Food & Drink
There's more than milk and juice boxes on the Starbucks menu.
You can probably recite your own Starbucks drink order in your sleep. (Iced Latte. Venti. Stat.) But if your kid ever gets jealous of that cup in your hands and wants in on the fun, consider that the coffee chain actually offers a lot of yummy, caffeine-free drinks that your kids can try on their own. With icy options and warm blends (and a Starbucks app to make ordering that much faster), there’s a sweet treat to sip on every season.
Before we start (mentally) tasting some of these frothy confections, it’s good to remember that Starbucks always has some solid basic drinks for kids: They offer apple juice boxes, lemonade, bottled juices, and Steamed Milk on their menus, the latter being an adorable year-round option for toddlers and kiddos that can be made with almond, coconut, 2% or soy milk. And before you go scrolling to find that famed Pink Drink you spotted on Instagram, or those green Kiwi Refreshers here, keep in mind that (save for that seasonal favorite hot chocolate) this particular collection of drinks is caffeine-free. But you’ll still get a rush from their delicious, inventive flavors. Who knows, you and your kid might soon share the same Starbucks drink order.
But everyone’s still going to need their own cake pop.
1
A Chilly Fruit Treat
For when your kid wants something a little more exciting than just regular lemonade (which the brand also offers), order them a glass of this yummy rose-colored beverage. The blended strawberry lemonade from Starbucks starts with lemonade, but it’s whizzed up with ice and strawberry flavorings, like syrup and a “strawberry puree sauce,” as per the brand’s website. Plus, you can request a “fruit add-in,” and incorporate helpings of fruit like blackberries or strawberries. This cold thirst-quencher lands on our list because, unlike other Starbucks Refreshers like their famous Pink Drink, this juice has no caffeine in it (refreshers typically have a relatively small 45 milligrams of caffeine in a 16-ounce cup).
2
A Warm, Familiar Treat
Is there a sweeter (sentimentally speaking) starter beverage at Starbucks for your little one to sip? At the coffee chain, an order of Steamed Apple Juice is exactly what it sounds like: steamed apple juice, which the website specifies is not created from concentrate. There’s no caffeine in it, and a sugar content of 50 grams per 16-ounce cup. It’s a great drink idea to test-drive at home, too. Just imagine heating and then pouring some into your kiddo’s favorite mug and letting them stir it up with a cinnamon stick. It’s the simple stuff memories are made of.
3
A Traditional Treat
Is there a more quintessential cold-weather drink than hot chocolate? It goes hand-in-hand with snow days, snuggly blankets, and sweater weather. And while it may not be an everyday beverage, the sweet Starbucks treat (made with 37 grams of sugars in a 16-ounce size), is arguably worth the occasional splurge. Your kiddos will surely slurp up a mug of this steamed milk, sweetened with shots of mocha sauce, faster than you can say “don’t forget the whipped cream.” Note that in this size, the drink does contain caffeine (25 milligrams, as per the website). A chocolate-syrup topper is an option. Then again, is it, really?
4
An Updated Classic Treat
If the caffeine factor in hot chocolate keeps you from placing an order for a kid, consider this yummy, less expected alternative: Whipped up with shots of white chocolate mocha sauce, which has condensed skim milk and coconut oil, as per the Starbucks website, this 16-ounce cup of steamed milk is sure to be a sweet surprise for kiddos. And yes, you can cap it off with piles of whipped cream. While there are zero milligrams of caffeine, you are looking at 55 grams of sugar in this size, which is higher than the sugar content in the brand’s traditional hot chocolate beverage.
5
An Autumnal Treat
Is your kid ready for more than just apple juice? Consider this warm treat, which takes apple juice to a whole new level. Starbucks’ Caramel Apple Spice beverage starts with steamed apple juice, then mingles in a cinnamon syrup and pours rivers of caramel sauce over a frothy mountain of whipped cream. Obviously, the sweet toppings add to the sugar content (you’re looking at about 70 grams of sugars inside a 16-ounce cup), but there’s no caffeine, as stated on the brand’s website. You can consider whipping up your own version at home with different flavored syrups and saucy toppings. It would make a yummy food craft on a chilly day.
6
A Sweet And Simple Treat
If you skip the whipped cream topping, you’re looking at just two ingredients here: milk and vanilla syrup. But this simple Starbucks treat is hardly boring, with its warm, familiar flavors offering just the right hint of sweetness without overwhelming taste buds. And there’s no caffeine to be had, shared the brand’s website. If you want to get a little more creative and alter the flavor a bit, think about requesting for your little one a blend made with coconut, rather than whole or 2% milk. And a richer take can be created by baristas working with a cream base.
7
A Pumpkin Pie Treat
If your little one has an adventurous palette and loves eating foods with warming fall spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, and all-spice, consider sharing a caffeine-free mug of Pumpkin Spice Crème. The common base is steamed 2% milk (though you can inquire about making it with alternatives like whole milk, cream, almond, coconut, soy, or oat milk, for example), mixed with Pumpkin Spice Sauce, and offers up the tastes of cinnamon, cloves, pumpkin and nutmeg in every sip. Finish off this hot treat with whipped cream for a fun, dessert-like spin. Does it get more autumnal than this on a drink menu?
8
A Cinnamon-y Treat
For children who are just getting their taste buds accustomed to spices, you can consider ordering this cinnamon-centric beverage, which is warmed with steamed milk and a cinnamon dolce syrup. And for an even sweeter spin, you can ask to top it with whipped cream and more sprinkled cinnamon. The flavor profile is more straightforward than other Starbucks “Steamer” drinks (like their Pumpkin Spice Crème), but it is every bit as satisfying for a child who’s looking for a delicious hot treat. While a 16-ounce cup packs 42 grams of sugars, as per the brand’s website, there is zero caffeine.
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