11 Best Starbucks Iced Coffee & 3 Tasty Alternatives

Diana Barkley (Senior Editor)

Not all Starbucks iced beverages are created equal. In this article, we’ll walk you through the very best Starbucks iced coffees to choose from. You could move on to the other 90,000 Starbucks drinks after you’ve tried these. But you probably won’t want to.

Starbucks first introduced their much-loved frappuccinos in 1995. The original flavors of coffee and mocha had very little to do with what we know today – they were made with iced Italian roast coffee and no whipped cream or toppings.

Today Starbucks boasts more than 87,000 possible drink combinations, at least half of which would be iced.

Best and Most Popular Iced Coffee at Starbucks

Best and Most Popular Iced Coffee at Starbucks

As you already know, Starbucks offer a huge range of delicious iced coffees.

Below are five of the very best. These range from more ‘traditional’ Starbucks flavors to newer creations that are quickly gaining in popularity. Try them all and use our hacks below to make them your own.

Caramel Frappuccino

Caramel Frappuccino

At 380 calories per grande caramel frappuccino, this is more of a dessert than simply a drink. It’s well worth it, however, for one of Starbucks’ most-loved iced coffees.

Whole milk is mixed with frappuccino roast syrup, caramel syrup, and ice. This is then blended to the consistency of a slushie, and topped with whipped cream and caramel drizzle.

You’ll also find caramel drizzle inside the cup, providing hits of satisfying sweetness as you enjoy your drink.

Iced Brown Sugar Oatmilk Shaken Espresso

Iced Brown Sugar Oatmilk Shaken Espresso

Shaken not stirred, anyone? Starbucks’ iced brown sugar oat milk shaken espresso only contains 120 calories in the grande size.

It’s made with three shots of blonde espresso roast coffee, oatmilk, and a generous helping of brown sugar syrup. It’s then topped with cinnamon powder.

Fans have described it as tasting warm and cozy, yet still being a cold drink. It’s a delicious, reasonably low-cal, dairy-free treat. Expect a fairly big hit of caffeine, however.

Salted Caramel Cream Cold Brew

Salted Caramel Cream Cold Brew

Starbucks signature salted caramel cream cold brew is a scrumptious sweet treat. It’s made with cold brew, which is sweeter than regularly-brewed coffee.

This is mixed with vanilla syrup and ice, and topped with creamy salted caramel cream cold foam. A grande will set you back around 240 calories, but we think it’s worth it.

Oleato Golden Foam Cold Brew

Oleato Golden Foam Cold Brew

Starbucks’ new-ish trademarked Oleato is coffee infused with extra virgin olive oil. This makes both the coffee and cream much creamier and smoother, while adding a delicious citrusy flavor notes.

The Oleato golden foam cold brew is made with vanilla syrup and ice, which makes it lovely and sweet. A grande has around 380 calories, however, as much as a caramel frap.

Iced Caramel Macchiato

Iced Caramel Macchiato

The Starbucks iced caramel macchiato is a somewhat iconic signature cold drink. It’s simple, containing just two shots of signature espresso roast coffee, ice, milk, vanilla syrup, and a topping of delicious caramel drizzle.

It’s oh-so satisfying however, and perfect for sunglasses-wearing days in the sunshine and heat. At 250 calories for a grande, it’s also not the most calorific drink you can get, making it the perfect treat.

Low Calorie Iced Coffee at Starbucks

Low Calorie Iced Coffee at Starbucks

If you’re craving a delicious iced coffee from Starbucks, but are also watching your diet, fear not: there are plenty of great options that aren’t loaded with fats and sugars. Starbucks offer a huge range of low cal iced drinks, but the three below are the best.

Nitro Cold Brew

Nitro Cold Brew

According to Starbucks, their cold brew is slowly infused over the course of 20 hours. It’s then poured from a tap which infuses it with nitrogen — the same way one might pour a beer.

