Stop drinking carbs at Starbucks with these 9 keto Starbucks drinks to stay in ketosis and avoid sabotaging your weight loss efforts.
If you’re anything like me, chances are you can’t avoid going to Starbucks from time to time (Read: every single day).
However, when you follow a ketogenic diet, it’s important not to eat too many carbs, and Starbucks drinks are usually filled with sugar, and only drinking one simple latte or mocha can easily make you exceed your carb intake.
Because I know the struggle is real, I’ve put together a list of 9 keto Starbucks drinks so that you can stay in ketosis and keep losing weight, while still going to your favorite Starbucks.
The idea for this article came after I saw another blog post on Pinterest, that was clearly written by someone who doesn’t understand keto, and leads people astray. Hence, the need to put things right and truly help people order keto at Starbucks to stay in ketosis.
Pin It to have all the info on your phone when you go to Starbucks!
9. Keto Frappuccino
Image Credit: Kayla Hatcher
To order a Keto Frappuccino, here’s what to ask for:
- Grande Iced Coffee
- 2 Pumps Sugar-Free Vanilla
- 2 Pumps Sugar-Free Cinnamon Dolce
- Extra Heavy Cream
- In a Venti Cup
It has 2.5g net carbs and 32.5g fat.
8. Low Carb Caramel Macchiato
Image Credit: Starbucks.
Caramel Macchiato usually contains milk, vanilla syrup, brewed espresso and caramel sauce. Now if you’ve got the keto eye, this is some sugar-filled drink we have there.
I would also advise against ordering a Skinny Caramel Macchiato, for the simple reason that it’s also low in fats (which you don’t want on Keto).
But you can make some easy replacements to make it keto-approved:
- Order a Short Americano
- 3/4 water and 1/4 heavy whipping cream
- 2 pumps of sugar-free vanilla syrup
- extra-light caramel drizzle
Net carbs: 2g (because of the caramel drizzle)
Fats: 4g
7. Keto Peach Milk Tea
To order this keto peach milk tea, ask for:
- Iced Peach Green Tea with Heavy Cream
- Replace liquid cane sugar with SF Vanilla Syrup
Net carbs (Grande): 2.5g
Fats: 32.5g
6. Keto Pink Drink
Image Credit: Kickass Keto.
The Keto-friendly Pink Drink is actually a “secret” Starbucks drink that has taken social media by storm in 2018, thanks to its delicious and summery taste.
In case you don’t know, the regular Pink Drink is made with Strawberry Açai, coconut milk, and topped with a scoop of freeze-dried strawberries.
Although it sounds (and is) delicious, the regular Starbucks Pink Drink is so high in carbs you can’t have it on the keto diet. Not even in your wildest dreams.
Therefore, here’s how to order a Keto Pink Drink, which won’t kick you out of ketosis:
- Order a Passion Tango Iced Tea
- Replace milk with heavy cream
- 3 pumps of sugar-free vanilla syrup
- A little Splenda (optional)
- A scoop of Freeze-dried Strawberries (optional, 2g net carbs)
The Keto Pink Drink is loaded with fats and super-low carb, so if I were you I’d definitely give it a shot!
I couldn’t put my hand on the nutritional info (it’s still fairly new and secret), but I’d say it’s about 6g fats and 1g carbs (3g with strawberries) for a short, using the USDA data.
I’m not sure I like it as much as other Keto-friendly Starbucks drinks, but hey, its “regular” version, the Pink Drink, contains 27g (!!!) of carbs, which is a definite no-no when you follow a keto diet.
So, even if it doesn’t taste as good, be grateful for easily staying in ketosis. Your fat (or the lack thereof) will appreciate it.
5. Keto (Iced) Chai Tea Latte
Image Credit: MindOverMunch
A typical Chai Tea Latte is made from milk, water and chai tea concentrate. While this doesn’t sound particularly high in carbs, the tea concentrate is unfortunately loaded with sugars and honey, while the milk also contains some nasty carbs.
To get a keto Chai Tea Latte, here’s what to do:
- Order a Short Chai Tea Latte
- With 2 Chai brewed tea bags − NOT the concentrate
- 2 Shots of Heavy Whipping Cream
- 2 Pumps of Sugar-Free Cinnamon Dolce
This way it’s only 1 net carb and 5.5g of fat :).
If you want a cold drink instead, simply order a “Short Iced Chai Tea Latte”, all the other steps are the same.
4. Low Carb Flat White
Image credit: MrsSkinnyPants.
Let’s start this list of keto drinks at Starbucks with the Flat White.
The Flat White is generally made of steamed milk and espresso, which gives it its creamy texture and strong taste.
