While coffee is a great drink that is enjoyed by many, some people would rather have a mild taste. This post will look at the best Starbucks drinks without strong coffee taste.
I tried out the Starbucks flavored lattes and mochas and I have found them worthy of being on this list. They will give you a distant taste of coffee and a burst of different flavors. Like most people, I had struggled with ordering a mild-tasting coffee drink at my local Starbucks and this made me come up with this post to shed light on great-tasting coffee drinks that are not too strong. You will learn about the various options at Starbucks that are tasty without being overbearing.
Table of Contents
How to order drinks without strong coffee on Starbucks
For espresso drinks, you might want to go for flavored lattes to tame the strong coffee taste. Another great option is a Frappuccino blend. This drink gives out more cream than coffee taste. A mocha is great too with its hints of chocolate and coffee. The name mocha means coffee and chocolate. This combo is ideal for taming the strong coffee taste and leaving you with a drink that you can enjoy with every sip. Ask the barista for a ristretto shot as it is sweet and less bitter if you still want a coffee taste. You can also order a blonde roast for a mild sweet taste. However, the blonde roasts are highly caffeinated.
What is the least strong coffee at Starbucks?
If you are looking at the taste, the drink that least tastes like coffee even with coffee in it is a Frappuccino blend. This blend is more cream than coffee and with so many flavors added to it, the coffee taste will be concealed in the background. This doesn’t entirely rid the drink of coffee but tones it down to a more favorable taste. You can start with a mocha Frappuccino and advance slowly to other densely flavored Frappuccino blends like the java chip Frappuccino.
How we choose the Best Starbucks drinks without strong coffee taste
The best coffee drinks without strong coffee taste were chosen based on baristas and customer reviews at Starbucks. We also incorporated some personal experiences and settled on the coffee drinks with the least coffee taste. Starbucks’ menu is expansive, and we only picked the drinks that had the most toned-down coffee taste but retained their great taste. There is nothing as genuine as real feedback from real people and you can fully trust this post to give you the best options.
8 Best Starbucks drinks without strong coffee taste
Rank |
Drink |
Ingredients |
1 |
Mocha Frappuccino |
Coffee Frappuccino base syrup, instant coffee, mocha sauce, ice, whole milk |
2 |
Vanilla Latte |
Ice, Steamed milk, espresso, vanilla syrup |
3 |
Caramel Macchiato |
Caramel topping, milk, Vanilla syrup |
4 |
Peppermint Mocha Frappuccino |
Peppermint syrup, ice, mocha sauce, milk, topped with whipped cream, dark chocolate curls, Frappuccino coffee roast |
5 |
Caffe Mocha |
Espresso, hot milk, mocha sauce, whipped cream |
6 |
Cinnamon Dolce Latte |
Cinnamon dolce syrup, espresso, steamed milk, cinnamon dolce sprinkles, and whipped cream |
7 |
White chocolate mocha |
Steamed milk, espresso, white chocolate sauce, whipped cream |
8 |
Iced Dirty Chai Latte |
Chai tea, milk. Espresso |
Mocha Frappuccino
This drink makes the top of our list as it contains coffee, but you can barely taste it. If you are a coffee beginner and are yet to get used to the strong espresso, this drink is ideal for you. You will have a distinct taste of chocolate and coffee that translates to a mocha taste. The whipped cream topping gives it a delicious taste. The Frappuccino is the least coffee-tasting drink at Starbucks. The mocha taste and the chocolate hints tone the strong espresso down without completely concealing it. The Mocha is not overly sweet but can be sweetened to your taste.
Vanilla Latte
Vanilla flavor can bring a beautiful flavor to anything. The drink is made with espresso which can be too strong for some people. The addition of vanilla and steamed milk tames the espresso taste to give a balanced and palatable drink for someone who doesn’t like strong coffee. The latte is made with sweet vanilla, but you can opt for a sugar-free syrup if you are cutting back on your sugar intake. The coffee taste will still be bearable even without an exaggerated sugar amount. You can have the latte hot or iced depending on the weather or your personal preference.
