Everyone loves a Starbucks fix—whether a hot coffee to light up the morning or a fruity iced tea to maintain energy on a long summer afternoon.
However, people who practice veganism could worry that many of these indulgences are out of the question.
The good news is that there are plenty of vegan Starbucks options of all different kinds to suit every situation and every palate.
20 Best Vegan Starbucks Drinks (For Plant-Based Diets)
1. Plain Brewed Coffee
If you order your (hot or iced) coffee black, you are guaranteed a vegan beverage.
Starbucks has a variety of blends: Veranda Blend®, Starbucks Dark Roast, Pike Place Roast, as well as Clover® Brewed Coffees.
Also, if you need to go caffeine-free, Starbucks generally offers all of the same blends and preparations in decaf.
Trying different coffee blends is a great way to add variety without additives: This is especially great for vegans (or those on other special diets) who worry that their coffee experience might become unexciting.
Just remember that this drink is vegan as is, and if you want to keep this vegan you can't add regular milk.
However, soy milk, almond milk, or coconut milk are all good non dairy milk options, and all Starbucks stores should stock them.
2. Iced Cold Brew
You can easily get a great vegan iced coffee at Starbucks.
Just do not order preparations with sweet cream and malt powder as definitive ingredients, as they are not vegan.
True, you could ask to have the drink made without them, but in some cases, that would largely defeat the purpose of ordering the particular drink.
This drink is vegan as is, but it is usually best to order a Cold Brew Coffee with non dairy milk (oat milk, soy milk, almond milk, or coconut milk) and apply the vegan flavorings and add-ons you want.
3. Nitro Cold Brew
This is a relatively new coffee innovation that is truly great for vegans and those with other dietary sensitivities.
Nitro brewing has a number of benefits over normal brewing: The process naturally makes coffee sweeter and creamier.[1]
Still, Starbucks gives the option to add vegan-friendly sweeteners, such as Stevia, sugar, or Classic Syrup to its Nitro Cold Brew or Starbucks Reserve® Nitro Cold Brew.
The nitro cold brew is good as is, or works well with non dairy milk options (soy milk, almond milk, oat milk, or coconut milk).
4. Iced Shaken Espresso
You can just get iced espresso (10 calories for Grande size), but for a little more of a treat, the vegan has a choice of four shaken preparations at a minimum of 100 calories—plain Iced Shaken, Iced Toasted Vanilla Oat Milk, Brown Sugar Oat Milk, and Chocolate Almond Milk (the last three add 10-50 calories, depending on exactly which you choose).
The Chocolate Almond Milk might sound suspect, but it turns out that the key ingredient, Starbucks Chocolate Malt Powder, is actually vegan.
You can also get an iced espresso. These are usually just Starbucks blonde espresso drink, ice and coconut milk, but you can add some vegan syrups to make them sweeter.
Espresso isn't usually served with milk because it actually changes what it is - but make sure you use a non dairy milk to keep the drink vegan.
5. Latte (Iced Or Hot)
It is 150 calories for the Grande size, but probably less when you swap the 2% milk for a non dairy milk alternative.
Soy milk, almond milk, or coconut milk are all available, but for us, coconut milk is best.
Coconut milk has a creamy texture that soy milk, oat milk, and almond milk just can't match - and it works really well in a smooth latte.
You can also select different shot numbers, espresso roast options, and shot types in your regular or iced caffe latte.
As always, beware of toppings, which tend not to be vegan—Cinnamon Dolce topping being a prominent example which is used on a cinnamon dolce latte and iced cinnamon dolce latte drinks.
Instead, try the Starbucks Reserve® or the Iced Blonde Vanilla Latte (both about 200 calories) with common sense vegan adjustments.
6. Flat White (Iced Or Hot)
The Starbucks menu indicates their espresso flat whites have 150-170 calories for the Tall size, but the vegan version would likely be lighter.
You can subtly alter the caffeine strength and flavor by changing the number of shots, choosing Signature, Blonde, or Decaf espressos, or selecting Ristretto or long shot.
You'll need to order your flat white with non dairy milk options (soy milk, almond milk, oat milk, or coconut milk).
