Best Keto Drinks at Starbucks & How To Order Them

If you’re on a low-carb diet, such as the ketogenic diet, you likely miss grabbing a Starbucks beverage on the go.

Even though most Starbucks drinks contain a significant amount of carbohydrates, there are a few guilt-free options that won’t kick you out of ketosis.

In this guide, I will share with you a list of the best keto drinks from Starbucks.

Here you will find both hot and iced coffee (and tea) beverages that contain a negligible amount of carbohydrates.

Of course, I’ll start with the basic keto-friendly drinks that you can order at Starbucks. Then I’ll walk you through the sugar-free syrups and sauces to, ultimately, help you come up with your own low-carb drink order.

After teaching you the basics I will share a list of the top Starbucks keto drinks that aren’t on the menu. They all taste amazing and it will be hard for you to tell they’re low-carb. Many keto followers treat themselves with such delicious beverages that help them manage their cravings.

It may be intimidating to order a drink at Starbucks, especially when it’s not on the menu. That’s why I made sure to also teach you how to order each keto drink confidently.

Let’s dive in!

Basic Drinks that are Keto-Friendly at Starbucks

In the following chart you can find listed all the classic (or, as some would say, most obvious) low-carb drinks from Starbucks. You can click on each drink’s name to jump to its description.

I decided to begin by listing the most basic keto-friendly drinks that you can order at Starbucks. So here they are:

• Caffè Americano. It’s made by diluting espresso shots with hot water.

  A ‘grande’ size is made with 3 espresso shots and according to Starbucks’ website, it contains 2 carbs.

  If you want to learn more about the Americano and its variations – the Long Black, Americano Misto, and White Americano, check out this drink guide.




• Brewed Coffee – the easiest 100 % keto-friendly Starbucks order that contains 0 carbohydrates per serving, no matter if it’s a short, tall, grande or a venti. Depending on your preferences you can get a cup of brewed coffee made with different type of beans: Blonde Roast, Dark Roast, Pike Place® Roast, or Decaf Pike Place® Roast.
  
  
  If there’s a Clover® machine in the Starbucks store you visit, you can order a cup made with this intriguing coffee brewing device. A serving contains 0 carbohydrates, no matter its size. Furthermore, Clover® Brewed coffee is highly caffeinated. It’s actually the strongest type of coffee at Starbucks in terms of caffeine and you can find out more about it in this post. There is a variety of coffee blends that you can choose from if you are to order a Clover® brewed coffee. If you get this zero-carb drink it might be easier for you to have your coffee pure black. The sophisticated Clover machine® does a perfect job at extracting the best flavors out of the ground coffee.




• Espresso – another low-carb classic that you can order if you’re on a keto diet.
  
  You can get a ‘Solo’ espresso (1 espresso shot), a ‘Doppio’ (2 espresso shots), a ‘Triple’ (3 espresso shots) and a ‘Quad’ espresso, which contains 4 espresso shots. Unlike brewed coffee, espresso does contain a tiny bit of carbohydrates – approximately 1 carb per shot, according to the Starbucks’ website. According to the USDA, a shot of espresso contains 0.5 grams of carbs. So if you’re following a ketogenic regimen, you might want to take into account the carbohydrate content of your espresso, even when it’s unsweetened.




• Espresso Con Panna. This is basically espresso topped off with a dollop of whipped cream that contains 3 grams of carbohydrates in a ‘Doppio’ size (2 espresso shots).
  
  The whipped cream at Starbucks is sweetened with regular Vanilla Syrup, so you should take into account its sugar content. If you’re on a low-carb diet avoid ordering extra whipped cream on your Starbucks drink. With that being said, the Espresso Con Panna is still a low-carb keto-friendly drink. Even the largest serving size (a ‘Quad’) contains only 5 grams of carbohydrates per serving. I’d recommend asking the barista to go light on the whipped cream just in case.
  
  Espresso Con Panna serving sizes are, again, ‘Solo’ (1 espresso shot), a ‘Doppio’ (2 espresso shots), a ‘Triple’ (3 espresso shots), and a ‘Quad’ (4 espresso shots).




• Espresso Macchiato – this is another classic espresso-based hot drink. Instead of topping it off with whipped cream (like the previous entry), the barista will add a dollop of steamed and foamed 2% milk on top of the shot. The milk will add just the right amount of sweetness which is perfect if you aren’t used to the intense espresso taste.
  
  Generally, you should stay away from Starbucks drinks that are made with 2% milk (such as most lattes). That being said, the amount of milk added to the Macchiato is negligible and it won’t add too many carbs to the drink. The largest ‘Quad’ Espresso Macchiato contains 4 carbs per serving and only 25 calories, so it’s a perfect beverage for someone who’s trying to lose weight on a keto diet.




• Hot Teas contain 0 carbs per serving.
  
