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The Ultimate Starbucks Gluten-Free Menu Guide For 2025 (UK)

Best known for tasty lattes and frappuccinos, and their classic filter coffees to porridge pots, let’s see what the Starbucks gluten-free menu could offer you.

Cafés and coffee shops are awfully tricky for anyone who’s sensitive to allergens like gluten, as spotting the hidden gluten pitfalls and dodging cross-contamination can be very tough! ☕🥯

Whether you’re popping in for a quick mug of flat white or a cheeky slice of cake, it’s always a great idea to be cautious, especially if you’re highly allergic to or are intolerant of gluten. 🌾

It’s all well and good, given that Starbucks cafés here in the UK are a magnet for coffee lovers, offering bold espresso shots to decadent frappuccinos and ever-delicious on-the-go bites.

Best of all, for anyone suffering from coeliac disease like me, or if you have gluten sensitivities, most Starbucks hand-crafted drinks contain no wheat, rye, barley, or any other gluten traces!

On the other hand, don’t drop your guard just yet, as shared equipment and prep stations will mean that there’s always a risk of cross-contact – drinks, breakfast snacks, bakery items, etc.

So, with that in mind, if you’re not sure about what you could safely order with confidence, or which items to give a wide berth, our Starbucks gluten-free guide is here to help! ☕👉🚫🌾

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Disclaimer

Now, it’s worth bearing in mind that Starbucks (including their UK locations) doesn’t operate a 100% ‘certified’ gluten-free kitchen, so be careful if you’re highly sensitive to gluten. 🥪🥐🥯

Most of their beverages and unpacked foods are prepared with shared steam wands, blenders, toasters and worktops that also handle gluten-filled items, posing a bit of cross-contact risk.

Additionally, while a big chunk of their menu is naturally free of gluten ingredients, they do not test menu items to meet the UK Food Standards Agency’s <20 mg/kg gluten-free threshold. ✍

With that lack of certification, this means that even the safest dishes and drinks that are given the ‘gluten-free’ a-okay in their menu can still pick up trace amounts of gluten during service.

As such, for the purposes of our Starbucks gluten-free guide, you should treat even their safest items here more like gluten-friendly or gluten-sensitive, as nothing’s truly 100% gluten-free!

Of course, that’ll depend on how sensitive you are to gluten, so if you have coeliac disease and if you have severe gluten allergies, consider taking extra precautions when you’re ordering!

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Starbucks Allergen Policy (Gluten-Free)

Speaking of, besides our Starbucks gluten-free guide, another good place for figuring out what you can or can’t safely order at Starbucks, if you’re allergic to gluten, is their own website! 💾

In fact, I’d highly recommend bookmarking or saving their website on your phone, and reading up their official nutrition and allergen information before ordering, and keep it up-to-date. 📅

To start, head over to the Starbucks UK website and click on the ‘Nutrition & Allergens’ tab, as this will load up the Nutritional & Allergen Information page, where you can find loads of info!

Among these is a clear breakdown of the many allergens that Starbucks marks in their official allergen guide, like gluten, which contains traces of wheat, rye, barley, oat, spelt, and Kamut.

Plus, Starbucks also quotes this very boldly and clearly, making sure you know what to expect when ordering a cup of coffee or a breakfast sandwich:

Due to the nature of how we create our beverages and food, we cannot guarantee that they are free from allergens. Our beverages and food are prepared where allergens are handled by our partners, and where equipment and utensils are used for multiple menu items, including those containing allergens. Whilst we try to keep things separate we cannot guarantee any item is allergen free. Please remember to check this information regularly as we’re always working on our recipes.

Further below that on the same webpage, you’ll find links that point to the Nutritional and Allergen Information, where you could preview or download massively detailed PDF files. 📝

I also quite like that Starbucks keep these nutrition and allergen guides and disclosures pretty up-to-date, and as of writing, you can find links to this and last season’s Starbucks gluten-free menu selection:

• Spring (Beverage) Nutritional and Allergen Information
• Summer (Beverage) Nutritional and Allergen Information
• Spring (Food) Nutritional and Allergen Information
• Summer (Food) Nutritional and Allergen Information

Remember to keep up to date with allergen information as Starbucks will regularly update it to reflect changing menus, supplies, recipes, and ingredients. 👩‍🍳

In these PDF files, you can find an extensive nutritional breakdown for every single menu item, with a gargantuan booklet that gives you a rundown on what nutrition is included per item:

• This includes each menu item’s breakdown of energy, fat, carbs, sugar, fibre, protein, caffeine, and so on, which is great if you’re conscious of just what and how much you’re consuming. 🍴
• Besides dieting, these nutritional and allergen information guides also list down what kind of allergens are included for each menu item, including milk, eggs, soy, fish, nuts, and more.
• And, to top it all off, these PDF files even list down the individual ingredients that are used for each item, which is another neat way to see what you can or can’t eat – e.g., wheat flour. 🌾
• That said, for someone who has coeliac disease like me, or if you have severe gluten allergies, you can filter out any menu item that contains wheat, rye, barley, oat, spelt, and Kamut. 🚫

With that out of the way, let’s start off our Starbucks gluten-free guide with a super deep dive into what you can safely order as someone who is allergic to anything gluten!

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Espresso Drinks

All the espresso-based beverages in our Starbucks gluten-free guide are gluten-free by recipe and ingredient, with just 100% Arabica shots, milk (dairy or plant), and extra flavourings. ☕

It’s a relief to see that not a single one contains wheat, rye, or barley, but on the lookout for a decent risk of cross-contact, present at the steam wands, pitchers, and syrup pumps, as well.

