What's in Starbucks Strawberry Syrup?

October 13, 2025 •

3 min read

According to the official Starbucks ingredient list, the strawberry puree sauce used in many in-store drinks is colored with fruit and vegetable juice. The simple question, "What's in Starbucks strawberry syrup?", is complicated by the fact that the company uses multiple strawberry products for different beverages.

Quick Summary

Starbucks uses different strawberry flavorings, including a pureed sauce for Frappuccinos, a concentrate for Refreshers, and a distinct retail syrup for home use, all with unique ingredients.

Key Points

Multiple products: Starbucks uses several different strawberry flavorings, including a puree sauce, an acai base, and a separate retail syrup.
Puree Sauce: The in-store puree sauce for Frappuccinos contains real strawberry puree, white grape juice concentrate, and xanthan gum.
Acai Base: The Strawberry Acai base, used in Refreshers, relies on natural flavors and green coffee extract for taste and caffeine, not actual strawberry puree.
Retail Syrup: The bottled retail syrup contains a mix of natural and artificial flavors, water, and sugar, and is distinctly different from the in-store versions.
Coloring Change: In 2012, Starbucks switched from a bug-derived colorant (cochineal extract) to a vegetable-based one (lycopene), and now uses fruit and vegetable juice for color.
High Sugar Content: All Starbucks strawberry syrups and bases are high in sugar, contributing a significant amount of the calories to the finished drinks.

The Many Strawberry Products at Starbucks

When you ask about "Starbucks strawberry syrup," you might be thinking of several different products. The ingredients vary significantly depending on whether you're having a Strawberry Crème Frappuccino, a Strawberry Acai Refresher, or are buying a bottle of syrup for home use. It is crucial to distinguish between these to understand what is truly in your drink.

Starbucks Strawberry Puree Sauce

This sauce is used in drinks like the Strawberry Crème Frappuccino. For specific ingredient details, refer to the {Link: Starbucks website https://www.starbucks.com/menu/product/2122724/iced/nutrition}.

The Strawberry Acai Base

Used for the Strawberry Acai Refresher and Pink Drink, this base contains water, sugar, white grape juice concentrate, citric acid, natural flavors, natural green coffee flavor, fruit and vegetable juice for color, and Rebaudioside-a (a sweetener). This base does not include strawberry puree, relying on natural flavors for taste and natural green coffee flavor for caffeine content. Freeze-dried strawberries are often added to the drink.

Retail Strawberry Syrup

The bottled strawberry syrup available for purchase has a different ingredient list compared to the in-store versions. It typically contains sugar, water, natural and artificial flavors, salt, sodium benzoate as a preservative, and citric acid. This syrup uses both natural and artificial flavors for its taste and sugar as the main sweetener.

The Controversy Over Strawberry Color

Starbucks faced criticism in 2012 for using cochineal extract, a red dye derived from insects, in some strawberry products, which was a concern for vegan and vegetarian customers. Following the backlash, Starbucks changed its coloring to lycopene, a tomato-based extract, and now uses fruit and vegetable juice for color.

A Breakdown of Key Ingredients

Sugar and Sweeteners: Different sweeteners are used across the products, including white grape juice concentrate and Rebaudioside-a in some in-store options, and sugar primarily in the retail syrup. All contribute to a high sugar content.
Thickeners and Stabilizers: Xanthan gum is present in the strawberry puree sauce to improve texture, while the acai base does not use it in the same way.
Flavoring: In-store products primarily use natural flavors and concentrated juices, while the retail syrup includes both natural and artificial flavors. The acai base also contains natural green coffee flavor.
Acidity Regulators: Citric acid is a common ingredient, helping to balance sweetness and preserve the products.

Table: Starbucks Strawberry Products Compared


Feature	Strawberry Puree Sauce	Strawberry Acai Base	Retail Strawberry Syrup
Key Flavoring	Real strawberry puree	Natural flavors (strawberry, acai)	Natural & artificial flavors
Sweetener	White grape juice concentrate	Sugar, white grape juice concentrate, Rebaudioside-a	Sugar
Thickener	Xanthan gum	None	None (watery consistency)
Caffeine	No	Yes (from green coffee extract)	No
Primary Use	Frappuccinos, toppings	Refreshers, Pink Drink	Home-brewed beverages

Conclusion: The Nuance Behind the Name

Starbucks utilizes distinct strawberry products for in-store beverages and retail sale, each having unique ingredients to achieve specific characteristics in various drinks. Understanding these differences helps clarify what is in your drink.

For more nutritional details, you can visit the {Link: Starbucks official website https://www.starbucks.com/menu/product/2122724/iced/nutrition} for specific menu items that use these ingredients.

Frequently Asked Questions

The answer depends on the product. The in-store strawberry puree sauce used in Frappuccinos contains real strawberry puree. However, the retail syrup sold in bottles relies on natural and artificial flavors, and the Strawberry Acai base uses natural flavors without any actual strawberry puree.

Starbucks stopped using cochineal extract, a red dye derived from crushed beetles, in 2012 following public outcry from vegetarian and vegan customers. The company initially switched to a tomato-based extract (lycopene) and now uses fruit and vegetable juice for coloring in its strawberry products.

The Strawberry Acai base, used for Refreshers and the Pink Drink, contains caffeine from natural green coffee extract. The strawberry puree sauce and retail syrup, however, do not contain caffeine.

The strawberry puree is a thicker, sauce-like ingredient containing real strawberry puree, used mainly in Frappuccinos. The strawberry acai base is a thinner, juice-like concentrate that contains natural flavors and caffeine, used for Refreshers.

No, the retail bottled strawberry syrup sold for home use is a different formula than the in-store products. The in-store ingredients, like the strawberry puree and acai base, are not available for purchase by customers.

Currently, the color in Starbucks' in-store strawberry products comes from fruit and vegetable juice, as listed in the ingredients for the strawberry puree sauce and the acai base.

After the 2012 controversy, Starbucks removed the bug-derived coloring, making their strawberry puree and acai base vegan-friendly. However, some finished beverages, like the Strawberry Crème Frappuccino, are not vegan as they contain milk and whipped cream.

Yes, the retail syrup differs from the in-store offerings. The bottled syrup contains a mix of natural and artificial flavors, whereas the cafe-used puree and bases use natural flavorings and concentrated juices.