To turn it into a keto-friendly Starbucks coffee, you need to ask to replace the steamed milk with half heavy whipping cream and half water steamed.
The good news is this short keto flat white only contains 1g of net carbs, and 5g (!) of fats, which could also make it a fat bomb (almost).
3. Low Carb Mocha
Image Credit: Starbucks.
Regular Mochas are packed full of carbs, containing around 20g, and are made with milk, espresso, mocha sauce and whipped cream.
For a keto Mocha, you need to do as follows:
- Order a Mocha
- Sugar-free mocha syrup
- Replace the milk with half-heavy whipping cream and half water
- Enjoy
This version is much healthier, containing only 1g net carbs, and again, packed with fats (5g).
It’s definitely one of the best low-carb Starbucks coffee drinks ever.
2. Keto Latte
Image Credit: Starbucks.
The Caffè Latte usually contains espresso, steamed milk, and a thin layer of foam. It doesn’t contain as many carbs as the other Starbucks drinks in this article, but still, it’s way too much for the ketogenic diet.
Here’s how to order a Keto Latte:
- Order an Americano
- 3/4 water, 1/4 heavy cream
- With foam on top
- Please
Again, 1g net carbs, 5.5 g fats.
1. Low Carb Americano
Image Credit: Tamankosong.
With so many recipes starting by “Order an Americano”, you were probably wondering “Heck, if the Americano serves as a base for every keto drink, why don’t I simply order an Americano, since I love it?”.
And the answer to your question is: “Yes, Order an Americano!”.
If you like the Americano, you don’t need to change anything. It’s a naturally low carb Starbucks coffee, so go ahead and simply order one.
You’re welcome.
Keto Low Carb Iced Coffee
Image credit: Mrs Skinny Pants.
The goods news is that to have a low-carb iced coffee at Starbucks, you only need to order any iced coffee and ask the barista to leave it unsweetened. It doesn’t get much easier than that.
It would go like this: “A Narina 70 Cold Brew on Ice, unsweetened, please.”
Simple, but effective.
Winter Bonus: Keto Peppermint Mocha
Image Credit: Starbucks
To order this winter favorite without the bad carbs, here’s what to do:
- Order a Grande Americano
- 1 Pump of Peppermint syrup
- 4 Pumps of Sugar-Free Mocha sauce
- 2 Shots of Heavy Whipping Cream
Please note this Keto Peppermint Mocha doesn’t taste like the original because Starbucks discontinued their sugar-free peppermint syrup, and there’s absolutely no way to put the usual 2 pumps of Peppermint syrup if you’re on keto.
The good news: it’s only 5g net carbs, which is not too bad for a Grande.
This is the closest you’re ever going to get without consuming 60 (!!!) carbs at once.
And, between us, it’s still one of the best low-carb Starbucks drinks out there, so enjoy it while the Christmas season lasts!
That’s it! Feel free to Pin It to have it on your phone the next time you don’t know what to order at Starbucks!
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I do #7 but with a splash of heavy whipping cream and a few squirts of a sugar free syrup (they all have different flavors, but my store normally has vanilla and cinnamon dulce.
Hey Erica, thanks for sharing your idea, it definitely sounds great!
These are awesome, I use them all the time, now there’s a new one like the pink drink that you order white citrus peach tea lite ice no cane sugar and 4 sugar free vanilla for peaches and cream or 2 sf vanilla and 2 sf cinnamon dolce for a peach cobbler and add heavy cream, it’s amazing. Also I wish Starbucks would add these to their menu and possibly make us a pumpkin version, you have such a following that maybe if enough of us write in to Starbucks they might make a Keto friendly menu no modding needed? I wrote in but if enough people do maybe it might happen?!
Hey Nikki, love these new ones, I’ll try to add them to the post, thank you! Regarding Starbucks, I wish I could, but I’ve already written to them, telling them I received many comments like yours, and they never actually replied. I think they don’t take the keto diet seriously yet, but maybe in the months to come (hopefully). I’m with you on this one!
Is ordering the ”Keto Pink drink” different than ordering the “Pink Drink” with sugar free syrup and heavy cream? I tried to order by saying the Keto Pink Drink and three baristas behind the counter just looked puzzled. So if they don’t know how to make it can you tell us the breakdown like you did for the other drinks? Type 1 Diabetic daughter and having some low carb options like these are great! Thanks!!
Hello there, I’ve updated the post, thank you for your comment! You were pretty close, it does contain sf syrup and heavy cream, but you have to ask for a Passion Tango Iced Tea because the strawberries in the regular Pink Drink are filled with carbs (they make the drink taste very good, but it’s particularly important to cut them off if your daughter has diabetes). Feel free to tell me how your daughter liked it!