If you’re highly sensitive to gluten, or like me, if you’re suffering from coeliac disease, let your barista know, and see if you could ask them to clean and wipe down their equipment. 🍵🍫

✅ Tiramisu Cream Iced Latte
✅ Caffè Latte
✅ Iced Caffè Latte
✅ Caffè Mocha
✅ Iced Caffè Mocha
✅ White Chocolate Mocha
✅ Iced White Chocolate Mocha
✅ Latte Macchiato
✅ Caramel Macchiato
✅ Iced Caramel Macchiato
✅ Cappuccino
✅ Cold Foam Iced Cappuccino
✅ Caffè Americano
✅ Iced Caffè Americano
✅ Espresso
✅ Espresso Macchiato
✅ Espresso Con Panna
✅ Flat White
✅ Cortado
✅ Tiramisu Cream Iced Oat Shaken Espresso
✅ Iced Brown Sugar Oat Shaken Espresso

Now, while they’re firmly a solid contender in the Starbucks gluten-free menu, let’s see what these drinks are made of, just to be extra sure they’re safe:

Tiramisu Cream Iced Latte: Espresso, chilled milk and ice, finished with a dairy-free tiramisu-flavoured cream. There are no gluten ingredients, but be sure that the shaker and the cream nozzle are wiped clean.

Caffè Latte / Iced Caffè Latte: One or two shots of espresso topped with steamed (or cold) milk. These are naturally gluten-free, but remember to ask for a clean steam wand and milk jug.

Caffè Mocha / Iced Caffè Mocha: Espresso mixed with a rich chocolate sauce and milk. The chocolate sauce is wheat-free, but the pump handles are shared, so there’s a decent risk of cross-contamination here.

White Chocolate Mocha / Iced White Chocolate Mocha: Espresso blended with white chocolate sauce and milk. Again, there are no gluten ingredients, though the sauce pump sits alongside a good number of other equipment that might risk cross-contact.

Latte Macchiato: Steamed milk marked with a shot of espresso. All the ingredients are gluten-free, but once again, just double-check the steam wand to reduce any contamination risks.

Caramel Macchiato / Iced Caramel Macchiato: Steamed milk layered with vanilla syrup, some espresso and a caramel drizzle. The vanilla and caramel sauces are free of gluten, but look out for the pump heads.

Cappuccino: Equal parts espresso, steamed milk and foam. These are naturally gluten-free, though the foamier drinks increase the risks of wand cross-contact, so it may be worth any extra caution if you’re highly sensitive to gluten.

Cold Foam Iced Cappuccino: Espresso over ice topped with cold foam. The cold-foam nozzle is shared, so request a fresh dispenser if needed, and just to be extra safe against cross-contact that may pick up traces of gluten elsewhere.

Caffè Americano / Iced Caffè Americano: Espresso diluted with hot or cold water. There’s zero gluten by recipe, but just verify that the portafilter has been wiped between flavour shots.

Espresso / Espresso Macchiato / Espresso Con Panna: Straight shots, marked with foam, and topped with cream. All of them are gluten-free, though the cream dispenser is shared.

Flat White: Ristretto shots and steamed whole milk. There are no gluten ingredients, but be sure to guarantee the cleanliness of the steam wand to minimise cross-contamination.

Cortado / Iced Brown Sugar Oat Shaken Espresso / Tiramisu Cream Iced Oat Shaken Espresso: An espresso balanced with an equal measure of steamed milk or oat milk, shaken with flavour syrup and ice if cold. All of these syrups and milk are gluten-free, but the pumps and shakers share prep areas.

Remember to let your barista know if you’re sensitive to gluten, and ask them for fresh gloves, rinsed steam wands, clean pitches, and a wiped-down syrup pump to minimise contact! 🚫🌾

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Brewed Coffee, Iced Coffee & Cold Brew

For something a bit different, you could check out the brewed and iced coffees in our Starbucks gluten-free menu, and there’s more good news here – they’re all naturally gluten-free! ☕🧊

These are just coffee, water, and milk, though cross-contact can still occur at coffee taps, milk jugs and ice bins, so remember to ask for clean equipment if you’re super sensitive to gluten.

✅ Filter Coffee
✅ Caffè Misto
✅ Cold Brew Coffee
✅ Cold Brew Latte

Now, let’s take these brewed coffees apart to see how they compare in our Starbucks gluten-free guide:

Filter Coffee: Freshly brewed on the drip machine using 100% Arabica beans and hot water. There’s no gluten in the coffee itself, but check that the carafe spout is wiped clean of all the pastry crumbs before pouring.

Caffè Misto: Half filter coffee, half steamed milk. This is naturally gluten-free by ingredient, though ensure the steam wand is purged after any dairy-based foam drinks to avoid cross-contact.

Cold Brew Coffee: Coarse grounds steeped in cold water for 16+ hours, then served over ice. There are no gluten ingredients, but request a clean ice scoop to keep stray crumbs at bay, for folks like me who are dangerously sensitive to gluten.

Cold Brew Latte: Cold brew topped with your choice of milk. The coffee is gluten-free, as is the milk, but the milk frother jug should be rinsed to avoid any hidden bakery residue.

