13 of the Best Keto Starbucks Drinks to Order – According to a Barista!
Calling all Starbucks lovers! ☕️
Picture this — you’re at Starbucks, there are a bunch of under-caffeinated coffee fiends behind you, and it’s now your turn to order. The issue? You have no clue what in the heck you can order that’s actually a keto Starbucks drink outside of plain black coffee!
Thanks to the diligence of one keto-loving Starbucks barista on Reddit, along with suggestions from our Hip2Keto team, we’ve put together a guide for the best Keto Starbucks drinks that you can order to sip away without the guilt or excess sugar!
Please note that the sugar-free sweeteners at Starbucks are considered dirty keto as they contain maltodextrin.
A few tips about ordering keto Starbucks drinks:
I called around to a few different Starbucks locations in various cities and it seems that the heavy cream varies from location to location. My local Starbucks uses Borden Heavy Whipping Cream and Borden Half & Half. Be sure to ask your local Starbucks Barista about the brands carried at your location.
Borden Heavy Whipping Cream: Serving Size 1tbsp/15ml | 50 Calories | 5g Fat | 1g Total Carbs | 0g Fiber | 0g Sugar | 0g Protein | 1g Total Carbs
Borden Half & Half: Serving Size 2tbsp/30ml 40 Calories | 3g Fat | 1g Total Carbs | 0g Fiber | 1g Sugar | 1g Protein | 1g Net Carbs
I also called four different Starbucks stores and was told that the almond milk was not a specific brand (likely a private label), but they were able to share the nutrition info with me. Keep in mind this is based on a serving size being 1 cup, so I’ve broken down the figures a little further as most Starbucks drinks will not contain that much almond milk.
Starbucks Almond Milk:
Serving Size 1 cup
- 60 Calories | 4g Fat | 6g Total Carbs | 1g Fiber | 5g Sugar | 2g Protein | 5g Net Carbs
Serving Size 1/2 cup
- 30 Calories | 2g Fat | 3g Total Carbs | .5g Fiber | 2.5g Sugar | 1g Protein | 2.5g Net Carbs
Serving Size 1/3 cup
- 20 Calories | 1.3g Fat | 2g Total Carbs | .33 Fiber | 1.67g Sugar | .67g Protein | 1.67g Net Carbs
Serving Size 1/4 cup
- 15 Calories | 1g Fat | 1.5g Total Carbs | .25g Fiber | 1.25g Sugar | .25g Protein | 1.25g Net Carbs
Adios sugar!
If you’re used to having to order your iced teas with no sweetener, you may be surprised to learn that unsweetened is the new default… at least at Starbucks! Say hello to easy to order Starbucks keto tea! 👋
Starbucks quietly rolled out the change on March 2nd, wanting to “encourage customization” for their customers. Of course, this only applies to the plain green, black, and passion iced teas. The lemonade combos and certain lattes will keep the same sweetened recipes.
Sadly, Starbucks recently discontinued the yummy sugar-free Cinnamon Dolce syrup, so for now we only have Vanilla sugar-free syrup that we can add to our drinks to keep them keto.
Here are our favorite Stabucks keto-friendly drinks to order…
1. Peaches & Cream Tranquility Tea
Thanks to this yummy viral Starbucks menu hack, you don’t have to wait for peach season to indulge in something so delicious! Its main component is Unsweetened Peach Tranquility Tea which packs a peachy punch with light citrus and floral undertones to give you a refreshing summertime vibe. Yummo!
How to order:
“May I please have a Venti Unsweetened Peach Tranquility Tea brewed strong with a splash or two of heavy cream, 3 pumps of sugar-free vanilla syrup, 3 Splenda, served over extra ice? Thanks!”
*Please note – this drink will take them about 5 minutes to make as the tea bags will be brewed strong with hot water, then added to the ingredients and ice. This tea typically comes with two teabags, so if you prefer a stronger flavor ask for 3-4 teabags brewed strong.
