Starbucks Very Berry-licious Smoothie (Ingredients, Taste, Variations, Sizes, Caffeine, Calories)

Starbucks is well-known for being a coffee enthusiast’s haven. But did you know that Starbucks also serves smoothies, including the Starbucks Very Berry-licious Smoothie, which you may order as a brunch beverage?

Nutrition experts suggest we take liquid food for better digestion and nutrient absorption. In this regard, the Very Berry licious smoothie is one you that you just can’t ignore. It’s sweet-smell draw you in, its delicious taste make it easy to take it all in a short time. The drink is also teeming with vitamins. Smoothies make excellent brunch or slow afternoon beverages. In this post, I’ll be sharing an at-home recipe for this smoothie, but before I get to that, let’s first cover some interesting facts about this beverage.

Brief History Of The Drink

I found mentions of the Very Berry-licious smoothie from as far back as 2009, making it one of the good old-time smoothies. As the name suggests, the smoothie is heavy on berries. Did you know, in botanical terms, the banana is actually a berry? According to botanists, a berry develops from a flower with one ovary and has soft skin, a fleshy middle, and small seeds- sounds like a banana? By the same definition, strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries are not genuine berries but are classified as aggregate fruits. Thankfully blueberries are also true berries, so we as safely say this smoothie is very berry -Licious, both in English and botanical terms.

Is Starbucks Very Berry-licious Smoothie still available at Starbucks?

Yes, the Very Berry-licious smoothie is still available at Starbucks. As a secret menu item, you need to let the barista know exactly what you need and in what quantities to make your drink.

Starbucks Very Berry-licious Smoothie (Ingredients, Taste, Variations, Sizes, Caffeine, Calories, Dairy Content)

Starbucks Very Berry-licious Smoothie Variations

What’s In A Starbucks Very Berry-licious Smoothie- (Ingredients)

According to starbucksrecipes.com, the Starbucks Very Berry-licious smoothie consists of milk, strawberry juice, berries, slices of orange, a banana, and whipped cream.

Milk: Starbucks uses 2% milk for most drinks, but you can ask for any dairy or plant-based milk. Starbucks carries non-fat, whole milk, breve, and heavy cream dairy options. Non-dairy milk includes soymilk, oatmilk, coconut milk, and Almond milk. For the at-home smoothie, the 2% milk or an alternative from your local store will do.

Strawberry puree juice: Sweetened strawberries and white grape juice concentrate are blended into a smooth sauce to make the strawberry puree. The puree is used to make the juice. You can make your own strawberry juice at home, 2 cups of ripe strawberries and ¼ lemon fruit blended with 1 cup of water will yield enough juice for the smoothie. The juice can stay fresh for a couple of days in the fridge. Remember to spare a few strawberries for when you’ll be making the smoothie. You can also opt to buy ready-made strawberry juice from the store. I like the Pomona brand organic strawberry juice; you can try it since it’s available on Amazon.

Berries: Starbucks uses strawberries and blueberries for this smoothie. They come freeze-dried and are referred to as inclusions. I suggest you use fresh berry from your local grocery stores. Smoothie made of fresh fruits tastes much better.

Orange slices: Starbucks does have fresh real oranges that you can also buy at the coffee shop. 5 slices are used for this drink. Oranges are available in most grocery stores all year round. You need just one for this smoothie.

Banana: Starbucks also carries sweet, ripe bananas, for sale and use in different beverages. For your at-home recipe, source bananas from your local grocery shop. Choose ripe yellow bananas. One banana is all you need.

Whipped cream: Starbucks whipped cream is made in-house from heavy cream and vanilla syrup. Different brands of whipped cream are available in stores. I am not big on whipped cream, but when I do use it, I prefer the ones that you just shake can and squirt, such as Natural by Nature Whipped cream classic is available here.

Starbucks Very Berry-licious Smoothie: Sizes, nutrition, Caffeine & Calories

What Sizes Are Available

Standard Starbucks smoothies are served in 16 fl oz grande cups. Since this is a secret menu item, you can have it made the way you want it- in a grande 16 fl oz grande or a 24 fl oz venti. I prefer a grande, as it is not too big to remain sitting on the desk the whole day, nor too small leaving me staring miserably at an empty cup yearning for more.

Nutritional Facts

Starbucks Very Berry-licious Smoothie  Taste

Starbucks’ regular menu smoothie items are generally healthy. The company seems to have made a deliberate effort to add as few processed ingredients as possible to the smoothies. Unfortunately, smoothies sometimes disappear from the regular menu due to various reasons including scarcity of products and Starbucks discontinuations. Fortunately, the beauty of Starbucks is that the company allows creativity, giving room to beverages such as the Very Berry-licious smoothie to exist.

This smoothie is relatively healthy, with 340 calories in a grande serving. If you were to remove the whipped cream, the calorie count will go down by 110 calories, which is not a bad outlook. Arguably though, the cream makes the drink, so the safe way to go is moderation.

