3 Low Sugar Starbucks Drinks
Even though I love to brew my coffee at home, sometimes I need that caffeine jolt while I am out and about. While I do love to support my local, independent coffee shops - sometimes Starbucks is the closest and easiest place to grab a coffee. One of the things I definitely don't love about a lot of their drinks though is the insane amounts of sugar they can secretly contain! Even just ordering a black venti iced coffee can have you at 20 grams of sugar- because it comes with 4 pumps of 'classic sweetener'! To put that in context, the American Heart Association recommends that women consume less than 25 grams of sugar per day - soo 20 grams in one coffee is not ideal.
I usually get around this sugar issue by just ordering my coffee unsweetened, but if I am being honest, Starbuck's iced coffee is usually bitter and needs something to cut it. I usually ask for a splash of non-dairy milk to deal with some of the bitterness, but I wanted to branch out and try some of their flavours too! I know Starbucks does carry sugar free syrups, but I can't get over the chemically taste they leave behind.
So, my mission this last month has been to find three low sugar iced coffees that have a little personality! Here are my current three favourites:
1. Caramel Iced Coffee (5 grams of sugar)
This drink is my current go to! It has a hint of caramel flavour, and the little splash of almond milk I ask for really takes the bitterness away. I don't have a big sweet tooth, so the one pump of caramel is plenty for me. I always get the caramel syrup and not the caramel sauce because I find the sauce sinks to the bottom (along with the flavour!). This drink has that nice flavour depth you expect with caramel without making your teeth hurt from the sweetness!
How to order:
- Grande Unsweetened Iced Coffee
- Splash of non-dairy milk (I like almond)
- 1 pump of caramel syrup (not sauce!)
- Optional: 1 pump sugar free vanilla
2. Mocha Iced Coffee (5 grams of sugar)
Sometimes, I just need some chocolate! When chocolate is calling my name, I love an iced mocha. However, I don't love the huge amounts of sugar that come along with it. So, here is my absolute favourite mocha from Starbucks that still tastes like coffee but has a nice strong chocolate note too. After all, coffee is my secret ingredient for making chocolate cake taste that much more chocolatey!
How to order:
- Grande Unsweetened Iced Coffee
- Splash of non-dairy milk (I like almond)
- 1 pump of mocha sauce
- Optional: 1 pump sugar free vanilla
*Since this one is a sauce, make sure you occasionally swirl your coffee around to re-mix the sauce into the coffee!
3. Caramel Brulée Iced Coffee (5 grams of sugar)
Okay, listen, I know I already told you to get a caramel drink - but I promise this one is different! Brulée means burnt, which might sound gross, but caramel brulée has such a nice deeper-than-normal caramel flavour! This one took me a few trails (I know, tough challenge haha) but I finally settled on a recipe that keeps the sugar level low and also has that deeper, almost smoky flavour. I tried it with both coconut and soy milks, but settled on almond being the best in my opinion.
How to order:
- Grande Unsweetened Iced Coffee
- Splash of non-dairy milk
- 1 pump of caramel brulée sauce
- Optional: 1 pump sugar free vanilla
*Since this one is a sauce, make sure you occasionally swirl your coffee around to re-mix the sauce into the coffee!
Okay, so there you have it - my three favourite low sugar iced coffees from Starbucks! I would love to hear what y'all usually order and if you try any of these drinks! I am always looking for new drinks to try, so make sure to share them!