Last Update in November 2021! 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 And sadly, their wonderful Tazo tea menu has also been replaced by an overly sweet, floral Teavana line-up.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, and Seasonal)
- Dairy-Free Starbucks Food
Dealing with a milk allergy? Jump to the Allergen Info!
Recent News from Starbucks
November 9, 2021 – Starbucks Begins Testing Animal-Free Milk in Select Stores
For now, it is only in two Seattle stores, but be aware that the Perfect Day “Animal-Free” Milk Alternative, which is also marketed as “vegan” is NOT dairy-free. It is made with real milk proteins (whey in this case) that are created via genetic engineering rather than from cows. They carry the same risks for people who forgo milk for allergies and other health reasons.
November 3, 2021 – Starbucks Introduces their First Vegan Holiday Beverage
They still haven’t created a dairy-free pumpkin spice latte, but Starbucks has brought a seasonal Sugar Cookie Almondmilk Latte on board. The new beverage is made with a sugar cookie syrup and topped with festive red and green sprinkles. It’s available while the sweet supplies last, but should be around through Christmas. For additional holiday beverages that you can custom order without dairy, see the Starbucks Drink Guide below.
March 1, 2021 – Starbucks Delivers Dairy-Free Spring Menu and Oatmilk Nationwide
Starbucks is back on track with a new spring line up that is completely dairy-free. It includes two brand new iced shaken espresso drinks, a plant-based protein box, and more. And they have an even bigger surprise. Last year, they added oatmilk to their Midwest, California, and Canada menus along with a non-dairy Cold Brew drink with Cinnamon Vanilla Oatmilk Foam. This year, Oatly Barista Oatmilk is rolling out across the entire U.S. You can read full details in this article: Starbucks Delivers on Plant-Based Promise and Oatmilk Nationwide.
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 didn’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. They also serve non-dairy almondmilk and oatmilk available, but at some locations this can change seasonally. 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, and different locations can have different levels of allergen safety. 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
In addition to their coffee (ordered black), plain tea drinks, and lemonades, these beverages can be ordered as is. They’re intended to be dairy-free, and most are vegan (see notes)!
- Honey Almondmilk Cold Brew (also available in Nitro)*
- Honey Almondmilk Flat White (available hot or iced)*
- Honey Oatmilk Latte (available hot or iced)*
- Iced Brown Sugar Oatmilk Shaken Espresso
- Iced Chocolate Almondmilk Shaken Espresso
- Sugar Cookie Almondmilk Latte (seasonal; available hot or iced; made with oatmilk in Canada)
- Steamed Apple Juice
- Dragon Drink (made with coconutmilk)
- Pink Drink (made with coconutmilk)
- Star Drink (made with coconutmilk)
- Violet Drink (made with coconutmilk)
- Refreshers (all fruity varieties)
* These menu items are not strictly vegan due to the addition of real honey.
Just Ask! 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
- Apple Crisp Macchiato (seasonal)
- Caffè Latte
- Caffè Misto
- Caffè Mocha (Hold the Whip)
- Cappuccino
- Chai Tea Latte*
- Chestnut Praline Crème (Hold the Whip) (seasonal)
- Chestnut Praline Latte (Hold the Whip) (seasonal)
- Cinnamon Dolce Crème (Hold the Whip & Cinnamon Dolce Topping)
- Cinnamon Dolce Latte (Hold the Whip & Cinnamon Dolce Topping)
- Espresso Macchiato
- Flat White
- Hot Chocolate (Hold the Whip)
- London Fog Tea Latte
- Matcha Green Tea Latte
- Peppermint Hot Chocolate (Hold the Whip &Chocolate Curls)
- Peppermint Mocha (Hold the Whip & Chocolate Curls) (seasonal)
- Reserve Latte
- Royal English Breakfast Tea Latte
- Starbucks Reserve Dark Chocolate Mocha
- Steamed Milk
- Vanilla Crème (Hold the Whip) (seasonal)