This causes tiny microbubbles in your coffee, giving it the texture of Guinness, minus the alcohol. Best of all, a grande only has about 81 calories despite being super creamy.

This isn’t a sweet or dairy-based drink, but it’ll really hit the spot if you love coffee.

Iced Caffè Americano

Iced Caffè Americano

This is a very simple iced coffee, with the benefit of allowing you to choose your favorite roast. It’s, generally, made with three shots of Starbucks’ signature espresso roast, water, and ice.

You can ask for a different roast to change up the flavors of this simple iced drink. Remember that lighter roasts will taste a little sweeter, and darker ones more bitter and smoky. A grande iced caffè Americano only has 15 calories, so enjoy it.

Cold Brew Coffee with Soy Milk

Cold Brew Coffee with Soy Milk

A grande cold brew coffee with regular 2 percent milk only contains about 35 calories. Ask for it with soy milk, and it will be even less, while also offering a lighter, more refreshing flavor.

Cold brew tends to be sweeter than regular coffee, due to the way it’s steeped in cool water for around 20 hours. It doesn’t have any of the bitter or slightly burnt flavors regularly brewed coffee has, so you’ll need less sugar, too.

Best Iced Coffee from the Secret Menu of Starbucks

Best Iced Coffee from the Secret Menu of Starbucks

Starbucks ‘secret’ menu is arguably one of the worst-kept secrets out there. There are lots of fan-made creations outlined on the internet.

Ask your barista for the exact ingredients (rather than giving them the name of your drink — there are just too many choices out there.)

Enjoy some of the most intriguing and delicious Starbucks iced coffee drinks.

Butterbeer Cold Brew

Butterbeer Cold Brew

To make this Harry Potter-inspired treat, you’ll want to order a venti-sized vanilla sweet cream cold brew. Ask your barista to add three pumps of cinnamon dolce syrup, three pumps of toffee nut syrup, and four of caramel.

Ask for a topping of vanilla sweet cream cold foam with caramel drizzle and cinnamon dolce syrup on top. Enjoy this delicious sweet treat alongside your favorite wizardy book.

Honey Bee Cold Brew

Honey Bee Cold Brew

Another cold brew drink, because they’re just so good. Here you’ll want to ask for a venti honey almond milk cold brew.

Specify that you’d like the barista to go light on the ice and add two pumps of vanilla syrup and vanilla sweet cream cold foam.

Ask them to top your drink with honey and Starbucks’ own toasted honey topping. This is a sweet drink, so you may want to enjoy it by itself rather than alongside a cake or brownie. Or have both.

Baby Yoda Cold Brew

Baby Yoda Cold Brew

There was a time when you could buy just about anything with baby yoda on it — including this popular Starbucks ‘secret menu’ iced coffee.

To get a baby yoda cold brew, just ask for a regular venti-sized cold brew with four pumps of white mocha syrup.

Ask for a sweet cream foam topping mixed with a scoop of matcha. The result will be a brown iced coffee with a green foamy top — just like baby yoda.

Simple Hacks and Tips for Your Starbucks Iced Coffee

Simple Hacks and Tips for Your Starbucks Iced Coffee

Did you know that you can make your Starbucks iced coffee totally bespoke? It’s the key reason why there is such a large ‘secret menu’ and so many potential drink combinations.

All you have to do is know what to ask for, then politely point your barista in the direction of the best iced coffee ever.

Ask for Your Favorite Plant-Based Milk

Ask for Your Favorite Plant-Based Milk

Starbucks offer a range of different non-dairy milks, including almond, oat, soy, coconut, and their own original nut blend.

Whether you’re vegan or just fancy a plant-based alternative for a little change, you can always ask for one of these.

The original nut blend is particularly clever, as it’s made using light rice milk, hazelnuts, and cashews. Cashews add a lovely creaminess to dairy free milks, making this a close alternative to regular milk.

