Are Starbucks cake pops Kosher? (What are Starbucks cake pops made of? + All you need to know)

While cakes are a great treat, I appreciate the Starbucks cake pop due to the limited mess it creates and the reduced number of dishes I have to clean. However, an experience with a close Jewish friend made me reconsider these cake pops and whether they fit the kosher criteria he was looking for – and I am sure that is the case for you too. This made me wonder whether these delicious treats were kosher-certified, and if not, what were some alternatives to consider.

Unfortunately, Starbucks does not offer kosher-certified cake pops – so if you are looking for a tasty treat, you will not find them in their stores. This is because of the ingredients they contain, but you can always make alternative recipes at home if you want to experience the same benefits.

What is a Starbucks cake pop made of?

Basing it on the description Starbucks provides on their website, cake pops are a combination of frosting, vanilla cake, and a pink coating. In detail, the ingredients in a cake pop are divided into two: the cake and coating ingredients.

The cake

• Sugar – each cake pop contains 18 grams of sugar.
• Wheat flour (enriched) – this consists of a mixture of malted barley flour and wheat flour, with extra fortifying additions including folic acid, niacin, riboflavin, and reduced iron.
• Water, vanilla extract, emulsifiers
• Soybean oil – this is meant to increase the moisture levels of the cake pops as vegetable oils prevent cakes from drying out during the baking process.
• Eggs – these add flavor, color, and structure to a cake pop by making the batter more voluminous.
• Egg whites – these add volume to the mixture, create a smoother foam, and make the cake pops chewy.
• Powder sugar – another term for finely ground sugar, this is a combination of cornstarch and sugar that creates a smoother result without clumps than if you were only using granulated sugar.
• Butter, natural flavors – this makes the cake pops rise as they bake. On the other hand, the source of natural flavors is unclear, but it is thought they originate from actual food sources.
• Nonfat milk powder – a common baking ingredient, this consists of a combination of whey solids and nonfat milk solids. It adds a richer flavor and fluffy texture.

The coating

• White confectionary coating – consisting of palm oil, soy lecithin, palm kernels, sugar, vanilla, natural flavors, and whey powder, this makes up the cake pop’s icing.
• Milk chocolate and orange coatings – prevent the coating from melting.

Are Starbucks cake pops kosher?

Since Starbucks does not make the cake pops in-store and relies on outside suppliers, chances are that the suppliers do not specifically make cake pops catering to the needs of specific customer groups – such as kosher-dietary preferences, or people with conditions such as diabetes.

That means you cannot always entrust Starbucks to stock cake pops made specifically for those who prefer a kosher option. You can opt to make the recipe at home if this is the case for you; alternatively, you can check the cake pops to see if they have a trustworthy Kosher mark to know if they are suitable.

Do Starbucks cake pops contain dairy?

Yes, Starbucks cake pops have dairy as part of their ingredients. This is in the form of milk and milk proteins such as whey, ingredients such as butter, and nonfat milk powder as well as milk chocolate coating. The purpose of these is to give the cake pops consistency, so Starbucks cake pops may be unsuitable for vegans.

FAQs

Are Starbucks cake pops made in-store?

No, they are not. Instead, Starbucks enlists the help of outside suppliers who pre-make the treats, then sell them to you in their stores.

What Starbucks cakes are kosher?

The list of available kosher cakes and pastries changes frequently and is unclear in most instances, so you should ask your local barista to show you the kosher cakes available and their original packaging.