What drinks can be made vegan at Starbucks?

January 5, 2026 •

3 min read

Starbucks offers a diverse menu, and with a few simple modifications, a surprising number of their popular drinks can be made vegan. This comprehensive guide breaks down exactly what drinks can be made vegan at Starbucks, helping you navigate the menu with ease and confidence.

Quick Summary

A detailed overview of how to customize your favorite Starbucks beverages to be vegan-friendly, including milk substitutes, vegan syrups, and what ingredients to avoid. Explore plant-based options from lattes and cold brews to refreshers and blended drinks for a dairy-free treat.

Key Points

Vegan Milk Options: Always specify oat, soy, almond, or coconut milk as a dairy-free base for your drink.
Vegan Syrup List: Most clear syrups are vegan, including vanilla, caramel, brown sugar, and hazelnut.
Non-Vegan Ingredients: Be sure to avoid caramel drizzle, white mocha sauce, pumpkin spice sauce, and whipped cream.
Frappuccino Customization: Frappuccino bases are vegan, but request non-dairy milk, no whipped cream, and omit java chips or dairy-based sauces.
Cold Foam Alternatives: Ask for 'non-dairy cold foam' to avoid the dairy-based version on cold brews and iced drinks.
Chai Latte Alert: The chai latte concentrate contains honey, so order brewed chai tea instead.
Default Vegan Drinks: Refreshers like the Pink Drink and Dragon Drink are already vegan when made with coconut milk.
Easy Vegan Options: Plain brewed coffees and teas are naturally vegan and can be customized with plant-based milk and syrups.

Vegan Milk and Syrup Options

Starbucks offers four dairy-free milk alternatives: oat, almond, soy, and coconut. Most clear syrups, including vanilla, caramel, brown sugar, and hazelnut, are vegan. However, dairy is present in certain sauces and toppings like caramel drizzle/sauce, white mocha sauce, pumpkin spice sauce, and whipped cream. Always request "no whipped cream" and specify caramel syrup over caramel sauce.

Vegan-Friendly Drink Categories

Hot and Iced Coffee

Many standard coffees are naturally vegan or easily customizable. Drip coffee and Caffè Americanos are vegan on their own. Lattes and cappuccinos become vegan with a non-dairy milk substitute. Mocha sauce is vegan, so a Caffè Mocha with non-dairy milk and no whipped cream is a good option. Flat Whites can use non-dairy milk, but the Honey Almond Flat White is not vegan due to honey.

Cold Brew and Shaken Espresso

Cold brew is naturally vegan. The Iced Brown Sugar Oatmilk Shaken Espresso and Iced Chocolate Almondmilk Shaken Espresso are often vegan by default. Custom cold brew can be made vegan with non-dairy milk and vegan syrups.

Refreshers and Teas

Starbucks Refreshers are typically vegan, with fruit and water bases. The Pink Drink (Strawberry Acai Refresher with coconut milk) and Dragon Drink (Mango Dragonfruit Refresher with coconut milk) are popular vegan choices. Iced Passion Tango Tea is also naturally vegan. Note that the chai tea concentrate contains honey and is not vegan; opt for brewed chai tea instead.

Frappuccinos

Frappuccino bases (Coffee and Crème) are vegan. To make a Frappuccino vegan, use non-dairy milk, omit whipped cream, and avoid non-vegan additions like caramel drizzle or java chips. Popular options like Vanilla Bean Crème, Mocha, and Matcha Crème Frappuccinos can be made vegan with these modifications. A Caramel Frappuccino needs non-dairy milk, no whipped cream, and caramel syrup instead of the drizzle.

Seasonal and Key Ingredients to Note

Some seasonal drinks are harder to veganize. The Pumpkin Spice Latte and White Chocolate Mocha sauces contain dairy in the US. Standard cold foam is dairy-based, but Starbucks offers non-dairy cold foam options.

Vegan Starbucks Modifications Table


Original Drink	Vegan Modification	What to Omit	Notes
Caffè Latte	Any non-dairy milk (oat, soy, almond, or coconut)	Dairy Milk	Naturally vegan with non-dairy milk.
Caffè Mocha	Any non-dairy milk	Whipped cream	Mocha sauce is vegan. Specify 'no whip'.
Caramel Macchiato	Non-dairy milk, caramel syrup	Caramel drizzle, dairy milk	The caramel drizzle contains dairy, use the syrup instead.
Pink Drink	Order as-is	None	Already made with coconut milk, no modification needed.
Cold Brew w/ Sweet Cream	Non-dairy cold foam	Sweet cream	Ask for non-dairy cold foam instead of sweet cream.
Matcha Latte	Non-dairy milk	Dairy milk	Matcha powder is vegan, but the standard milk is dairy.
Chai Tea Latte	Brewed Chai Tea + non-dairy milk	Chai concentrate, dairy milk	Chai concentrate contains honey. Use brewed chai tea.
Mocha Frappuccino	Non-dairy milk	Whipped cream	The mocha sauce and Frappuccino bases are vegan.

Ordering with Confidence

Knowing the vegan options and confidently communicating your modifications, such as specifying non-dairy milk and requesting no whipped cream or caramel drizzle, ensures you get a delicious vegan drink. Don't hesitate to confirm your order with the barista.

Conclusion

Starbucks provides numerous customizable vegan options by utilizing their plant-based milks and vegan syrups while avoiding dairy-based ingredients. From hot coffees and lattes to Refreshers and Frappuccinos, a wide variety of drinks can be enjoyed vegan by making simple adjustments. Understanding these modifications is key to ordering a satisfying dairy-free beverage.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, both the coffee and crème Frappuccino bases used at Starbucks are vegan. You must still remember to substitute the dairy milk for a non-dairy option and omit any non-vegan additions like whipped cream or java chips to make the final drink vegan.

No, the caramel drizzle at Starbucks is not vegan as it contains dairy ingredients. For a vegan alternative, ask for the caramel syrup instead, which is dairy-free.

In the United States, the Pumpkin Spice sauce contains dairy, so it is not possible to order a traditional vegan Pumpkin Spice Latte. However, Starbucks locations in the UK and other regions may use a different, dairy-free sauce.

Starbucks offers several non-dairy milk options for customizing your drink, including oat milk, almond milk, soy milk, and coconut milk.

No, the chai tea latte concentrate used for Starbucks lattes contains honey, so it is not vegan. To get a chai-flavored drink, ask for a brewed chai tea with a non-dairy milk and add a different vegan syrup, like vanilla.

Yes, all Starbucks Refreshers are vegan by default. The standard Pink Drink and Dragon Drink are also vegan because they are made with coconut milk.

Yes, you can order vegan cold foam at Starbucks. You must specifically ask for a "non-dairy cold foam" to ensure it is made with plant-based milk instead of dairy-based sweet cream.