As temperatures rise, we are swapping our hot soy lattes for some caffeine on ice. So thankfully, Starbucks has plenty of vibrant, warm-weather beverages to see us through the hottest months of the year. Here is your essential vegan guide to summer Starbucks sips.
Vegan innovation at Starbucks
Every summer, the coffee giant tries to outdo its last viral hit—and 2025 is no exception. Starbucks has just unveiled its latest seasonal creation: the Iced Horchata Oatmilk Shaken Espresso. This limited-time drink blends cinnamon, vanilla, oat milk, and a hint of nuttiness, all served over ice for a cool, creamy sip.
The new shaken espresso joins Starbucks’ updated summer menu, which also marks the return of fan favorites like the Summer-Berry Refreshers.
Starbucks
Starbucks beverage developer Ricky Gonzalez drew inspiration from his childhood to create the new horchata drink.
“In the central California neighborhood where I grew up, horchata was everywhere—on street corners, in convenience stores, and on the menu at most Mexican restaurants we visited,” he said. “Every Sunday, we would have a family meal at a Mexican restaurant, and horchata was always a treat for my brother and me. It was icy, sweet, and spiced with cinnamon. It’s both comforting and refreshing.”
Whether you’re craving a nostalgic twist like the new horchata, a bold espresso hit, or something light and fruity, here’s your guide to Starbucks’ summer sips.
Vegan summer drinks to order at Starbucks
Starbucks
1 Nitro Cold Brew and Cold Brew
In terms of coffee’s centuries-old history, nitro cold brew is a baby. This smooth drink entered the scene via third-wave coffee culture in the 2010s. At first glance, the thick layer of foam that floats atop this unadorned chilled coffee may look like cream, but it’s not—it’s crema, and there’s a big difference. Crema is the CO2-infused froth that is produced when coffee oils emulsify with water under intense pressure. In Starbucks’ case, it’s also produced when nitrogen is added to cold brew. The result is an unbelievably smooth, ever-so-slightly sweet, ice-cold coffee unadulterated without sugar or cream. Even those who say they can’t drink coffee black may enjoy this beverage—no creamer or Stevia required.
The regular cold brew coffee is also vegan and smooth enough to drink without dairy-free milk.
Barista tip: Steer clear of the cold brews that come with Sweet Cream or Salted Honey Cold Foam. Those actually do contain dairy and other animal products.
2 Iced Coffee
Iced coffee is the quintessential caffeinated summer drink. In contrast to cold brew, which is made from ground coffee steeped for up to 24 hours and lattes, which are espresso with steamed milk, an iced coffee is brewed hot, then chilled. Get it with your non-dairy milk of choice and enjoy!
Barista tip: If you find iced coffee bitter, ask for a shot of syrup—see here for a full list of vegan flavored syrups at Starbucks.
3 Americano on Ice
An Americano is made from espresso diluted with water. Urban legend has it that the Americano was invented during World War II, when American GIs in Italy weren’t used to the taste of straight espresso, so they were served it made with hot water to.
Barista tip: It’s basically iced coffee after the ice melts, but it’s 10 cents cheaper for a tall.
4 Iced Latte
An iced latte is made with cold milk, so it doesn’t have the signature foamy topping of a regular latte. However, if you’re looking for a drink that will catapult you through the afternoon slump and goes down easily, an iced latte will certainly do the trick. As with iced coffee, you can add whatever syrup you like to it—just stay away from the caramel sauce (the syrup is fine, the sauce contains dairy. Confusing, we know). Just swap the cows’ milk for your favorite non-dairy alternative.
Barista tip: Still want the creaminess but with more espresso flavor? Ask for a long shot. This type of shot is pulled with more water and ends up roughly double in volume than a traditional shot. The result is a less milky but still creamy beverage that actually tastes like coffee.
5 Iced Cinnamon Dolce Latte
While we’ve already gone over the latte category, this one deserves special attention as it is not vegan by default (and neither is the Iced Hazelnut Bianco Latte, which cannot be modified vegan at all). This menu item comes with whipped cream and cinnamon dolce topping—both of which contain dairy. Veganize this sweet, cinnamony beverage by asking for non-dairy milk, no whip, and substitute a sprinkle of nutmeg instead of the Cinnamon Dolce Topping.
Barista tip: Ask for light ice, so you get more of the good stuff and prevent a sad, watered-down beverage.
Starbucks
6 Iced Shaken Espresso
When mixology combines with coffee, you get a shaken espresso. Launched in March 2021, this vegan-as-is espresso beverage is made with Starbucks’ Blonde espresso that’s mixed with ice in a plastic cocktail shaker.
Barista tip: If the taste of espresso is too strong for your palate, order it with non-dairy milk or pick one of the sweeter varieties listed right below.
7 Iced Horchata Oatmilk Shaken Espresso
As mentioned earlier, this is a tasty twist on a classic Mexican horchata. It’s perfect for anyone who likes a hint of nuttiness in their coffee, as well as cinnamon, vanilla, and creamy oat milk.
Barista tip: If you want to taste the espresso, ask for a long shot.
