Coconut Milk, Soy Milk, Almond Milk? All of Starbucks's Non-Dairy Options
Photo courtesy of Starbucks
On Wednesday—after months of testing the waters—Starbucks confirmed that it will begin offering coconut milk on February 17. It made us wonder: What’s the state of Starbucks’s non-dairy options?
About that coconut milk: Starbucks Single Origin Sumatra Coconut Milk, which is certified as vegan and hails from the tropical Indonesian island of Sumatra. In a press release, the company said it chose to add coconut milk because of the 84,000 people who voted for the idea at My Starbucks Idea, its crowdsourcing platform.
Would you like your latte made with coconut milk? Photo: Kai Schwabe/StockFood
Perhaps, too, we can thank the growing popularity of products such as coconut oil, coconut water, and coconut flour. And with Starbucks jumping on the coconut bandwagon, it’s safe to say that the trend has officially gone mainstream.
However, fans of the creamy stuff can expect to pay an extra charge of 60 cents. That’s the same price of Starbucks’s only other non-dairy option, soy milk. For a time, soy milk was free for card-carrying Gold-level members—those who make at least 30 purchases a year—until Starbucks revoked the perk and disgruntled Gold members pitched a fit.
The difference in price between a regular and soy milk latte is 60 cents. Photo: Donna Yen
So—coconut craze aside—why add coconut milk to the menu but ignore almond milk? The latter presents “allergen challenges,” according to the aforementioned press release. Such obstacles didn’t deter Dunkin’ Donuts, however; the Starbucks competitor began offering almond milk at most of its stores nationwide late last year.
While that may be a bummer for almond milk aficionados, coconut milk is a coup for dairy-free Starbucks fans. Now, who’s up for a coconut milk Frappuccino?
Starbucks obsessed? You’ll want to read these stories:
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What do you think about the addition of coconut milk to Starbucks’s menu? Tell us below!