Frappuccinos***
- Apple Crisp Frappuccino (Hold the Whip) (available coffee or crème; seasonal)
- Caffè Vanilla Frappuccino (Hold the Whip)
- Caramel Frappuccino (Hold the Whip & Caramel Sauce)**
- Chai Crème Frappuccino (Hold the Whip)*
- Chestnut Praline Frappuccino (Hold the Whip) (available coffee or crème; seasonal)
- Coffee Frappuccino (Hold the Whip)
- Chocolate Cookie Crumble Crème Frappuccino (Hold the Whip & Frappuccino Chips)
- Double Chocolaty Chip Crème Frappuccino (Hold the Whip & Frappuccino Chips)
- Espresso Frappuccino (Hold the Whip)
- Java Chip Frappuccino (Hold the Whip & Frappuccino Chips)
- Matcha Green Tea Crème Frappuccino (Hold the Whip)
- Mocha Cookie Crumble Frappuccino (Hold the Whip & Frappuccino Chips)
- Mocha Frappuccino (Hold the Whip)
- Peppermint Mocha Frappuccino (Hold the Whip) (available coffee or crème; seasonal)
- Strawberry Crème Frappuccino (Hold the Whip) (seasonal)
- Sugar Cookie Almondmilk Frappuccino (Hold the Whip) (available coffee or crème; seasonal)
- Vanilla Bean Crème Frappuccino (Hold the Whip)
Other Cold Coffee & Tea Drinks
- Cold Brew Coffee with Milk
- Iced Apple Crisp Macchiato
- Iced Blonde Vanilla Latte
- Iced Caffè Latte
- Iced Caffè Mocha (Hold the Whip)
- Iced Chai Latte Tea*
- Iced Chestnut Praline Latte (Hold the Whip) (seasonal)
- Iced Cinnamon Dolce Latte (Hold the Whip & Cinnamon Dolce Topping)
- Iced Coffee with Milk
- Iced Flat White
- Iced London Fog Tea Latte
- Iced Matcha Green Tea Latte
- Iced Peppermint Mocha (Hold the Whip & Chocolate Curls) (seasonal)
- Iced Reserve Latte
- Iced Royal English Breakfast Tea Latte
- Iced Shaken Espresso
- Irish Cream Cold Brew (Hold the Cold Foam)
* These menu items are not strictly vegan due to the addition of real honey.
**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. Please note tha tthe caramel syrup is not the same as the caramel sauce or the caramel drizzle.
***Several years ago, Starbucks reformulated their frappuccino formula to make it suitable for dairy-free and vegan visitors.
Heads Up! The Starbucks Reserve Hazelnut Bianco Latte cannot be made dairy free, because it uses a dairy milk that is infused with hazelnut praline flavor and sweetened condensed milk.
Starbucks Dairy-Free Sauces, Syrups & Toppings
- Apple Brown Sugar Syrup
- Caramel Brulee Topping (but not the sauce)
- Caramel Sugar Topping
- Caramel Syrup (this is not the same as the caramel sauce or the caramel drizzle)
- Cascara Topping
- Chai Tea Concentrate (not vegan, contains honey)
- Chestnut Praline Syrup
- Chestnut Praline Topping
- 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
- Irish Cream Syrup
- Hazelnut Syrup
- Holiday Sugar Sparkles With Crispy White Pearls Topping
- Honey Blend
- Matcha Tea Blend
- Mocha Sauce
- Nutmeg
- Peppermint Syrup
- Pumpkin Spice Topping (not the sauce, this is basically spices)
- Red Green Sprinkles
- Refresher Bases (all fruit flavors)
- Sea Salt Topping
- Smoked Butterscotch Sugar Topping (but not the sauce)
- Spiced Apple Drizzle
- Strawberry Puree Sauce
- Sugar Cookie Flavored Syrup
- Sugar-free Cinnamon Dolce Syrup
- Toasted Honey Topping
- 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
- Dark Chocolate Curls
- Eggnog
- Frappuccino Chips
- Lemon Spiced Cold Foam*
- Pistachio Sauce
- 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
*The cold foam must be ordered specifically with a non-dairy milk beverage to be dairy-free. According to Starbucks, the dairy-free milks don’t perform as well for cold foam.
But Are They Allergy-Friendly?
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.
Does Starbucks Offer Vegan Whipped Cream
In 2020, they tested vegan whipped cream in the UK, but there is no indication of a permanent roll out, yet. In the U.S., they have sparsely begun testing a lentil-based, dairy-free whipped cream – rumor has it at just two locations in Washington state. If it becomes more widespread, we’ll update!