Caramel Macchiato
This drink tastes like coffee with lots of milk. The milk is what tones down the strong espresso shots used to make the drink. You will end up with a smooth and creamy taste that is pleasant to the mouth. You can regulate the sweetness by adding or removing the caramel. For a distinct flavor, order a vanilla syrup without sugar if you do not have a sweet tooth. A caramel macchiato will still taste like coffee but not in an overbearing way. Some people have described the taste as a sweet thin caramel milkshake.
Peppermint Mocha Frappuccino
This seasonal blend is something you want to try out. You will have the perfect caffeine boost for the cold weather without having to put up with a strong coffee taste. This holiday drink is a great indulgence for someone who likes a mild coffee taste. The intertwine of mint and chocolate is a great way to usher in the holiday spirit. You will beat the cold with ease and enjoy a great taste. My favorite part is the hint of mint taste that is left in the mouth. This is an exceptional drink and you can barely tell that there is coffee in it.
Caffe Mocha
Mocha drinks are more chocolate than coffee which makes them popular among people who like mild coffee tastes. The deep sweet luxurious taste derived from combining espresso and chocolate is ideal for a moderate coffee taste. The mocha sauce tames the espresso without covering it and the result is a well-balanced drink. It is a chocolate coffee drink that you will enjoy to the maximum without putting up with an overbearing taste. A drink is to be enjoyed with every sip and not to be tolerated. I would vouch for this drink for a coffee drink beginner or someone who wants to take a break from the strong Starbucks drinks available.
Cinnamon Dolce Latte
A latte is a simple mixture of espresso. If you want to add some zing to this popular drink, you can introduce a cinnamon dolce syrup. The drink is added some whipped cream and a nice cinnamon dolce sprinkle to the top. These additives tone down the strong espresso and give it a relaxed sweet taste. You will taste more of the earthy cinnamon taste and sweet whipped cream than coffee. The taste of this latte is like a vanilla latte but with a cinnamon twist. This was my go-to drink when I was starting on coffee and it worked out well for me. I still grab a Grande occasionally.
White Chocolate Mocha
The Starbucks signature espresso is mixed with white chocolate sauce and steamed milk. The topping of whipped cream is the icing on the cake for this chocolate and coffee delight. You will taste more chocolate and less coffee and pick up hints of sweet condensed milk. This drink mimics a latte in so many ways, but the distinction comes in the taste. It is more chocolaty and less coffee with a great mocha flavor. I love what the white chocolate syrup does to the espresso’s strong taste. You can barely tell that there is coffee in this drink.
Iced Dirty Chai Latte
This is simply a chai tea latte with a shot of espresso. This drink combines sweet and spicy chai tea with foamed milk and a shot of espresso with some ice. You get the best of both worlds with tea and coffee in one cup. The beauty of it all is that you can barely tell if there is espresso save for the distant taste that is well-balanced with the spice in the chai tea. This coffee is the ultimate energy booster with caffeine from both tea and coffee. The term ‘dirty’ is added to denote the extra expresso shot.
Final Thoughts
Coffee is a great drink, but some roasts can come off as too strong. The only way around this is to customize with flavors and milk to tame the strong coffee taste. Starbucks has something for everyone including those who want coffee drinks without the overly strong earthy taste. The flavors like vanilla make it all possible to have your cake and eat it.
Informative Section
What is the creamiest and sweetest coffee at Starbucks?
The caramel macchiato is sweet from the 44g of sugar and sweet vanilla syrup and the creaminess is from milk.
What Starbucks coffee would you recommend to someone who doesn’t like bitter coffee?
I would recommend the Starbucks Veranda Blend. It is a mild blonde roast coffee ground with no bitterness.
What do I order if I don’t want a strong coffee taste?
You can order a Caffe mocha.
Best Starbucks drinks for coffee haters
If you hate coffee, try out the numerous tea drinks at Starbucks like chai tea lattes or green tea lattes.