What’s Vegan at Starbucks? Your Ultimate Guide

What’s the first place that comes to your mind when it comes to coffee? I bet it’s Starbucks.

From coffee aficionados to those who enjoy it only occasionally, Starbucks is most Americans’ first choice to get their caffeine fix.

But, what about vegans? Does this everyone’s favorite coffeehouse chain offer anything for vegans? Is there anything vegan at Starbucks?

Let’s find out!

Does Starbucks Have Vegan Options?

Starbucks is often dubbed as America’s national coffeehouse chain. And rightly so! Not only Starbucks is everywhere, but it also caters to the varying dietary needs of its consumers.

Over the past few years, the world’s largest coffeehouse chain has greatly expanded its menu to make it more inclusive for its vegan consumers. Today, it is a great place for vegans to get their caffeine fix.

What Is Vegan at Starbucks? A List of Starbucks Vegan Options

Here’s all that Starbucks has in store for its vegan customers:

  • Bagels – a few varieties
  • Bagel Spreads – some options
  • Oatmeal
  • Impossible Breakfast Sandwich – with modifications
  • Lentils & Vegetable Protein Bowl with Brown Rice
  • Chickpea Bites & Avocado Protein Box
  • Snack Bars
  • Vegan Drinks

There isn’t a great variety of vegan food at Starbucks. But, you can certainly grab a quick bite with your drink.

Keep reading to learn what varieties of bagels and bagel spreads are vegan-friendly at Starbucks and how you should go about customizing the Impossible Breakfast Sandwich and ordering vegan drinks at Starbucks.

I will also answer some of the most common questions vegans have about Starbucks menu to help you have a clear understanding of what you can and cannot eat (and drink) at Starbucks, as a vegan.

Starbucks Vegan Options – A Detailed Breakdown

Vegan Foods at Starbucks

Vegan food options at Starbucks include the following:

§ Bagels

Vegan Starbucks bagels

Crisp on the outside and chewy on the inside, the slightly sweet and salty bagels are in a class of their own in the bread kingdom. Slather them with cream cheese, toast with butter, or enjoy them on their own (with your favorite coffee or tea); bagels always taste great.

There are multiple varieties of vegan bagels available at Starbucks. These include:

  • Plain Bagel
  • Sprouted Grain Bagel
  • Cinnamon Raisin Bagel
  • Everything Bagel

Get your favorite vegan bagel from Starbucks for a grab-and-go break breakfast or a mid-morning snack.

§ Bagel Spreads

Vegan bagel spreads at Starbucks

Don’t like your bagel plain? Don’t worry! You can get three different types of vegan bagel spreads at Starbucks. These include:

  • Organic Avocado Spread (if you haven’t tried avocado bagel toast, you’re missing out big time)
  • Classic Almond Butter
  • Hazelnut Butter

Get yourself any of these Starbucks’ vegan bagel spreads to take your bagel game to the next level.

§ Oatmeal

Starbucks vegan oatmeal

Are you looking for a healthy vegan food option to start your day? Starbucks has got you covered! The American coffee chain offers three dairy-free oatmeal varieties:

  • Classic Oatmeal – Features a combination of whole-grain steel-cut and rolled oats cooked in water and comes with a choice of nut, brown sugar, or dried fruit topping.
  • Hearty Blueberry Oatmeal – A blend of whole grain steel-cut and rolled oats, cooked in water, topped with agave syrup, blueberries, and nut mix.
  • Strawberry Overnight Grains – A scrumptious medley of steel-cut oats, red quinoa, coconut milk, chia seeds, coconut shavings, toasted almonds, and strawberries.

Whether you’re a vegan or avoiding dairy for any other reason, Starbucks’ dairy-free oatmeal makes a perfect choice for a healthy and filling breakfast.

§ Lentils & Vegetable Protein Bowl with Brown Rice

Starbucks vegan rice bowl

This Starbucks’ vegan protein bowl makes a great healthy lunch option. It includes black lentils and a wholesome mix of cabbage, kale, peas, beets, broccoli, roasted tomatoes, bell pepper, butternut squash, and green onions over a bed of brown rice. All the ingredients are topped with crunchy roasted sunflower seeds and creamy, zesty lemon tahini dressing.