They didn’t know it because this is a secret menu item, not created or promoted by starbucks, and they do not nor are required to know secret menu recipes. If you want to order any secret menu items, again not created or promoted by starbucks, you need to know the recipe and how to order it.
Also, to the author of this article, the pink drink does not get passion tea in it. It never has. Please have correct information before posting as well as including that your readers will need to know the recipes for these before ordering for the sanity of their baristas. Thank you.
Hello Anon,
I have updated the post to give my readers an easy way to order a Keto Pink Drink if the barista looks puzzled. Please be aware that your own experience might differ from others’, in fact, many baristas in the country will know what a keto pink drink is, not because Starbucks tells them what it is, but because the ketogenic diet is getting increasingly popular, and so is the Keto Pink Drink.
Second, although the Pink Drink doesn’t contain passion tea, and never has, as you rightly pointed out − the Keto Pink Drink does, and always has. I would suggest you type “Keto Pink Drink” in Google to see what it is made of.
Hi, I’ve worked at Starbucks for 5 years now. Yes, Keto is becoming increasingly popular, however, we don’t all know keto drinks by name (for example, Keto Pink Drink). Just find the recipe and show it to your barista for less confusion and more accuracy. Also, the only Sugar-Free syrups we offer are the Sugar-Free Vanilla and the Sugar-Free Cinnamon Dolce. A huge misconception is that we carry a Sugar-Free Mocha. We DO NOT. We have a regular Mocha and a Skinny Mocha. The Skinny Mocha is just less sugar, no where near Sugar-Free. Please, feel free to e-mail me for more information. Thank you.
I agree. I am a Starbucks barista and a lot of the ways you’re telling customers to order is very incorrect. They won’t be getting the kind of quality drinks they want if they order this way.
Hi,
I’ve read a lot of comments in keto groups on Facebook about how the sugar free syrups at Starbucks are not good for keto diets and can actually have the effect on your body as a higher than stated carb count. I’d love to hear your thoughts on this as I’ve been very cautious about ordering anything other than an Iced Americano with a splash of cream.
Hello,
The concern comes from the fact that SF vanilla syrup contains maltodextrin, which is a known source of “hidden” sugars. Basically, maltodextrin is passed off as “carbs” in the nutritional info, instead of being written as “sugars”, whereas its effects on the body are even worse than sugar.
In the specific case of SF vanilla syrup, you can see that a very small amount of maltodextrin is used, since the carb count is 0. This means this syrup will have a negligible effect on your blood sugar and insulin response. In other terms, it’s perfectly safe for keto.
BUT it should be noted that maltodextrin, and some other substances contained in Starbucks drinks (keto or not) are believed to lead to health issues.
Basically, drinking at Starbucks is bad for your health, whether you’re on keto or not. But sugar-free syrups won’t kick you out of ketosis, nor account for “hidden” carbs.
P.S: https://www.amazon.com/Starbucks-Sugar-Free-Vanilla-Syrup-1-L/dp/B0077EG1TG for the nutritional info of SF vanilla syrup at Starbucks.
P.P.S: SF syrup also contains sucralose, which is the main sweetener. Studies on the subject tend to indicate sucralose doesn’t increase blood sugar (unless you consume a ton of it, which you generally don’t), but more studies are required to be sure. In 2018, sucralose is still being recommended to diabetics, so even though you should always be cautious, the current evidence suggests it’s safe on keto.
Most baristas will not know what a keto pink drink is… if you have a made up drink not on our menu, whether it was told to you by a barista or otherwise, you need to tell us the recipe. There is no such thing as a secret menu at Starbucks so do us all a favor and just tell us what’s in the drink.
Hey Lily, I’ve updated the post. Thank you for your comment!
Hello
Thanks for the info. Like you said, it’s basically unhealthy to drink anything from Starbucks, so it’s just a once in a while thing for me, my personal preference. I don’t like the chemicals in the sugar free syrups. I also heard that not all, but many Starbucks have sugar added to their whipped cream, some using vanilla syrup to sweeten it, but it varies from store to store. I have read this before and verified with an ex-barista friend. I would verify first before ordering any “Kero” drink with heavy whipping cream. Wouldn’t want all your hard work to go down the drain. Just something to keep in mind.
Interesting! I didn’t know that about the whipping cream… I’ll be extra careful now. Thanks!
“Whip cream” and Heavy Whip (HWC) are two different things.
Whip Cream is made with vanilla & HWC and is on top of frappuccinos and some lattes.
