Keto-Friendly Drinks and Snacks at Starbucks

If you swing by Starbucks as a part of your daily routine, you may wonder how many of its beverages and foods are keto-friendly.

As information gets out about the keto diet, more places are offering keto menu options. Starbucks is no exception — there are lots of keto Starbucks drinks you can order without destroying your ketosis goals.

Although starting the ketogenic diet may involve changing your eating habits, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to forget your favorite coffee chain.

Making a few modifications to your order can ensure that you’re still able to enjoy your Starbucks ritual while on this low carb, high-fat diet.

If you’re concerned about giving up your daily coffee run to go low-carb, don’t despair. This guide has everything you need to order the best keto-friendly Starbucks drinks and snacks guilt-free.ai

While you can order some drinks as-is right off the menu, you’ll need to customize others for your keto diet.

Here are the best keto-friendly drinks and snacks available at Starbucks.

Low carb Pink Drink

This keto-friendly drink has recently popped in popularity due to both its vibrant pink color and delicious flavor.

It’s made using Iced Passion Tango Tea as a base but sells the liquid cane sugar for sugar-free syrup. The nutrition information below comprises 1 ounce of heavy cream to boost the flavor and fat content.

One 16-ounce (475-ml) serving of low carb Pink Drink contains 101 calories, 11 grams of fat, 1 gram of protein, 1 gram of carbs, 0 grams of fiber.

Garden Greens & Shaved Parmesan Salad

Another great low-carb choice is the Garden Greens and Shaved Parmesan Salad. It’s made with radicchio, snap peas, and a lemon vinaigrette. You’ll love the zesty flavor, and your waistline will love that it only has 9 grams of carbs and 4 grams of sugar.

Caffè Misto

This delicious coffee drink is made using equal parts steamed milk and coffee, making it an excellent choice for the keto diet.

Simply switch the steamed dairy milk for almond milk to reduce the number of calories and carbs in your cup.

You can also opt for a combination of heavy cream and water in place of the milk. Doing so increases the calorie and fat contents but keeps your carb intake in check.

One 16-ounce (475-ml) serving of Caffè Misto with 8 ounces of almond milk provides 37 calories, 2.6 grams of fat, 1.5 grams of protein, 1.5 grams of carbs, and 0 grams of fiber.

If you opt for adding 4 ounces of heavy cream and 4 ounces of water, you’ll get 404 calories, 43 grams of fat, 3.4 grams of protein, 3.3 grams of carbs, and a 0 fiber.

Hot Tea Lattes

Many hot tea lattes — like the ever-popular chai tea latte and the newer London Fog — use a pre-made mix loaded with sugar. However, you can hack a low-carb tea latte using tea bags, hot water, heavy cream, and (optional) keto-safe sweeteners you can add on your own.

To make chai tea latte, use two or more chai tea bags and brew with hot water, a heavy cream splash, and a cinnamon pinch. To mimic a London Fog, brew two or more Earl Grey tea bags with hot water, heavy cream, stevia, and vanilla extract (if you have it on hand). Get creative and try mixing up various tea latte combos.

Sopressata salami and Monterey Jack

This delicious snack tray features Italian dry salami and flavorful Monterey Jack cheese.

In addition to being low in carbs and high in protein, it packs a fair amount of fat into each serving.

One snack tray contains 220 calories, 17 grams of fat, 15 grams of protein, and 0 for both carbs and fiber.

Brewed coffee

Ordering a cup of freshly brewed coffee from Starbucks is an excellent, carb-free option to get your caffeine fix on the keto diet.

Be sure to skip add-ins like milk, sugar, syrups, or coffee creamer to keep your carb count low.

Instead, you can add a splash of heavy cream or a bit of butter, medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) oil, or coconut oil to boost the fat content without adding any carbs.

One 16-ounce (475-ml) serving of brewed coffee contains five calories, 1 gram of protein, 0 fat, 0 carbs, and 0 fiber.

Low-carb London Fog

An iced London Fog Tea Latte is usually made using Earl Grey tea, milk, and four pumps of vanilla syrup.

You can still easily give it a low carb twist by using sugar-free syrup and 1 ounce of heavy cream instead of milk.

One 16-ounce (475-ml) serving of low carb London Fog contains 101 calories, 11 grams of fat, 1 gram of protein, 1 gram of carbs, and 0 gram of fiber.