8 Iced Brown Sugar Oatmilk Shaken Espresso
This creamy beverage combines iced Blonde espresso, oat milk, brown sugar syrup, and a cinnamon topping. It’s sweet, a little spicy, and refreshing enough to combat sweltering days.
Barista tip: Hack your way to this beverage even when oat milk is out of stock. Ask for a Shaken Iced Espresso with two pumps of Brown Sugar syrup and almond milk (the soy will be overly sweet).
9 Iced Hazelnut Oatmilk Shaken Espresso
If you love your coffee with a nutty twist, this one’s for you. The Iced Hazelnut Oatmilk Shaken Espresso combines smooth Starbucks Blonde Espresso with roasted hazelnut flavor, then shakes it all up with ice and tops it off with creamy oatmilk.
Barista tip: Order it with less hazelnut syrup if you prefer a stronger espresso flavor.
10 Iced Flat White
A flat white is a drink that hails from 1980s Australia that’s made from espresso and steamed milk. So, what makes it different from cappuccinos and lattes? It’s all about the milk. A cappuccino is smaller than a latte and contains equal parts espresso, steamed, and frothed milk. A latte is about two-thirds steamed milk with a thin layer of foam on top. Flat whites, meanwhile, have a stronger coffee flavor, a velvety texture, and very little foam. However, when it comes to iced options that don’t involve steaming, the difference is less noticeable. Order an iced flat white for a slightly less milky version of a latte.
Barista tip: You’re looking at a 60-cent upcharge if you opt for an iced flat white over an iced latte. You’ve been warned.
11 Iced Mocha
It’s caffeinated chocolate milk—what’s not to love? Swap in your favorite non-dairy milk and ask for no whip.
Barista tip: Ask for one less pump of mocha sauce and add one pump of hazelnut, peppermint, or raspberry syrup (for a tall) to experience a tasty twist.
Starbucks
12 Pink, Dragon, Summer Skies, and Midnight Drinks
After the unprecedented popularity of the Pink Drink, Starbucks leaned into this color scheme. The classic Pink Drink is a creamy energy beverage made with a base of the Strawberry Refresher, a splash of coconut milk, and freeze-dried strawberries shaken with ice. The Dragon drink is an equally vibrant caffeinated beverage made with a Mango Dragonfruit Refresher base (mango and dragon fruit-flavored liquid spiked with green coffee), coconut milk, and freeze-dried dragon fruit pieces shaken over ice. The Midnight Drink and Summer Skies follow the same format as the Pink and Dragon Drinks. Midnight contains sweet blackberries with notes of sage, while Summer Skies is a blend of raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, and raspberry-flavored pearls.
Barista tip: The Dragon Drink does not actually contain mango—the base is mostly white grape juice concentrate with natural (but vegan-friendly) flavors.
13 Refreshers
These fruity drinks don’t contain coffee, but they’ll definitely keep you alert. Each beverage contains caffeine, as well as a flavored Refresher base shaken with ice and freeze-dried fruit. Choose from flavors like Summer-Berry, Mango Dragonfruit, Blackberry Sage, and Strawberry Açaí.
Barista tip: You can pair any Refresher with lemonade for a subtle hint of sweet summertime pucker.
14 Iced Tea and Iced Tea Lattes
Starbucks can put any tea on ice, but it also has a full menu of teas specifically designed to keep you cool. Choose from black, white, herbal, or green varieties (including matcha). Any tea can be transformed into a tea latte by asking for non-dairy milk, though the menu currently features Matcha, Lavender Cream Oatmilk Matcha, and London Fog. Sadly, the Chai Tea and Cherry Chai lattes are not vegan because they contain honey.
Barista tip: You can ask for any iced tea with lemonade for a custom Arnold Palmer. Particularly perfect lemonade pairings include Matcha, Passion Tango, Black, and Peach.
15 Frappuccinos
No summer is complete without these chilly, milkshake-like coffee drinks. Just remember to ask for non-dairy milk and no whip! It’s split into two categories: Coffee and Crème (the latter is caffeine-free). Vegan-friendly Coffee options include Mocha Cookie Crumble (without the Frappuccino Chips), Coffee, and Mocha. Crème options include Strawberry, Vanilla Bean, and Matcha.
Barista tip: For a less sweet indulgence, ask for one less pump of syrup. For off-menu, vegan-friendly options, check out this article (mmm, Caramel Banana Vanilla Bean!).
16 Anything on ice
Don’t see your favorite hot beverage in an iced form? Just ask. The Starbucks baristas have the power to ice anything. Always remember to substitute non-dairy milk for the standard two percent cows’ milk, hold the whipped cream, and stay away from the Java Chips, Frappuccino Chips, Cinnamon Dolce Topping, White Chocolate Mocha Sauce, and Caramel Sauce. Follow these rules, and you’re virtually in the clear. Here’s to a cool summer.
In addition to an extensive vegan-friendly cafe menu, the world’s biggest coffeehouse chain also has several grab-and-go drink options that are free from dairy and honey, including sparkling water, flavored sparkling water, Olipop soda, juice, and iced energy drinks.
For more vegan Starbucks, read:
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Tanya Flink is a Digital Editor at VegNews as well as a writer and runner living in Orange County, CA.