The Starbucks protein bowl is filling, offers a healthy burst of flavors, and is certified vegan. If you’re looking for a healthy yet delicious vegan lunch option that’s easily available, this one is a great choice.

Here’s the complete list of Starbucks Lentils & Vegetable Protein Bowl ingredients for your reference:

§ Chicken & Quinoa Protein Bowl with Black Beans and Greens

Starbucks vegan protein bowl

As evident from the name, this Starbucks menu item is not vegan. However, if you cannot get your hands on the vegan lentils & veggie bowl at your local Starbucks and want something healthy and filling to eat, you can get this protein bowl customized to your vegan diet. It won’t make a very exciting vegan lunch, but you can certainly make do with it when there is no other vegan food option available.

To order Starbucks Chicken & Quinoa Protein Bowl vegan style, you’ll have to skip the Chicken (of course) and Chile Vinaigrette. The vinaigrette is tomato-based and can be mistaken as vegan-friendly. However, as highlighted on the Starbucks website, it contains honey.

After these alterations, you’ll get a mix of red and white quinoa with spring mix, fire-grilled corn, black beans, tomatoes, and smoked paprika.

§ Chickpea Bites & Avocado Protein Box

Starbucks vegan protein box

Chickpea & Avocado Protein Box is another great vegan food option on Starbucks menu. Containing chickpea bites, baby carrots, snap peas, dry fruits and nut mix, and the super-rich and creamy avocado dip, it offers a good combination of various textures and flavors.

The Starbucks’ plant-based protein box is ideal as both a quick lunch and snack.

§ Tomato & Mozzarella Panini

Starbucks vegan sandwich

If you don’t mind eating a Panini sandwich without cheese, you can get a vegan sandwich at Starbucks by getting this classic Tomato & Mozzarella Panini without the cheese. You’ll get a toasted focaccia sandwich with basil pesto, roasted tomatoes, and spinach.

Isn’t Starbucks Impossible Breakfast Sandwich Vegan?

Impossible Foods has been a game-changer in the vegan food industry. The company took the vegan world by storm with its great-tasting plant-based meat alternatives and had been creating waves in the food industry with its incredible offerings ever since its inception.

Over the years, several restaurants have partnered with Impossible Foods to create plant-based options for non-meat eaters. Starbucks is one of them.

Starbucks offers an Impossible Breakfast Sandwich. While the sandwich is meatless, it is not vegan. Not only does the sandwich contain egg and cheese, but the ciabatta bread it comes in is also non-vegan.

You may, however, try asking at your local Starbucks if they can give you the Impossible Sausage Patty with a vegan bread or separately. If you’re lucky to get it separately, you can make your own vegan sandwich with the plant-based patty, vegan bagel, and spread.

Can’t get your hands on the Impossible Sausage Patty? Make a vegan sandwich at home! Check out the following video for some great healthy vegan sandwich recipes

§ Vegan Snacks at Starbucks

Starbucks vegan snacks

Do you get hungry in between meals, or do you simply love to snack? Grab the following vegan snacks from your nearest Starbucks to help you power through the day:

  • Starbucks BBQ Potato Chips
  • Starbucks Salt & Vinegar Kettle Potato Chips
  • Starbucks Simply Salted Kettle Potato Chips
  • Starbucks Sweet Potato Kettle Potato Chips
  • Starbucks Kettle Corn
  • Pop! Lite Sunflower Oil & Sea Salt Popcorn
  • Rhythm Organic Kale Chips (Original) – Certified Vegan
  • Justin’s Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups – Although they are not labelled as vegan, they do not contain any non-vegan ingredients.
  • Squirrel Brand Fruit + Nut Blend – This healthy and delicious mix of nuts and berries is also made with all vegan-friendly ingredients.
  • Squirrel Brand Classic Almonds – It has only two ingredients; roasted almonds and sea salt.  
  • Good Squared Urban Trail 
  • That’s It – Apple + Blueberry Bar
  • That’s It – Apple + Mango Bar
  • Plum Organics – Blueberry & Oatmeal Jammy Sammy
  • Seasonal Fruit Blend (fresh seasonal fruits)
  • Fresh Banana
  • Fresh Orange
Starbucks Vegan Snacks for Babies

Starbucks offers a couple of organic fruit mixes from Peter Rabbit Organics, which come in handy to satiate hungry babies on the go. They are particularly great options for people raising their babies on a vegan and/or healthy diet. The choices include:

Get these vegan snacks from Starbucks to keep yourself fueled throughout the day.