As always, when ordering from the Starbucks gluten-free menu, remember to mention your gluten sensitivities, so the barista can use fresh pitchers, utensils, and ice scoops, which should further reduce cross-contact. 🍵❄️

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Hot Tea

One noteworthy bit of our Starbucks gluten-free menu is Starbucks UK’s Teavana teas and tea lattes, which are all gluten-free by ingredients since they’re just leaves, water, and milk. 🍵

These are relatively safe for anyone suffering from coeliac or if you’re allergic to gluten, but it would be wise to be wary of cross-contamination and let your barista know to be careful. ❗❗❗

✅ Teavana Chamomile Herbal Blend Tea
✅ Teavana Mint Citrus Tea
✅ Teavana Chai Tea
✅ Teavana Mint Herbal Blend Tea
✅ Teavana Hibiscus Herbal Blend Tea
✅ Teavana English Breakfast Tea
✅ Teavana Earl Grey Tea
✅ Teavana Youthberry Tea
✅ Teavana Emperor’s Clouds & Mist Tea
✅ Teavana Jasmine Pearls Tea
✅ Matcha Green Tea Latte
✅ Classic Chai Tea Latte

Let’s check out what these hot teas are made of to see how they stack up against the rest here in our Starbucks gluten-free guide:

Teavana Chamomile Herbal Blend Tea: A calming, caffeine-free infusion of whole chamomile flowers. This is naturally gluten-free, but make sure that the infuser basket is wiped clean of any stray granules.

Teavana Mint Citrus Tea: Bright peppermint and lemongrass blend. There’s no gluten in the herbs, but confirm that the teapot and tongs haven’t touched any pastry crumbs.

Teavana Chai Tea: Spiced black tea leaves with cinnamon, cardamom and ginger. These are based on gluten-free spices by recipe but watch that the tea scoop is dedicated to tea only.

Teavana Mint Herbal Blend Tea: Pure peppermint leaves steeped in hot water. It’s naturally gluten-free, though the kettle should be flushed and the spout kept clear of bakery residue.

Teavana Hibiscus Herbal Blend Tea: Tart hibiscus petals with a berry-like punch. Once again, these are gluten-free flowers but just request a fresh paper filter if you’re very sensitive.

Teavana English Breakfast Tea: Full-bodied black tea blend. It contains only tea leaves, but ask that the infuser be cleaned after earlier tea lattes or foamy drinks, just to make doubly sure.

Teavana Earl Grey Tea: Black tea scented with bergamot oil. There are no gluten ingredients, but confirm that the scoop and strainer are free of cross-contact with anything gluten-based.

Teavana Youthberry Tea: Floral black tea blended with hibiscus, rosehips and berries. All of them are gluten-free botanicals, but once again, just watch out for the shared tongs.

Teavana Emperor’s Clouds & Mist Tea: Delicate green tea steeped lightly. It’s naturally gluten-free, but ensure the teapot is rinsed between uses if you’re highly sensitive to gluten.

Teavana Jasmine Pearls Tea: Hand-rolled green tea pearls scented with jasmine. There’s no gluten in the pearls, but be wary of stray crumbs near the bamboo scoop, in any case.

Matcha Green Tea Latte: Ceremonial-grade matcha whisked with steamed milk. It’s gluten-free powder by ingredient, but ask for a clean milk jug to avoid milk-foam cross-contact.

Classic Chai Tea Latte: Chai concentrate blended with steamed milk and foam. The concentrate is gluten-free, but request a fresh steam-wand purge after any earlier dairy or syrup drinks.

As per usual with our Starbucks gluten-free guide, bear in mind that cross-contact could happen at tea infusers, milk steamers, and counters near pastries, so approach with caution if you’re critically sensitive to any gluten. 🌾

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Iced Tea

Or, if you’re craving something refreshingly chilly, all the iced teas in our Starbucks gluten-free menu are crafted from pure tea leaves, fruit extracts and milk, with no gluten in sight! 🍵🧊

Nevertheless, the same precautions also apply with these iced teas and chilled tea lattes, with cross-contact risks at brew stations and ice scoops, so carry on with an abundance of caution!

✅ Lemon Iced Tea
✅ Iced Hibiscus Tea
✅ Iced Hibiscus Tea Lemonade
✅ Iced Green Tea
✅ Iced Green Tea Lemonade
✅ Peach Iced Tea
✅ Iced Matcha Green Tea Latte
✅ Iced Chai Tea Latte

Let’s take a closer peek at our Starbucks gluten-free menu’s iced tea selection to see if they are a good fit for my personal shortlist:

Lemon Iced Tea: Refreshing black tea brewed and chilled, served over ice with a squeeze of lemon. This contains only tea and lemon, but just ensure the ice scoop hasn’t been used for syrup or pastry.

Iced Hibiscus Tea: Tart hibiscus infusion poured over ice. These are naturally gluten-free petals, though ask that the iced-tea dispenser be wiped before pouring.

Iced Hibiscus Tea Lemonade: Hibiscus tea blended with lemonade over ice. All fruit and flower ingredients are gluten-free, but confirm that the lemonade tap is clean.

Iced Green Tea: Delicate green tea brewed and chilled over ice. These are also gluten-free leaves, but watch that the tea tap hasn’t cross-contaminated from other flavour shots.

Iced Green Tea Lemonade: Green tea combined with lemonade and ice, with no gluten in either component, though the shared taps warrant a quick wipe, in case of any cross-contamination.

Peach Iced Tea: Black tea with peach flavour, poured over ice. The fruit-flavoured syrup is gluten-free by recipe, but you could ask for a clean pump head if you’re highly sensitive.

Iced Matcha Green Tea Latte: Stone-ground matcha whisked with milk and poured over ice. These are gluten-free matcha powder and milk, but request a fresh milk jug and blender.

Iced Chai Tea Latte: Chai concentrate shaken with milk and ice. The spice blend is gluten-free, but ensure that the shake tin is rinsed of any syrup or dairy residue.

