Updated January 2020! This dairy free Starbucks post was updated with food and beverage changes and their new allergen notice! Before you listen to the rumors, read this post.
Oh how Starbucks has evolved over the years. When I first posted about this mega coffee house chain, it was to share the dairy-free versions of their “new” Vivanno Nourishing blends. Those have since vanished from the menu. And sadly, their wonderful Tazo tea menu has also been replaced by an overly sweet, floral Teavana line-up. However, for dairy free Starbucks coffee drinkers or a quick vegan nosh on the go, the options have actually expanded. Scroll through our guide, or use these jump links to get ahead:
- What’s New at Starbucks
- Dairy-Free Drinks at Starbucks (Hot, Cold, Bottled, and Seasonal)
- Dairy-Free Starbucks Food
Dealing with a milk allergy? Jump to the Allergen Info!
Latest News: Starbucks Introduces Oatmilk + Several New Non-Dairy Beverages
January 7, 2020 – Starbucks has finally entered the oatmilk age! Select menus now include a non-dairy Oatmilk Honey Latte made with shots of Starbucks Blonde Espresso, a dash of honey, steamed oat milk, and a toasted honey topping. This new beverage can be ordered iced or hot, and will be available at roughly 1,300 locations in some of the chilliest U.S. states: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri and Wisconsin. Customers at these locations can also order oatmilk in other coffee drinks.
If you aren’t in the midwest, have no fear – Starbucks is adding more non-dairy drinks to their permanent menu throughout the U.S. and Canada. The Almondmilk Honey Flat White includes Starbucks Blonde Espresso, steamed almond milk, and a dash of honey. It’s typically topped with a dot of foam, but make sure you specify almond milk foam. The Coconutmilk Latte features shots of Starbucks Blonde Espresso, steamed coconut milk, and a Cascara sugar topping. Both of these new options can also be ordered hot or iced.
More Recent News from Starbucks
October 21, 2019 – Halloween Drinks
U.K. customers are being rewarded once again, but this time it’s with a limited edition Phantom Frappuccino topped with ghoulish lime slime. It’s Starbucks first black Frappuccino, but it will only be available for one week, October 26-31. According to the company, it’s a fruity blend of coconut milk and mango essence that’s vegan-friendly.
September 5, 2019 – Pumpkin Spice Lattes
Starting today, customers at select U.K. locations can order a vegan pumpkin spice latte (PSL). Last year, Starbucks removed the dairy ingredients from their European pumpkin sauce, so they could offer a dairy-free version of the PSL in the U.K., Netherlands, France, Switzerland, and Austria. They ran out of the sauce by the end of October, so I would get one while you can this year! U.K. Customers can order the a dairy-free PSL hot, iced, frappuccino-style, or as a cold foam macchiato (see our note below on the cold foam) without whip and with a plant-based milk beverage. The vegan PSL is not currently available in the U.S., but you can make it year round with this Starbucks Copycat Dairy-Free Pumpkin Spice Latte Recipe
June 13, 2019 – Lady Gaga Drinks
Starbucks struck up a partnership with Lady Gaga’s Born This Way Foundation to create two new dairy-free drinks: Matcha Lemonade and The Violet Drink. The latter is a mix of blackberries, hibiscus, and the Very Berry Hibiscus Starbucks Refreshers swirled with creamy coconut milk beverage and ice. The joint promotion lasts for just this week, but the drinks will stay on the Starbucks menu for the near future.
November 1, 2018 – Holiday Beverages
According to Starbucks, some of their seasonal holiday beverages can easily be enjoyed dairy-free. You can order a Chestnut Praline Latte or Peppermint Mocha with a nondairy milk and no whipped cream. There is no dairy in the syrup / sauce for these beverages. Their Gingerbread Latte was discontinued in 2019, but don’t worry, we have a Copycat Gingerbread Latte Recipe!
How to Order Dairy Free Starbucks Drinks
We have all the details on the dairy free Starbucks beverages, including hot, cold, and pre-packaged. I have also added their new allergen information, which was sent out via an alert in July 2018. It doesn’t change much in terms of their policies, but was intended for transparency and awareness.