2. Black Tea
Since all of the Starbucks iced teas are now unsweetened, you can simply choose your favorite tea blend – black, green, or herbal. If you need a touch of sweetness, you could add a non-sugar sweetener.
Just ask your barista to shake it into the tea — it will taste so much better when it’s incorporated and fully dissolved. My local Starbucks does this without me having to ask!
How to order:
“I would like an iced [black] tea with [two packets of Splenda or Stevia shaken into the tea].”
3. Keto Americano
Collin’s go-to order! A simple Americano (hot or iced) with a splash or two of heavy cream cures caffeine cravings without a carb overload.
If you want to sweeten it up, mix in a sugar-alternative packet, or do what Collin does and carry liquid stevia in your purse to use when you’re out and about.
How to order:
“I would like an Americano, topped with a splash or two of heavy cream.”
4. Keto Iced Coffee
Iced coffee and cold brew come pre-sweetened with their classic syrup so you’ll have to ask for it without sugar. You can still get some sweetness from their sugar-free vanilla syrup. Feel free to top it with heavy cream as well!
For a Tall, ask for 2 pumps of the sugar-free syrup, 3 pumps for a Grande, and 4 pumps for a Venti.
How to order:
“I would like an iced coffee, unsweetened, with [3 pumps] of sugar-free vanilla syrup.”
5. Keto Pink Drink
This mimics the looks of the oh-so Instagrammable “Pink Drink”. Just note that while it is tasty and refreshing, it doesn’t really taste anything like the original pink drink.
Follow the same syrup ratio as before — Tall: 2 pumps of syrup, Grande: 3 pumps, Venti: 4 pumps
How to order:
“I would like an Iced Passion Tea, with [3 pumps] of sugar-free vanilla, topped with a splash of heavy cream.”
Hip Tip: Make our keto pink drink copycat at home!
6. Keto Iced Blonde Vanilla Latte
Need a serious jolt of caffeine? This drink boasts 3 shots of espresso when ordered as a Venti, and you can swap out the milk for heavy cream and/or almond milk and ask for sugar-free vanilla syrup.
How to order:
“I would like an iced Starbucks Blonde Vanilla Latte, unsweetened, with [heavy cream] and [4 pumps] of sugar-free vanilla syrup.”
7. Keto Chai Latte
First of all, ordering something breve makes you sound pretty fancy. Breve, which just means half and half, is a good way to thin out a drink while still getting the benefits of some heavy cream.
Ask your barista if you could have the breve as half cream, half almond milk to make the drink even more keto-friendly — just know that this request can only be made when ordering in person since the app doesn’t allow for this customization.
Alternatively, you could also order a “chai tea with a splash of heavy cream and [3 pumps] of sugar-free vanilla.” This suggestion by superplayah on Reddit is a great keto chai tea latte since it uses 2 chai tea bags rather than the concentrate. Just be sure to let it sit for a moment before drinking so the tea has enough time to “brew”. For extra sweetness, you could also add in a couple of non-sugar sweetener packets.
How to order:
“I would like an iced, lightly sweet chai latte, no liquid cane sugar, breve (pronounced breh-vay).”
Hip Tip: Make your own Starbucks-inspired Chai Tea Latte at home!
8. Keto Caffè Misto
A Caffè Misto is a blend of Starbucks fresh brewed coffee and steamed milk. If you’re not a huge espresso fan, this is a great option as it tastes a lot like a latte and has about the same amount of caffeine.
Sub out the milk for heavy cream or breve (ask for the half cream, half almond milk, like above) and add sugar-free vanilla syrup or a few packets of non-sugar sweetener for a delicious keto Starbucks drink pick-me-up!
How to order:
“I would like a caffe misto, but replace the milk with heavy cream or breve.”
9. Keto Flat White
A Flat White contains an extra ristretto espresso shot, making it bolder than a latte but the steamed milk makes it smoother than a cappuccino. For a keto-friendly option, ask for a 50/50 mix of heavy cream and hot water for a perfect blend.
