One of the first challenges you'll face if you're new to keto is figuring out how to make your morning Starbucks order low-carb. 

The good news is that there are more keto-friendly alternatives to regular black coffee on the menu.

Keto Starbucks drinks ☕

Drip, Iced, or Cold Brew coffee 

Carbs: 1 gram

- Be sure to skip add-ins like milk, sugar, syrups, or coffee creamer to keep your carb count low. Instead, you can add a splash of heavy cream, or a bit of butter, medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) oil, or coconut oil to boost the fat content, without adding any carbs.

Low-carb pink drink

Carbs: 1 gram

- It’s made using Iced Passion Tango Tea as a base but trades the liquid cane sugar for sugar-free syrup. 

Unsweetened hot or cold tea

Carbs: 0g

- Make your Starbucks iced tea keto-compliant by ordering it unsweetened. You can also ask for a few pumps of sugar-free syrup to sweeten the brew a bit.

Unsweetened Iced Coffee

Carbs: 0g 

- While a Starbucks iced coffee comes sweetened by default, you can cut the carb count by asking for your unsweetened. Or, if you aren’t ready to start drinking your iced coffee black, simply ask for a pump or two of sugar-free syrup. 

Espresso (hot or iced)

Carbs: 1g

- Like black coffee, espresso is essentially free of carbs. Order yourself a doppio, aka two shots, and either sip it as is or add a splash of cream or almond milk to mellow it out.

Skinny Mocha

Carbs: 1g 

- Swap out milk and mocha sauce to turn a standard Starbucks mocha into a keto-friendly treat. Order a mocha with “skinny mocha sauce” and ask for half heavy cream and half water, instead of milk.

Espresso Macchiato

Carbs: 2 g

- Brewed Espresso + Milk (almond, coconut or soy milk)

Americano

Carbs: 0 g

- Americanos are made with just espresso and hot water. That’s it! That makes them a perfect keto-approved option.

Chai Tea

Carbs: 0 g

- Chai is black tea infused with spices and it’s just a chai tea bag in hot water. Don’t confuse Chai Tea with a Chai Tea Latte, which isn’t made from tea bags, but instead from a pre-sweetened chai concentrate.

Almond milk flat white

Carbs: 2g 

- It’s a blend of espresso and steamed milk, but the milk is steamed to have microfoam, which gives the drink a velvety consistency. Espresso is carb-free, but the dairy definitely isn’t. So, swap in almond milk, which is way lower in carbs than dairy milk with about 1 net carb per cup, at least at Starbucks. 

London fog

Carbs: 1 g

- An iced London Fog Tea Latte is usually made using Earl Grey tea, milk, and four pumps of vanilla syrup. Still, you can easily give it a low-carb twist by using sugar-free syrup and 1 ounce of heavy cream instead of milk.

➡️ Tips on ordering keto-friendly drinks

• Replace regular syrup with sugar-free vanilla syrup (the only sugar-free syrup at Starbucks), but don’t go crazy with it.
• Replace milk with heavy cream or almond milk
• Ask if drinks are unsweetened
• Skip the whipped cream
• Avoid Frappuccinos. All Starbucks Frappuccinos are made using a Frappuccino base syrup which is made with sugar.
• Avoid Refreshers. Refreshers are made from pre-sweetened bases, so they can’t be modified.
• Order customized keto drinks by listing the ingredients. Instead of asking for a Keto Flat White, order it by saying: “Can I get a grande unsweetened Flat White with half heavy cream and half water instead of the milk?”.

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Keto Starbucks snacks 🧀

Most Starbucks have plenty of keto-approved options right by the check counter.

Bacon and Gruyere Sous Vide Egg Bites

Carbs: 9g 

- All four varieties have fewer than 15 grams of carbs, but the lowest carb option is the Bacon and Gruyere, with only 9 grams of carbs. Made with eggs, two different kinds of cheese, and bacon, you won’t feel like you’re choosing health over flavor. 

Creminelli Sopressata Monterey Jack Snack Tray

Carbs: 0g 

- Choices vary by store, but you can find deli meats (usually salami) and hard cheese on a platter, string cheese, and/or mini cheese wheels. Avoid options with added fruit, crackers, or bread-like items.

Avocado spread

Carbs: 5g

- A guacamole-like blend of avocado, spices, and lime juice.

Moon Cheese

Carbs:  4g 

- Some Starbucks locations sell Moon Cheese, a crunchy gluten-free cheese snack that will trick you into thinking you’re indulging in chips. It’s high in protein and calcium, because it’s literally made of just cheese. Each bag only contains about 4 to 5 carbs.

Almond Nuts (or mixed nuts)

Carbs: 9g

- Almonds are a great option.  Get nuts in the unrefrigerated areas near the cold case. Avoid any varieties with dried fruit, bars with nuts, or chocolate-covered nuts.

Field Trip Turkey Jerky

Carbs:  10g 

- Look in the shelves by the cold case. Most jerky is low carb but has added sugar, so take that into account when you choose these snacks.

Tray with carrots, white cheddar, and almonds

Carbs: 6 grams

- This savory tray is a great option if you’re looking for a well-rounded keto snack, as its combination of veggies, nuts, and dairy is particularly nutritious.

Kale chips

Carbs: 8g (total) / 1g (net)

- They have different flavors/packages.

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Following a low-carb, ketogenic diet does not require you to give up all of your favorite Starbucks snacks and beverages 🥤🫒.

Consider some of these options the next time you visit Starbucks 💪🏻.

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