§ Vegan Drinks at Starbucks

Most people go to Starbucks for drinks, so let’s do the real talk now and take a look at what the coffeehouse chain has in store for vegans here.

How to Order a Vegan Coffee at Starbucks?

Starbucks vegan coffee

Starbucks coffees traditionally come with dairy milk and/or cream. However, they also offer various non-dairy milk options for vegans and those avoiding dairy for any other reason. These include almond milk, oat milk, soy milk, and coconut milk. So, technically, you can get any Starbucks coffee made vegan by opting for plant-based milk. However, you have to be careful of the flavored sauces, toppings, and drizzles, as some of them are non-vegan.

Here’s a handy guide for ingredients to avoid when ordering a vegan coffee at Starbucks:

  • Whipped Cream
  • Caramel Drizzle
  • Pumpkin Spice Sauce/Syrup
  • Cinnamon Dolce Topping
  • Protein Powder
  • Java Chips
  • White Mocha
  • Caramel Brulee Syrup
  • Chai Lattes (they contain honey)

Starbucks Vegan Syrups

As the rule of thumb, remember that all clear syrups are generally vegan at Starbucks. The only non-clear Starbucks syrup that is vegan is the mocha syrup. Here’s a complete list of classic Starbucks flavored syrups that are vegan-friendly:

  • Vanilla Syrup
  • Hazelnut Syrup
  • Caramel Syrup
  • Mocha Syrup
  • Macadamia Nut Syrup
  • Peach Syrup
  • Almond Syrup
  • Toffee-Nut Syrup
  • Gingerbread Syrup (Seasonal)

Whether you’re a hot coffee person or love frappes, remember these basic guidelines when ordering a vegan coffee at Starbucks.

Quick Order for Vegan Coffee at Starbucks

Don’t feel like giving all the instructions for vegan coffee? Here are the Starbucks coffee varieties that are vegan on their own:

  • Starbucks Reserve Cold Brew
  • Starbucks Cold Brew Coffee
  • Nitro Cold Brew
  • Starbucks Reserve Nitro Cold Brew
  • Iced Caffé Americano
  • Iced Coffee
  • Iced Espresso
  • Iced Shaken Espresso
  • Iced Brown Sugar Oat Milk Shaken Espresso
  • Iced Chocolate Almond Milk Shaken Espresso

Other Vegan Drinks at Starbucks

Starbucks vegan drinks

While Starbucks is a coffeehouse, they also offer a variety of other (non-coffee) drinks as well. Here are your options for vegan drinks at Starbucks that are not coffees:

Hot Teas

  • Chai Tea
  • Earl Grey Tea
  • London Fog Tea Latte
  • Royal English Breakfast Tea
  • Royal English Breakfast Tea Latte
  • Emperor’s Clouds & Mist
  • Matcha Tea Latte
  • Jade Citrus Mint Brewed Tea
  • Mint Majesty
  • Peach Tranquility

Note: If ordering a latte, make sure to get it with vegan milk.

Hot Drinks

  • Hot Chocolate – with vegan milk and without whipped cream
  • Steamed Apple Juice
  • Vanilla Crème – with vegan milk and without whipped cream

Iced Teas

  • Iced Matcha Green Tea Latte – Order with vegan milk of your choice
  • Iced Black Tea
  • Iced Black Tea Lemonade
  • Iced Guava Black Tea
  • Iced Guava Black Tea Lemonade
  • Iced Royal English Breakfast Tea Latte – with vegan milk
  • Iced London Fog Tea Latte – with vegan milk
  • Iced Green Tea
  • Iced Green Tea Lemonade
  • Iced Peach Green Tea
  • Iced Peach Green Tea Lemonade
  • Iced Matcha Tea Latte – With Vegan Milk
  • Iced Matcha Lemonade
  • Iced Passion Tango Tea
  • Iced Passion Tango Team Lemonade
  • Tevana Mango Black Tea (Bottled Tea)
  • Tevana Sparkling Unsweetened Peach Nectarine Green Tea (Bottled Tea)

