Starbucks Is Bringing Back Summer Drinks—Plus Two New Refreshing Items
You can always count on Starbucks for seasonal treats and drinks that are perfect for the weather, from fall's pumpkin spice latte to springtime's shaken espresso, and this summer is no different. The coffee chain announced Tuesday that it is bringing back some summer favorites—like the unicorn cake pop—and launching two new items that are perfect for warm weather and will be available year-round: the Chocolate Cream Cold Brew and the Lime-Frosted Coconut Bar.
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The Chocolate Cream Cold Brew is a rich twist on the retailer's already popular Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew—the chocolate cream is literally vanilla sweet cream with chocolate malt powder. The brewed cold brew is sweetened with vanilla syrup, poured over ice and topped with a generous glug of chocolate cream. Sounds like a pretty tasty way to satisfy a sweet tooth and get in some caffeine.
Starbucks
"The classic combination of coffee and notes of chocolate, along with the malt flavor in the chocolate cream cold foam, are reminiscent of a chocolate malted milkshake or that last bit of melted chocolate ice cream on a warm summer day to recreate the sweet, creamy flavor of summers past," Rosalyn Batingan, a Starbucks beverage developer, said in a media release.
Here's how a tall, 12-ounce chocolate cream cold brew clocks in, nutrition-wise:
190 calories
12 grams total fat
7 grams saturated fat
25 milligrams sodium
20 grams carbohydrate
20 grams sugar
2 grams protein
145 milligrams caffeine
While the drink is definitely within our recommended parameters for calories and sodium, it's a little high in added sugar and saturated fat and, which can be tough on your heart. The American Heart Association recommends eating no more than 36 grams or 25 grams of added sugar daily for men and women, respectively. So the fact that this drink could contain as much as 80% of your recommended daily limit for added sugar is concerning.
To help trim the added sugar content by about 7 grams, you could order your cold brew without vanilla syrup—you'll still get the sweetness that comes with the cream, since the chocolate cream itself has vanilla syrup as an ingredient.
If the saturated fat content is a concern, you might want to scope out a similar, lighter drink—like an Iced Dark Chocolate Mocha—since most of that saturated fat comes from the signature chocolate cream that tops this drink. (Or you could ask for half the amount of chocolate cream!) The American Heart Association recommends getting just 5% to 6% of your calories from saturated fat each day, so if you eat around 2,000 calories each day, you should aim to eat no more than about 13 grams of saturated fat—a tall Chocolate Cream Cold Brew would get you more than halfway there in just a few sips. While it sounds like a tasty cool-down coffee drink for chocolate lovers, it's probably better suited to being an occasional treat than a go-to beverage.
The brightly hued Lime-Frosted Coconut Bar has a chewy coconut and oatmeal cookie base studded with white chocolate chips, a layer of Key lime cream-cheese frosting, a drizzle of white chocolate and a sprinkling of coconut. It sounds like an irresistible treat for those who love blondies and fruity desserts. (Unfortunately, folks with an allergy to eggs, milk, soy, tree nuts or wheat will have to skip this one.)
Here's how the nutrition for one coconut bar comes out:
240 calories
14 grams total fat
8 grams saturated fat
200 milligrams sodium
30 grams carbohydrate
21 grams sugar
1 gram fiber
3 grams protein
This bar is a little more intense than a tall cold brew, especially when it comes to sodium—but the bar is still low-sodium by our standards. It lies within our calorie parameters for a healthy dessert, but—like the new chocolate cold brew—it's high in saturated fat and sugar. That doesn't mean you have to skip this bar entirely—as a once-in-a-while treat, it can definitely work in a healthy eating pattern. If you want to try replicating a similarly citrusy treat at home, you could try our Lemon-Raspberry Blondies.
No matter what you end up ordering at Starbucks this season, you're sure to have plenty of refreshing beverages to choose from, including lots of other returning favorites. Now we just have to pick out a piece from the new summer drinkware collection to enjoy our drinks in!
