Starbucks Guide: The BEST Ways to Order Keto, According to a Barista
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 actually order that’s keto-friendly 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 of the best drinks and snacks that you can order without knocking yourself out of ketosis.
Hip Tip: Want an easier way to take this list with you? Download the printable with various sizes for your convenience!
“Iced [black] tea, unsweetened”
Iced tea comes sweetened with liquid cane sugar unless otherwise specified, so you’ll want to ask for this unsweetened. Your tea options are black, green, white, and passion tea (herbal tea) and 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 dissolved.
“Americano topped with a splash of heavy cream”
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.
“Iced coffee, unsweetened, with [3 pumps] of sugar-free [vanilla] syrup”
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 syrups in vanilla and cinnamon dolce. 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.
“Iced Passion Tea, unsweetened, with [3 pumps] of sugar-free vanilla, topped with a splash of heavy cream”
This mimics the looks of the oh so Instagrammable “Pink Drink”, and you can even ask your barista to add freeze-dried strawberries for the full effect. 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).
“Starbucks Doubleshot on ice, unsweetened, topped with [almond milk] and [3 pumps] of sugar-free [vanilla] syrup.”
Need a serious jolt of caffeine? This drink boasts 3 shots of espresso (5 shots when ordered as a venti!) and is topped with either almond milk or light heavy cream. Feel free to flavor with either sugar-free vanilla or sugar-free cinnamon dolce.
“Iced lightly sweet chai latte, no liquid cane sugar, breve (pronounced breh-vay).”
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.
“Iced coffee, unsweetened, with extra ice, sugar-free [cinnamon dolce] syrup, and 2 shots of heavy cream, blended frappuccino-style”
This slightly lengthy order will reward you with a keto frappuccino! Choose which sugar-free syrup you’d like and order the amount 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.
“Short skinny mocha, breve”
For a quick cure for chocolate cravings, this little chocolate bomb of a drink will do the trick. And don’t forget to ask about customizing the breve as mentioned in the iced lightly sweet chai latte order!
“Half iced coffee, unsweetened, and half black tea with a splash of heavy cream and non-sugar sweetener.”
This brilliant hack by Dragon_Small_Z on Reddit 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.
As for what to eat…
There really aren’t a ton of options, but the insides of paninis (turkey pesto or chicken and double smoked bacon) are worth trying. The cheese and meat trays, along with the egg and cheese protein box (minus the fruit) are fair game as well.
There’s also a fairly new meal-sized BLT Turkey protein box that’s pretty keto-friendly when you leave out the bread. For a quick snack, Starbucks also carries 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 they, unfortunately, have hidden carbs since the eggs contain fillers.
Some 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!
Another Hip Tip from Michelle at Hip2Keto — “I also carry my MCT oil in a little Ziploc to add to my Starbucks and have even brought a pat of butter to add.”
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!
Don’t forget to download the printable in various sizes for your convenience!
What’s your favorite keto-friendly Starbucks order?
Let us know in the comments!
I just get an iced Flat White.
Flat white is made with Whole milk. I hope you sub for something else
My go-to at Starbucks is either decaf coffee or decaf Americano with SF cinnamon dolce and light heavy cream. Yum!
I don’t do sugar-free syrup’s because the artificial sugars are a migraine trigger for me. I order a tall iced Almond milk latte with two Stevia and cinnamon powder it is so delicious.
Could you put the keto friendly SBX options in a printable list? I would like to print it and have it with me on the go.
Thanks a TON for the great suggestion! We love that idea! Be sure to stay tuned as we’ll probably add that shortly! 😉
Great idea!
I always order the sugar free cinnamon dolce with heavy cream.
Idk about you but I’ve checked st every Starbucks and all the almond milk they have, plus if you read up on it, is special to Starbucks and has sugar. So I do not ever get the almond milk there. Same with the coconut milk. Sadly!
Thanks for the feedback, Tiffany!
