I Tried And Ranked 9 Starbucks Drinks With Less Than 10 Grams Of Sugar

Starbucks is one of the world's biggest coffee chains, and for good reason. With dozens of delicious drinks, pastries, foods, and merchandise items, Starbucks has made a name for itself as a provider of unique coffeehouse experiences. While the coffee shop prides itself on having a variety of drink options, Starbucks has also become notorious for the sugar content in its products, which veers towards extreme in some cases.

The American Heart Association recommends that men consume no more than 36 grams of added sugar per day and women consume no more than 25 grams per day. A "tall" 12-ounce Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte exceeds that recommendation, with a reported 38 grams of sugar. Between caramel drizzles, sweet cream foam, and dessert-flavored syrups, finding a low-sugar drink at Starbucks can seem like a struggle for customers.

To help Starbucks fans who are looking to minimize their sugar intake, I bought nine Starbucks drinks with less than 10 grams of sugar in a 12-ounce serving. I reviewed them based on qualities including product originality, taste, mouthfeel, product value, and nutritional value. In the end, I feel confident that this list, which is ranked from worst to best, can help steer a sugar-conscious sipper into their next favorite drink at Starbucks.

As an avid tea drinker, I knew I had to include some non-coffee drinks on this list. Starbucks Emperor's Clouds & Mist Tea is a subtle green tea with 0 grams of sugar, making it the drink tied for the least amount of sugar on this list. Each 12-ounce serving contains between 1 and 15 milligrams of caffeine, which is far less than a cup of coffee, but still enough to provide a small boost of energy.

I like the taste of green tea, and on the first sip, I encountered the soft bitter taste I was expecting. The flavor does taste slightly stale, but there are some great smoky and earthy flavors in this blend. Starbucks boasts that this tea is "cultivated at 3,500 feet and shrouded in ethereal clouds and mist," but if I didn't see that note on the website, I would not have guessed, as it tasted like a pretty basic leaf blend.

While I was not blown away by the flavor, I do give Starbucks accolades for offering a loose-leaf tea bag instead of the finely ground version I was expecting to see. While this item is not anything exceptional, it is a great option for someone looking for a non-coffee drink at Starbucks. For $3.75, this tea is also one of the most affordable drink options at Starbucks.

When I was setting out to buy and try the drinks in this article, the product I was most curious to try was the Iced Sugar-Free Vanilla Protein Latte. A protein-enhanced coffee drink is certainly one of Starbucks' more out-of-the-box ideas, but with 22 grams of protein per tall-sized drink, I can see there being a market for this drink in the fitness community.

While this product is labeled sugar-free, it contains 7 grams of sugar per 12-ounce serving. After my first sip, I noticed the vanilla taste in this drink, which was a subtle addition and not as prominent as I was expecting. This drink is very light in flavor, and the espresso was subtle and hard to detect. The most notable characteristic of this drink is the texture, which is frothy and incredibly thick, similar to the feeling of sipping a protein-based smoothie.

While the flavors here were yummy enough, the consistency was hard to overcome, and it made this drink a struggle for me to finish. Priced at $6.95 for a 12-ounce drink, this product is too expensive and not enjoyable enough for me to recommend strongly. Unless you are looking for a protein-enhanced drink in particular, I would avoid ordering this if possible.

On a warm summer day, there is no drink I crave more than an Arnold Palmer. While Starbucks does not use this name, the Iced Black Tea Lemonade is essentially the same drink, blending the bitter, smooth flavor of black tea with the refreshing and tangy taste of lemonade. On the first sip, I was pleased to encounter this familiar drink, and while I did very much enjoy it, there were a few notes I had against this Iced Black Tea Lemonade.

The main issue I have with this drink is the balance of tea to lemonade. Perhaps because Starbucks uses sweet tea instead of unsweetened, this drink leans very sweet. The lemonade used in this drink is also very strong, and overall, it almost entirely masks the black tea flavor. While it is a delicious drink, it was not well-balanced, and I did not find it as memorable as the other tea drink I tried during this testing. Overall, I am not sure it is worth the $4.25 that the store is charging, and if I were to order it again, I would modify it to have less lemonade added. 

As a lover of both hazelnut and espresso, the Starbucks Iced Hazelnut Oatmilk Shaken Espresso was the drink I was most excited to try of all on this list. Starbucks shaken espressos are made by vigorously shaking Blonde espresso with milk, ice, and syrups. The result is a frothy and flavorful drink that offers a light and semi-sweet taste.

There are several different flavor varieties of this drink, and most of them fall near or under 10 grams of sugar per 12-ounce drink. This drink, in particular, has 8 grams of sugar, and I was honestly surprised it even had that much in it. This drink does not taste sweet, and flavor-wise, the espresso definitely takes center stage. The hazelnut syrup was extremely overpowered by other flavors, and from what I did manage to taste of the syrup, it tasted slightly stale and bitter. While I liked this drink decently overall, for $6.45, I would personally skip this flavor and opt for one of the other shaken espresso options instead. 