How to order:
“I would like a Flat White, unsweetened, no milk with 50/50 mix of heavy cream and hot water.”
10. Keto Iced Caramel Macchiato
A standard caramel macchiato has espresso shots, vanilla syrup, steamed milk, and a sweet caramel drizzle. Definitely not keto-friendly. To lower the carbs on this favorite, order an Americano with three parts water to one part heavy cream and add sugar-free vanilla syrup.
For the syrup, choose the number of pumps based on the drink size (tall: 2 pumps, grande: 3 pumps, venti: 4 pumps). You can also order breve for a 50/50 blend if you prefer.
How to order:
“I would like an iced, unsweetened Americano with three parts water to one part heavy cream, add [2] pumps of sugar-free vanilla syrup.”
11. Keto Frappuccino
This slightly lengthy order will reward you with a keto frappuccino! Choose sugar-free vanilla syrup and order the number of pumps based on the drink size (tall: 2 pumps, grande: 3 pumps, venti: 4 pumps).
When saying you want it blended frappuccino style, you may also need to clarify that you don’t want the frappuccino base or frappuccino syrups. This is important so you don’t make the same keto mistake we did.
How to order:
“Can I please have a tall, unsweetened iced coffee with extra ice, 2 pumps of sugar-free Vanilla Syrup, and 2 shots of heavy cream, blended frappuccino-style, but with NO frappuccino base and NO frappuccino syrups? Thanks!”
Hip Tip: Make your own Keto Frappuccino at home!
12. Keto Thai Iced Tea
This brilliant hack by a Reddit user will result in a drink that tastes similar to a Thai iced tea! Note this has to be an in-person-only order as there’s no half and half option on the mobile app.
How to order:
“I would like a half iced coffee, unsweetened, and half black tea with a splash of heavy cream and non-sugar sweetener.”
13. Keto Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew
Cold brew fans, we haven’t forgotten about you! With just a few simple swaps, you can have the keto Starbucks drink of your dreams without all the added sugar!
How to order:
“I would like a Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew, unsweetened with 3 pumps of sugar free vanilla syrup, and heavy cream instead of vanilla sweet cream.
As for what to eat…
There really aren’t a ton of options, but the insides of paninis (turkey pesto, chicken & Caprese, ham & swiss, tomato & mozzarella, or chicken & bacon) are worth trying. The cheese and meat trays, along with the eggs and cheddar protein box (minus the fruit) are fair game as well.
For a quick snack, Starbucks also carries almonds and Moon Cheese — they’re crunchy little cheese balls made from 100% cheese!
Before you order something made with scrambled eggs thinking it’s carb-free (like the sous vide egg bites or breakfast sandwiches), note that they unfortunately have hidden carbs since the eggs contain fillers.
A few other quick tips:
If you’re not keen on Splenda and have a different, preferred sweetener, consider carrying your sweetener of choice with you, just like Collin does! Stash it either in your purse or in the car so you can sweeten your drinks on the go!
Some highly-rated liquid sweetener options are NuNaturals Liquid Stevia, Pyure Simply Sweet, NOW Better Stevia, or carry Xylitol in a baggie — it’s one of our favorite keto sweeteners!
We’re giving a big cheer to The Real Cutlass (the Starbucks barista on the Keto SubReddit) for making all of our caffeinated keto dreams come true!
And as a bonus option, don’t forget you can always grab a refreshing Venti H2O at no charge!😉 I always grab one when I take my teenager to Starbucks for her coffee fix.
Check out all of our keto dining guides!
I order 1/2 heavy cream 1/2 coconut milk for my latte, would that be considered Keto?
No, as their coconut milk does have sugar. You could ask for Almond milk instead.
Does Starbucks have unsweetened coconut milk? I have been sad because I’m lactose intolerant so haven’t been to Starbucks lately since their coconut milk is carb heavy with sugar 🙁
Sorry for any confusion, Jennifer. I did just double check this, they do not have unsweet coconut milk.