Cheddar Moon Cheese

If you’re looking for a low carb, pre-portioned, portable snack, grab a pack of Moon Cheese the next time you’re at Starbucks.

These crunchy cheddar puffs are delicious, low in calories, and loaded with flavor, making them a great addition to your keto routine.

One bag of cheddar Moon Cheese contains 70 calories, 5 grams of fat, 1 gram of protein, 1 gram of carbs, and 0 grams of fiber.

Skinny Mocha

Typically, Starbucks’ Caffè Mocha blends espresso with mocha sauce, steamed milk, and whipped cream. If you want your Caffè Mocha sans the carbs, order the Skinny Mocha instead.

It uses sugar-free mocha sauce and swaps milk for equal parts heavy whipping cream and water.

Note that using 4 ounces of heavy cream brings the calorie count up to 470 and raises the fat content to 45 grams.

One 16-ounce (475-ml) Skinny Mocha contains 117 calories, 4 grams of fat, 7.5 grams of protein, 13.5 grams of carbs, and 4 grams of fiber.

Snack tray with carrots, white cheddar, and almonds

This savory tray is an excellent option if you’re looking for a well-rounded keto snack. That’s because its combination of veggies, nuts, and dairy is incredibly nutritious.

It’s not only low in carbs and high in fiber but also packs a hearty dose of healthy fats.

One snack tray contains 140 calories, 10 grams of fat, 6 grams of protein, 6 grams of carbs, and 3 grams of fiber.

Hot Brewed Tea

Now that Starbucks and Teavana are under the same roof, you have access to a wide assortment of high-quality tea bags without carbs or sugar. Stick to tea bags such as:

If you want to take your tea game up a notch, use those tea bags to create a tea latte.

Cauliflower Tabbouleh Side Salad

You might think ordering a salad is a safe choice if you’re trying to eat low-carb. But the truth is that many salad dressings, including the Starbucks dressings, contain many sugar and carbs.

For a quick snack, opt for the Cauliflower Tabbouleh Side Salad. Served with lemon juice instead of dressing, it has only 7 grams of carbs but tons of flavor.

Shots of Espresso

There’s 1g of net carbs and five calories per shot of espresso at Starbucks. Each shot of espresso delivers 75mg of caffeine. Ounce for ounce, espresso packs almost four times as much caffeine as hot brewed coffee.

Though the taste may take some getting used to, ordering a solo espresso (one-shot) or a doppio (two shots) is a quick way to caffeinate your day on very few carbs.

Feel free to attach your favorite ketogenic sugar alternative, spices, and cream at the self-serve bar.

Americano

An Americano is shots of espresso topped with hot water. Add more water, and it resembles coffee with a boost of extra caffeine; less water helps you achieve a richer, more robust espresso flavor.

A short and tall Americano will each have one shot (for five calories and 1g net carbs), while grande and venti Americanos will have two shots each (and bring up the macros to 10 calories and 2 grams of net carbs).

Turkey Bacon and Egg White Breakfast Sandwich (No Bun)

All the Starbucks breakfast sandwiches are high in carbohydrates because of the bread. But the good news is you can order any of their sandwiches without the bun!

They’ll warm up the inner sandwich components for you, and you’ll have a delicious low-carb breakfast. The Turkey Bacon and Egg White Sandwich are only 2 grams of carbs without the English muffin.

Low-Carb Mocha

A standard mocha comes with espresso shots, steamed milk, a rich chocolate syrup full of sugar and carbs, and whipped cream. Just one pump of mocha sauce has 7g of net carbs.

Starbucks does offer a reduced sugar mocha sauce (dubbed “skinny mocha sauce”), which has 1g of net carbs per pump.

If you’re willing to go for the sucralose, you can substitute equal parts of water and heavy cream for milk. And then you can ask for the sugar-free mocha syrup and skip the whipped cream.

You could also fake a mocha by ordering an Americano with one pump of skinny mocha sauce and adding a splash of heavy cream at the bar.

Are you looking for a seasonal offering? Starbucks offers sugar-free cinnamon syrup and a peppermint mocha with sugar-free peppermint syrup.

A white mocha, on the other hand, is out of the question.

Clocking in at 55g of net carbs for a grande, a single white mocha equals almost two days’ worth of carbs. This is due to the white mocha sauce, which contains sugar and condensed skim milk.