Choose Decaf Coffee or a Different Roast

Choose Decaf Coffee or a Different Roast

The standard coffee used for most drinks at Starbucks is their Pike Place medium roast. With that said, they also offer a variety of other options.

The list will be available in your local Starbucks on a daily basis. Read it ahead of time and tell your server which type of roast you would like in your iced coffee instead.

Bear in mind that darker roasts will be more intensely flavored with hints of smokiness. Lighter roasts, by contrast, are sweeter and less bitter, and can also have a citrusy flavor.

Ask for Extra Syrup and Toppings

Ask for Extra Syrup and Toppings

Did you know that you can ask for extra anything at Starbucks? This includes any toppings, milk, syrup, whipped cream, and more.

You may also add additional toppings and sweet powders at the self-serve table. Some websites will also tell you that you can ask for less ice to maximize the size of your drink.

We recommend that you proceed with caution on this tip, as it’s one many baristas don’t approve of. There’s a reason so many different size options are available to you.

Best Alternatives to Starbucks Iced Coffee

Best Alternatives to Starbucks Iced Coffee

Starbucks iced coffees are delicious, but sometimes you might just want to try something a little different. Whether you still want a Starbucks and just not an iced coffee, or you’d like to try iced caffeinated beverages elsewhere, this list has you covered.

There are some great alternatives out there with similar drinks as well as unique ones that are worth a try.

Starbucks Iced Teas and Juices

Starbucks Iced Teas and Juices

If you love Starbucks but just don’t want an iced coffee, there is a huge array of choices waiting for you all the same. Starbucks offer iced teas in a variety of flavors (including blends with lemonade or juice.)

These all contain a bit of caffeine, though not as much as the iced coffees. Starbucks also have a selection of decaf juice ‘refreshers’, which are great if you want something sweet minus the caffeine.

These come in exciting names such as ‘dragon drink’ and ‘paradise drink.’

Dunkin’ Donuts Iced Coffee

Dunkin’ Donuts Iced Coffee

If you love iced coffee and Starbucks’ signature frappuccinos, Dunkin’ Donuts is a good alternative. They offer a lot of similar drinks. This even includes a pumpkin spice iced latte.

Their frozen Dunkin’ coffee, iced macchiato, and frappes are also very good. And if you don’t fancy a coffee, Dunkin’ Donuts’ shaken iced tea and coolattas are also tasty.

The latter is described as a fun and refreshing drink — perfect for hot summer days.

Kung Fu Tea Iced Beverages

Kung Fu Tea Iced Beverages

Kung Fu Tea are a great alternative to Starbucks if you want an iced drink that’s also a little bit unusual. They do have iced espresso for when you’re craving a tasty coffee-based drink.

Where they really shine, however, is the classic and boba milk tea iced drinks.

The latter, also known as bubble tea, is so popular that Kung Fu Tea actually founded a National Bubble Tea day in 2018. This falls on April 30th each year.

Simple Recipe for Homemade Iced Coffee Like Starbucks

Simple Recipe for Homemade Iced Coffee Like Starbucks

Let’s face it, Starbucks isn’t the cheapest iced coffee you can get. For a more budget-friendly version, you can try making your favorite frappuccino at home instead.

Best of all, you can adjust this to suit your diet and even make it vegan by replacing the milk, whipped cream, and caramel sauce with your favorite vegan alternatives.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of chilled coffee (you can also make your own cold brew in advance)
• 1 cup of whole milk
• 2 tbsps of caramel syrup
• 1-2 cups of ice
• 2 tbsps of whipped cream
• 1-2 tbsps of caramel sauce

And here’s how you do it:

1. Add the coffee, milk, caramel syrup, and ice to a blender and blend until smooth and slushy-textured.
2. Drizzle the caramel sauce inside a tall glass.
3. Pour your blended frap-style drink into the glass.
4. Top your homemade frappuccino with the whipped cream and some extra caramel sauce, and enjoy.

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