If you’re deathly allergic and sensitive to gluten, like me, you could consider asking the barista to use a fresh scoop or stirrer, just in case you’re worried about cross-contamination. 🍵☕🧊

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Starbucks Refresha Drink

Another noteworthy highlight of the Starbucks gluten-free menu is their Refresha selection of real fruit juices, fruit pearls and a hint of green coffee extract, and they’re gluten-free! 🍹🍸

Of course, be mindful of any cross-contact at the drink stations, and don’t hesitate to ask for a fresh scoop of pearls or a clean pump head if you’re extra sensitive to gluten. 🥭🍈🍓🍋🥥

✅ Melon Pearl Refresha Drink
✅ Frozen Mango Dragonfruit Refresha Drink
✅ Mango Dragonfruit Refresha
✅ Strawberry Açaí Refresha Drink
✅ Pink Coconut Refresha Drink
✅ Cool Lime Refresha Drink
✅ Very Berry Refresha
✅ Dragon Coconut Refresha

To see how these Refresha drinks compare against the other beverages here in our Starbucks gluten-free menu, let’s take a closer look at them:

Melon Pearl Refresha Drink: Watermelon‐flavoured juice base with melon fruit pearls. These are gluten-free ingredients, but confirm the pearl scoop hasn’t been used for other toppings.

Frozen Mango Dragonfruit Refresha Drink: Iced blend of mango and dragon fruit juices. There is no gluten in the fruit purées, and they’re served from a dedicated frozen beverage dispenser.

Mango Dragonfruit Refresha: Chilled mango and dragon fruit juice shaken over ice. They’re all naturally gluten-free, too, but watch the ice scoop for any stray pastry crumbs.

Strawberry Açaí Refresha Drink: Strawberry and açaí juice infusion with strawberry fruit pearls. All the berry and açaí ingredients are gluten-free but ask for a clean pearls scoop.

Pink Coconut Refresha Drink: Coconut water combined with a hint of açaí and vanilla, with coconut‐flavoured fruit pearls. Once again, these are gluten-free by recipe but request fresh pump cleaning if you’re concerned about cross-contamination and trace gluten.

Cool Lime Refresha Drink: Zesty lime juice blended over ice. It contains only lime, water and sugar, but ensure that the lemonade tap is wiped before use if you’re critically sensitive.

Very Berry Refresha: Mixed-berry juice infusion with berry fruit pearls. There are no gluten ingredients here either, and the pearls are scooped from their own bin, as well.

Dragon Coconut Refresha: Dragonfruit juice with coconut‐flavoured fruit pearls. These are a gluten-free mix, but for added peace of mind, ask the barista for a fresh pearls scoop.

As always, with practically any other restaurant, eatery, casual dining place, and coffee shop, never take cross-contamination lightly, particularly if you’re highly allergic to gluten! 🥤🧊

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Frappuccino Blended Beverages

Of course, how could this be a definitive Starbucks gluten-free guide without checking out their iconic Frappuccinos, with a range of coffee or crème bases with ice, syrups and mix-ins? 🍪🍫

However, while most of them are gluten-free by recipe and ingredients, a few of them are not, in addition to the cross-contact risks posed by the shared blenders and topping stations. 🥤

✅ Tiramisu Frappuccino Blended Beverage
✅ Caramel Frappuccino Blended Beverage
✅ Coffee Frappuccino Blended Beverage
❌ Java Chip Frappuccino Blended Beverage
✅ Espresso Frappuccino Blended Beverage
✅ Mocha Frappuccino Blended Beverage
✅ White Chocolate Mocha Frappuccino Blended Beverage
✅ Caramel Cream Frappuccino Blended Beverage
✅ Strawberries & Cream Frappuccino Blended Beverage
✅ Chai Cream Frappuccino Blended Beverage
✅ Matcha Green Tea Cream Frappuccino Blended Beverage
✅ Vanilla Cream Frappuccino Blended Beverage
✅ Chocolate Cream Frappuccino Blended Beverage
❌ Double Chocolatey Chip Frappuccino Blended Beverage
✅ White Chocolate Cream Frappuccino Blended Beverage
❌ Cookies & Cream Frappuccino Blended Beverage

Let’s take a closer peek at each of these Frappuccinos to analyse why a couple of them did not make it into my Starbucks gluten-free shortlist:

Tiramisu Frappuccino Blended Beverage: Includes coffee, ice, milk and tiramisu-inspired syrup, and unlike tiramisu cake, it doesn’t contain biscuit pieces as mix-ins. As such, surprisingly, this one doesn’t contain any wheat or gluten, at least according to the Starbucks allergen guide.

Caramel Frappuccino Blended Beverage: Coffee, milk, ice and caramel syrup. There are no gluten ingredients in the base or syrup but watch for cross-contact in the shared blender.

Coffee Frappuccino Blended Beverage: Pure coffee, milk and ice. This one’s naturally gluten-free, with minimal risk beyond shared equipment, so watch out if you’re highly allergic.

Java Chip Frappuccino Blended Beverage: Coffee base with chocolate chip bits and mocha drizzle. Besides any stray cookie crumbs that might pose a cross-contamination risk, I was disappointed to learn that according to the Starbucks allergen guide, it contains wheat.

Espresso Frappuccino Blended Beverage: Double espresso, milk and ice. There’s no gluten in the recipe, so it’s ideal if you want an extra caffeine kick, without triggering your gluten allergies.

Mocha Frappuccino Blended Beverage: Coffee, milk, ice and mocha sauce. It’s also gluten-free by recipe and ingredients, though be mindful of shared blenders and other equipment.

White Chocolate Mocha Frappuccino Blended Beverage: Coffee, milk, ice and white chocolate mocha syrup. There’s no gluten in the syrup, so there’s only cross-contact risks to look for.

Caramel Cream Frappuccino Blended Beverage: Crème base, milk, ice and caramel syrup. All these ingredients are gluten-free by recipe, which is perfect for folks with coeliacs disease.

Strawberries & Cream Frappuccino Blended Beverage: Crème base with strawberry purée and ice. It’s naturally free of gluten, too, and it remains pretty safe if the blender’s clean.

