Starbucks is introducing something they have never done before on their spring 2024 menu–lavender-flavored drinks. Immediately I’m intrigued and want to know if they are vegan-friendly!
A little back story… We had visited Portland Oregon a few years back. One of the local coffee shops offered lavender flavoring for their coffee. This very much peaked my interest so I ordered a latte with oat milk and the lavender flavoring. When I say, I was shocked at how good it was, I have looked for that kind of flavoring to be available at other local coffee shops since.
Never did I expect to hear that Starbucks would do this though.
Very excited to say the least. Let’s see if us vegans and dairy-free folks can order it and if Starbucks has brought any food items as well.
Starbucks 2024 Vegan Spring Guide
What Food Has Been Added?
A Vanilla Bean Custard Danish and Chicken, Maple Butter & Egg Sandwich have both been added to Starbucks’ menu for the spring of 2024.
Are either of them vegan?
No.
The Danish contains cow’s milk and the sandwich has all of the animal ingredients mentioned in the title (chicken, cow’s milk and egg).
What Drink(s) Have Been Added?
Ohhh, this is where we’re getting to the good stuff. Starbucks has added an Iced Lavender Oatmilk Latte and Lavender Cream Oatmilk Matcha.
They are also highlighting their lemonade-based refreshers… the Strawberry Acai Lemonade, Pineapple Passionfruit Lemonade and Mango Dragonfruit Lemonade; along with the Hazelnut Oatmilk Shaken Espresso. This one debuted in the Winter of 2024.
Are any of them vegan?
Let’s find out!
Is Starbucks Iced Lavender Oatmilk Latte Vegan?
Yes! Starbucks Iced Lavender Oatmilk Latte is vegan as-is!! No need for modifications. This latte contains Starbucks’ newly added Lavender Powder.
According to Starbucks, the ingredients in the Lavender Powder
are:
LAVENDER POWDER [SUGAR, SALT, NATURAL LAVENDER FLAVOR, COLOR FROM FRUIT AND VEGETABLE JUICE CONCENTRATE (CARROT AND BLACK CURRANT), SOYBEAN OIL]
The entire ingredient list of the Iced Lavender Oatmilk Latte is:
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], ICE, BREWED ESPRESSO, LAVENDER POWDER [SUGAR, SALT, NATURAL LAVENDER FLAVOR, COLOR FROM FRUIT AND VEGETABLE JUICE CONCENTRATE (CARROT AND BLACK CURRANT), SOYBEAN OIL]
Is Starbucks Iced Lavender Cream Oatmilk Matcha Vegan?
No. As-is, Starbucks Iced Lavender Cream Oatmilk Matcha is NOT vegan. This drink is described as a smooth and creamy matcha with oat milk over ice, then topped with a lavender cream cold foam.
As most of us know, the cream cold foams at Starbucks are NOT vegan as-is. By default, they are made with cow’s milk.
What about the rest of the ingredients?
Is Starbucks Matcha vegan-friendly?
Yes. Starbucks matcha is a blend of sugar and ground green tea. We consider this, along with all of their syrups to be accidentally vegan.
Is Starbucks Lavender Powder vegan?
Yes. As mentioned above, Starbucks Lavender Powder is vegan-friendly. The ingredients are:
SUGAR, SALT, NATURAL LAVENDER FLAVOR, COLOR FROM FRUIT AND VEGETABLE JUICE CONCENTRATE (CARROT AND BLACK CURRANT), SOYBEAN OIL
With all of this info…
Can Starbucks Iced Lavender Cream Matcha Be Ordered Vegan?
That depends on if your Starbucks will make a cream cold foam with one of the non-dairy milk options. We have been told that some locations will–others will not.
If yours does, here is how to order your drink vegan:
Order the Iced Lavender Cream Matcha. Ask for the cream to be made with one of the non-dairy milk options (oat, almond, soy or coconut).
We had done a test in 2023 and decided that oat milk tasted the best as a cold cream foam and sat on top like clouds, closer to how a dairy-based one does. Be aware… we are not saying it will be exactly like a cow’s milk foam, but it is the closest.
Towards the top of that article, Is Cold Foam at Starbucks Vegan?, are some additional tips for ordering a cold cream foam at Starbucks.
Are Starbucks Refreshers Vegan?
Yes, the Refreshers that Starbucks is highlighting for the spring of 2024 are all vegan-friendly. This includes the Strawberry Acai Lemonade, Pineapple Passionfruit Lemonade and Mango Dragonfruit Lemonade.
Amongst that list also is Starbucks Hazelnut Oatmilk Shaken Espresso. This one is vegan and dairy-free as well.
What Else Can You Do With the Lavender Powder at Starbucks?
I did a lot of reading to see how others are using the Lavender Powder at Starbucks and here are the ones that got the most love.
- Lavender Creme Frappuccino Blended Beverage. Order with your choice of non-dairy milk and NO whip.
- Lavender Lemonade. Order a Lemonade with lavender powder.
- Strawberry Lemonade Blended with Lavender. Order a Blended Strawberry Lemonade with lavender powder.
- Vanilla Bean & Lavender Creme Frappuccino. Order a Vanilla Bean Creme Frappuccino with your choice of non-dairy milk, lavender powder and NO whip.
- Lavender Green Tea Lemonade. Order an Iced Green Tea Lemonade with lavender powder.
- Lavender & Coconut Lattes. Order a Latte with coconut milk and lavender powder.
- lavender Oatmilk Shaken Espresso. Order an Oatmilk Shaken Espresso with lavender powder.
- Iced London Fog Tea with Lavender and Oatmilk. (see below for our tip on this iced tea)
- Iced London Fog with Lavender and 1/2 pump of either brown sugar syrup or hazelnut syrup. Order with your choice of non-dairy milk. (see below for our tip on this iced tea)
–> Iced London Fog Tip: According to a Barista at Starbucks, the London Fog Tea take about 5 minutes to steep, then they make the drink. Be patient, please.
Starbucks Vegan Guide
We are very excited for this new addition and it seems to be getting a lot of praise and buzz. What we are not a fan of is Starbucks’ lack of vegan-friendly food options they could be bringing to the table.
If none of these drinks sound good to you or you just want to see our complete vegan guide for Starbucks, we have it here. It’s broken down as we have it in this guide… with categories for food, drinks and even an FAQ section if you have additional questions we may have answered.
We hope you found our Starbucks 2024 Spring Vegan Guide helpful. Please let us know in the comments what your thoughts are on the new lavender flavor! Do you have a favorite drink with it?