The almond milk has a lot of sugar.
https://fastfoodnutrition.org/news/healthiest-starbucks-milk
I love my starbucks coffee and knowing that Starbucks offers keto that makes me love it even more.
Hi Eusebio! I love Starbucks too. So glad you get to enjoy it still❤
Thanks, Jessi!
Does anyone have the nutritional break down to what these drinks would be?
Great question! You can find all of the values of the drinks you’d like when checking their Beverage Nutritional Chart. Hope this helps!
If you have instagram theMacrobrista have keto friendly drinks
Thanks for this ordered mine straight from your app and it was dreamy
I always order a grande, blonde, black eye with 4 pumps sugar-free cinnamon dulce syrup and heavy cream. It’s blonde roast brewed coffee + 2 shots of espresso + sugar-free cinnamon dulce syrup + heavy cream. It gives a good dose of caffeine, and it’s low carb.
Hi Marion! Great suggestion! I actually personally dont like their regular roast. I find the blonde is a bit milder so this peaks my interest. This sounds delicious thanks for sharing!
Starbuck’s SF syrups are sweetened with sucralose…so be aware if you are sensitive to that.
Hi Amelia! Thank you for the tip.❤
I am incredibly grateful for this post. I especially love that you put in exactly what to say when you order! I love my espresso maker at home but truly know nothing about what anything is called in the coffee world. I usually have a near panic attack when trying to order at a coffee shop! I found this post super informative and helpful. Thank you for taking the time to put it all together!
Hi there! Thank you for letting us know! I find it helpful too❤ I’m always pulling it up when I go to Starbucks!
What about the pumpkin cold brew? Any tips for that? 😬
Hi Alex! Unfortunately there isn’t a sugar free option at Starbucks. You can make your own by whipping up 1/2 cup of heavy cream with spoonful of pumpkin puree, splash of vanilla syrup and 1/2 tsp of pumpkin spice. Pour your cold brew coffee over ice with two splashes of vanilla syrup and then pour your heavy cream mix over top and sprinkle with pumpkin spice. YUM! Hope this is helpful!
How many carbs is in the keto pink drink?
The only carbs would be in the heavy cream and they add 2 – 3 ounces depending on the size you order. That’s approximately 1 to 1 1/2 carbs so very very low! Yay! Note that if you add the freeze-dried strawberries it can add up to one more carb.
Yay….I had this drink yesterday..vente size and it was amazing!!!! Loved it!
Hi Nancy! Yum😋 I’m glad you got to treat yourself!
Venti mango dragon fruit no water, light heavy cream ,3 stevia packs,extra ice. Double blended.
Hi there! This sounds delightful! Thank you for sharing.
This has a lot of sugar . . .
What’s the carb count difference with ordering regular half and half cream vs the heavy cream? I can’t find it on their nutrition chart
Hi Katelyn! Heavy cream has .5 grams per TBSP and half and half has about 1 gram per serving. Hope that helps!
Good Lord! I love the “what to say” when ordering!! I have huge panic attacks at places like Starbucks just listening to others ordering there. Then end up ordering something simple because I don’t want to hold up the hordes. Thanks a Million! Awesome post!
You’re SO very welcome, Gina! Glad this will be helpful!
This was so helpful. I usually get an americano with cream. Did not know of all these other options. Thanks a bunch!
You’re most welcome, Viv! Hope you enjoy these additional options!
What about a keto white chocolate mocha
Great question! We don’t have an option for that as their sauces are not currently sugar free. Here is something similar you may enjoy making at home – https://hip2keto.com/recipes/keto-starbucks-chocolate-chip-frappuccino/
Hope that helps!
How many carbs in a iced espresso, doppio with an extra splash of heavy cream, 5 pumps of sf vanilla and 5 pumps of sf cinnamon dolce syrup?
