Is Starbucks hot chocolate vegan? (How can I order vegan hot chocolate from Starbucks + More information)

Starbucks hot chocolate is definitely a favorite for many. However, what if you are a vegan and thinking of trying it out; Is Starbucks hot chocolate vegan?

No, Starbucks hot chocolate is not vegan. The ingredients used in the default recipe of this drink contain animal products. However, worry no more because Starbucks offers you a variety of options to customize your hot chocolate and make it vegan. Sad that I discovered the vegan variety of hot chocolate just a few weeks ago. Since I cut off all animal products, I have struggled to find drinks that I love and that are entirely vegan. Before, I was a huge fan of the hot chocolate drink offered at Starbucks but had to cut it off, too, as I transitioned. However, when I shared with my cousin my struggles with getting a vegan drink, she showed me how I could customize my drink to be vegan. If you want a vegan version of Starbucks hot chocolate, read on to find out more.

What makes Starbucks hot chocolate non-vegan?

Starbucks hot chocolate is not vegan because its ingredients are made of animal products. The Standard recipe of this drink is made of 2% steamed milk, mocha sauce, and vanilla syrup and garnished with whipped cream and mocha drizzle. The milk used in the default version of this drink is dairy, hence why it is not vegan.

The mocha sauce used in this drink is made of cocoa that is processed with alkali, sugar, water, and some natural flavors are added to sweeten its taste. Additionally, the whipped cream served as a topping with this beverage eliminates it from the vegan menu. It is made of diglycerides and mono, carrageenan, and cream that mostly contains dairy.

Lastly, the vanilla syrup that is part of the ingredients in making the hot chocolate at Starbucks contains water, citric acid, natural flavors, sugar, and some potassium sorbate as a preservative. However, Starbucks allows its customers to customize this drink by substituting dairy with plant-based milk and making it vegan.

However, it is important to note that even though you can substitute your drink to make it vegan, Starbucks does not guarantee that its products are allergen-free. This is because they use shared equipment to prepare, store, and serve their products. Therefore, if you are allergic to dairy, make sure you mention it to your barista while ordering the drink.

How can I get vegan hot chocolate from Starbucks?

You can easily get a Starbucks hot chocolate drink from Starbucks by customizing their default drink to come up with a vegan hot chocolate. First, you can begin customizing your drink by dropping the dairy milk and substituting it with plant-based milk. Starbucks offers a variety of plant-based milk that you can use to customize your drink. This includes almond milk, soy, coconut, and oat milk.

Additionally, if you want a vegan drink, consider ordering this beverage with no milk foam. You can also ditch the whipped cream used as the default topping for this beverage and instead opt for either pumpkin spice topping, cinnamon dolce sprinkles, mocha drizzle, or caramel drizzles.

The good news is that you won’t sacrifice the taste of your vegan drink as the mocha sauce that is key in giving the hot chocolate its signature identity does not contain any animal product, and you can order your drink with it. However, Starbucks offers a variety of syrups to be used instead of mocha sauce. This includes peppermint syrup, raspberry syrup, caramel syrup, brown sugar syrup, and much more.

What milk options will make my hot chocolate vegan?

As mentioned above, there are several milk options available at Starbucks that you can request instead of dairy milk to make your drink vegan. These include; almond milk, soy milk, coconut milk, and oat milk. However, if you just want to reduce the calorie content of your drink, you can opt for non-fat milk.

Other milk options that you can use in place of steamed dairy milk, depending on the nutritional value you are looking for, include; heavy cream, whole milk, breve, and sweet vanilla cream. Therefore, when customizing this drink, be sure to let your barista know what you prefer or if you have any allergies.

What is the nutritional information for the Starbucks vegan hot chocolate?

The nutritional information of Starbucks vegan hot chocolate depends on the plant-based milk you have used and how you have customized the drink. For example, Starbucks hot chocolate made from almond milk and with no whipped cream has 180 calories, down from the 370 calories that come with a grande serving of the default hot chocolate offered at Starbucks.

The almond milk hot chocolate has 19 mg of caffeine, 8 grams of total fats, 113 mg of sodium, 29 grams of total carbs, 4 grams of dietary fiber, and 22 grams of sugar. This same drink in a grande serving will also give you 4 grams of proteins which is 8% of the daily value required.

How can I make Starbucks vegan hot chocolate from home?

Making the Starbucks hot chocolate vegan version at home is quite easy. All you need to have is unsweetened cocoa powder if you are unable to purchase mocha syrup, granulated sugar, or plant-based milk—vanilla syrup and any toppings that you would prefer that are free from any animal products.

To make this beverage, you will add the granulated sugar, cocoa, and water to a container that is microwave safe and place it in the microwave for less than a minute or tills it is warm. This will help you create your chocolate syrup. However, if you have a mocha sauce, you just have to mix your steamed plant-based milk, vanilla syrup, and your sauce and stir well. Place this mixture in the microwave for a minute and serve It with your preferred toppings.

Final thoughts

Though the Starbucks hot chocolate drink is not vegan, Starbucks allows you to customize the drink to make it vegan. In place of steamed dairy milk, Starbucks will enable you to replace it with any plant-based milk while ordering this beverage. The plant-based milk available at Starbucks includes almond, soy, coconut, and oat milk. You can also garnish your drink with vegan-friendly toppings instead of the whipped cream used in the standard recipe of this beverage. Additionally, you can opt for making your vegan-friendly Starbucks hot chocolate at home.

FAQ Section

Does Starbucks hot chocolate contain dairy?

Yes, the default Starbucks hot chocolate drink is made of steamed dairy milk.

Does Starbucks hot chocolate contain caffeine?

Yes, Starbucks hot chocolate contains caffeine since chocolate has low caffeine content. The caffeine content in hot chocolate will depend on the serving size. A tall serving will give 20 mg of caffeine, a grande has around 25 mg of caffeine, while a venti serving contains 30 mg of caffeine.

How much sugar does Starbucks hot chocolate have?

A grande serving of Starbucks hot chocolate has 37 grams of sugar. The total carbs in this drink total 43 grams, with 4 grams being dietary fiber.

Is Starbucks hot chocolate halal?

You can customize the Starbucks hot chocolate to be halal by eliminating all animal products used in its standard recipe.