Chai Cream Frappuccino Blended Beverage: Chai-spiced crème base and ice. There’s no wheat or gluten in the chai blend, but remember to ask for a fresh blender rinse, just in case.

Matcha Green Tea Cream Frappuccino Blended Beverage: Matcha powder, milk and ice. The ceremonial-grade matcha is gluten-free by ingredient, but shared blender risks apply.

Vanilla Cream Frappuccino Blended Beverage: Crème base, vanilla syrup and ice. The syrup is gluten-free, but cross-contact remains a concern for folks who are critically allergic to gluten.

Chocolate Cream Frappuccino Blended Beverage: Crème base, chocolate drizzle and ice. There are no gluten ingredients, but watch the blender for any cross-contamination.

Double Chocolatey Chip Frappuccino Blended Beverage: Crème base with extra chocolate chips and mocha drizzle. Sadly, according to the official Starbucks allergen guide, this contains some traces of wheat and gluten, so folks like me who are allergic ought to avoid it at all costs.

White Chocolate Cream Frappuccino Blended Beverage: Crème base with white chocolate mocha syrup and ice. It’s also gluten-free by recipe, with fairly minimal cross-contact risk.

Cookies & Cream Frappuccino Blended Beverage: Crème base with cookie pieces. It contains wheat from the cookies according to the Starbucks ingredients and allergens guide, so avoid this you need to stay gluten-free, or are otherwise dangerously intolerant of any gluten.

Given that these blended Frappuccino drinks and their respective mix-ins result in complicated beverages, those who are highly sensitive to gluten should approach with maximum caution. ⚠️

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Hot Chocolate & Other Drinks

On the flip side, if neither coffee nor tea suits your mood, the hot cocoa in our Starbucks gluten-free menu is superbly tasty and comforting, and it’s naturally free of any gluten! ☕🍫

✅ Classic Hot Chocolate
✅ White Hot Chocolate

Let’s quickly break down these hot chocolate drinks to see how they compare in our Starbucks gluten-free shortlist:

Classic Hot Chocolate: Made with steamed milk, real cocoa powder and Starbucks’ chocolate mocha sauce, then topped with whipped cream. All the ingredients are gluten-free by recipe, but to minimise any stray flour or pastry dust, ask your barista to wipe the steam wand clean before they froth your milk.

White Hot Chocolate: Foamy steamed milk blended with white chocolate mocha sauce and crowned with whipped cream. The white chocolate syrup contains no wheat or barley. Like other hot drinks here, there is a slight risk of contamination from shared steam wands and counter spaces, so consider requesting a fresh wand purge.

Now, do remember that these hot chocolate drinks are brewed with shared steam wands and then prepped on shared counters, so there remains a tiny risk of cross-contamination. 🚫🌾

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Bottled Drinks

Oh, and if you need to drink something on the go, there’s a decent selection of bottled drinks in the Starbucks gluten-free menu, and they come in factory-sealed and are free of gluten! 🍋🍎

✅ ONE Water 750 ml Still
✅ ONE Water 500 ml Still
✅ ONE Water 500 ml Sparkling
✅ Still Lemonade 330 ml
✅ Raspberry Lemonade 330 ml
✅ Apple & Mango Juice 500 ml
✅ Strawberry & Watermelon VITWATER 330 ml
✅ Ginger Shot 100 ml
✅ Turmeric Shot 100 ml
✅ Acerola & Raspberry Vitamin D Shot 100 ml

Just to be extra safe, let’s analyse each of these bottled drinks to see if they’re a good fit for my personal Starbucks gluten-free shortlist:

ONE Water (Still & Sparkling): Naturally filtered British spring water in still or sparkling form, with zero additives. Bottled at the source and sealed, and there’s virtually no chance of cross-contact, which is awesome if you’re highly intolerant to gluten.

Still Lemonade & Raspberry Lemonade: Fresh-tasting lemonade made with water, sugar and natural fruit flavourings. Both of them come in tamper-evident bottles, gluten-free by recipe, and safe from café-side contamination, to boot.

Apple & Mango Juice: A blend of 100% pressed apple and mango juices. You won’t find any thickeners here or gluten-containing stabilisers, and it’s just a healthy selection of fruit!

Strawberry & Watermelon VITWATER: Lightly flavoured spring water enriched with vitamins. These are also factory-sealed and are free from any gluten ingredients, too.

Ginger, Turmeric & Vitamin D Shots: Concentrated health shots with cold-pressed ginger, turmeric, or acerola & raspberry, plus some vitamin D. All of them are bottled at a separate production facility, with no gluten in the mix.

Since these bottled drinks arrive sealed and are untouched by the café equipment, you can think of these as some of the safest choices here, especially if you have coeliac disease. 🥭🍉🍓

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Breakfast

Finally, we get to the munchy and delectable foods here in our Starbucks gluten-free guide, for folks who either need a grab-and-go bite or something heartier to start their day! 🥐🍳🧀

Unfortunately, if you have coeliac disease or if you’re severely allergic and intolerant to gluten, most of these breakfast items contain wheat and gluten aplenty, rendering them unsafe. 🥪

This is mostly thanks to the generous use of bakery breads to complete these breakfast dishes, and Starbucks has yet to incorporate any gluten-free bread or bun into their menu. 🥯🍞🍫🌭

⚠️ Egg Bites with Three Cheese & Ham
⚠️ Egg White Bites with Three Cheese & Red Pepper
❌ Butter Croissant
❌ Pain au Chocolat
❌ Luxury Fruit Toast
❌ Chocolate Twist
❌ Traditional Sausage Sandwich
✅ Banana
❌ Ham & Cheese Croissant
❌ Smoked Bacon Roll
❌ Cheese Twist
⚠️ Classic Oatmeal
⚠️ Berry Crunch
⚠️ Mango & Pineapple Overnight Oats
❌ Signature Breakfast Sandwich

Let’s see why most of these breakfast items didn’t make it into the Starbucks gluten-free menu:

Egg Bites with Three Cheese & Ham: Silky sous-vide egg custard blended with diced ham and a three-cheese mix. There’s no wheat in the recipe, but they are prepared alongside pastries and sandwiches, with a relatively high chance of cross-contamination, so be on the lookout.