You could get Mocha Sauce and/or Cinnamon Powder as toppings since they are vegan - not the cinnamon dolce topping though because it's not vegan.
Another great espresso-and-milk preparation that tends to be slightly less caloric than the flat white or latte is the Caffè Misto (100 calories for Grande size).
7. Macchiato (Iced Or Hot)
The Macchiato is perfect for people who want just a bit of creaminess to dilute their espresso shots.
Since vegans should avoid drizzles and toppings, the best bet is to get the hot Espresso Macchiato (15 calories for Doppio size) and make common-sense adjustments and additions.
A macchiato comes with a dollop of cream, so make sure it's a non dairy milk option (oat, soy, almond, coconut) or your drink won't be vegan.
The caramel macchiato is a common variation on the regular espresso macchiato. A caramel macchiato is sweeter, with caramel sauce and a light foam. It's one of the most popular caramel drinks at Starbucks.
If you find a macchiato a bit too strong then you should go for a caramel macchiato.
There are more calories in an iced caramel macchiato or hot caramel macchiato with about 80 calories in a serving.
8. Mocha (Iced Or Hot)
Mocha might not sound vegan since it commonly refers to a coffee-chocolate-and-milk preparation.
However, at Starbucks, it works out to be an indulgent (usually around 300 calories) drink, mostly because Starbucks Mocha Sauce is actually vegan.
Still, a vegan should ask for non-dairy milk (coconut, oat, soy, almond) and no whipped cream, foam, or drizzle of mocha sauce or caramel syrup.
9. Americano (Iced Or Hot)
In its original form, this is about as pure as it gets—espresso and water (about 15 calories).
However, you can always add Chai tea concentrate for extra zest or vegan sweeteners and syrups if you want a different or milder taste.
Of course, if you really just want the caffeine fast, you can always just get hot espresso shots, too.
Remember that you can't add dairy milk to your americano so you'll have to pick a non dairy milk alternative. Oat, soy, almond, and coconut all work well.
10. Frappuccino Blended Beverages
Frappuccino is Starbucks' trademark hybrid beverage, a cappuccino made as a frappe.[2]
If you are vegan, most of these are fine, as long as you stick to common-sense substitutions and flavorings.
Frappuccino orders that work well for this are Starbucks Espresso Blended and Coffee Blended (both around 200 calories); and Caffè Vanilla, Caramel, and Mocha Frappuccino Blended (all-around 400 calories—but probably less for the vegan version).
If you just want a cold, creamy beverage that is not necessarily so caffeinated, consider a Starbucks Crème Frappuccino (usually around 350 calories).
Good ones for vegans are Strawberry (made with real strawberry puree), Chai, Matcha Green Tea, and Vanilla Bean Crèmes.
Keep in mind the general rule that Starbucks syrups are vegan and the creme Frappuccino syrup in most Frappuccinos definitely is.
However, the sauces are not (except Mocha sauce in the mocha Frappuccino), and avoid whip, foam, drizzles, and toppings.
You can get a vegan caramel syrup, caramel sauce, and vanilla syrup, but the cinnamon dolce topping usually contains dairy.
Frappuccinos are very calorific, but you can limit the sugar by switching to a sugar free vanilla syrup, caramel sauce, or caramel syrup.
The sugar free caramel syrup, caramel sauce, and vanilla syrup should be vegan, but it's worth asking your barista.
Whipped cream is packed with sugar and dairy milk, and unfortunately there's not a Starbucks non dairy milk whipped cream available.
Make sure you ask for your Frappuccino without whipped cream to keep it vegan.
11. Hot Teas
While most Starbucks tea orders can be in either hot or iced form, Earl Grey is a uniquely hot tea item on their menu—Earl Grey is black tea mixed with bergamot orange rind oil.
Switching between black/Royal English Breakfast tea, Earl Grey, green, chai, and matcha green tea is a great way to switch up the flavors without adding calories or threatening the vegan diet.
You can get many of these teas as vegan tea lattes, as long as you follow the same common-sense rules as for coffee drinks.