The only carbs would be in the heavy cream and they add 2 – 3 ounces depending on the size you order. That’s approximately 1 to 1 1/2 carbs so very very low! Also, a lot of drinks have liquid cane sugar added so you may also want to say “no liquid cane sugar.”
I order a latte with 3 pumps of sugar free vanilla made with heavy cream blended Frappe style. It tastes like a vanilla milkshake.
Sounds yummy, Elaine! 😋 Thanks for sharing your order with us!
How do you get them to mix the Keto Pink Drink so that it doesn’t separate? Mine looked nothing like the picture, it looked like pink tea with white dots. Tasted great, looked gross though.
It may just be your store. Mine typically isn’t mixed all the way so I just stir it with my straw. You can ask to have it shaken if that helps, Danilynn!
You guys should just do what I do. I have my daughter order! :). Really, all kidding aside, great info. we will travel soon and I will be much better equipped to place my own orders. Thank you so much for all your hard work and I am sure you had to do a few taste tests! Blessing, Lisa
We sure appreciate you stopping by and letting us know this list is helpful! My favorite is the Keto Horchata!
I’m a barista at Starbucks and personally I would recommend very few of these drinks. I’m having a hard time understanding how ordering a latte made with half-and-half cream/heavy cream instead of milk would be healthy at all. To lose weight, you need to be in a calorie deficit and up your protein intake: Keto does none of these things. I’m looking into keto because I legitimately want to understand why people do it- all I can see is that it looks like weight loss made harder. There are ways to eat healthy at Starbucks w/o keto, using nonfat milk, only using one pump of syrup, ordering a low fat food item, and you just have to look into them. We all need carbs 🙂
I can understand your concerns, Bryan. I am also glad you are willing to learn more. If you click here and here there are two helpful articles. Let us know if you have any more questions please!
*NONE* of us NEED carbs. I hope you have read the articles . . . Low fat dieting, like you advocate, is the reason many of us are fat.
I tried the #1 peach tranquility tea in Ky on vacation. It was amazing! I can’t get that tea here at home in TN! 🙁
Thank you so much!
I tried the Keto Pink Drink with the monk fruit/stevia blend (2 packets) instead of sugar-free vanilla syrup, and it was still delicious. 🙂
Yay! Glad to hear that, Amy! Thanks for letting us know you enjoyed it!
I love the pink drink with vanilla sweet cream & a shot of mocha in the cream. It tastes like chocolate covered strawberries. How can I make it keto? Is the mocha sugar free? Do they even carry sugar free?
That sounds yummy! They now only carry the sugar free vanilla. You could add your own sugar free mocha syrup after ordering. Hope this helps!
I always order venti cafe vanilla, no whip and 2 espresso poured over , so if I choose heavy cream and sugar free vanilla syrup, I’m keto and healthy?
Yes! That is a good keto option.
Since you all have some wonderful suggestions for keto-izing Starbucks, wonder if anyone has suggestions for the hot caramel macchiato?
Hey there! The iced suggestion for that one above will work for the hot as well! Just be sure to ask for that one hot instead of iced! Enjoy! 💖😋
Thank you.! This is awesome. Big long-time Starbucks fan.
Pre Starbucks I always loved the coffee culture and many coffee cafes in Europe. As an American I remember many of us thinking that that could NEVER work in the US.! And then along came Starbucks!! Now seemingly there’s a Starbucks on every single block in New York City! And how about the intersection in Seattle where there’s a Starbucks on each of the 4 corners!! And try one of their new Roasterys: They’re high-quality, enormous, beautiful, fun and typically packed, and expensive.
Interesting for sure! You’re SO very welcome!🤗 Thanks for taking a moment to comment! 💖
New to keto. Which is best almond milk, coconut milk, half and half, or heavy cream? The least carbs? Thank you
That’s a great question, Sharon Blindauer! We have an article with select milk types and their nutritional values over here. I think you’ll find that article helpful! 😍