  Still, there are some exceptions that are worth noting. Stay away from Starbucks’ matcha if you’re on a low-carb diet, as their matcha tea blend contains sugar. Tea lattes contain 2 % milk, so they aren’t considered keto-friendly. If the tea drink of your choice has “Honey” in its name it will contain honey and therefore – carbs.
  
  So here are some keto-friendly hot tea drinks that you can order:
  • Chai Tea is a hot Starbucks drink that is keto-friendly. It contains 0 carbs per serving, no matter whether it’s short, tall, or a grande. It’s basically black tea infused with Indian spices such as clove, cardamom, cinnamon, and ginger.
    
    Don’t have the Chai Tea mistaken for the Chai Latte, though! Regular hot and iced Chai Latte drinks at Starbucks aren’t keto-friendly, as they are made with the Chai Tea Concentrate, which contains both honey and sugar. A short serving of this drink contains 22 grams of carbohydrates, which is too much for someone on a carbohydrate-restricting diet.
  • Earl Grey Tea – black tea flavored with bergamot which adds citrusy flavors. It contains 0 grams of carbohydrates per serving so it’s 100% keto-approved. It’s also caffeinated – 40 grams of caffeine in a grande cup.
  • Royal English Breakfast Tea – made with a blend of black teas. This is another caffeinated tea that has 0 grams of carbohydrates per serving and 40 mg of caffeine.
  • Emperor’s Clouds & Mist – a type of green tea which contains 0 grams carbohydrates and 16 mg of caffeine per serving.
  • Jade Citrus Mint Brewed Tea – a keto-friendly green tea hot drink. A serving contains no carbohydrates and 40 mg of caffeine.
  • Mint Majesty Tea – a refreshing non-caffeinated tea that contains no carbohydrates. It’s a herbal tea made of a blend of mint and lemon verbena.
  • Peach Tranquility Tea – another herbal tea that is 100 % keto-friendly as it contains no carbohydrates. It’s a fusion of peach pieces, chamomile blossoms, lemon verbena, rose hips, and candied pineapple pieces. The last component on the list contains sugar, but a negligible amount that, according to the Starbucks website, doesn’t add up to the carbohydrate content of this low-carb drink.




• Unsweetened Iced Coffee. You should be aware that the iced coffee at Starbucks always comes with a classic syrup that contains sugar. If you want to order a keto iced brewed coffee, always add “unsweetened”, or “no classic syrup” to your order. This way you’re going to make sure that your cold coffee is keto-approved. If you just order an iced coffee, without specifying that you want it unsweetened, the barista will add 3 to 7 pumps of classic syrup, depending on the drink’s size. Speaking of serving sizes, they are tall, grande, venti & trenta.




• Iced Americano – espresso shots, topped up with water and served over ice. This drink is an excellent Starbucks basic that contains 2 grams of carbohydrates in a grande size, so it fits a ketogenic regimen perfectly.




• Cold Brew Coffee. Unlike iced coffee, Starbucks’ cold brew is always served unsweetened and contains 0 carbohydrates per serving. The barista won’t add the classic syrup even if you don’t mention your desire to have a sugar-free drink. So you can’t go wrong with a cold brew from Starbucks.

  Furthermore, because of the cold water extraction method, this type of coffee is mellower and somewhat naturally sweeter than hot-brewed coffee. So if you’re trying to get used to having pure black coffee, cold brew may make it easier for you to do that.




• Nitro Cold Brew – contains 0 carbs and it’s perfect for those who follow a ketogenic diet. Nitro cold brew is cold brew coffee infused with nitrogen. It is definitely one of the best Starbucks basics that you can enjoy while on a low-carb regimen. As I mentioned, cold brew is naturally sweeter and mellower than regular coffee. Nevertheless, nitro cold brew is even better at making it possible for you to enjoy unsweetened coffee. So if you’re having a hard time getting used to black coffee, order a Nitro Cold Brew – you won’t regret it.




• Unsweetened Iced Tea. Usually, iced teas at Starbucks come sweetened with liquid cane sugar, so make sure you add “unsweetened” or “no liquid cane sugar” to your order. There is a variety of iced tea options on the menu. No matter which one you choose (black, white, green, or some sort of herbal tea), just tell the barista that you want your iced tea to be unsweetened.

Those were the basic keto drinks that you can order at Starbucks.

Now I will go over the keto-friendly condiments that you can use to adjust your order and craft a delicious low-carb beverage. You can add them to the aforementioned drinks to add flavor and make a keto version of some of your favorite Starbucks drinks.

Low-carb Add-ins, Flavors and Toppings

Here are the Starbucks add-ins, flavors and toppings that you can add to a keto beverage:

• Almond Milk. Even though it contains sugar, it has only 5 net carbs per 8 fl. oz. (240 ml) serving. If you add a light splash of steamed almond milk on top of your brewed coffee, it will add flavor, sweetness, but won’t significanlty increase the carbohydrate content of your keto Starbucks drink.
  