Egg White Bites with Three Cheese & Red Pepper: Light egg-white base with red pepper and cheeses. They’re also gluten-free by ingredients, yet cooked on shared trays with the bakery items, so once again, there’s a pretty high risk of cross-contact here to be wary of.

Butter Croissant / Pain au Chocolat / Chocolate Twist / Ham & Cheese Croissant / Luxury Fruit Toast / Traditional Sausage Sandwich / Smoked Bacon Roll / Cheese Twist: All of these baked goods and sandwiches use wheat-flour pastry or bread, are they’re unsafe for anyone who is allergic to gluten or if you have coeliac disease, regardless of how wheat-free the fillings and toppings might be.

Banana: Simply a fresh banana, and it’s naturally gluten-free, single-serve, and there’s nearly zero risk of contamination, though I’d double-check with the barista, just to be extra safe.

Classic Oatmeal: Whole-grain porridge oats served with your choice of toppings. All those oats themselves contain no gluten, but unless they’re certified gluten-free, they are often processed alongside wheat, so consider this in mind and double-check with the barista to be safe.

Berry Crunch: Layers of Greek-style yoghurt, berry compote and crunchy granola. That granola might sometimes contain wheat or barley malt, even if the Starbucks allergen guide might not specify it, so feel free to double-check with the barista if you’re highly intolerant of gluten.

Mango & Pineapple Overnight Oats: Chilled oats soaked in fruit purée. There’s the same caveat as the Classic Oatmeal, where it’s usually naturally wheat-free by recipe, but there is potential cross-contact that you might want to think twice about if you’re deathly allergic to gluten.

Signature Breakfast Sandwich: Egg, cheese and meat on a toasted brioche or roll, though it contains wheat in the bread, so it’s not suitable for gluten-free diners, and you should avoid this if you’re allergic to gluten.

Really, the only truly safe pick here is that banana, and if you’re willing, you may even consider the egg bites or oatmeal, though I’d personally avoid them, as I’m quite sensitive to gluten. 🍌

Otherwise, if you really want to take that risk, depending on how sensitive your allergies are, it might be worth asking the barista to swap to fresh utensils and clean serving trays. 🥓🥭🍍

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Bakery Treats

When visiting your local Starbucks, their bakery display and the baked meals in the Starbucks gluten-free menu are truly an awesome and mouth-watering sight to behold, with caveats. 🧁

Sadly, for anyone suffering from coeliac disease or if you have gluten allergies, every single one of these treats is off-limits, as they’re made from wheat flour dough or wheat batter. 🍰🎂

If that’s not bad enough, they’re then baked on shared trays with other gluten-filled dishes, which heightens the cross-contamination risks to dangerous levels, making them a no-go. 🍪

❌ Boston Cream Muffin
❌ Raspberry & Coconut Loaf Cake
❌ Chocolate Cake Pop
❌ Cinnamon Bun
❌ Birthday Cake Pop
❌ Lemon & Poppyseed Muffin
❌ Chocolate Caramel Shortbread
❌ Lemon Loaf
❌ Blueberry Muffin
❌ Almond Croissant
❌ Chocolate Chunk Cookie
❌ Cookies & Cream Cake Pop
❌ Caramel White Chocolate Blondie
❌ Banana Nut Loaf Cake

Just so we know what to look out for next time, let’s take a closer look at the bakery display for our Starbucks gluten-free guide, and see why they’re a hazardous choice if you’re allergic:

Boston Cream Muffin: Soft wheat-flour muffin filled with vanilla custard and topped with chocolate glaze, which contains gluten by recipe and baked alongside everything else.

Raspberry & Coconut Loaf Cake: Light sponge loaf with raspberry purée swirl and coconut flakes, and it’s also made with wheat flour and shares the oven with other loaves.

Chocolate Cake Pop: Mini chocolate sponge on a stick, dipped in cocoa coating, which has wheat-based cake crumbs throughout, and it’s then displayed next to biscuits and pastries.

Cinnamon Bun: Sweet yeast-dough spiral with cinnamon sugar filling and icing, made with 100% wheat flour, baked in communal ovens, so it’s a no-go if you’re allergic to gluten.

Birthday Cake Pop: Vanilla cake blitzed with buttercream and sprinkles, which uses enriched wheat flour and is prepared on shared trays, which is also unsafe if you have coeliac disease.

Lemon & Poppyseed Muffin: Zesty wheat-flour muffin studded with poppy seeds, and it’s then baked alongside the rest of the muffins, so cross-contact is pretty much unavoidable.

Chocolate Caramel Shortbread: Buttery shortbread base layered with caramel and chocolate, and the shortbread is made with wheat flour and then baked on communal trays.

Lemon Loaf: Moist wheat-flour loaf with lemon glaze, which contains gluten and shares baking equipment with all the other baked goods here and earlier, in the breakfast menu.

Blueberry Muffin: Classic wheat flour muffins with blueberry compote, and they’re prepared on the same racks as other muffins, risking cross-contamination with abundance.

Almond Croissant: Flaky laminated dough with almond paste, which is entirely wheat-based and proofed alongside other croissants, with equally high cross-contamination risks.

Chocolate Chunk Cookie: Soft-baked cookie loaded with chocolate chunks, and it’s made out of wheat flour dough and stored next to other cookies, too.