Cold brew with heavy cream and SF cinnamon dolce.
I belong to a group that has a lot of people that that get two shots of espresso in a venti cup and put a caramel premier protein drink over it. 30 grams of protein and 1 carb.
For a Keto Coffee Mudslide (alcoholic), I add Ketel One vodka to a mocha Super Coffee, add ice and blend. Just FYI 😉
Iced Cold brew, splash of heavy cream, sf cinnamon dolce, blended
Every Starbucks I have gone too has refused to make a Frappuccino without the base. What’s the secret to convincing them?
Darn! Maybe let them know the type of diet you are on OR try customizing your order via the app. Hoping that might help!
Are the nutritional numbers anywhere for these drinks?
Thanks for asking, Jean! We will be sure to get those added!
Iced coffee with just heavy cream and sugar free mocha
I get the cold brew with sugar free vanilla syrup and a light splash of heavy cream. The nutritional information is frustrating because it is sometimes wrong.
Trader Joe’s now sells a box of individual coconut oil packets. Great to keep in your purse, along with Stevia packets, and add to your Starbucks coffee!
Neat find! Thanks for sharing!
Love this site, thanks for all the information ,?
You are so welcome! Thanks for the kind comment!
Thank you so much for this I love SBX and have been avoiding it for fear of the carbs
You’re very welcome, Shawna! Enjoy!
Also for keto drinkers…. Try the salted cream cold foam with only hwc and sf vanilla instead of caramel. It’s awesome
the topping for that drink is normally made with Vanilla sweet cream so Please clarify to your barista that you want the foam made with heavy cream and sugar free vanilla and not the usual
I get a venti flat white with coconut milk or a skinny cinnamon dolche latte with coconut milk
Anyone know the macros for the chai latte with heavy cream and sugar free vanilla?
I would check the Starbucks nutrition-guide for that, Noe!
So hoe many carbs would that be for “Iced lightly sweet chai latte, no liquid cane sugar, breve (pronounced breh-vay).”?
Good question! Be sure to check out the Starbucks Nutritional guide over here. Hoping that helps!
they no longer carry the lightly sweet chai mix. You can order the Full leaf tea Chai.
I am a barista at Starbucks they have gotten rid of the ice tea infusions and are now using fruit juice blends so the fruit teas are no longer Keto. You are now just left with the plain teas. White, Green, Black and Passion.
Thanks, Wendee! I’ll pass this information along to the team!
I get an Almond Milk latte (hot or iced) which is pretty good, sometimes I add a couple pumps of sugar free vanilla. Not much difference in carbs between the grande and the venti.
Awesome! Thanks for sharing what you have liked best!
If you get anything but plain coffee or plain iced coffee at Starbucks, you have to ask for ‘No Classic’ otherwise they add sugar syrup to all of their drinks including the Americano. Also be prepared to insist on HWC, bc a lot of the stores will just dump some half & half in. The ‘cream’ out on the counter for guests is also half & half… 😒
Thank you for all the tips, CindyP!
My go to is a grande iced americano no sweetener with 3 pumps each of sugar free vanilla, sugar free cinnamon dolce with a splash of heavy cream.
Oh yum! Thanks for sharing your favorite order with us! I’ll have to try that one!
My main order is usually grande latte w/heavy cream but I like the nitro cold brew, has a creamy texture. I desugared my coffee a couple years ago (can’t believe how much sweetened creamer I was using). No going back after that.
ps … I don’t know how I found you all today but am really glad I did. Making your Creamy Cauliflower Chowder in a bit and Pumpkin Chocolate Chip cookies 😀
Yay! We’re so glad you found us too, Kimberly! Thanks for sharing your favorite Starbucks order with us! Hope you enjoy the Chowder and cookies! Let us know how they turn out!
How do I order a keto friendly peppermint mocha?
Great question, Laura! Be sure to stay tuned for an upcoming post on how to order your Keto Holiday drinks from Starbucks!