Heavy Whip (HWC) comes straight out of the milk-type jug into drinks, nothing added.
What about an Americano with half and half instead of HWC? Half and half only has 1 carb per serving so that would keep you LC too, correct?
I don’t recommend half and half on Keto. It’s filled with carbs and relatively low in fat, unlike HWC. Only 1 teaspoon of half-and-half can contain up to 2g of carbs.
Is coconut milk or almond milk not a good option. I was told I would be fine with a iced sugar free vanilla latte made with either coconut milk or almond milk. Would love to know your thoughts. Still pretty new to the game!
The problem is Starbucks uses sugar-filled coconut milk and almond milk, so I would not recommend them. Source: https://www.starbucks.com/menu/drinks/kids-drinks-and-other/milk#size=18&milk=1306 (feel free to select coconut or almond milk to see the carbs they contain, also see the list of ingredients to understand how these sugars got there in the first place).
To make things worse, these are not “naturally-occurring” sugars, so, by all means, I would recommend you to stay away from these milks, until Starbucks adds genuine coconut and almond milks.
What size are these drinks?
Hey, these are all short drinks.
Whenever I ask for cream at Starbucks they give me half and half. Do I have to say heavy whipping cream ? And is it unsweetened ?
Yes, you do have to say “heavy whipping cream”. It is naturally unsweetened and “zero carb” (0.4 carbs per serving).
Hey! Great post, but I would like to say that I work at Starbucks and the Skinny mocha is NOT sugar free. A grande has 15gs of sugar
Hey Abby, you’re definitely right, the Skinny mocha drink is NOT keto. But the skinny mocha sauce is, which is exactly what I recommend in this post to make a keto mocha.
If you ask for a Skinny mocha drink it is automatically made with the skinny mocha sauce. Asking for a mocha with nonfat milk is a completely different drink. The skinny mocha sauce has a bunch of sucralose in it. Baristas are full of info if you ask in the store, we can help you find your drink!
Any chance you know how to alter some of the seasonal drinks? ie Peppermint Mocha? It’s Christmas season now and I want one!! Lol
A Starbucks barista here!
Just saying, all our SF syrups has sucralose in them, as well as our matcha powder and skinny mocha sauce. Your best bet is using our Monkfruit/stevia sweetener.
Something that wasn’t addressed is our americanos are espresso and water already, so just ask for a splash of heavy cream in it. If it’s more than 4oz. Of heavy cream, you get charged for it.
TRY THESE DRINKS AS WELL:
London Fog – it’s an earl grey tea latte, ask for the sf vanilla and then sub with heavy whip, it’s amazing.
Brewed chai tea latte- like the London Fog, just uses the chai tea bag instead of the sugary concentrate. A little spicier and herbal for any chai lover converting to keto. This is not sweetened.
Any tea latte is a great option TBH. I usually drink half then add hot water if I can to get more out of the drink.
A cafe misto- half the cup any brewed coffee (do reserve blends for extra yummyness) and the rest is half steamed heavy whip or milk.
ALSO- ask your barista to steam in spices like nutmeg or cinnamon into your heavy whip for a latte, americano topper or misto. You. Won’t. Regret. It.
Sorry for the long post but it helps us baristas as much as it helps you!
Love the Mocha! Just tried it this morning. Ecstatic that I can have a delicious low carb option at Starbucks!!!
😉 Thank you for your comment!
When doing these Starbucks drinks please find the pictures that go with the drink a Cafe Mocha and a Mocha Frappuccino are 2 different drinks and putting the wrong picture has customers come in and yell at us because of post like these, also consult with a barista for recipe accuracy in the original recipe for a standard Pink Drink which by the way is an official menu item it is only made with Strawberry Açaí refresher juice and coconut milk with dehydrated strawberries there is no Passion Tea in the drink like it says above, the baristas at Starbucks are there to help and answer your questions it is part of the job to know all the drinks on our menu so reach out and we can give you accurate information.
Hello, thank you for your comment. Please note this is about the KETO Pink Drink, and not the actual Pink Drink, which is very high in carbs.
Hi I just want to clarify I understand that this is about the Keto version of the pink drink, but you stated “In case you don’t know, the regular Pink Drink is made with Strawberry Açai, passion fruit and coconut milk, topped with a scoop of strawberries.” that is why the baristas keep saying that it has never gotten passion tea…. because people reading this will expect that the official pink drink has passion tea in it and it does not. Also regarding the sugar free mocha….. syrup and sauce are different things. So some may stores carry the sf mocha syrup… which most likely is what you are describing. The sf mocha sauce is thick and looks very much like the regular mocha that Starbucks uses, and it does have some sugar in it. Sorry for the long post but I am also a barista and just wanted to let you know.
