It’s time for Fall at Starbucks and we are breaking down all of their NEW menu items to tell you if they are vegan!
–> To see our 2023 Vegan Fall Guide for Starbucks, click here
!
First, let’s go see what Starbucks has added to their menu for the Fall of 2022:
- Pumpkin Spice Latte
- Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew
- Apple Crisp Oatmilk Macchiato
- Owl Cake Pop
- Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffin
Vegan-Friendly Drinks
Are Any Of Starbucks’ Pumpkin Flavored Drinks Vegan?
I know this is a hot topic question, especially since Dunkin’s pumpkin-flavored options are not vegan.
Unfortunately, neither the Pumpkin Spice Latte or Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew at Starbucks are vegan or can be made vegan.
What makes the Pumpkin Spice Latte pumpkin flavored is the Pumpkin Spice Sauce which contains dairy:
PUMPKIN SPICE SAUCE [SUGAR, CONDENSED SKIM MILK, PUMPKIN PUREE, CONTAINS 2% OR LESS OF FRUIT AND VEGETABLE JUICE FOR COLOR, NATURAL FLAVORS, ANNATTO, SALT, POTASSIUM SORBATE]
And the Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew contains a cream cold foam that also contains dairy:
PUMPKIN CREAM COLD FOAM [CREAM (CREAM, MONO AND DIGLYCERIDES, CARAGEENAN), MILK, PUMPKIN SPICE SAUCE (SUGAR, CONDENSED SKIM MILK, PUMPKIN PUREE, CONTAINS 2% OR LESS OF FRUIT AND VEGETABLE JUICE FOR COLOR, NATURAL FLAVORS, ANNATTO, SALT, POTASSIUM SORBATE), VANILLA SYRUP (SUGAR, WATER, NATURAL FLAVORS, POTASSIUM SORBATE, CITRIC ACID)]
Is The Apple Crisp Oatmilk Macchiato Vegan?
Yes! Starbucks’ Apple Crisp Oatmilk Macchiato is vegan, as-is. It has a Brown Sugar Syrup and Spiced Apple Drizzle with Oatmilk and their Blonde Espresso. Yum!
We tried this drink hot and iced. Yes… you can order it either way! 🙂
If you like that caramelized brown sugary cooked apple concoction called an apple crisp (as it’s named), you will love this dink.
We both did! We also both agreed that while the iced is incredibly creamy and flavorful, the hot is on a whole other level. When ordering this one again, we will opt for the hot version.
If you are not familiar, a macchiato is an espresso topped with steamed milk but with this one, it has all the extra fun fall flavors.
The ingredients are:
OATMILK [OATMILK (WATER, OATS), CANOLA OIL, CONTAINS 2% OR LESS OF: DIPOTASSIUM PHOSPHATE, CALCIUM CARBONATE, TRICALCIUM PHOSPHATE, SEA SALT, DICALCIUM PHOSPHATE, RIBOFLAVIN, VITAMIN A, VITAMIN D2, VITAMIN B12], BREWED ESPRESSO, APPLE BROWN SUGAR SYRUP [SUGARS (INVERT SUGAR, BROWN SUGAR), WATER, NATURAL FLAVORS, SALT, PRESERVATIVE: POTASSIUM SORBATE, MALIC ACID], SPICED APPLE DRIZZLE [SUGARS (CORN SYRUP, INVERT SUGAR, APPLE JUICE CONCENTRATE, SUGAR), WATER, CINNAMON, SALT, PRESERVATIVE: POTASSIUM SORBATE, CARAMELIZED SUGAR (FOR COLOR), MALIC ACID, NUTMEG]
Is The Chai Tea Latte at Starbucks Vegan?
I added their Chai Tea Latte to the guide since it has just about every fall-inspired spice included in one drink. To answer the question… No, it is not vegan. Starbucks uses a chai tea concentrate in their Chai Tea Latte that contains honey.