It has 11 grams of fat, which make 17% of the daily recommended amount of about 67 grams a day. It has a high level of carbs too, most of it from milk, banana, and orange slices. Carbs in this drink amount to 46 % recommended amount for a 2,000 calories daily intake diet. Carbs break down to sugar and can lead to unhealthy blood sugar levels especially if you lead a sedentary lifestyle.

However, this is not to say that the smoothie is not good. For one, high carbs improve your ability to carry out physical tasks, an advantage if you lead an active life. The Very Berry-licious smoothie also contains a favorable amount of proteins, contributing to 27 % of your daily requirement. It will give you over 30% of the calcium and iron needs, in a simple 16 fl oz grande. Where this beverage outdoes itself is its Vitamin C content- which is so much you don’t need to worry about it for the rest of the day. The smoothie is quite filling and an excellent breakfast or brunch beverage.

All said and done; the Very Berry-licious smoothie is not your daily cup of coffee- it is a good occasional drink, an excellent one even, if you are athletically inclined. It is most definitely not suited for people on a keto diet. You can make it more suited for a low-calorie diet if you leave out the whipped cream and/or change the milk.

In the table below, I’ve summarized all the facts discussed above:

Calorie count (out of 2,000 calories daily intake) 340
Nutrient Content (per Grande serving) % of Daily Value
Total Fat (11g)

Trans Fat (0.1g)

Saturated Fat (2g)

17%

5%

10%

Total carbohydrates (42g)

Sugar (24g)

Dietary Fiber(15g)

46%

48%

32%

Proteins (25g) 27%
Minerals

Sodium (115mg)

Calcium

Iron

5%

35%

30%

Vitamins

Vitamin A

Vitamin C

2%

200%

Caffeine Information

The smoothie is completely free of caffeine.

Dairy Content

Starbucks Very Berry-licious Smoothie Ingredients

The original Very Berry-licious smoothie uses 8 fl oz of 2 % Milk. The milk contributes 122 calories, 4,6 grams of fat, 12 grams of carbs, 12 grams of sugar, 8 grams of proteins,307 mg of calcium, and 95 mg of sodium. Starbucks source its dairy products from local dairies where the coffee shop is located.

You can order with other dairy milk such as whole milk or skim milk in the place of 2% milk. Soy and coconut milk are popular non-dairy alternatives.

  • So, What Does Starbucks Very Berry-licious Smoothie Taste Like?

The drink is deliciously fruity with a tartiness thanks to the strawberry juice and orange. The milky creaminess of milk and whipped cream give it body, and you can also taste the banana in the mix.

  • Ways to Customize a Starbucks Very Berry-licious smoothie at Starbucks – Starbucks Very Berry-licious Smoothie Variations

At Starbucks you can always alter your drink and experiment with standard menu items, or creations by other fans to come up with your own variation. This is no exception for the Very Berry-licious smoothie. For instance, you can ask your barista to use the Berry-Hibiscus Refresher instead of Milk. The result is a fruity-based smoothie, that is a bit more fluid. With this variation, you get a blackberry as a bonus fruit, since the refresher comes with one as standard. Another variation involves using soymilk instead of dairy. The taste changes a little, and the sharpness of the strawberries becomes more distinct.

Starbucks Very Berry-licious Smoothie

How to make Starbucks Very Berry-licious Smoothie at home - Starbucks Very Berry-licious Smoothie Copycat Recipe

Kai Jordan

Equipment

  • Blender

Ingredients
  

  • 4 Strawberries
  • 2 Bananas
  • ½ cup Blueberries
  • ½ cup Blackberries
  • ½ cup Vanilla Greek Yoghourt
  • ½ cup Milk

Instructions
 

  • Clean all fruits.
  • Take off the strawberries' stems and leaves, and peel off the bananas.
  • Place all the ingredients in the blender and blend till smooth.
  • Serve in chilled glasses.
  • Put away in the fridge any smoothie that is not being consumed immediately.

Notes

  • I sourced all the ingredients for this recipe from the local grocery and dairy shop.
  • I prefer using frozen fruits in my smoothies to get a thicker consistency.
  • You can use soy, oat milk, or any other milk you prefer.
  • I prefer taking freshly made smoothies. However, it can keep fresh till the next day in the fridge.

Informative Section

1. How to order a Starbucks Very Berry-licious Smoothie

To order a grande, ask the barista to fill the cup with milk to the first line, then a splash of strawberry juice, followed by 3 scoops of berries,5 slices of orange, and a whole banana. Top with whipped cream.

2. Is Starbucks Very Berry-licious Smoothie good?

Yes, the Starbucks Very Berry-licious Smoothie is nutritious and good because it has real fruit abundant in Vitamin C.

3. How much is Starbucks Very Berry-licious Smoothie

$5.95 for a grande cup size of the Starbucks Very Berry-licious smoothie.

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