Are you a big 4th of July fan? If so, Starbucks has concocted quite the patriotic drink to sip while celebrating our independence.
It’s cool, it’s refreshing…but it’ll be gone on Monday (July 7th)!
Follow The Coconut Mama
• For fun lists, healthy living tips, and bar conversation topics, make sure to follow The Coconut Mama. Click here to access The Coconut Mama’s profile page and be sure to hit the Follow button here or at the top of this article!
• Have feedback? Add a comment below!
Shutterstock
Starbucks released this limited-time-only drink on July 1st, which means it’s available for less than a week total.
Let’s look at the description of the drink and its ingredients!
Shutterstock
Starbucks “combines the delicious berry flavors of our Summer-Berry Refresher with vanilla sweet cream cold foam, coconutmilk, raspberry-flavored pearls and strawberry puree” to make this visually-appealing red, white, and blue treat.
Wait…is this drink compliant with the FDA’s new ban on food dyes given all of the colors?
Shutterstock
In case you weren’t already aware, Starbucks is completely dye-free, so this drink is colored with only natural ingredients like spirulina and vegetable juice concentrates.
- Summer Berry Base (used in the Summer-Berry Refresher)
- Ice
- Coconutmilk
- Creme Frappuccino syrup
- Strawberry puree sauce
- Raspberry pearls
- Vanilla sweet cream cold foam
Shutterstock
It might be dye-free, but that doesn’t mean it’s low in sugar or “healthy” in other ways.
Here are the nutrition stats for a grande Fireworks Frappuccino without any customizations.
Calories: 340
Total fat: 8g
Saturated fat: 5g
Total carbohydrates: 63g
Total sugars: 59g (very high!)
Protein: 1g
Caffeine: 40mg (about half as much as a cup of coffee)
As you can see, the sugar content is quite high for this one. I have some tips if you want to reduce the sugar content, though…
Shutterstock
Starbucks’ interactive menu lets you make customizations, but it doesn’t update the nutrition stats for the modified versions.
That means I can’t tell you just HOW much sugar you’ll save by making some or all of these modifications, but it’s a step in the right direction if you’re watching your sugar intake but don’t want to miss out on this patriotic treat.
Shutterstock
Here are some modifications you can make for the Firework Frappuccino to reduce the sugar content:
- Choose light or no strawberry puree (it has added sugar)
- Reduce the portion of the raspberry pearls (or remove them altogether)
- Choose “light” vanilla cold foam, or skip it altogether
- Choose a smaller size (it’ll save you 16 grams of sugar)
I’d suggest starting with the least extreme modification to make sure you don’t remove TOO much and the drink loses its intended flavor. You can also ask the baristas for their advice on how to modify it!
Shutterstock
Based on the prices for my local Starbucks, here are the prices for the Firework Frappucinno:
Tall (12 oz): $5.75
Grande (16 oz): $6.25
Venti (24 oz): $6.45
If you participate in the Starbucks Rewards program, this drink earns you 200 stars.
Shutterstock
The Fireworks Refresher is quite high in regular sugar, yet there are still artificial sweeteners in it. The summer berry base contains stevia extract, a natural (not artificial like sucralose, etc.) sweetener.
Stevia is generally considered a healthy alternative to sugar, but if you are sensitive to it, just know that it’s in the limited edition drink.
Shutterstock
If you’re a fan of the Fireworks Refresher and want to recreate the magic past July 7th? You’ll have to be a little creative and ask the barista for some non-standard modifications, and it won’t be QUITE the same, but it should have similar vibes.
Here’s what to order for a “mock” Fireworks Frappuccino…
(You’ll probably need to order this one in person since the mobile ordering app doesn’t support some of the specific modifications.)
Shutterstock
Here are the steps for a DIY version past July 7th:
- Order a Summer-Berry Refresher (the same berry base and raspberry pearls as the Fireworks version)
- Choose the blended option
- Add Frappuccino crème sauce and coconut milk (play around with the amount of coconutmilk)
- Add vanilla cold foam
- Add strawberry puree
There you have it! These ingredients are the same as the limited-edition version. The price will probably be higher than the current Fireworks drink because of the extras, so keep that in mind.
Shutterstock
Finally, if you’re on a special diet, here’s how the Fireworks Refresher stacks up.
Vegan? Yes
Milk-free? Yes
Soy-free? Yes
Nut-free? Yes (unless you need to avoid coconut, which doesn’t typically fall under the nut allergy umbrella)
Whole30 compliant? No
Paleo? No
Keto? No
Shutterstock
There you have it…a red, white, and blue Frappuccino JUST for the Fourth.
Are you tempted to try it (with or without the lower-sugar modifications)? Let me know in the comments!
Shutterstock
Leave a Comment