All Starbucks locations now have coconut milk beverage and soymilk on hand for whipping up dairy-free lattes, mochas, and more. Most locations also have non-dairy almond milk available, and as noted above, you can now find oatmilk at most midwest Starbucks stores. The downside: you still have to pay extra for this “upgrade”.
But you must use caution with the add-ons. Syrup might seem like a dairy-free no-brainer, but a few Starbucks flavors contain milk. Not to mention the whipped cream toppers and powdered blenders. I created this guide to dairy-free syrups & sauces which is helpful at many coffee houses, but Starbucks uses their own in-house sauces and syrups. The following is a detailed list of their dairy-free drinks, add-ons, and how to order dairy-free Starbucks drinks!
Always relay your dietary needs to the staff, and confirm that your order is dairy free as needed. Ingredients are subject to change at any time. This is just a helpful guide for informational purposes only. Please kindly comment below if you see any menu changes.
Starbucks Dairy-Free Drinks on the Menu
These beverages can be ordered as is, because they’re intended to be dairy-free and vegan!
- Almondmilk Honey Flat White (available hot or iced)*
- Almondmilk Honey Flat White with Starbucks Blonde Espresso (available hot or iced)*
- Oatmilk Honey Latte (available hot or iced)*
- Oatmilk Honey Latte with Starbucks Blonde Espresso (available hot or iced)*
- Coconutmilk Latte (available hot or iced)
- Coconutmilk Latte with Starbucks Blonde Espresso (available hot or iced)
- Refreshers (all fruity varieties)
- Refreshers Dragon Drink (made with coconutmilk)
- Refreshers Pink Drink (made with coconutmilk)
- Refreshers Violet Drink (made with coconutmilk)
- Steamed Apple Juice
* These menu items are not strictly vegan due to the addition of real honey.
The Vanilla Bean Coconutmilk Lattes (hot and iced) and Hazelnut Mocha Coconutmilk Macchiato are no longer on the permanent menu, but can still be made on request.
Special Order these Dairy-Free Starbucks Drinks
The following drinks can easily be made dairy free and vegan (unless otherwise noted), while still retaining some or all of their specialty flavors. Order them with your dairy-free milk beverage of choice (almond, coconut, soy, or oat) instead of dairy milk, and follow any other noted instructions.
Hot Drinks
- Blonde Caffè Latte
- Blonde Cappuccino
- Blonde Chestnut Praline Latte (Hold the Whip – double check in store)
- Blonde Cocoa Cloud Macchiato (Hold the Caramel Sauce)*
- Blonde Flat White
- Blonde Peppermint Mocha (Hold the Whip – double check in store)
- Blonde Salted Caramel Mocha (Hold the Whip & Caramel Sauce)*
- Blonde Vanilla Latte
- Caffè Latte
- Caffè Misto
- Caffè Mocha (Hold the Whip)
- Cappuccino
- Chai Latte (Not Vegan, Contains Honey)
- Chestnut Praline Latte (Hold the Whip – double check in store)
- Cinnamon Dolce Crème (Hold the Whip & Cinnamon Dolce Topping)
- Cinnamon Dolce Latte (Hold the Whip & Cinnamon Dolce Topping)