Since Starbucks doesn’t have sugar-free white mocha syrup, this one shouldn’t be part of your drink. The same goes for a sugar-free pumpkin spice latte.

Low-Carb Caramel Macchiato

The word macchiato means “marked” in Italian. Unlike a latte, which starts with an espresso shot topped with steamed milk, a macchiato starts with steamed milk. And then the espresso shots are added on top to “mark” the milk.

Starbucks macchiatos are a little different. A regular caramel macchiato has espresso shots, vanilla syrup, steamed milk, and a sweet caramel drizzle. Not keto-friendly.

To lower the carbs on this classic, order an Americano with three parts water to one part heavy cream and add sugar-free vanilla. The caramel drizzle adds 2 grams of extranet carbs to your drink. It’s up to you whether you want to include it.

Bacon and Gruyere Sous Vide Egg Bites

All four varieties have fewer than 15 grams of carbs, but the lowest carb option is Bacon and Gruyere, with only 9 grams of carbs.

Made with eggs, two different kinds of cheese, and—the best part—bacon, you won’t feel like you’re choosing health over flavor.

Field Trip Turkey Jerky

At the Starbucks register, you’ll find some grab-and-go snacks. Each location differs, but many stores offer Field Trip Turkey Jerky.

It’s a more natural take on jerky with no preservatives, gluten, or added hormones. Grab a bag if you need a low-carb snack on the run.

Other Popular Keto Drinks at Starbucks:

You can decode many of the pre-made beverages at Starbucks and replace some ingredients with something keto-friendly.

One of the top picks is an iced café mocha made with cream in place of milk alongside a light mocha drizzle (just under 1g of extra carbohydrates).

It’s equal parts coffee and dairy, which is good. Adding whipped cream in place of milk also reduces its carb count while adding around 8g of fat in a tall drink.

Luckily, there are a few orders that have become popular with people who are in keto. And you can read some of their suggestions on Reddit and Facebook groups.

One Starbucks barista took to Reddit to share their version of a keto-friendly caramel macchiato, which is usually packed with sugar and carbs. If you order an iced version, which uses less milk than a hot beverage, you can ask for a skinny macchiato made with almond milk and no caramel drizzle.

However, be sure to order a grande or tall size as the amount of carbohydrates increases significantly when you upsize to a venti.

You might already be wondering: What about a classic frappuccino? A classic tall vanilla frappuccino holds a whopping 48g of carbohydrates, which would knock anyone out of ketosis. And most “light” blended versions also clock in at over 20g.

But if you choose to ditch all dairy products in favor of almond milk, sugar-free syrups, and cream, a tall frappuccino can have as few as 15g of carbohydrates.

Other popular options include an iced chai tea latte, which is made with heavy cream (or half-and-half), and at least two pumps of sugar-free vanilla syrup.

Anything that has a dark coffee base is mainly safe to try, too.

How to Order Keto-Friendly Snacks and Drinks

It shouldn’t come as a big shock, but black coffee is your friend at Starbucks, and it should be the base of every drink you order.

You’ll want to ask for the Pike Place Roast, which is carb-free, making it one of the best keto options.

The boring answer to anyone looking for keto coffee drinks at Starbucks is black coffee. That’s because carb allowance is so limited, you want to be eating carb-rich items that also have a strong source of fiber and other nutrients.

Whether you choose a mixed drink or black coffee, it’s best to keep the dairy ratio in your cup less than (or equal to) coffee or espresso. And while the fat content in whole milk is more substantial than alternative dairy, you’ll want to rely on substitutions like coconut milk or soy milk.

A short Café Misto, for example, has 3g of carbs when made with almond milk. That bumps up to 5g when made with whole milk. That’s a 10% difference in your daily allowance when on keto.

And since the keto diet is all about eating as much fat as possible, you should feel free to substitute cream.

Finally, you’ll need to swap your sweeteners and syrups for low-sugar varieties instead.

Starbucks offers a few sugar-free syrups (including classic vanilla) that do not contain extra carbohydrates. If you’re angling to add a touch of sweetness to any drink without adding real syrup, reach for stevia.

Starbucks Baristas are Happy to Make Your Custom Drink

As long as you ask nicely, of course.

Starbucks baristas get custom orders all the time. There are boxes for customizations on every Starbucks cup to indicate your preferences. And baristas can work with you to customize a drink you can feel good about on your low-carb diet.

