Sweet Cream Keto: Is Starbucks' Offer A Dream Or Disaster?

Starbucks is a popular coffee shop with thousands of locations in the United States alone. However, many of their drinks are loaded with sugar, which does not align with the ketogenic diet. Fortunately, there are several keto-friendly drinks and simple modifications that can be made to make drinks keto-compliant. This includes swapping milk with heavy cream, half-and-half, or almond milk, and choosing sugar-free vanilla syrup or stevia as a sweetener. Starbucks also offers a variety of brewed teas that are naturally carb-free. It is important to note that their coconut milk, almond milk, whipped cream, and some other options contain added sugar and should be avoided or brought from home.

Starbucks' keto-friendly milk options

Starbucks offers a variety of milk options that can be used to make keto-friendly drinks. Here are some tips and suggestions for keto-friendly milk options at Starbucks:

Milk Options to Choose

• Heavy Cream: Heavy cream is a popular choice for keto dieters as it has a lower carb count compared to other milk options. It has about 1 gram of carb per ounce. You can ask for drinks with a splash of heavy cream or use it as a replacement for milk in coffeehouse drinks like cappuccinos, flat whites, or lattes. However, keep in mind that heavy cream will increase the calorie content of your drink.
• Half-and-Half: Half-and-half is another option with slightly more carbs than heavy cream, containing about 1.5 carbs per ounce. At Starbucks, "breve" means steamed half-and-half.
• Almond Milk: Unsweetened almond milk is a good dairy-free alternative. Be sure to specify "unsweetened" almond milk, as the regular version may contain added sugar. Unsweetened almond milk has about 1 gram of carb per serving.
• Coconut Milk: Coconut milk can be an option, but it may not always be available in an unsweetened version at Starbucks.

Milk Options to Avoid

• Nonfat Milk, 2% Milk, and Whole Milk: These dairy milk options are high in carbs due to their sugar content. A cup of nonfat milk has 12 grams of carbs, 2% milk has 13 grams, and whole milk has 12 grams.
• Oat Milk and Cow's Milk: These milk options are not suitable for a keto diet due to their high carb and sugar content.
• Starbucks' Coconut Milk and Almond Milk: While coconut milk and almond milk can be keto-friendly, the versions offered by Starbucks may have added sugar. Therefore, it is recommended to skip these options and bring your own unsweetened versions if you prefer non-dairy milk.

Customization Tips

When ordering keto-friendly drinks at Starbucks, remember the following:

• Say "No Classic": Starbucks' classic syrup contains sugar, so be sure to ask for "no classic" when ordering.
• Specify Milk Preference: Clearly specify your preferred milk option, such as heavy cream or unsweetened almond milk, to ensure your drink is made according to your keto requirements.
• Control Sweetener Amount: Starbucks drinks typically come with a standard amount of syrup or sweetener. To keep your drink keto-friendly, ask for a smaller amount, such as one or two pumps, or bring your own sweetener like stevia.
• Avoid Lattes: Lattes are mostly made with milk, so even with keto-friendly milk options, the high volume of milk may not align with your keto diet. Stick to drinks with a splash of milk or cream.

Keto-Friendly Drink Ideas

• Unsweetened Iced Coffee: Order with no classic syrup and add two pumps of your favorite sugar-free syrup.
• Keto Cinnamon Dolce Latte: Order an Americano with 3/4 water and fill the rest with steamed heavy cream. Add two pumps of sugar-free cinnamon dolce syrup.
• Keto Starbucks Frappuccino: Ask for an iced coffee with no classic syrup, extra ice, three shots of sugar-free syrup, and three shots of heavy cream. Request to have it blended Frappuccino-style without any Frappuccino base or syrups.
• Keto Mocha: Order an Americano with 3/4 water and 1/4 heavy cream. Skip the whipped cream and vanilla syrup. Add two pumps of skinny mocha sauce and, optionally, one pump of sugar-free peppermint syrup.
• Flat White: Order a flat white with no steamed milk, and instead, request half heavy cream and half hot water, steamed.
• Keto London Fog: Ask for an Earl Grey tea bag with 3/4 hot water and 1/4 heavy whipping cream. Swap the regular vanilla syrup with two pumps of sugar-free vanilla syrup.
• Keto Chai Tea Latte: Order a Chai Tea Latte with the tea bag instead of chai tea syrup to reduce carbs. Add two ounces of heavy whipping cream and two pumps of sugar-free cinnamon dolce syrup.

Starbucks' keto-friendly syrups

Starbucks offers a variety of sugar-free syrups that can be added to your drink to make it keto-friendly. These syrups, however, are not carb-free, with each pump containing around 1g of net carbs. The sugar-free syrups available at Starbucks are:

• Vanilla
• Hazelnut
• Cinnamon dolce
• Caramel
• Peppermint (seasonally available)

When ordering a drink with sugar-free syrup, it is important to specify the number of pumps you want. A typical grande drink gets four syrup pumps, so if you're watching your carb intake, you may want to ask for one or two pumps instead.

In addition to sugar-free syrups, you can also sweeten your drink with stevia, which is available at the condiment station.