- Cocoa Cloud Macchiato (Hold the Caramel Sauce; Cloud is Not Vegan, Contains Egg)*
- Espresso Macchiato
- Flat White
- Hot Chocolate (Hold the Whip)
- London Fog Tea Latte
- Matcha Green Tea Latte
- Peppermint Hot Chocolate (Hold the Whip)
- Peppermint Mocha (Hold the Whip – double check in store)
- Reserve Latte
- Royal English Breakfast Tea Latte
- Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate (Hold the Whip & Caramel Sauce)*
- Salted Caramel Mocha (Hold the Whip & Caramel Sauce)*
- Skinny Mocha
- Steamed Milk
Frappuccinos**
- Caffè Vanilla Frappuccino (Hold the Whip)
- Caramel Frappuccino (Hold the Whip & Caramel Sauce)*
- Chai Crème Frappuccino (Hold the Whip; Not Vegan, Contains Honey)
- Chestnut Praline Crème Frappuccino (Hold the Whip)
- Chestnut Praline Frappuccino (Hold the Whip)
- Coffee Frappuccino (Hold the Whip)
- Caramel Frappuccino (Hold the Whip & Caramel Drizzle)*
- Chocolate Cookie Crumble Crème Frappuccino (Hold the Whip & Frappuccino Chips)
- Double Chocolaty Chip Crème Frappuccino (Hold the Whip & Frappuccino Chips)
- Java Chip Frappuccino (Hold the Whip & Frappuccino Chips)
- Espresso Frappuccino (Hold the Whip)
- Matcha Green Tea Crème Frappuccino (Hold the Whip)
- Mocha Cookie Crumble Frappuccino (Hold the Whip & Frappuccino Chips)
- Mocha Frappuccino (Hold the Whip)
- Peppermint Mocha Crème Frappuccino (Hold the Whip)
- Peppermint Mocha Frappuccino (Hold the Whip)
- Salted Caramel Mocha Creme Frappuccino (Hold the Whip & Caramel Sauce)*
- Salted Caramel Mocha Frappuccino (Hold the Whip & Caramel Sauce)*
- Strawberry Crème Frappuccino (Hold the Whip)
- Vanilla Bean Crème Frappuccino (Hold the Whip)
Other Cold Coffee & Tea Drinks
- Blonde Doubleshot On Ice
- Cold Brew Coffee with Milk
- Doubleshot on Ice Beverage
- Iced Blonde Caffè Latte
- Iced Blonde Chestnut Praline Latte (Hold the Whip)
- Iced Blonde Cocoa Cloud Macchiato (Hold the Caramel Sauce; Cloud is Not Vegan, Contains Egg)*
- Iced Blonde Peppermint Mocha (Hold the Whip)
- Iced Blonde Salted Caramel Mocha (Hold the Whip & Caramel Sauce)*
- Iced Blonde Vanilla Latte
- Iced Caffè Latte
- Iced Caffè Mocha (Hold the Whip)
- Iced Chai Latte Tea (Not Vegan, Contains Honey)
- Iced Chestnut Praline Latte (Hold the Whip)
- Iced Cinnamon Dolce Latte (Hold the Whip & Cinnamon Dolce Topping)
- Iced Cocoa Cloud Macchiato (Hold the Caramel Sauce; Cloud is Not Vegan, Contains Egg)*
- Iced Coffee with Milk
- Iced Flat White
- Iced London Fog Tea Latte
- Iced Matcha Green Tea Latte
- Iced Peppermint Mocha (Hold the Whip)
- Iced Salted Caramel Mocha (Hold the Whip & Caramel Sauce)*
- Nitro Flat White
- Reserve Iced Latte
*Caramel Drinks – I’ve listed some of their caramel drinks with a note to hold the caramel sauce. These particular drinks are made with additional syrups, like toffee nut syrup, so they are still unique even without the caramel sauce. You could also ask for a drizzle of caramel syrup instead, since it is dairy-free.
**Several years ago, Starbucks reformulated their frappuccino formula to make it suitable for dairy-free and vegan visitors.