I drink cold brew nearly every day, so I had a good feeling going into trying this Starbucks Nitro Cold Brew. Unlike a typical cold brew, Starbucks Nitro Cold Brew is made through a special process where the slow-steeped cold brew is infused with nitrogen to create a sweet-tasting drink without the addition of sugar.

After trying this drink, I would say that most of the sweetness can be found in the infused foam that swirls towards the top of this drink. For a more evenly flavored drink, I would recommend giving it a stir. The cold brew itself is not as strong as I was expecting, and it tasted a little bit watered down. However, for someone looking for a less intrusive coffee drink flavor, I could see this being a welcome quality. For $5.75, this drink offers a unique spin on a cold brew, one that I enjoyed and could see myself recommending and repurchasing, especially if I want to avoid sugar altogether. 

With the cooler temps of winter setting in, drinking a warm, cozy drink like a cappuccino has become a routine for me. While Starbucks is typically known for its more creative flavored drinks, it also offers all of the classic coffeehouse drinks, cappuccino included. Upon trying this drink, I found myself delighted by the smooth espresso flavor and the balanced ratio of foam on top. Oftentimes, I find that cappuccino ratios are off when served in a paper cup, but the tall 12-ounce size of this drink nailed the proportions.

While nothing stood out as unique or overly exceptional about this drink, it was well-made, and I had a great time sipping on it. Like any cappuccino, it is best enjoyed hot, so I was happy I bought the smaller size. For $5.25, it is on the more expensive side, but regardless, I would recommend this drink if you need a quality drink in a pinch.

Aside from its coffee or espresso-based drinks, Starbucks is also known for its refreshing iced fruity drinks, including this beloved Iced Passion Tango Tea Lemonade. On the first sip, I was instantly blown away by this drink. Made from a blend of hibiscus, lemongrass, apple, and lemonade, this drink is full of flavor without being overly sweet. Every ingredient felt well-balanced and complementary, and the tart aftertaste made me want to savor every sip.

Unlike the store's popular Starbucks lemonade refreshers, which can have up to 25 grams of sugar in a 12-ounce serving, this drink has only 8 grams of sugar, making it a treat that doesn't feel overwhelmingly sweet. This drink cost me $4.25, which I felt was well worth it considering how much I enjoyed sipping on it. I will certainly be drinking and recommending this lemonade the next time I am craving something cool and refreshing.

While I was initially let down by the other shaken espresso drink I tried in this tasting, my impression was turned around after trying this Iced Brown Sugar Oatmilk Shaken Espresso. This drink has the same smooth, whipped consistency of a shaken espresso, but is further elevated by the addition of a pump of brown sugar syrup and some cinnamon powder. The flavors here complement each other perfectly, creating a drink that feels deep and decadent, despite only having 8 grams of sugar.

If I were to rename this drink, I would call it a snickerdoodle cookie shaken espresso, because that is really what this flavor combination evokes for me. While it is a more expensive drink at $6.45 for a 12-ounce cup, the creamy consistency and lingering flavor made it a drink I thoroughly enjoyed sipping on. Overall, I see myself trying this again in the future, especially if I am looking for a sweet drink with less sugar this holiday season. 

While I truly did enjoy every drink on this list for one reason or another, the top choice for me, by far, is the Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew. This drink completely took me by surprise, especially because of its subtle and delicious vanilla flavor that tastes anything but synthetic or syrupy. The vanilla was perfectly balanced by the bitterness of the slow-steeped cold brew coffee, and the entire drink was brought together with a vanilla sweet cream topping that melted down through the drink with each sip.

This drink is decadent, cozy, and fulfilling, which is why I was shocked to see it contained only 9 grams of sugar. Even with less sugar, this $6.95 drink still captured my sweet tooth, and I can certainly see myself going back to grab this cold brew when I am looking for a sweet (but not too sweet) drink in the future.

As an experienced food critic, I take extra precautions to make my food reviews as fair as possible. For this review, I tried each drink in a size tall (12-ounce), as prepared, with no ingredient substitutions. I tested all drinks after they were freshly made, and cleared my palate between trying each drink.

In this article, I made judgments based on factors including concept originality, flavor, mouthfeel, value, and the sugar content. The ranking, which goes from least favorite to most favorite, is based on these factors combined, and placements were given after all products had been reviewed and considered. The nutritional information was found through the Starbucks app and website, and the products selected in this article were chosen based on drinks that fit the 10-grams-of-sugar-or-less requirement. Prices are based on the website listings for Starbucks in my neighborhood of Manhattan, New York.