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 (November 2021) they listed the following items as not containing milk:
Bakery Items
- Bagel, Cinnamon Raisin (also vegan)
- Bagel, Everything (also vegan)
- Bagel, Plain (also vegan)
- Bagel, Sprouted Grain (also vegan; Canada only)
- Banana Nut Loaf
- Pumpkin Loaf (seasonal)
- Blueberry Oat Cake (also vegan – exclusive to their Hawaii stores)
Heads Up: Starbucks was test marketing a vegan dark chocolate fudge brownie. At last check, it isn’t currently available, at least not in most stores. The double chocolate brownie that’s available in most stores does contain milk. vegan brownie listed above. Check to see which one your store carries before ordering!
Breakfast Items
- Oatmeal, Classic (also vegan)
- Oatmeal, Hearty Blueberry (also vegan)
- Seasonal Fruit Blend (also vegan)
- Strawberry Overnight Grains (also vegan)
Heads Up: The only thing on the Impossible Breakfast Sandwich that is dairy-free is the patty. A vegan plant-based breakfast sandwich was test marketed, but it hasn’t been added to their permanent menu. All of their egg patties and several of their breads do contain milk.
Condiments
- Avocado Spread (also vegan)
Mercato Menu (select locations)
- Chickpea Bites & Avocado Protein Box (also vegan)
RIP: Unfortunately, the Chicken & Fig Spread Sandwich, Egg Salad Sandwich, and Honey BBQ Sriracha Chicken Sandwich appear to be discontinued.
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. But they were initially launched in just five Los Angeles area locations. Hopefully the distribution expands!
For grab-and-go, pre-packaged drinks, Evolution Fresh juices are available. Most of the smoothies from this brand now contain 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.
For a few years, Starbucks made bottled Almondmik Frappuccino beverages and DoubleShot Coffee Smoothies with Almond Milk. We confirmed with corporate that all of these have been officially discontinued.
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:
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What Others Are Saying ...
Beautifully curated
This is a beautiful beautiful list! I can not say i am vegan but i am dairy sensitive and with the PSL rolling out again i was curious to see if alterations could be made to it regarding the foam and from there stumbled onto this list and it is immaculate. I will be using this as a staple for sure!
Thank you
I am traveling again and Starbucks is everywhere. Now I know what is safe to eat
I learned a few things!
I don’t retain information well. I actually used your blog to help a guest!
Response from Go Dairy Free
Glad we could help!
very nice and specific
very nice and specific as well if i do say so myself
So helpful!
So helpful!!! Thank you for doing this and if people actually knew how to READ there wouldn’t be any discrepancies! Come on people, they did all the hard work. The least you could do is read carefully.
??? vegan
Hi – this is very helpful but i have a question as several of the drinks you have listed as vegan have honey in them. Does that mean the drink does not actually have honey but rather is honey flavored?
Response from Go Dairy Free
There is an * on the items that contain honey – see the notes!
Super helpful!
This is very helpful info! Do you know if the Impossible Breakfast Sandwich minus cheese is dairy free?
Response from Go Dairy Free
It isn’t dairy-free. Both the bun and the fried egg patty contain milk. The only thing on it that’s dairy-free is the plant-based impossible patty itself.
Iced salted caramel mocha
Super good but I didn’t know it was made with regular milk 😩
Response from Go Dairy Free
As noted above, “Order them with your dairy-free milk beverage.” You must make sure to specific your dairy-free milk of choice when ordering any of their beverages.
Just what I was looking for
This is great, I have a dairy allergy so I need this. So excited to try some drinks. Thank you so much!!
Other dairy free option??
I so, so appreciate this article! I feel much more confident ordering now. FYI, on the Starbucks app, you can request no cheese on any of the hot sandwiches. However, it is unclear whether or not their egg patties have a milk product mixed in or not. I’ve been avoiding it just in case!
Response from Go Dairy Free
The fried egg patties and puffed scrambled egg patties do contain milk. The cage-free scrambled eggs (used in the wrap) do not.
29 Comments
There is no dairyfree sugar free options would go more drinks needed went to disney starbucks wanted a drink with my friends blended they wouldn’t do it only the sugar daryfree it did to get a blended drink
then i was sick on ttip thst shouldn’t be that way for customers
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.
But is starbucks going to continue to charge more for those wanting non dairy milk?
I feel as if I am being penalized?
I really can’t say. It would be nice, but it will mostly likely come down to profitability. The surcharge is usually cost based. The quantities of milk that they buy are much, much higher than each type of non-dairy milk that they purchase. So it’s likely that the dairy milk costs them significantly less.
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!