  
  You can also ask to have your drink topped off with unsweetened Almondmilk cold foam. This is type of topping which is added to cold brew and nitro cold brew Starbucks drinks. If you want your cold foam sweetened, just make sure you ask the barista to sweeten it with sugar-free syrup. With that being said, since the almondmilk cold foam is only a topping it won’t add too many carbohydrates per serving even if it’s sweetened. So it’s pretty much safe to add it to your beverage even if you’re on a low-carb diet.
• Half-and-Half. This is another keto-friendly component that you can add to your coffee. Nevertheless, you should use half-and-half sparingly as it does contain 3.6 grams of fat in a 3 fl. oz. (90 ml) serving.




• Heavy Cream. Adding a splash of steamed heavy cream to an Americano, brewed coffee, or tea is a common practice of keto followers.
  
  Some people even order lattes made with heavy cream instead of 2% milk. Nevertheless, doing so will significantly increase the calorie content of the beverage. So if you’re trying to manage your calorie intake, keep in mind that a tall latte made with heavy whipping cream instead of milk will contain more than 800 calories per serving.




• Whipped Cream.
  As I mentioned, the whipped cream at Starbucks is sweetened with regular vanilla syrup by default. So you should keep in mind its sugar content.
  
  With that being said whipped cream contains 2 grams of carbs per serving when added as a topping to your drink. As I mentioned a Doppio-sized Espresso Con Panna contains only 3 carbs. So you can occasionally treat yourself with a low-carb drink that’s topped off with a dollop of whipped cream.
  
  

• Sugar-Free Vanilla Syrup – contains only 0.5 grams of carbs per pump.
  
  The sweetener used in this syrup is sucralose. Sugar-free Starbucks syrups also contain maltodextrin.
  
  If you’ve done your research, you know that those aren’t the most adequate sugar substitutes for those who follow a ketogenic diet.
  
  Still, if you feel like having a sweet and flavorful Starbucks treat, ask the barista to add a few pumps of this sugar-free vanilla syrup to your drink.
  
  I recommend adding 1 pump of this low-carb vanilla syrup in a short, 2 pumps in a tall, 3 pumps in a grande, and 4 pumps in a venti.
  
  
  You can check out my guide on keto coffee syrups and learn more about sugar substitutes, their compatibility with the ketogenic diet and what are the best products that you can buy for home use.
  
  

• Sugar-Free Cinnamon Dolce Syrup.
  
  The sugar-free Cinnamon Dolce syrup contains 1 gram of carbohydrates per pump and it’s also made with sucralose. I recommend asking your barista to add 2 pumps in a tall drink, 3 pumps in a grande, and 4 in a venti.




• Skinny Mocha Sauce.
  
  The Skinny Mocha Sauce is a keto-friendly Starbucks condiment that you can be added to your Starbucks drink. It’s made with sucralose and contains 1 gram of carbs per pump.
  
  Unfortunately in 2020, Starbucks discontinued its skinny mocha sauce because, apparently, it wasn’t selling. Because of lack of customer interest, Starbucks employees had to throw out much of this delicious low-carb sauce regularly. We can all agree that it’s irresponsible for Starbucks to continue this wastefulness. So I guess they did the right thing. With that being said, there are many customers around the US who got really disappointed with the news that the sugar-free mocha sauce got dropped. I even came across an online petition to bring back the skinny mocha sauce at Starbucks. Many popular keto orders at Starbucks, that are spread online, have a few pumps of the skinny mocha sauce in them, so I decided to include this section to update you on the news and help you avoid disappointment.




• Splenda.
  
  You can ask your barista to add a few Splenda packets into your drink or add them yourself at the condiment bar. With that being said, Splenda is a sucralose-based sweetener and it might not be a good idea to have too much of it while on a ketogenic diet.




• Whole Earth Sweetener.
  
  The Whole Earth Sweetener is the most keto-friendly sugar substitute that you can get at Starbucks. It’s not sucralose-based. Its sweet properties come from the combination of stevia, monk fruit, and erythritol, which are all keto-friendly sugar substitutes. A packet contains 0 net carbs so you can sweeten your keto Starbucks drink with a couple of them.




• Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Cocoa, or Vanilla Powder. You can sprinkle your drink with cinnamon, nutmeg, or cocoa powder to enrich its flavor without significantly increasing the number of carbohydrates.

Knowing which are the basic keto-friendly Starbucks drinks, add-ins, toppings, and syrups, you can customize your drink according to your taste.

To make things easier for you, I decided to share some of the best low-carb drinks that you can’t find on the Starbucks menu.