Cookies & Cream Cake Pop: Vanilla cake mixed with cookie pieces, topped with cream icing, which contains wheat flour and cookie crumbs, which is a danger for anyone who’s allergic.

Caramel White Chocolate Blondie: Dense wheat-flour blondie swirled with caramel and white chocolate, and then baked in shared ovens, making it hazardous for folks like me.

Banana Nut Loaf Cake: Wheat-flour loaf studded with banana and nuts, and then baked and sliced on the same equipment as all other loaves, with high cross-contamination.

If you’re craving anything sweet in the Starbucks gluten-free menu, it’s best to stick with their drinks and order any gluten-free snacks, as their bakery selection isn’t safe for us. 🍫🍌🥐

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Sandwiches & Toasties

Alas, the same gluten dangers are found when you look at the sandwiches and toasties here in our Starbucks gluten-free guide, so think twice when you’re grabbing a bite to eat! 🥪🌯🥙

All of Starbucks’ sandwiches, wraps, and toasties here are made with wheat-based breads and focaccias, meaning that they’re 100% completely unsafe if you’re allergic to gluten. 🍞🧀🍗

❌ Chicken Salad Sandwich
❌ Meat Free Sausage Sandwich
❌ Chicken, Mozzarella & Pesto Focaccia
❌ Mexican-Style Three-Bean Wrap
❌ Free-Range Egg, Cress & Mayo Sandwich
❌ Smoked Ham & Cheddar Sandwich
❌ Chicken Caesar Wrap
❌ Five Cheese Toastie
❌ Oak Smoked Ham & Cheese Toastie
❌ Tuna Melt Panini
❌ Tomato & Mozzarella Panini
❌ Cheese & Marmite Mini Ciabatta

Regardless, while this is already a foregone conclusion, let’s take a good, hard look at all these sandwiches to figure out why they’re a bad fit for my Starbucks gluten-free list:

Chicken Salad Sandwich: Tender chicken mixed with mayonnaise and celery, served between slices of soft white or malted wheat bread. The fillings in here are totally safe, but that bread contains gluten and wheat in abundance.

Meat-Free Sausage Sandwich: Plant-based sausage patty in a sliced wheat bun. The vegan sausage is gluten-free by recipe, but the bun is made from enriched wheat flour.

Chicken, Mozzarella & Pesto Focaccia: Grilled chicken and mozzarella with basil-pesto, on a nicely soft focaccia loaf. All the toppings are free of wheat, but that focaccia is 100% wheat flour and is thus unsafe for coeliacs like us.

Mexican-Style Three-Bean Wrap: Black beans, kidney beans, pinto beans, rice, and salsa in a soft wheat tortilla. The bean filling is naturally gluten-free, but the wrap is not.

Free-Range Egg, Cress & Mayo Sandwich: Sliced egg, fresh cress, and mayonnaise on sliced wheat bread. The very simple coeliac-safe ingredients are sadly spoiled by the gluten loaf.

Smoked Ham & Cheddar Sandwich: Oak-smoked ham and thick cheddar slices on malt wheat bread. Both the ham and the cheese are gluten-free, but the bread isn’t, unfortunately.

Chicken Caesar Wrap: Chicken, romaine lettuce, and Caesar dressing in a wheat tortilla. The Classic Caesar components are gluten-free, though the wrap is made from wheat flour.

Five Cheese Toastie: A melting mix of Cheddar, Emmental, Mozzarella, Red Leicester, and Blue cheese grilled in a wheat flour sandwich. All the cheeses are gluten-free, but the bread is not.

Oak Smoked Ham & Cheese Toastie: Smoked ham and melted cheese inside two slices of wheat bread, pressed until golden. While it might be tasty, it contains wheat in every single bite.

Tuna Melt Panini: Tuna, mayonnaise and cheese sealed in a toasted wheat panini loaf. Tuna and cheese are fine and coeliac-safe, but the panini roll is full of gluten and wheat.

Tomato & Mozzarella Panini: Sliced tomato and fresh mozzarella drizzled with basil pesto in a wheat panini. All the veggies and the cheese are gluten-free, but the bread is not.

Cheese & Marmite Mini Ciabatta: Melted cheese and a smear of Marmite on a small wheat ciabatta. Marmite and cheese pose no gluten issues, though the ciabatta loaf does.

It’s a bit of a shame that Starbucks, unlike some of its rivals, doesn’t yet offer gluten-free buns, or even wheat bread substitutes and alternatives to match gluten-free diets. 🌮🍔🥗🍖🥩

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Chocolate & Snacks

If all you need is a sweet treat or a quick nibble, there are plenty of chocolates and little snacks in the Starbucks gluten-free menu, and some are quite safe if you’re allergic to gluten! 🍫🥨

✅ Raspberry & Coconut Brownie
✅ Gluten Free Fruit & Nut Bar
✅ Starbucks Milk Chocolate Gold Coin
❌ Mini Waffles
❌ Large Caramel Waffles
❌ Cookie Straw
❌ Ginger Biscuits
❌ All Butter Shortbread Biscuits
✅ Kettle Chips – Mature Cheddar & Red Onion
✅ Kettle Chips – Lightly Salted
✅ Kettle Chips – Sea Salt & Balsamic Vinegar
✅ Kettle Chips – Sweet Chilli & Sour Cream
✅ Snacking Cheese
✅ Peppermint Mints
❌ Iced Gingerbread Biscuit

Now, let’s take a closer look at these snacks to see why some of them didn’t make it into our Starbucks gluten-free shortlist:

Raspberry & Coconut Brownie: While brownies are generally made with wheat flour and then baked in shared ovens, these ones here at Starbucks are actually gluten-free and vegan!