Cold Drinks

  • Dragon Drink
  • Kiwi Starfruit Starbucks Refreshers Beverage
  • Kiwi Starfruit Lemonade Starbucks Refreshers Beverage
  • Star Drink
  • Mango Dragonfruit Starbucks Refreshers Beverage
  • Mango Dragonfruit Lemonade Starbucks Refreshers Beverage
  • Strawberry Acai Starbucks Refreshers Beverage
  • Strawberry Acai Lemonade Starbucks Refreshers Beverage
  • Very Berry Hibiscus Starbucks Refreshers Beverage
  • Very Berry Hibiscus Lemonade Starbucks Refreshers Beverage
  • Pink Drink
  • Violet Drink
  • Iced Guava Passionfruit Drink
  • Iced Pineapple Matcha Drink
  • Evolution Fresh Organic Juices
  • Lemonade
  • Strawberry Blended Lemonade
  • Tree Top Apple Juice Box
  • Galvanina Sparkling Water – Plain and Lime flavored
  • Spindrift Sparkling Water – Grapefruit, Raspberry Lime

Crème Frappuccino

  • Apple Crisp Crème Frappuccino Blended Beverage – Choose vegan milk and skip the whipped cream
  • Strawberry Funnel Cake Crème Frappuccino Blended Beverage – Choose vegan milk and skip the whipped cream
  • Chocolate Cookie Crumble Crème Frappuccino – Choose vegan milk and skip whipped cream and Frappuccino chips.
  • Strawberry Crème Frappuccino Blended Beverage – With vegan milk and without whipped cream
  • Matcha Crème Frappuccino Blended Beverage – Order with vegan milk and without whipped cream
  • Vanilla Bean Crème Frappuccino Blended Beverage – Get it with vegan milk and without whipped cream.

Vegan Frappuccinos from Starbucks’ Secret Menu

Starbucks secret menu isn’t a hoax; it’s very much real and oh-so-amazing. Here are the detailed guidelines on how to get the best Starbucks secret menu drinks made vegan:

  • S’mores Frappuccino – Ask for a Vanilla Bean Frappuccino with vegan milk, mocha sauce, and a pump of marshmallow syrup. Make sure to tell them to hold the whip.
  • Cake Batter Frappuccino – Get a non-dairy Vanilla Bean Frappuccino with one pump of hazelnut and almond syrup each. Skip the whip.
  • Samao Cookie Frappuccino – Get a blended coconut milk Mocha Coconut Frappuccino with two pumps of caramel syrup and extra coconut flakes. Hold the whip.
  • Nutella Frappuccino – Ask for a soy milk Mocha Frappuccino with a pump of hazelnut syrup and without the whip.
  • Cotton Candy Frappuccino – Order a Vanilla Bean Frappuccino with almond milk and a pump of raspberry syrup. No whip.
  • Banana Cream Pie Frappuccino – Get a blended Vanilla Bean Frappuccino with any plant-based milk with one whole banana, one pump of hazelnut syrup, and one extra pump of vanilla syrup. Hold the whip.
  • Peppermint Patty Frappuccino – Ask for a Green Tea Frappuccino with almond milk, no whip, and a pump of peppermint syrup. You can also ask for the mocha sauce drizzle on the top to make it more flavorful.
  • Café Au Lait – A simple and less exciting, but certainly delicious, options is a misto with soy or almond milk. No foam here as well.
  • Mojito Refresher – Beat the heat with this virgin mojito made by adding one pump of classic and peppermint syrup, each, in a Cool Lime Refresher.

Starbucks Menu Items That May Look Vegan, But Are Not

Following are some of the items on the Starbucks menu that can easily be mistaken as vegan-friendly. But, they contain non-vegan ingredients:

Frequently Asked Questions

Let’s answer some of the most common questions about Starbucks vegan menu before wrapping up this article to clear all your confusions about what you can and cannot have at the leading coffee place:

§ Is there anything vegan to eat at Starbucks?

