I was looking forward to buying a Starbucks Gingerbread Latte this holiday season so I could make an accurate dairy-free version. You know, for science. Alas, the Starbucks Gingebread Latte is no more. Luckily, the ingredients are still listed on Starbucks’ site, so I used that as a jumping off point to create this dairy-free gingerbread latte recipe.
This Dairy-Free Gingerbread Latte is a Sweet Starbucks Copycat
There are many copycat Starbucks Gingerbread Latte recipes online. Most of them use just ginger syrup, but the original ingredients list vanilla syrup as well. I used both syrups in my recipe to come as close as possible to the original.
Dairy-Free Gingerbread Latte Recipe Options
For the optimal experience, I highly recommend enjoying this recipe as is. It’s an indulgence, but a delicious one! Nevertheless, I have a few substitution suggestions if needed.
Lower Sugar: We love this beverage as a special treat, but you could omit the vanilla syrup to lessen the sugar content. You could also reduce the ginger syrup to one tablespoon and omit the whipped cream for an even lower sugar option.
Shortcut: This dairy-free gingerbread latte recipe is from scratch. It even includes quick and easy recipes for the vanilla and ginger syrups, which are truly budget friendly. I also think they taste better than store bought. But you can purchase dairy-free syrups if preferred.
Lighter: I used the plain dairy-free milk plus coconut milk mixture from my Pumpkin Spice Latte recipe to achieve the creaminess and flavor of a Starbucks drink. For a lighter beverage, you can omit the coconut milk and increase the dairy-free milk beverage to 1/2 cup. But it won’t have the thick consistency of a Starbucks Gingerbread Latte.
Special Diet Notes: Dairy-Free Gingerbread Latte
By ingredients, this recipe is dairy-free / non-dairy, egg-free, gluten-free, grain-free, optionally nut-free, peanut-free, soy-free, vegan, and vegetarian.
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups water
- 1½ cups sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup full-fat coconut milk
- ¼ cup dairy-free milk beverage (I used plain almond milk)
- ½ cup fresh-brewed strong black coffee or 1 shot espresso
- 2 tablespoons ginger simple syrup
- 1 tablespoon vanilla simple syrup
- Dairy-free whipped topping (I used Reddi-Wip Non-Dairy Almond Milk)
- Freshly grated nutmeg, for garnish
- In medium saucepan, whisk together the water and sugar and bring them to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook until the mixture thickens slightly, about 3 minutes.
- Remove the syrup from the heat, and stir in the vanilla. Let cool to room temperature.
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
- In medium saucepan, whisk together the water, sugar, and spices and bring them to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook until the mixture thickens slightly, about 5 minutes.
- Remove the syrup from the heat, and stir in the vanilla. Let cool to room temperature.
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
- In a glass canning jar, whisk together the coconut milk and milk beverage. Heat, uncovered, in the microwave until warm.
- Use a milk frother to froth the milk, or screw a lid onto the jar and shake until the milk is frothy.
- Pour the coffee into a mug, and add the warmed dairy-free milk, ginger syrup, and vanilla syrup. Stir until combined.
- Top with dairy-free whipped topping and dust with nutmeg.
More Special Dairy-Free Gingerbread Treats
25 Dairy-Free Gingerbread Treats to Snap Up this Season
Gingerbread Cookie Mix in a Jar + Baking Directions
Smoky Chipotle Vegan Gingerbread Cake