Starbucks Dairy-Free Sauces, Syrups & Toppings
- Caramel Brulee Topping (but not the sauce)
- Caramel Sugar Topping
- Caramel Syrup
- Cascara Topping
- Chai Tea Concentrate (not vegan, contains honey)
- Chestnut Praline Syrup (double check the “natural flavors” in store)
- Chestnut Praline Topping (double check the “natural flavors” in store)
- Chocolate Cookie Grind Topping
- Cinnamon
- Cinnamon Dolce Syrup
- Classic Syrup
- Cloud Powder (not vegan, contains egg)
- Cocoa Powder Topping
- Coffee Frappuccino Syrup
- Crème Frappuccino Syrup
- Dark Chocolate Curls
- Irish Cream Syrup (double check the “natural flavors” in store)
- Hazelnut Syrup
- Holiday Sugar Sparkles With Crispy White Pearls Topping
- Matcha Tea Blend
- Mocha Sauce
- Nutmeg
- Peppermint Syrup (double check the “natural flavors” in store)
- Pumpkin Spice Topping
- Refresher Bases (all fruit flavors)
- Sea Salt Topping
- Skinny Mocha Sauce
- Smoked Butterscotch Sugar Topping (but not the sauce)
- Strawberry Puree Sauce
- Sugar-free Cinnamon Dolce Syrup
- Toffee Nut Syrup
- Vanilla Bean Powder
- Vanilla Syrup
- Vegan Pumpkin Spice Latte Sauce (UK only)
AVOID: Starbucks Sauces, Syrups & Toppings that CONTAIN DAIRY
- 125 Ped Cream
- Caramel Brulee Sauce
- Caramel Drizzle
- Caramel Sauce
- Cascara Cold Foam*
- Cinnamon Dolce Topping
- Cold Foam*
- Dark Caramel Sauce
- Eggnog
- Frappuccino Chips
- Lemon Spiced Cold Foam*
- Pumpkin Cream Cold Foam
- Pumpkin Spice Sauce
- Salted Cream
- Salted Vanilla Sweet Cream
- Smoked Butterscotch Sauce
- Toasted White Chocolate Mocha Sauce
- Vanilla Sweet Cream
- Whipped Cream
- White Chocolate Mocha Sauce
*Cold Foam – Several baristas have reported that the nondairy milks they use do not foam well, so they don’t recommend it. If you must try dairy-free cold foam, I’ve heard their soymilk foams the best. But a few baristas have reported they prefer the almondmilk for foam. Check with your local barista. Many of the locations have two cold foam blenders, so some have opted to dedicate one blender to the non-dairy milks. Check to see if your local shop is one of them!
But Are They Allergy-Friendly?
Recently, I’ve heard many rumors about Starbucks changing their policies for handling allergens. As it turns out, they haven’t changed their processes, but they are trying to be more transparent. As before, pitchers should be rinsed and fresh pitchers can be requested, but the presence of milk is still abundant at each shop. Those with a severe milk allergy should use caution when ordering drinks and food, and might want to stick to safe pre-packaged and pre-bottled options. Many people, including myself, go basic with simple coffee or tea.
Here is their new allergen alert:
Starbucks reviews its practices on an ongoing basis to look for better ways to work and provide transparency to our customers and partners (employees). Starting July 10 [2018], Starbucks removed dairy labels from steaming and blending pitchers. Because our beverages are made using shared equipment (steaming wands, blender pitcher, rinsers) the removal of the sticker is more transparent and realistic of how the pitchers are used. As a beverage standard, our baristas use a rinsed pitcher for each handcrafted beverage. If you have questions or concerns, please ask your barista to remake the drink using a fresh pitcher and please remember that this does not guarantee that the beverage will be allergen-free.
Pre-Bottled Drinks
For pre-packaged options, Evolution Fresh juices are available. Most of the smoothies from this brand now contains milk, but it looks like Starbucks is no longer carrying the smoothies. Either way, stick to their bottled juices (not protein drinks) and verify the ingredients.
They’ve also started selling bottled Frappuccino Chilled Coffee Drinks with Almondmilk in Vanilla and Mocha (you can order these on Amazon). The DoubleShot Coffee Smoothies with Almond Milk in Dark Chocolate and Vanilla Honey are also dairy-free. The bottled almondmilk options are also sold in grocery stores. Please check the packaging before purchasing to ensure that these products are safe for your needs.
Dairy Free Starbucks Eats
On their website (below), Starbucks now includes allergen information for all of their standard food items. These can change often, but at last check (September 2019) they listed the following items as not containing milk:
Bakery Items
- Pumpkin Bread (seasonal)
- 8-Grain Roll (also vegan)
- Plain Bagel (also vegan)
- Sprouted Grain Vegan Bagel (also vegan)
- Cinnamon Raisin Bagel (also vegan)
- Blueberry Bagel (double check in store)
- Everything Vegan Bagel (Canada; their everything bagel in the US still contains dairy)
- Blueberry Oat Cake (also vegan – exclusive at their Hawaii stores)
Heads Up: Everything bagels are typically dairy free, but Starbucks bakes their version with cheese. However, they are reportedly removing the cheese to make it vegan. Some stores might already have the dairy-free and vegan version.