Keto coffee drinks at Starbucks

Tips for ordering keto at Starbucks

• Replace milk with heavy cream, half and half, or almond milk.
• Choose sugar-free vanilla syrup or stevia.
• Avoid most toppings, drizzles, and add-ins.
• Avoid flavoured lattes, macchiatos, flat whites, and mochas.
• Avoid Frappuccinos.
• Avoid Refreshers.
• Avoid juices.
• Avoid lemonades and tea lemonades.
• Avoid matcha beverages.
• Avoid chai latte beverages.
• Black coffee
• Caffe Americano
• Espresso con Panna
• Espresso Macchiato
• Iced Caffe Americano
• Iced black coffee
• Iced espresso
• Nitro Cold Brew
• Keto frappuccino
• Keto vanilla sweet cream cold brew
• Keto double shot on ice
• Keto espresso frappuccino
• Keto iced shaken espresso
• Keto iced toasted oat milk shaken espresso
• Keto iced flat white
• Keto iced blonde vanilla latte
• Keto Starbucks iced latte
• Keto café latte
• Keto flat white
• Keto black coffee
• Keto cappuccino
• Espresso con panna
• Keto espresso macchiato
• Keto blonde vanilla latte
• Keto cinnamon dolce latte
• Caramel macchiato
• Oleato caffe latte

Keto tea drinks at Starbucks

• Unsweetened iced tea
• Keto pink drink
• Keto white drink
• Keto London fog
• Keto chai tea latte
• Keto iced royal English breakfast tea latte
• Keto iced London fog tea latte
• Keto iced pineapple matcha drink
• Keto iced pineapple black tea infusion
• Keto peach citrus white tea infusion

Keto non-coffee drinks at Starbucks

Starbucks' sweet cream is loaded with sugar and unsuitable for a keto diet. However, there are several non-coffee drinks at Starbucks that are keto-friendly. Here are some options:

Unsweetened Iced Tea

Order your iced tea unsweetened to make it keto-friendly. You can also ask for a few pumps of sugar-free syrup to sweeten the drink.

Nitro Cold Brew

Nitro Cold Brew is infused with nitrogen, giving it a mild sweetness and creaminess. It is carb-free, but you can add a splash of heavy cream and a couple of pumps of sugar-free vanilla syrup for extra flavour.

Unsweetened Iced Coffee

Starbucks' iced coffee comes sweetened by default, but you can cut the carb count by ordering it unsweetened. Alternatively, if you're not ready to drink your iced coffee black, ask for a pump or two of sugar-free syrup.

Keto White Drink

This is a special menu item that uses unsweetened peach citrus white tea. Heavy cream is added, along with 2-4 pumps of sugar-free vanilla syrup. Ask for light ice, and you're all set. You can also ask for it to be blended.

Keto Pink Drink

If you're a fan of the Starbucks Pink Drink, make it keto-friendly by ordering the tall size with heavy cream and sugar-free syrup. The low-carb Pink Drink still has 6g net carbs, so bear that in mind.

Chai Tea Latte

To make a chai tea latte keto-friendly, skip the chai latte and instead request chai tea with a couple of splashes of heavy cream and two pumps of sugar-free vanilla syrup.

London Fog

London Fog is usually a combo of Earl Grey tea, steamed milk, and vanilla syrup. To make it keto-friendly, replace the latter two with whipping cream and sugar-free syrup.

Keto Frappuccino

Creating a keto-friendly Frappuccino takes a little creativity. Order an unsweetened iced coffee with extra ice, a hefty dose of heavy whipping cream, and two pumps of sugar-free vanilla syrup. Then, request it to be blended Frappuccino-style, without any Frappuccino base or syrups.

Keto food options at Starbucks

Starbucks has a variety of keto-friendly food options, although they are somewhat limited. Here are some keto food options you can order at Starbucks:

• Kale & Mushroom Sous Vide Egg Bites: These egg bites are a good keto option, with 9 grams of net carbs per 2 pieces.
• Bacon & Gruyere Egg Bites: These are another good option, with the same amount of net carbs as the Kale & Mushroom variety.
• Country Archer Hickory Smoked Turkey Jerky: This jerky has 5 grams of net carbs per bag.
• Country Archer Original Beef Jerky: The same brand's classic beef jerky also has 5 grams of net carbs per bag.
• String Cheese: A good, portable keto snack, with 1 gram of net carbs per piece.
• Avocado Spread: This spread has 1 gram of net carbs per serving.
• Charcuterie Tray: This tray of meats and cheeses is tasty but expensive.
• Moon Cheese: These crunchy, gluten-free cheese snacks are available in some Starbucks locations. Each bag has only 4 to 5 carbs.
• Rhythm Super Foods Kale Chips: These roasted kale chips are a good, salty bite to eat and have very few carbs.
• Babybel Mini Cheese Snacks: These are perfect for when you want a small snack, and they're only 70 calories per package.
• Cheddar Moon Cheese: These crunchy, low-calorie, low-carb cheese puffs are available at most Starbucks locations.
• Snack Trays: Starbucks offers a few keto-friendly snack trays, such as the Sopressata salami and Monterey Jack tray, and the Prosnax Carrots, White Cheddar Cheese, and Almonds Snack Tray.

When ordering keto food at Starbucks, it's important to be mindful of hidden sources of sugar and carbs. Avoid milk, classic syrup, whipped cream, and limit sugar-free syrup to two or three pumps.

Frequently asked questions