Furthermore, you can even get espresso shots as an add-in for a novel flavor and more caffeine.
If you like mild, milky tea, consider the Royal English Breakfast Tea Latte (150 calories) with a milk replacement; you could even have shots of espresso as an add-on to create the equivalent of a sort of tea-flavored café latte.
Remember, you can only add non dairy milk to your hot teas - so that means oat, soy, almond or coconut milk.
12. London Fog Tea Latte
At 180 calories, this is a great winter or summer drink for those who like milky tea and vanilla—you can get it either hot or iced at Starbucks.
Of course, vegans should always leave off the foam, whipped cream, and toppings, but may certainly add other syrups and sweeteners if desired.
Make sure you ask for it with a non dairy milk like oat, soy, almond, or coconut.
13. Iced Teas
The majority of Starbucks iced teas are vegan by nature, but as always, watch what you add.
Of course, you can get Iced Black Tea or Iced Black Tea Lemonade (50 calories), both of which give you a choice of added sweeteners, juices (such as apple or peach), syrups, and matcha powder made from matcha green tea.
If you choose to drink vegan and want something a big different you can also order the iced pineapple matcha green tea drink.
For something easy to take on the go, consider Starbucks bottled Teavana Teas: Sparkling Unsweetened Peach Nectarine Green Tea (0 calories) and Mango Black Tea (100 calories).
At basic inspection, these seem to be vegan, but note that it is difficult to confirm absolutely.
14. Green Teas
An especially antioxidant-rich green tea, matcha is a common optional add-on for many Starbucks tea orders.
The Matcha Tea Latte (200 calories)—hot or iced—is a great option for tea-loving vegans who want a treat that will get them through the morning; you can even get chai or espresso shots added for more flavor and caffeine.
Emperor’s Clouds & Mist Tea (0 calories) is essentially a cup of hot green tea with the option to add lemonade or other sweeteners.
Jade Citrus Mint Brewed Tea (0 calories) is similar in concept but with citrus and mint mixed with the green tea.
Starbucks also has an excellent selection of iced green teas very suitable for vegans, including the Iced Peach Green Tea (60 calories), Iced Peach Green Tea Lemonade (80 calories), and Iced Matcha Lemonade (120 calories).
The Starbucks Matcha Green Tea Latte (80 calories) is another popular order.
The matcha green tea latte is closer to a latte than green tea, but if it's made with coconut milk it's completely vegan, making the match green tea latte a safe Starbucks green tea option.
15. Herbal Tea
By nature, these beverages are low- or zero-calorie, caffeine-free, and naturally vegan.
The Peach Tranquility Tea is a peachy herbal tea; Mint Majesty Tea is a hot mint tea: To both you could add a sweetener, non dairy milk, or vegan syrup of your choice.
Starbucks even has a couple of iced herbal tea options: Iced Passion Tango Tea and Iced Passion Tango Tea Lemonade (50 calories), to which you could add matcha powder, peach and/or apple juice, as well as sweeteners and syrups of your choice.
16. Chai Tea
Chai is often offered as a flavor add-in for other Starbucks teas.
However, you can just get a cup of hot chai tea, which, if you wish, can be further flavored with lemonade, sweeteners, and your choice of non-dairy milk.
While Starbucks Chai tea is reliably vegan, it turns out the Chai tea pump is not, so, unfortunately, a chai tea latte (hot or iced) is not vegan - even if it's made with non dairy milk.
17. Hot Drinks
Steamed Apple Juice (220 calories) is the perfect warm, caffeine-free beverage that the vegan can order just as is.
As long as you go with milk substitutes and eliminate the whipped cream and toppings, Starbucks steamers (about 200 calories) are also great wintertime, caffeine-free option for vegans.
Lastly, as long as you make common-sense replacements and eliminations, Starbucks hot chocolate (about 350 calories) is vegan.
The caveat, according to multiple web sources, is that the chocolate mixture itself is not intended to be, nor labeled as, vegan.
Therefore, you need to be wary of possible changes to it over time.
18. Cold Drinks
This section of the Starbucks menu really pampers vegans—there are so many vegan customizations (options to add in teas, fruit juices, and lemonade) to give endless flavor combinations for each beverage.
