Is Starbucks Coconut Milk Unsweetened (Healthy? Here Is Why)

Do you know if Starbucks coconut milk is unsweetened? this is one of the questions our readers ask a lot. Well, we´ve got you covered.

There are an increasing number of options on the Starbucks menu for anyone looking to avoid dairy and lactose, but how do they stack up when it comes to sugar content?

Is Starbucks coconut milk unsweetened? No Starbucks coconut milk is not unsweetened. There are sweeteners in Starbucks coconut milk, including cane sugar, along with a surprisingly long list of other ingredients. Despite this, coconut milk is among the least sugary milk options that they serve.

This article will tell you everything you need to know about coconut milk at Starbucks, so you can decide whether it’s the alternative for you.

Table of Contents

Are There Sweeteners in Starbucks Coconut Milk?

If you’re looking to avoid anything sweet or sugary, the coconut milk at Starbucks probably isn’t going to be right for you.

The coconut milk drink at Starbucks is sweetened, and it contains cane sugar. Many of the other ingredients in their coconut milk are sugary as well. It contains xanthan gum, which derives from simple sugars, and corn dextrin, which is the same as table sugar on the glycaemic index (particularly important for people who are worried about their blood sugar levels).

With that being said, it is still among the least sugary milk options that Starbucks has.

Is Starbucks Coconut Milk Healthy?

You might be looking at milk alternatives not just to avoid sugar, but to reduce the amount of fats and calories that you are consuming when you get your coffee fix.

As it contains a lot of water, the coconut milk at Starbucks is relatively low-fat, despite having quite a bit of sugar in it.

There are around 180 calories in a single serving of Starbucks coconut milk. Compared to whole milk, (320 calories per serving), or even soy milk (270 calories per serving), it is certainly less calory-heavy. Their coconut milk actually contains the same number of calories as their fat-free milk.

What Ingredients Are in Starbucks Coconut Milk?

Some customers were pretty surprised when they first saw the list of ingredients that goes into their coconut milk. The least complicated coconut milk that you can buy in the shops will contain two main ingredients: coconut milk (or coconut cream) and water. You may also find added vitamins and minerals, and maybe a thickener too.

The ingredients of the coconut milk at Starbucks, however, are:

Water
Coconut cream
Cane sugar
Tricalcium phosphate
Coconut water concentrate
Natural flavours
Sea salt
Carrageenan
Gellan gum
Corn dextrin
Xanthan gum
Guar gum
Vitamin A palmitate
Vitamin d2

The addition of a thickening agent to keep their milk consistent isn’t unexpected. What is a bit of a surprise, though, is the large amount of cane sugar, and the inclusion of multiple gums and other interesting additions, like carrageenan.

What Coconut Milk Drinks Does Starbucks Offer?

If you want to have a coconut milk drink at Starbucks, there are a lot of options to choose from. You might be surprised by how many of their beverages use coconut milk as a core ingredient.

At Starbucks, the coconut milk drinks include:

Coconut Milk Latte: Traditional latte using coconut milk – 17g of sugar
Coconut Milk Mocha Macchiato: Flavours of chocolate and caramel, with coconut milk – 28g of sugar
Pink Drink: Flavours of strawberry acai and coconut milk – 24g of sugar
Dragon Drink: Flavours of Mango and coconut milk – 23g of sugar
Star Drink: Flavours of kiwi, tropical fruits, and coconut milk – 22g of sugar
Iced Golden Ginger Coconut Milk Drink: Flavours of ginger, turmeric, pineapple, and coconut milk – 19g of sugar
Iced Guava Passionfruit Coconut Milk Drink: Flavours of guava, passionfruit, and coconut milk – 33g of sugar
Iced Vanilla Bean Coconut Milk Latte: Flavours of vanilla and coconut milk – 21g of sugar

How Does Starbucks Coconut Milk Compare to Their Alternatives?

It’s well known that the drinks at Starbucks are very sweet. If you’re getting a milky drink, pretty much anything you choose is going to contain sugar. There are significant quantities in all of their different milk options.

In the different types of milk at Starbucks, you get:

Soy milk: 27g of sugar per serving
Fat-free milk: 26g of sugar per serving
Whole milk: 25g of sugar per serving
2% milk: 25g of sugar per serving
Coconut milk: 17g of sugar per serving
Almond milk: 7g of sugar per serving
Oat milk: 7g of sugar per serving

That’s not including any of the other sugars, flavourings, syrups, and sweeteners that you might add to your drink. Their coconut milk is lower down the list than some, but it is far from unsweetened.

What is the Least Sugary Milk Alternative at Starbucks?

If you’re looking for unsweetened milk alternatives at Starbucks, you’re a bit out of luck. The least sugary milk options that Starbucks sells are their almond and oat milk, which still contain around 7 grams of sugar per serving.

Conclusion

What you need to know is that the coconut milk at Starbucks contains cane sugar, as well as other ingredients that are high on the glycaemic index. It may be lower in calories and sugars than some of their other options, but it is certainly not unsweetened.

There are many delicious items that contain coconut milk on the menu at Starbucks, but there are none that are totally sugar-free.

If you want a less sugary milk alternative, you are better off choosing their almond or oat milk instead.

References

https://www.mashed.com/220125/the-truth-about-starbucks-coconut-milk/