Unsure: The Banana Nut Bread appears dairy-free by ingredients (not vegan, it contains eggs), but online they have a “contains milk” allergen label. It’s possible that it’s in the natural flavor, but it could be an error. Check in store.
RIP: Sadly, the vegan Macadamia Oat Cookie has been pulled from their main menu.
Breakfast Items
- Classic Oatmeal (also vegan)
- Hearty Blueberry Oatmeal (also vegan)
- Seasonal Fruit Blend
- Strawberry Overnight Grains (also vegan)
- Strawberry & Toasted Almonds Overnight Grains (also vegan)
- Vegan Blueberry Yogurt Parfait (Canada)
RIP: It looks like they discontinued the Seared Steak, Egg & Tomatillo Wrap and the Vegan Superberry Açaí Bowl.
Spreads
- Avocado Spread (also vegan)
Mercato Menu (select locations)
- Chicken & Fig Spread Sandwich
- Honey BBQ Sriracha Chicken Sandwich
Again, see their menu to confirm and for ingredient information.
Pre-Packaged Goodies
Depending on the location, you might find vegan Hippeas packs, Rhythm Super Foods Kale Chips, That’s It Bars, This Bar Saves Lives, Kind bars, and Justin’s Dark Chocolate Peanut and Almond Butter Cups. And they have Justin’s Classic Almond Butter and Chocolate Hazelnut Butter single-serve packets for topping their bagels. Starbucks also released 3D Dream Pops made with non-dairy ice cream (pictured above). But they were initially launched in just five Los Angeles area locations. Hopefully the distribution expands!
Please Note!
Starbucks regularly changes their menu, and we do our best to update this post. But please KINDLY comment if you see any changes or updates that need to be made. As always, verify that the ingredients and production are safe for your needs. Ingredients are subject to change at any time. And there is a lot of milk flying about in Starbucks, which can pose risks for people with a milk allergy.
Where to Find Starbucks
They have locations around the globe. To find addresses and hours, visit the website below.
Website: www.starbucks.com
Make Your Own Coffee Drinks & Baked Goods with Go Dairy Free:
26 Comments
Such a shame Starbucks got rid of the macadamia cranberry vegan cookie. That was the best! Not too many dairy free, quick grab baked goods. Wish this is something they would work on this year.
I know! I didn’t even find it myself before it disappeared. I think they didn’t have enough sales because they didn’t stock it in enough places! Fingers crossed for more options.
I work at a Starbucks in Canada and the risk is very high if you have a dairy allergy. The tongs for hot food that are used often have just been used on a panini with cheese and the pitchers are indeed just rinsed with water between drinks. Both are washed and sanitized well throughout the day and you can ask your barista to use a clean one if they are available in the back, straight out of the dishwasher, but this is not always available, especially when it’s busy.
I work at Starbucks and many Canadian locations have lactose free milk (which is just regular milk with the lactase enzyme added to help those who suffer from lactose intolerance digest it with ease) and unfortunately though, we do not carry lactose free cream in any form.
Due to cross contamination I just order a coffee and get it from the cashiers. I don’t think I would survive any of their specialty drinks or food based on observations of their food/beverage handling. Bagged or bottled with ingredients listed only for me.
Yes, as noted in the post above on their allergen processes, there is risk. I also just order tea. Most dairy-free consumers order iced versions made in cup with the milk beverages and syrups listed to avoid cross-contamination as much as possible. They do have several drinks that they can make in cup, without using any shared equipment or tools.
Check the mocha sauce now. I always get a large soya hot chocolate but was told the other day that the new mocha sauce/syrup now contains dairy.
