based steamed milk also makes it suitable for dairy free diets.
Sugar free lattes are great year-round, and by switching to almond milk, you can still enjoy it even if you're trying to reduce your sugar intake.
7. Royal English Breakfast Tea
Hot teas have been drunk around the world for thousands of years, and Starbucks has created their unique blend of leaves which is used in their English breakfast tea.
The flavors are distilled into the water, leaving you with a light and aromatic beverage that helps to calm your body and focus your mind.
Starbucks uses water boiled at 200 degrees Fahrenheit, which helps to maximize the flavors from the teabag.
Many people add dairy milk and sugar to breakfast tea, but if you drink it without all the sugar, then it's very healthy and suitable for any keto or dairy free diet.
Black tea is an acquired taste, but it has 40mg of caffeine which can give you a slight energy boost.
It works well for those trying to limit how much coffee they drink.
Want a low sugar tea that's a bit different? Try the London fog tea latte. This is basically an earl grey tea flavored latte made with vanilla flavors.
Just make sure you replace the whole milk with nonfat milk, and remove the sugary vanilla syrup.
8. Chai Tea
Starbucks chai tea shouldn’t be confused with the Starbucks chai latte, but it does have all the same flavors.
The sweet and slightly spicy taste comes from the clove, cardamom, cinnamon, star anise, and ginger extracts which Starbucks combines with their black tea.
This creates a unique chai teabag that is slightly different from other brands.
The tea itself is made by steeping the chai teabag in hot water for 2-3 minutes until the flavors diffuse.
There are no calories, zero grams of sugar, and 40mg of caffeine in a standard serving.
You can opt for a dairy milk-based chai tea latte which is much richer but that has over 45 grams of sugar and 250 calories per cup.
The standard chai tea might not be as filling, but it is the perfect sugar-free comfort drink suitable for all diets.
9. Jade Citrus Mint Tea
Mint tea is a popular healthy alternative to coffee that has been used to help improve digestion for centuries.
The Starbucks jade citrus mint tea version incorporates the flavors of green tea, lemon verbena, lemongrass, and spearmint, so it has a light and zingy taste compared to regular mint tea.[3]
This herbal tea has no naturally occurring sugar and no calories, but still has a natural sweetness from the ingredients.
Starbucks makes this drink by steeping their jade citrus mint teabags in hot water for 3-4 minutes.
It’s a favorite with older Starbucks drinkers and the perfect sugar-free drink to help you relax. A great option for those on a keto or dairy free diet and those going caffeine free.
10. Peach Tranquillity Tea
Peach tranquillity tea, as the name suggests, has a calming influence on your body.
It combines herbal flavors of peach, candied pineapple, chamomile blossoms, lemon verbena, and rose hips together to give you a surprisingly sweet taste throughout given there's no natural occurring sugar.
The medicinal qualities of the ingredients in this sugar free Starbucks drink also shine through and can help to relax your mind.
The peach tranquility tea isn't as sweet as many other Starbucks options, but it's one of the sweetest sugar free options.
It’s popular as an alternative to black tea and has no calories. It's also completely caffeine free, so the peach tranquility tea is a good detox beverage.
11. Iced Americano
The iced Americano is the cold version of the Starbucks Americano and is most popular in the summer months.
The Americano is made exactly the same way but then poured over ice to cool it down.
This gives the drink a lighter taste, and many people find it a lot easier to drink than a regular black Americano.
The iced Americano can be made smoother and richer by adding milk and sugar, but this obviously makes it less healthy.
If you do want milk, then we recommend using a splash of almond or Starbucks soy milk to keep the sugar content low.
If you do have this iced coffee black, then there’s no naturally occurring sugar, no calories, and 150mg of caffeine in a serving.
12. Nitro Cold Brew
Starbucks nitro cold brew coffee is for those who need a massive caffeine boost. There are 333mg of caffine in a single serving which is more caffeine than most energy drinks.
Despite the strength of the cold brew, the brewing method actually gives it a velvety smooth texture, and it’s not harsh or bitter.
Starbucks makes it using their cold brew as a base, which involves steeping ground coffee in cold water for 18 hours.
This allows the cold brew to retain more of the caffeine and gives it a much smoother flavor.
This cold brew is then infused with nitrogen to make it even smoother and removes all the rough edges.
There's no ice in this cold brew drink; it's simply made cold and poured straight out of the tap.
Starbucks nitro cold brew has no sugar and only 2 calories.
It is the perfect high caffeine Starbucks drink for those avoiding sugar, dairy, and carbs.
13. Iced Espresso
An iced espresso is a simple drink that packs a lot of flavor.
It's simply Starbucks espresso shots poured over ice, but this helps mellow the taste and make it much more drinkable.