Top Keto Drinks from Starbucks & How to Order Them

In the following chart, you can find all of my top picks and the carbohydrate content of each keto Starbucks drink on this list:

Here are the best keto drinks from Starbucks and how to order them:

• Grande Iced Coffee, No Classic Syrup, 3 pumps of Sugar-Free Vanilla Syrup, a Splash of Heavy Cream – 2.5 carbs per serving. By ordering this drink you will pretty much get a keto version of an Iced Vanilla Latte.




• Grande Americano, 3 pumps of Sugar-Free Cinnamon Dolce Syrup, a Splash of Heavy Cream, and Cinnamon Powder Topping (Low-Carb Cinnamon Dolce Latte) – 4.5 carbs per serving.




• Grande Earl Grey Tea, 3 Pumps of Sugar-Free Vanilla Syrup, Splash of Heavy Cream – 2.5 grams of carbs per serving. This Starbucks keto hot drink is a low-carb version of the London Fog Latte.




• Grande Chai Tea, 3 Pumps of Sugar-Free Cinnamon Dolce Syrup, Extra Splash of Heavy Cream, Cinnamon Powder Topping – 5 grams of carbohydrates per serving. This is a flavorful and creamy non-caffeinated low-carb drink that is perfect for those who love Chai Lattes.




• Nitro Cold Brew with Cinnamon Almondmilk Foam, no Vanilla Syrup. If you’re not a fan of Nitro Cold Brew, you can order regular cold brew instead.
  
  Even if you don’t tell the barista that you DON’T want the vanilla syrup to be added to the topping, a grande serving of this iced Starbucks beverage will contain only 7 grams of carbohydrates.




• Grande Unsweetened Passion Tango Iced Tea, No Classic Syrup, Extra Splash of Heavy Cream, 3 Pumps of Sugar-Free Vanilla Syrup, Light Ice – 5 grams of carbs per serving. This drink is also known as the keto version of Starbucks’ Pink Drink and it’s truly delicious. It is also non-caffeinated, so it’s perfect for those who tend to stay away from caffeine. A few days ago I tried a blended keto Pink drink, and I think it’s even better that way. If you want to try it out too, just add “blended” to your order.
  
  
  Related Post: Caffeine-Free Starbucks Drinks (+ Descriptions).
• Grande Caffè Misto made with Almond Milk instead of 2 % Milk. The Caffè Misto is actually made by mixing equal parts of brewed coffee and steamed and frothed 2% milk. As I mentioned, 2 % milk isn’t keto-friendly, so your best option is to kindly ask the barista to make your short drink as described above. By ordering a Caffè Misto with almond milk, your drink will contain 5 carbs instead of 10.




• Grande Iced Coffee, No Classic Syrup, Light Ice, 3 Pumps of Sugar-Free Vanilla Syrup, Extra Splash of Heavy Cream, Blended. This is a low-carb drink that resembles the Starbucks Frappuccino. It won’t be as thick as the regular Frappuccino, but by ordering one of these, you will get to have a tasty frozen coffee drink that contains only 4 carbs per serving. You can have the vanilla syrup substituted with sugar-free cinnamon dolce syrup.




• Grande Iced White Tea Shaken, No Liquid Cane Sugar, 3 pumps of Sugar-Free Cinnamon Dolce, a Splash of Heavy Cream, 1 whole earth packet with Cinnamon Powder on top. This is actually a very popular Starbucks keto order and it’s famous under the name Keto Horchata drink. I don’t think it actually resembles Horchata quite well, but it’s truly delicious. It contains only 4 grams of carbs per serving and it’s a perfect treat for those who want to have a refreshing iced low-carb beverage.




• Grande Cold Brew with a Splash of Heavy Cream and 3 pumps of Sugar-Free Vanilla Syrup. This is one of the most common orders among keto followers who don’t like black coffee. It contains only 2.5 carbs per serving and it’s very tasty.
  
  

• Grande Blonde Roast, 1 Pump Sugar-Free Cinnamon Dolce Syrup, 2 Pumps Sugar-Free Vanilla Syrup, a Splash of Heavy Cream – 3.5 carbs per serving.




• Grande Peach Tranquility Tea, Extra Splash of Heavy Cream, and 3 Pumps of Sugar-Free Vanilla Syrup – 3 grams of carbs per serving. This is a delicious non-caffeinated low-carb beverage that you can order at Starbucks if you’re looking to have something cozy and relaxing.

Final Words

I hope that you liked my keto Starbucks drink guide and that you feel a bit more confident to order.

It’s always a bit intimidating to get something that fits your new diet plan if you’re not familiar with the menu of the place you’re visiting, so I made sure to give you all the details.

Leave me a comment below to share whether you’ve tried some of the top drink recommendations. How did you like them? I’d also love to find more hot and iced beverage ideas in the comment section.

So feel free to share the keto-friendly Starbucks order that you’ve come up with.