I literally just updated this post about 2 weeks ago, and I just now double checked, and according to Starbucks, my information is accurate. The mocha sauce is still dairy free. And they also just updated their website in the past couple of weeks. I’m not sure why the barista gave you that information. You might want to ask to see the bottle, since the information they are providing is that it is clearly dairy free by ingredients.
Small Correction: The Vanilla Bean Coconutmilk Latte (Iced or Hot) DOES contain dairy. The Vanillia Bean Powder is NOT dairy-free. As does the Caramel topping to the Cinnamon Almond Milk Macchiato.
Keep up the good work, though!
Hi Dustin, we were told the vanilla bean powder is dairy-free, and no dairy is listed in those drinks online. I confirmed this previously with Starbucks. It was actually released as a dairy-free and vegan drink. Can you tell me where you got this information about the vanilla bean powder? Here is one of the ingredient lists with the vanilla bean powder -> https://www.starbucks.com/menu/drinks/espresso/vanilla-bean-coconutmilk-latte?foodZone=9999
And yes, the almond milk macchiato is not dairy-free. It isn’t on our list.
Thanks so much for sharing this info and keeping it updated. After reading about the most recent changes I’ve decided not to go to Starbucks anymore. I have a dairy allergy, and the removal of the labels while understandable, does not fill me with confidence. And it costs too much for that, especially since the incredibly limited dairy free options are extra.
Completely understandable and happy I can help! I’m no longer a Starbucks visitor myself, so I completely understand. I will say that they are in a few tourist parks and can be helpful for pre-packaged snacks in a pinch.
I had a dairy free breakfast sandwich there that wasn’t on the menu and it was SO GOOD That i didn’t miss the cheese one bit! I think it was called SMOKED SHOULDER BREAKFAST SANDWICH.
That’s awesome! I wonder if they make it dairy-free locally for that store? They have a smoked shoulder sandwich listed online, but it contains dairy. I have heard that many items are made regionally or locally though.
Pumpkin spice lattes have dairy because they use sauce also for Christmas White Chocolate Peppermint Mochas have dairy. I was told any of the sauces have dairy in them, funny they don’t tell you this and I’m sure plants of people don’t know & they are drinking it.
The cinnamon almond milk Macciato is not dairy free. The Caramel sauce and topping have dairy.
The Cinnamon Dolce topping does not have dairy, though the Caramel Sauce does.
Thanks for keeping it up to date! Love this site.
Does Starbucks also have Gluten-free options like their drinks and foods (due to me being Gluten-free and Dairy-Free) because I find it hard when I go out for lunch and dinner with my family or out with friends to find a place that caters for both requirements or else I just don’t bother going to the place?
Erika, they might have ones locally (some stores carry local baked goods, too), but I don’t know of gluten-free options. They have a few packaged items, like bars, that are DF/GF, but I wouldn’t rely on them for full meals.
I am the same, it’s so difficult x
Just got off 2 different cruise line ships. Being both dairy free and gluten free posed challenges for them and me! Holland America always had almond milk available and a variety of bread, bagels, muffins. Princess did not, it was difficult, they think dairy free and lactose free are one in the same. The head chef in the dining room was helpful in making sure I did not receive anything with dairy in it. At the buffet, no desserts at all were dairy free, so I ate a lot of salads and no sweets.
Hi there do you you know if Starbucks have a lactos free whipped cream
Miss S.
They don’t offer dairy-free whipped cream, but I couldn’t tell you on lactose-free. I read that Peet’s has dairy-free whip though.
I work at Starbucks and many Canadian locations have lactose free milk (which is just regular milk with the lactase enzyme added to help those who suffer from lactose intolerance digest it with ease) and unfortunately though, we do not carry lactose free cream in any form.
I am so excited that Starbucks offer dairy-freel. My daughter took me there 3 days ago and said trust me Mom, you can drink this. She ordered me a mocha frappuccino w/ soy milk and I was in heaven! Mind you, I haven’t had anything like this in 40 years, when I found out i was lactose intolerant. Awesome! Now I called the Starbucks company today to find out if I can order this product (with soy) but to no avail. Disappointed for sure, so I’m gonna try to make my own, any suggestions!