It is a popular drink with coffee lovers during hot summer weather because it's refreshing but still has the bold espresso taste.
An iced coffee espresso has no sugar, no calories, and no dairy. There are 150mg of caffeine in a standard iced espresso, but you can add an extra shot if you like it stronger.
You can also add sugar or syrup to this iced coffee if you prefer it sweeter, but this will added sugar will also add calories.
Try using sweetener or other sugar substitutes instead to keep the drink sugar free.
14. Iced Black Tea
Black tea makes a good alternative to coffee and is generally considered a healthier option.
Starbucks has their own tea brand, Teavana, which uses plant extracts to create several different tea flavors.
Black tea is their most popular flavor, but it has a fairly refined taste that’s more popular with older drinkers.
The iced black tea is made by mixing Starbucks black tea concentrate with filtered water and ice.
Iced black tea has no sugar, no calories, and is full of antioxidants which can help to reduce your risk of heart disease and cancer.
There's 25mg of caffeine, so you will still get a slight energy boost, but this drink is more about refreshment and cooling you down on a hot day.
Want an iced tea that's a bit more zesty but till has no added sugar? Try the iced passion tango tea.
The iced passion tango tea is one of Starbucks sugar free drinks which still packs a lot of flavor, and is available year round in every store.
15. Iced Green Tea
Organic green tea is often drunk by those on a detox because it helps to flush toxins out of your system.[4]
The Starbucks iced green tea gives you those same benefits, but the herbal tea also tastes really fresh and is a good way to cool down in hot weather.
The iced green tea is made using the Starbucks Teavana green tea blend poured over ice.
There's no sugar, no caffeine, no calories, and no dairy, so it's perfect for those with diabetes, lactose intolerance, or those on a special restricted diet.
This iced tea is one of the healthiest sugar free drinks at Starbucks.
Ordering Sugar Free Drinks At Starbucks (Tips For Diabetics)
If you’re a diabetic who needs to avoid sugar, or you’re just serious about reducing your sugar intake, there are a few things you should consider when you go to Starbucks:
Ask For Sugar Free
We’ve given you some great sugar free drinks options here, but it’s also worth asking your barista to make sure your order is sugar free.
Recipes and ingredients can change from time to time, but the barista should have the latest information to help you out.
Switch To Sweetener
Many Starbucks drinks are better with a bit of sweetness.
Instead of reaching for the sugar, you can use a sugar free sweetener instead, which has the same effect as added sugar but without the sugar or calories.
There should be sweeteners available for free in every Starbucks store.
Check The Milk
Not every milk is the same, and some have much more added sugar than others.
Starbucks drinks are generally all made with whole milk, but you can ask for it to be switched out.
Almond milk tends to have the least added sugar, and you can request that your Starbucks drink is made with this dairy-free alternative to make it healthier.
Switch The Syrup
Starbucks has a range of sugar free syrups available on request.
This means you can keep the added sugar content low without compromising on the classic syrup flavor.
Your barista should be able to tell you which sugar free syrup options are available, but sugar free vanilla syrup, sugar free cinnamon dolce syrup, and sugar free caramel syrup are usually all available.
Use The App
The Starbucks app will show you the nutritional breakdown of your drink before you order it.
This means you can see how much added sugar is in the drink and which sugar free syrups are available to customize it.
Armed with this information, you should be able to order Starbucks sugar free drinks with confidence.
Common Sugar-Free Starbucks Drink Questions
Is Starbucks syrup Sugar Free?
The regular Starbucks syrups are not sugar free, but they offer sugar-free syrups in vanilla, caramel, cinnamon dolce, hazelnut, peppermint, mocha, and classic depending on location.
What does skinny mean at Starbucks?
Skinny means the lowest calorie version of a Starbucks drink. This means they use low-fat milk, remove the whipped cream, and use sugar free syrups to keep the sugar content down.
Does Starbucks have sugar-free Frappuccinos?
Unfortunately, there is no way to make a Starbucks Frappuccino completely sugar-free, but you can lower the sugar content by asking for low-fat milk, sugar free syrup, and removing the whipped cream.
Does Starbucks have sugar-free caramel?
Yes, Starbucks offers a sugar free caramel syrup in most regions.
Summary - Try One Without The Guilt!
Starbucks is famous for their eccentric beverages, but they also have a lot of sugar-free drinks available for those with special dietary requirements.
Hopefully, this guide has introduced a few interesting options so you can mix things up on your next visit and order a great low-sugar Starbucks drink.
References:
1. https://www.starbucksathome.com/gb/products/starbucks-pike-place-whole-bean-coffee
2. https://www.starbucks.com/menu/product/410/hot
3. https://www.starbucks.com/menu/product/2122574/hot
4. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/top-10-evidence-based-health-benefits-of-green-tea