Here are the ingredients:
MILK, WATER, CHAI TEA CONCENTRATE [AN INFUSION OF (WATER, BLACK TEA, CARDAMOM, BLACK PEPPER, GINGER, CINNAMON, CLOVES, NATURAL FLAVORS, STAR ANISE), SUGAR, HONEY, GINGER JUICE, NATURAL FLAVORS, VANILLA, CITRIC ACID]
If you are in the mood for chai and are ok NOT getting a Chai Tea Latte, you can order just a hot Chai Tea plain or with a non-dairy milk of your choice (oat, soy, almond, coconut).
A hot Chai Tea is hot water with a chai tea bag.
What Fall Drinks Do We Suggest?
We think of apples, caramel, cinnamon, vanilla, maple, ginger, cloves and nutmeg when we think of fall.
Starbucks offers flavor syrups that match a few of these flavors which means you can create your own fall-inspired drink:
- Brown Sugar Syrup
- Caramel Syrup (NOT caramel sauce)
- Cinnamon Dolce Syrup
- Toasted Vanilla Syrup
- Vanilla Syrup
- Sugar Free Vanilla Syrup
-> plus you could ask for the Pumpkin Spice Topping (that their pumpkin flavored drinks are topped with) to be added on your drink.
Or you can make it easy on yourself and order one of our suggestions below.
Cinnamon Dolce Latte, hot or iced
To Make It Vegan: Order a Cinnamon Dolce Latte (hot or iced) with your choice of non-dairy milk (oat, soy, almond, coconut) and NO whip or cinnamon dolce topping.
You will have a Latte with non-dairy milk, espresso and cinnamon dolce syrup.
Blonde Vanilla Latte, hot or iced
To Make It Vegan: Order a Blonde Vanilla Latte (hot or iced) with your choice of non-dairy milk (oat, soy, almond, coconut).
You will have a Latte with non-dairy milk, espresso and vanilla syrup.
Caramel Macchiato (hot or iced)
To Make It Vegan: Order a Caramel Macchiato (hot or iced) with your choice of non-dairy milk and NO caramel sauce. Ask to SUB with caramel syrup.
You will have a macchiato with non-dairy milk, espresso and caramel syrup.
Iced Toasted Vanilla Oatmilk Shaken Espresso
This one is vegan as is!
Caramel Frappuccino
How To Make It Vegan: Order a Caramel Frappuccino with your choice of non-dairy milk and NO whip or caramel sauce. SUB the sauce with another pump of caramel syrup.
Iced Brown Sugar Oatmilk Shaken Espresso
This one is also vegan as is!
Steamed Apple Juice
…as it sounds. 🙂
Food
Is Starbucks’ Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffin or Owl Cake Pop Vegan?
Starbucks is offering 2 pumpkin-flavored menu items for the fall of 2022. Not one of them is vegan. Both contain egg and dairy.
Other Food You Can Order
As a vegan, we are not getting any fall items at Starbucks but you do have a few food options you can choose if need be:
- Plain, Cinnamon Raisin and Everything Bagel (be aware there is also an everything & cheddar bagel that is not vegan). Look for packaged Organic Avocado Spread to spread on. Justin’s Hazelnut Butter or Classic Almond Butter may also be an option–check with your location for availability.
- Strawberry Overnight Grains … comes with oatmeal (in coconut milk), cooked steal cut oats, red quinoa and chia seeds with shaved coconut, strawberries and toasted almonds
- Chickpea Bites & Avocado Protein Box
- Rolled & Steel Cut Oatmeal (not labelled vegan but no animal derived ingredients) … comes with whole grain oatmeal, brown sugar, dried fruit and a nut medley. It is optional to add in a splash of a non-dairy milk.
In Conclusion…
Out of five new items at Starbucks, we have one that works for us vegans and does not need modification. I think our fall inspired suggestions are pretty good. I know we each have our favorites… mine being the Cinnamon Dolce Latte or Blonde Vanilla Latte, while Ryans is the Iced Toasted Vanilla Oatmilk Shaken Espresso.
We also have an entire Vegan Guide for Starbucks if you would like to see other options as well. It is broken down by drinks and even drink types with all the details you need to order your drink vegan.
The leaves are about to show us how beautiful it can be to let go. Happy Fall. 🙂
