The Caramel Macchiato, the Java Chip Frappuccino, the Pink Drink. Starbucks is known for its countless hand-crafted creations; a one-stop-shop filled with the hustle-and-bustle of complicated orders and names written on cups.
But at Starbucks, no matter how complicated your long-perfected order may be, you always know what you’re going to get. And you know you have an impressively long menu to choose from – be it your desired coffee base, milk alternative, flavor syrup, or sugary topping.
This beloved coffee chain offers endless choices and modifications, which makes it a friendly coffee shop option for almost any type of diet. So how does the Starbucks menu stack up when it comes to gluten-free choices? If you’re gluten-free or sensitive to gluten, we’ve got good news: the list of non-gluten menu items is very long – even longer than you might think. Here’s the complete run-down of gluten-free food and drink choices available at Starbucks.
Gluten-free food available on the Starbucks menu
As you well know, gluten is a common protein found in many baked goods and breakfast foods, so when it comes to food items the gluten-free options are more limited than the drink options. However, Starbucks does still offer an array of menu items made without gluten that can be ordered as is.
One important note regarding the gluten-free options: there are several food items that are made without any added gluten, but because Starbucks can’t 100% guarantee the absence of cross-contamination for many of their unpackaged items, only a select few are certified gluten-free. In the below list, only the items you see in italics are certified gluten-free. The rest don’t contain gluten and should be safe for gluten-free diets – but they could pose more of a risk if you have celiac disease or are highly sensitive to gluten. Keep this in mind as you make your choices!
Here’s the full list of gluten-free food items available on the current Starbucks menu.
| Gluten-Free Breakfast + Bakery Items |
| Egg Bites -Kale and Mushroom, Bacon and Gruyere, Egg White and Roasted Red Pepper Yogurt Parfait -Greek Yogurt, Dark Cherry, Strawberry and Blueberry, Berry Trio Rolled & Steel-Cut Oatmeal -Classic, Blueberry Strawberry Overnight Grains Marshmallow Dream Bar Gluten-Free Chocolate Brownie* |
| Gluten-Free Lunch Items |
| Deluxe Fruit Blend SaladChicken & Quinoa Protein Bowl with Black Beans and Greens |
| Gluten-Free Snacks |
| Fruit That’s It Fruit Bars Hippeas White Cheddar Chickpea Puffs KIND Bars [all varieties] Kettle Potato Chips Starbucks Butter Popcorn Peter Rabbit Organic Fruit Pouches Squirrel Brand Mixed Nuts Justin’s Nut Butters Justin’s Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups Siggi’s Yogurt Cup Country Archer Beef Jerky |
Starbucks hot and cold drinks that are gluten-free as is
And now, the options really open up for gluten-free diets! The good news is that you can order almost any Starbucks drink in its classic form, since most basic coffee or tea drinks typically only include added milk and sugar which aren’t a gluten concern.
Think of the classics like cappuccinos, lattes, iced teas, cold brews, mochas, and hot chocolate – things you can find and order at pretty much any run-of-the-mill coffee shop. Most of these drinks will be safe to enjoy as is, with no added gluten to worry about. Essentially any drink that doesn’t contain added flavors or ingredients is up for grabs.
Here’s the complete list of gluten-free classic hot and cold drinks at Starbucks based on the current menu. Varieties may vary based on timing or location, but you’re likely to be able to order any of these drinks regularly and year-round.
| Gluten-Free Hot Drinks | Varieties |
| Brewed Coffee | Veranda, Dark Roast, Medium-Roast Pike Place, Decaf Pike Place, Clover® Starbucks Reserve® Blends |
| Caffè Americano | |
| Espresso | |
| Espresso con Panna | |
| Espresso Macchiato + Latte Macchiato | |
| Caffè Misto | |
| Cappuccino | |
| Cortado | |
| Flat White | |
| Caffè Latte | |
| Caffè Mocha + White Chocolate Mocha | |
| Chai Tea + Chai Tea Latte | |
| Black Tea | Earl Grey, Royal English Breakfast, Teavana® London Fog Tea Latte, Royal English Breakfast Tea Latte |
| Green Tea | Emperor’s Clouds & Mist, Jade Citrus Mint, Honey Citrus Mint, Matcha Tea Latte |
| Herbal Tea | Mint Majesty, Peach Tranquility |
| Hot Chocolate + White Hot Chocolate | |
| Steamed Apple Juice | |
| Steamed Milk | |
| Gluten-Free Cold Drinks | Varieties |
| Iced Coffee | Starbucks Iced Coffee Blend, Iced Clover® Brewed Coffees |
| Cold Brew + Nitro Cold Brew | |
| Iced Caffè Americano | |
| Iced Espresso | |
| Iced Flat White | |
| Iced Caffè Latte | |
| Iced Caffè Mocha + Iced White Chocolate Mocha | |
| Lemonade | |
| Iced Chai Tea Latte | |
| Iced Black Tea | Black Tea, Black Tea Lemonade, Iced London Fog Tea Latte, Iced Royal English Breakfast Tea Latte |
| Iced Green Tea | Green Tea, Green Tea Lemonade, Peach Green Tea, Peach Green Tea Lemonade, Matcha Lemonade, Iced Matcha Tea Latte |
| Iced Herbal Tea | Passion Tango, Passion Tango Lemonade |
Starbucks specialty drinks that are gluten-free as is
This is where things start to get more complicated if you have dietary restrictions. One of the things people love most about Starbucks is its plethora of specialty and seasonal drinks – from Pumpkin Spice Lattes to Starbucks Refreshers™ to Peppermint Hot Chocolate.
But with these fun and fancy flavored drinks come added ingredients and possible hidden gluten or wheat products within them. There are a few drinks that are no-go’s for a gluten-free diet, but luckily most can be modified to gluten-free! It just depends on the specific flavoring or topping ingredients and what they’re made of.