Starbucks doesn’t have an expansive menu of vegan foods. But, it offers a few plant-based options or can be customized according to the vegan diet. There is also a good variety of vegan snacks.

Read the article for a detailed discussion on what vegans can eat at Starbucks.

§ Does Starbucks have a vegan sandwich?

Starbucks doesn’t offer any vegan sandwich. However, the Tomato & Mozzarella Panini Sandwich can be made vegan by removing the cheese.

§ Does Starbucks have a vegan wrap?

No. Sadly, Starbucks doesn’t offer a vegan wrap.

§ Is Starbucks oatmeal vegan?

Yes. Starbucks oatmeal is vegan. It comes in three delicious varieties – Classic Oatmeal, Hearty Blueberry Oatmeal, and Strawberry Overnight Grains.

§ Is Starbucks coffee vegan?

Starbucks coffees are traditionally made with dairy milk and creamers. However, the coffee chain has started offering a variety of plant-based milks, lately, which allows vegans to customize almost any coffee according to their dietary guidelines.

§ Does Starbucks offer vegan creamers?

Starbucks introduced a range of non-dairy creamers in July 2020. While the coffee chain doesn’t claim them to be vegan-friendly, they are made with all plant-based ingredients (almond and oat milk). Furthermore, PETA classifies them as vegan coffee creamers by Starbucks. 

Starbucks vegan creamers are available in the following three flavors:

  • Non-Dairy Pumpkin Spice Flavored Creamer
  • Non-Dairy Caramel Flavored Creamer
  • Non-Dairy Hazelnut Flavored Creamer

§ Does Starbucks have a vegan whip?

Starbucks doesn’t offer a vegan whip in the US yet. The coffee chain did launch vegan whipped cream in its UK outlets during the fall of 2020; they may bring it to the US this season; you never know!

§ Is Starbucks vanilla syrup vegan?

Starbucks vanilla syrup is vegan-friendly, and so are most other clear syrups. Thick, creamy syrups, on the other hand, are non-vegan.

§ Is Starbucks mocha vegan?

Starbucks classic mocha sauce is vegan, but mocha syrup and white mocha are not.

§ Is Starbucks foam vegan?

Starbucks’ famous vanilla sweet cream cold foam isn’t vegan. They don’t have a dairy-free version of it either. However, as advised on their Twitter, you can ask for a non-dairy foam on your coffee.

§ Is Starbucks matcha vegan?

Starbucks matcha green tea varieties that come without milk are vegan. Matcha lattes can be made vegan by replacing dairy milk with plant-based milk.

§ Is Starbucks chai vegan?

Starbucks Chai Tea (Black) is vegan-friendly, but Chai Tea Latte isn’t. It uses a premade chai tea concentrate that has honey.

Conclusion – Is Starbucks Vegan-Friendly?

Starbucks may not have many vegan food options (they do have a good range of vegan snacks, though), but the place is certainly a vegan paradise for coffees, teas, and drinks. The world’s largest coffeehouse chain can safely be termed as the best place for vegan drinks in the US. Not only do they offer a variety of non-dairy milk, but they also allow people to customize their drinks however they like.

Simply put, the majority of Starbucks drinks can be made dairy-free or vegan. You can also get your own vegan coffee made just the way you like it by placing a custom order.

Whether you’re an avid coffee drinker, a tea person, or simply love to try out different drinks, Starbucks is the best place for vegan drinks, at least in the US. Don’t forget to grab a few vegan snacks along with your drink for a great snacking experience.

Did you find this detailed vegan breakdown of the Starbucks menu helpful? Interested to learn how other famous food chains are responding to an increased demand for vegan foods? Read my article Domino’s Vegan Options to find out if the leading pizza chain offers vegan pizza for its non-meat eating customers!

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Author Bio
Im Emma and I’m the creator of Vegan Calm. When I became a vegan seven years ago, I mainly did it for health and ethical reasons. To my surprise, it had another amazing benefit; I became a much calmer and peaceful person. This change inspired me to create Vegan Calm. Whether you’ve been a vegan for a long time or just want to learn more, this website will have something for you!

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