With the help of this guide, you’ll know exactly what to ask for to make your favorite Starbucks drinks keto. Below, you’ll find 15 keto Starbucks drinks you can enjoy (and customize) on your journey to better health.

What to Know About Keto Starbucks Drinks

Many Drinks Contain Sugar by Default

Starbucks adds simple sugar syrup to many of its drinks, containing 5 to 30g of net carbs to your beverage.

Make sure you ask if there’s sweetener (Starbucks calls it “Classic”), or say “no Classic” when you order.

Flavored Syrups are Also Packed with Sugar

To make your vanilla latte, caramel macchiato, or peppermint mocha, Starbucks pumps sugary syrups into your drink along with espresso and milk.

Most flavored syrups will set you back 5g of net carbs per pump, and some (like mocha syrup) will dish up 7g of net carbs. Depending on the size you order, drinks can contain between two and five pumps of syrup — no good when you’re trying to cut carbs.

Stay Away From Whipped Cream

Starbucks whipped cream and most commercial whipped creams are made with vanilla syrup or sugar. Meaning, they contain way too many carbs.

Beware of Sugar-Free Syrups

Sugar-free syrup may seem like an excellent way to sweeten your drink without adding carbs. But these sugar-free (SF) syrups contain sucralose, an artificial sweetener that may disrupt your gut bacteria.

The serving size for sugar-free syrups is about two tablespoons, two pumps of the syrup bottle, for 1g of net carbs.

If you don’t mind artificial sweeteners, they’re technically low-carb. So while a few pumps of sugar-free vanilla syrup isn’t exactly the healthiest option, it won’t kick you out of ketosis.

Here are a few flavor choices that usually come with a sugar-free option:

Vanilla
Caramel
Hazelnut
Mocha
Peppermint (seasonal)

Always approach sugar-free syrups with caution.

A skinny cinnamon dolce latte, for example, is made with sugar-free cinnamon dolce syrup. Yet, it contains 19 grams of carbs — 17 of which are from sugar.

Skip the Milk and Watch the Half-and-Half and Heavy Cream

The default milk added to espresso drinks and tea lattes is 2% milk. This tacks on between 10-12g of net carbs thanks to the sugar found in milk.

Nonfat milk, typically used in “skinny” Starbucks drinks, is no better at 9 to 24g of net carbs per drink, despite having fewer calories. Even whole milk can contain up to 13 grams of carbs, depending on what you order.

To cut the carbs, switch to half-and-half (also known as “breve” at Starbucks). Half-and-half contains about 1g of net carbs per tablespoon, which translates to almost 10g of net carbs per 8 oz.

Instead of ordering lattes with whole milk or half-and-half, your best bet is heavy cream.

It’s high in calories, so factor that into your diet. Nonetheless, heavy cream is pure fat with no carbs. It’ll also make your drink deliciously creamy.

If you want it to be slightly less creamy, you can ask your barista to do half heavy cream and half water.

Think Twice Before Choosing a Dairy-Free Milk Alternative

Starbucks offers soy, coconut, and almond milk as a dairy-free substitute. While they don’t have as many carbs or sugar as regular dairy milk, these products still contain carbs.

Coconut milk contains 18 grams of carbs in a grande, while almond milk contains 11 grams.

Final Thoughts

Following a low carb, the ketogenic diet doesn’t mean that you have to give up all of your favorite foods and drinks at Starbucks.

Nearly anyone who follows a keto diet will tell you that eating out can be quite a challenge at first. The same is true for those who can’t live without their daily caffeine fix.

While caffeine isn’t off-limits for keto dieters, there’s an excellent chance that your favorite iced coffee or tea is loaded with carbs.

Sugar itself has a sneaky way of finding its way into most menu items Starbucks. Hence, it’s restricted for those on the keto diet, as it jeopardizes your body’s ketosis state that you’ve worked so hard to maintain.

Unless your go-to order in the morning is a simple cup of black coffee, you’ll have to hack your way through Starbucks’ menu to enjoy something sweet while being devoid of sugar.

Making small adjustments to your order opens up a wealth of possibilities. Doing so can increase your order’s fat content while keeping its carb count low.

Now that you know how to order keto Starbucks drinks, you can still meet up with your friends at your local cafe or escape a hectic workday without sabotaging your keto diet goals.