Again, keep in mind that especially with blended or shaken drinks or those that require shared equipment, the risk for cross-contamination is higher – so while many of these don’t contain gluten, they’re not guaranteed gluten-free for those with celiac disease. One more note: we’d also recommend removing caramel drizzle from any drinks that include it (like the Caramel Macchiato or some Frappuccino flavors), just to be on the safe side, since there’s some debate over whether their particular caramel sauce contains wheat-derived ingredients.
We’ve got you covered with a full list of those specialty drinks (think flavored, seasonal or signature drinks that you can only order at Starbucks), along with which of their varieties are gluten-free.
| Gluten-Free Specialty Drinks | Varieties |
| Honey Almondmilk Flat White (Hot or Iced) | |
| Flavored + Signature Lattes (Hot or Iced) | Vanilla, Blonde Vanilla, Cinnamon Dolce, Starbucks Reserve® Latte, Starbucks Reserve® Hazelnut Bianco Latte, Pistachio* |
| Starbucks Reserve® Dark Chocolate Mocha (Hot or Iced) | |
| Caramel Macchiato (Hot or Iced) Recommend removing caramel drizzle | |
| Specialty Cold Brews | Cinnamon Caramel Cream, Salted Caramel Cream, Pistachio Cream*, Vanilla Sweet Cream, Vanilla Sweet Cream Nitro, Cinnamon Caramel Cream Nitro |
| Iced Shaken Espresso | Iced Toasted Vanilla Oatmilk, Iced Brown Sugar Oatmilk |
| Coffee Frappuccino® Recommend removing caramel drizzle where applicable | Espresso, Café Vanilla, Coffee, Caramel, Chocolate, Mocha, White Chocolate Mocha, Peppermint Mocha*, Vanilla Matcha*, Coconut Mocha |
| Creme Frappuccino® Recommend removing caramel drizzle where applicable | Strawberry, Pistachio*, Chai, Green Tea, Vanilla Bean, Matcha, White Chocolate, Chocolate, Caramel, Coconut |
| Starbucks Refreshers™ | Dragon Drink, Mango Dragonfruit, Mango Dragonfruit Lemonade, Paradise Drink, Strawberry Acai, Strawberry Acai Lemonade, Pineapple Passionfruit , Pineapple Passionfruit Lemonade, Pink Drink |
| Blended Strawberry Lemonade | |
| Vanilla Crème | |
| Caramel Apple Spice Recommend removing caramel drizzle |
Starbucks flavorings, syrups, toppings, and modifications
You’ll notice several alternative milks available at Starbucks, which are featured in many of their signature drinks. Aside from whole milk, 2% milk, and nonfat skim milk, Starbucks also currently offers four types of non-dairy milk:
- Soy milk
- Coconut milk
- Almond milk
- Oat milk
The great news is that all of these milk options are gluten-free! So you can pretty much go crazy with modifications and substitutions to make your drink just the way you like it.
When it comes to ways to flavor and add on to your Starbucks drink, it’s just a matter of knowing which syrups, sauces, sweeteners, and toppings are safe for a gluten-free diet. Some things, like the java chips and chocolate malt powder, contain wheat and are best to stay away from. But you’ll have your pick of many options, since most of what the chain offers is naturally made without gluten.
That said, it can be a little murky when it comes to confirming the full ingredient list and allergens present in Starbucks syrups and toppings – so if it’s harmful for you to have traces of gluten, it’s best to steer clear of syrups and add-ins (especially toppings, just to be safe).
Here’s a cheat sheet for all of the gluten-free sweeteners, syrups, sauces, powders, and toppings currently available at Starbucks.
| Gluten-Free Sweeteners |
| Sugar Sugar In The Raw Splenda Stevia In The Raw Classic Syrup Liquid Cane Sugar |
| Gluten-Free Syrups |
| Vanilla (Regular + Sugar-Free) Brown Sugar Caramel (Regular + Sugar-Free) Almond Cinnamon Dolce Hazelnut Peppermint Pumpkin Spice* Toasted Vanilla Mocha Peach Mango Coconut Coffee Frappuccino Crème Frappuccino |
| Gluten-Free Sauces |
| Mocha Sauce White Chocolate Sauce Strawberry Purée Sauce |
| Gluten-Free Powders |
| Vanilla Powder Hot Chocolate Powder Matcha Tea Powder Cocoa Powder |
| Gluten-Free Toppings |
| Caramel Sugar Vanilla Bean Sugar Vanilla Sweet Cream Whipped Cream Freeze-Dried Fruit Cinnamon Chocolate Nutmeg |
Yes, although the chain did not previously list their oat milk as gluten-free, as of 2020 Starbucks uses Oatly Oat Milk – a brand that is certified gluten-free.
If you have celiac disease and need to avoid any cross-contamination, it may be best to skip out on Starbucks unless you’re ordering something based on black coffee or espresso. Starbucks officially states: “We cannot guarantee that any of our products are free from allergens (including dairy, eggs, soy, tree nuts, wheat, and others) as we use shared equipment to store, prepare and serve them.” Ultimately, it’s up to the individual to weigh the cross-contamination risk factor.
Yes! The Pumpkin Spice Syrup used to flavor Starbucks’ popular seasonal Pumpkin Spice Latte does not contain any gluten, and the rest of the drink is made from espresso and dairy ingredients, so the drink is safe for a gluten-free diet.
Most of Starbucks flavored syrups are naturally made without any gluten-containing ingredients. Flavors like vanilla, almond, hazelnut, peppermint, and mocha are all gluten-free, along with others. That said, the syrups on rotation are always changing and there’s a chance some seasonal syrups may contain gluten, so always double check with your barista first.