Gluten-Free Fruit & Nut Bar: Factory-sealed bar of dried fruit, nuts, and seeds. This is one of the few certified gluten-free items here, with a very low cross-contact risk.

Starbucks Milk Chocolate Gold Coin: Individually wrapped milk chocolate. There are no gluten ingredients here, and the sealed packaging further minimises cross-contact.

Mini Waffles / Large Caramel Waffles: These are made from wheat-flour batter and they’re then toasted in shared presses, so avoid them if you’re allergic to gluten.

Cookie Straw: A Thin rolled wafer made with wheat flour, which is unsafe for gluten-free diets, and there are no gluten-free versions available for gluten-free diets.

Ginger Biscuits: Spiced biscuits made with wheat flour, baked alongside other pastries, so it’s hazardous if you have coeliac disease or if you’re highly allergic to gluten and wheat.

All Butter Shortbread Biscuits: Traditional shortbread slices containing wheat flour, so it’s also unsafe for anyone here who’s severely intolerant to wheat and gluten.

Kettle Chips (Mature Cheddar & Red Onion / Lightly Salted / Sea Salt & Balsamic Vinegar / Sweet Chilli & Sour Cream): These are made from just potato, oil, with seasoning and sealed in factory packaging, which are gluten-free by recipe, with low cross-contact risk.

Snacking Cheese: Individually wrapped cubes of Cheddar or Gouda. There are no gluten ingredients here, and it’s factory-sealed for added safety against cross-contamination.

Peppermint Mints: Pure sugar-based sweets in sealed jars, and they’re gluten-free by recipe, which ought to be quite safe if you’re intolerant to gluten and wheat.

Iced Gingerbread Biscuit: Festive biscuit topped with icing, is made from wheat flour, and it’s completely unsafe for coeliacs, or if you wish to keep a gluten-free diet.

When in doubt, if you’re unsure what to order, stick to the factory-sealed bars, chocolates, and crisps, as they carry the lowest risk of cross-contact and they’re pretty safe, too! 🧇🍓🥥🧀

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To Sum Up

All in all, the Starbucks gluten-free menu definitely leans towards their signature drinks, which are nearly all gluten-free, barring a few exceptions such as some of their Frappuccinos due to the wheat-containing mix-ins.

Starbucks uses shared equipment and prep stations so the typical cross-contact risks apply.☕🍵🌾

The same positive outlook can’t be said about Starbucks’ selection of foods, as most of them do come with gluten in the recipe and ingredients, with only a small handful of safe options. 🍔

While Starbucks’ coffees, teas, blended options, Refresh drinks, and bottled beverages are relatively safe against gluten, their iconic bakery goods are completely hazardous for me. 🥪

Most of them are made with wheat-based bread and buns, leaving out their breakfast menus and bakery displays, as well as sandwiches and toasties, too – most of them are 100% unsafe!

Otherwise, the only few munchies here in our Starbucks gluten-free menu that are safe would be their egg bites, oatmeal choices, pre-packaged snacks, or just a plain old banana. 🍌🍫🍳

In the meantime, make sure to stay tuned to us here at Great Without Gluten for even more celiac-friendly and gluten-free eating-out guides! ✍📝

And, while you’re here, you might also want to check out my other eating-out guides and some tasty gluten‑free recipes! If you’re craving other fast-food or casual dining chains and gourmet meals, do check out my other coeliac-friendly, gluten-free dining out guides to Buffalo Wild Wings, Panera Bread, Denny’s, Texas Roadhouse, Dunkin Donuts, Sonic, Popeyes, Starbucks, Chipotle, Five Guys, and more! 🍔🍟🍗

Stay safe and gluten‑aware, my coeliac friends! 💖🥗

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Frequently Asked Questions

While working on our Starbucks gluten-free guide here, I came across some interesting queries through sub-forums and social media, so I thought I’d try and answer them here:

Does Starbucks have a gluten-free menu?

No. Starbucks doesn’t operate a dedicated gluten-free kitchen, and there are no in-store items that carry a certified gluten-free label. However, many of its handcrafted drinks (coffees, teas, Frappuccinos, and Refresha drinks) and a handful of pre-packaged snacks are free of gluten.

Which Starbucks drinks are gluten-free?

All standard espresso drinks, brewed coffees, Teavana teas, iced coffees, Cold Brews, Refresha beverages, some of their Frappuccino Blended Beverages, hot chocolates, lemonades and their bottled drinks contain no wheat, barley or rye by recipe. However, remember to ask the barista to wipe down any pumps or steam wands to help minimise potential cross-contact.

Are any food items at Starbucks safe for coeliacs?

Unfortunately, few food items at Starbucks are naturally gluten-free and don’t come with high cross-contact risks. Some of their pre-packaged snacks, such as the Gluten Free Fruit & Nut Bar or the Starbucks Milk Chocolate Gold Coin, are generally safe. Elsewhere, all on-site bakery treats, sandwiches, wraps and breakfast pastries contain wheat flour.

Can I get a gluten-free breakfast at Starbucks?

Sadly, no. All hot breakfast sandwiches, pastries (croissants, muffins, toasties) and bakes use wheat-flour products and are prepared alongside gluten-containing items. Stick to your own ‘bring-in’ gluten-free breakfast option, or enjoy a solo peppermint tea instead! In short, very few breakfast items at Starbucks are gluten-free.

How can I minimise cross-contamination at Starbucks?

First and foremost, make sure you inform the barista that you have coeliac disease or a severe gluten allergy. While you’re there, you could also request clean equipment, including new cups, wiped steam wands, pump handles, and clean prep surfaces. Additionally, I’d also opt for sealed snacks and bottled drinks only to avoid shared utensils or display cases, just to be extra safe.

Photo credit

Dinkun Chen, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

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