A Guide on How to Make Starbucks Keto Friendly

October 15, 2025 •

2 min read

With many Starbucks beverages containing over 40 grams of sugar, it can seem impossible to stick to a ketogenic diet while enjoying your coffee shop favorites. However, with the right knowledge and simple substitutions, it is surprisingly easy to make Starbucks keto friendly and continue enjoying your favorite drinks without derailing your low-carb lifestyle.

Quick Summary

Starbucks beverages can be adapted for a keto diet by requesting specific customizations. This involves choosing a low-carb base, substituting sugary milks and syrups with heavy cream or unsweetened alternatives, and avoiding high-sugar ingredients like Frappuccino bases and refreshers. Simple modifications allow for delicious, low-carb versions of popular drinks.

Key Points

Start with the Base: Opt for black coffee, espresso, cold brew, or unsweetened iced tea to keep carbs at zero from the start.
Substitute with Caution: Replace milk with heavy cream for richness (high fat, low carb) or unsweetened almond milk for a lighter, low-carb option.
Say "No Classic": This is the most critical instruction to avoid the sugary default syrup added to many drinks.
Utilize Sugar-Free Syrups: Specify Sugar-Free Vanilla (or Cinnamon Dolce, if available) and manage the number of pumps to control sweetness and carb intake.
Avoid Hidden Sugars: Be aware that Frappuccino bases, Refreshers, and matcha powder are pre-sweetened and not keto-friendly.
Order Carefully and Clearly: Use the Starbucks app or be specific with the barista, especially for blended drinks, to ensure all sugary ingredients are omitted.
Select Safe Snacks: For food, stick to protein boxes (customized), sous vide egg bites, and cheese trays to keep carbs low.

Your Blueprint for a Keto-Friendly Starbucks Order

The key to ordering keto at Starbucks is to treat every item as a custom creation. Many standard menu items contain high amounts of sugar in syrups and bases. By following a few fundamental rules, you can navigate the menu with confidence.

The Golden Rules of Ordering Keto

To make your Starbucks order keto-friendly, avoid classic syrup, choose a low-carb base like coffee or unsweetened tea, and use heavy cream or unsweetened almond milk instead of regular milk. Sugar-free syrups are an option in moderation. Avoid high-sugar components like Frappuccino bases and refreshers. Clear communication is essential for custom orders.

Decoding Your Drink: Keto-Safe Ingredients

Low-carb options for building a keto drink include plain coffee or espresso, cold brew, and unsweetened teas (Passion Tango, Emperor's Clouds & Mist, Black Tea). Heavy cream adds fat with about 1g carb per ounce. Starbucks' unsweetened almond milk has about 1.5g carbs per cup. Sugar-free vanilla syrup has about 1g carb per pump, and alternative sweeteners like Stevia and Splenda are available.

Comparing Your Keto-Friendly Milk Choices

Here's a comparison of low-carb milk options:


Option	Carbs (per cup)	Notes
Heavy Cream	~4g (estimate for 1/4 cup)	High in fat, very creamy. Adds richness.
Unsweetened Almond Milk	~3g	Lighter option. Pre-sweetened at Starbucks, check the app for exact nutrition.
Half & Half (Breve)	~6g (estimate for 1/4 cup)	Higher in carbs than heavy cream but less fatty.
Coconut Milk (Sweetened)	~8g	At Starbucks, this is sweetened and not a good keto choice.

Popular Keto Starbucks Drink Recipes

Recipes for keto-friendly Starbucks drinks, including an Iced Keto Pink Drink, Keto Vanilla Latte, Keto Blended Frappuccino-style Coffee, and Keto Cinnamon Dolce Cold Brew, can be found online {Link: Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/keto/comments/8gmgkj/simple_starbucks_keto_guide_from_a_barista/} {Link: Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/1170705503328042/posts/1385617048503552/}. These recipes generally involve starting with a low-carb base like iced tea or coffee, adding heavy cream or unsweetened almond milk, and using sugar-free syrups while omitting standard sugary ingredients like classic syrup or Frappuccino base.

Keto-Friendly Food Options at Starbucks

Several food items can be adapted for a keto diet at Starbucks. Options include Sous Vide Egg Bites (Bacon & Gruyère is a common low-carb choice), protein boxes (consume the meat, cheese, and eggs, omitting crackers and fruit), and cheese and salami trays.

Conclusion

Achieving a keto order at Starbucks requires intentional customization, focusing on low-carb bases, appropriate milk substitutes, and sugar-free syrups, while actively avoiding high-sugar components. Clear communication during ordering is key to ensuring your drink aligns with your dietary needs.

Disclaimer: Individual responses to sugar substitutes and personal macro goals should be considered. Nutritional information can vary.

Kit's Kitchen offers a comprehensive guide on keto Starbucks drinks.

Frequently Asked Questions

Starbucks' almond and coconut milks are not ideal for a strict keto diet as they contain added sugar. While unsweetened, they still have some carbs. The best options are heavy cream or bringing your own unsweetened nut milk.

Yes, but you must order a custom blended iced coffee. Ask for it unsweetened with heavy cream and sugar-free vanilla syrup, and request "no Frappuccino base".

Plain brewed coffee, espresso shots, or Cold Brew are the best zero-carb bases for a simple black coffee. Nitro Cold Brew is another smooth, sugar-free choice.

To get a keto-friendly Pink Drink, order an Iced Passion Tango Tea, ask for no water or liquid cane sugar, and add a splash of heavy cream with 2-4 pumps of sugar-free vanilla syrup.

While labeled sugar-free, they contain a small amount of maltodextrin, which can add trace carbs (around 1g per pump). Strict keto dieters may prefer to use their own stevia or erythritol.

Look for the sous vide egg bites (the Bacon & Gruyère option has fewer carbs than the egg white), cheese and meat trays (like Creminelli), and snack packs with hard-boiled eggs and nuts.

No. The matcha powder used by Starbucks is pre-sweetened and cannot be made sugar-free. Instead, opt for a brewed green tea and add your own keto-friendly sweetener and heavy cream.