Starbucks Lemonade is a beverage itself (120 calories), and vegans can also get the Blended Strawberry Lemonade (190 calories) variation.
The following naturally vegan beverages come with coconut milk as the default and have about 130 calories: The Pink Drink, which is coconut milk flavored and adorned with strawberry slices; the Dragon Drink, featuring coconut milk and dragon fruit; the Violet Drink, featuring a very berry hibiscus refresher and coconut milk, and the Star Drink, featuring coconut milk kiwi.
Lastly, the Starbucks Refreshers' line of cold beverages are like light smoothies, usually around 90 calories: Great examples are the Strawberry Acai and the Mango Dragonfruit Refreshers.
These are also sometimes combined with coconut milk.
The very berry hibiscus refresher is also great if you want the flavor of berries, but just note that it can have a lot of sugar.
19. Juices
Starbucks offers a variety of bottled juices, almost all of which certainly seem vegan, based on the labeled ingredients.
For example, the Starbucks BAYA line of energy drinks (90 calories) gives about as much caffeine as coffee but in a cold drink with fresh-fruit flavor.
The Evolution Fresh line (around 150 calories) supplies vitamin C and other metabolism-and immune-support ingredients.
However, it is difficult to confirm that they truly have no animal components involved in processing and production. In this way, they might not be the best bet for strict vegans.
20. Water
Yes, this might seem just too obvious—but Starbucks has a variety of water options. In addition to Dasani—they also have Ethos Bottled Water, a Starbucks subsidiary brand that has a mission of helping those with limited access to clean water, and Hawai’i Volcanic Water, a sustainably sourced artesian alkaline water.
They also offer two brands of sparkling water—Galvanina and Spindrift.
Ordering Vegan Drinks (Tips From a Barista)
Sweeteners:
Vegan Milk Replacements:
Starbucks Add-Ons/Flavors That You Can Put In A Vegan Drink:
No Extra Cost For Adding Flavor To Vegan Drinks
For the most part, Starbucks just charges for the drink preparation and size.
So, aside from the non-dairy milk charge, the price is not impacted by other add-ons, omissions, or replacements.
Just remember that some non dairy milk options will carry a cost.
No Extra Cost For Vegan Caffeine Or Sugar-Free Drinks At Starbucks
There is no extra charge for decaf or calorie-free sweeteners; plus, some Starbucks beverages are caffeine-free or low- or no-sugar by nature.
Related Starbucks Vegan Drink Questions
Are Starbucks vegan drinks low in calories?
It really depends on the drink order and what add-ons you select. In general, Starbucks vegan drinks tend to have fewer calories than other drinks. However, do not assume all vegan drinks are automatically lower in fat, sugar, or calories.[4]
Can I get vegan Starbucks drinks in any size I want?
Yes. Starbucks offers all of the same size options for vegan drinks.
Is pumpkin spice latte at Starbucks vegan?
No, Starbucks pumpkin spice latte is not vegan. If a barista or the Starbucks website offers no clear answer, the Internet is quick to address this concern.[5]
Does Starbucks have vegan whip or vegan foam?
Yes, Starbucks has vegan whipped cream and cold foam. It might not be available at every Starbucks location, however. They recently released both new versions to help people easily order vegan or non-dairy drinks.
Conclusion - Try These Delicious Drinks!
Here, we have seen the best vegan Starbucks orders, general rules of thumb for vegans ordering at Starbucks, and ways to replace dairy products and other non-vegan ingredients.
However, always remain vigilant because Starbucks is constantly changing its menu, especially during the holidays.
On the flip side, though, this gives the potential for more new vegan Starbucks options in the future.
References:
1. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/nitro-coffee
2. https://www.thespruceeats.com/what-is-a-frappe-1907894
3. https://www.businessinsider.com/starbucks-is-not-ending-its-extra-charge-for-plant-based-milks-2021-12
4. https://www.cookinglight.com/eating-smart/nutrition-101/vegan-diet-weight-loss
5. https://www.peta.org/living/food/vegan-pumpkin-spice-latte/