Thanks.
Hello Angela,
Thank you! Now I understand. You’re definitely right, the regular Pink Drink does not have passion fruit in it. And you’re also right about the Mocha sauce, I’ve changed it recently. Thanks again!
Another Barista from Starbucks. When ordering 3/4 of water or milk etc. We have no way of measuring liquids that way. So were going to guess on it. So if that’s important in the diet, don’t order like that.
Hey Tara, thanks for chiming in! Don’t worry, it’s not important in the diet, only for the taste. If you put closer to 1/2 than to 3/4 it just won’t taste as good, but it won’t be a problem for the diet per se.
I ordered the passion pink keto and peach drinks hot. I ask them to steam heavy whip cream and I add my own stevia/monk fruit sweetener myself. Very yummy very key friendly. I like the hot teas better but come summer I will definitely do the iced.
That’s very smart! I like to bring my own sweetener, too. I can tell you the iced ones are wonderful when it’s hot out there.
Thank you so much for the info. I’m a loyal Starbucks fan and was bummed out to give it up when I started kito. I usually ordered a grande skinny vanilla latte. Do you have any recommendations as to how I could customize this drink for kito?
Thanks!
🙂
Hey Sonia, to order a keto vanilla latte: Ask for a “Short Vanilla Latte, replace the milk with 3/4 water and 1/4 heavy whipping cream, and add 2 pumps of sugar-free vanilla syrup, please”. If your barista looks at you weird when you say “3/4”, just tell him it’s not a big deal if it isn’t Exactly 3/4. Enjoy!
Thank you for sharing!! This is great!! I absolutely love Chai Tea and I’m also a Keto Beginner!!
I’m glad you love it! I hope you’ll have huge success with your diet.
These are great! I am also a huge fan of black ice tea lite ice, sub cane sugar for sf vanilla heavy cream mixed in- tastes like an orange icicles:-)
Great idea, Deborah! I’ll definitely have to try it out.
Love it!!!❤
Thank you for this post. I am new to Keto and a Starbucks is being built less than two miles from my home. I am so excited to finally have a Starbucks nearby and now I have some ideas of what to order! 😁
Thank you for these amazing drinks. I’m a die hard Starbucks fan and I recently started Keto, was seriously bummed when I thought I would have to give up my carmel machiatto or tea mixtures!!!!! Great ideas!!!
Very important……THERE IS NO SECRET MENU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I can’t stress that enough.
I hate to be a bummer but I don’t want others to stumble in their journey. ANYTHING sugar free from almost any company use artificial sweeteners which are NOT keto friendly and can easily throw a person out of ketosis. They spike insulin the same as sugar just without the calories. It is highly ill advised. I go to Starbucks all the time, short double heavy cream latte. If Starbucks started using stevia or monk fruit as sweetner then it might be more keto friendly
Yes, bringing your own sweetener everywhere you go is the best you can do. Particularly at Starbucks.
These all sound like great alternatives however DO NOT use there whipped heavy cream to top any drink it is sweetened.
I’m pretty sure the sugar free mocha sauce you speak of is not totally sugar free.
Do you have a full nutrition breakdown of the peppermint mocha? Thank you!
Started Keto 1 month ago, down 10 lbs….yea. Thank you, Thank you for a way to live with Starbucks on Keto. Ready for the peppermint.
Thank you for the keto friendly drinks at Starbucks!!! I am a lover of coffee and I just started the keto diet a few days ago! I just tried the americano drink and I love the taste!
You’re welcome Maurine!
HI, Guillaume, I double-checked with my starbucks re: coconut mile NOT being sweetened and they said it is not, and showed me the carton. I do a latte with coconut and love it, is there something I’m missing? ha
Hey Jill, thank you for your question! Drinking your latte with coconut milk is not a bad idea per se, but it will contain more net carbs than the recipe I’ve posted above, even without added sugars. Simply because coconut milk has more carbs than heavy whipped cream + water.
What about the nitro brew with sweet cream
Problem is if you have a severe dairy allergy you cant have heavy whipping cream..was disappointed to see this keto doesnt allow for dairy allergys
I am so happy to se a starbucks barista that actually knows what a London fog is!!! That is my favorite starbucks drink and when I ask for it at my local store I get a blank stare. I ALWAYS have to explain it.
Hi I’m wanting to start the Keto diet but I love drinking iced green tea with no sweetener. Is the iced green tea with no sweetener keto?
Well, Iced Green Tea has 0 calories unless you put sugar or milk in it. So if you drink it plain then yet it’s 100% keto.