Starbucks’ new Chocolate Chip Cookie Latte can be made vegan and is now on menus across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. | Polly Haas for LIVEKINDLY
Starbucks’ new Chocolate Chip Cookie Latte can be made vegan. It’s now on menus across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.
Vegan Starbucks fans in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa now have a new drink to order—the Chocolate Chip Cookie Latte.
The new Spring beverage isn’t inherently vegan—it’s made with steamed milk, espresso, chocolate chip cookie syrup, and a chocolate cookie crumble topping. But plant-based eaters can enjoy it if they customize their order and purchase it with non-dairy milk. The cookie crumble topping and the chocolate mix, which contain dairy, should also be removed. The chocolate chip cookie syrup is vegan, according to Starbucks’ Nutrition & Allergen Guide.
According to a press release, the drink, in its initial form, “combines the iconic teatime flavors of coffee and biscuits with Starbucks Signature Espresso Roast and velvety steamed milk.”
Additionally, the “all-important biscuit-dunked texture” is achieved via a “sprinkling of beautifully crunchy chocolate cookie crumble topping.”
The new Chocolate Chip Cookie Latte is available for a limited time only. Coffee lovers will have a chance to snag it from March 3-May 5, 2021.
Customization is key when it comes to ordering a vegan version of the Chocolate Chip Cookie Latte. However, it’s not difficult to do.
In order to ensure that the drink is vegan, simply order it with the plant-based milk of your choice (Starbucks offers soy milk, almond milk, coconut milk and oat milk at most locations) and omit the cookie crumble topping and the chocolate mix, which contains dairy.
Since the chocolate chip cookie syrup that’s infused in the drink is vegan-friendly, you’ll still get that sweet cookie taste even with the aforementioned adjustments.
What’s more? The vegan chocolate chip cookie syrup can be used to whip up a wide variety of custom plant-based drinks. For example, the Manchester-based Instagram account @veegboi shared a hack for how to make a vegan Cookie Dough Frappuccino using a Double Chocolatey Chip Frappuccino as a base along with the syrup, Starbucks’ vegan whipped cream, and more.
In addition to the arrival of the Chocolate Chip Cookie Latte, Starbucks EMEA (Europe, Middle East, and Africa) is also rolling out a vegan spinach and pea falafel wrap with pickled cabbage slaw for a limited time.
There are new non-vegan additions to the coffee giant’s EMEA menu. These include the Veggie New York-Style Deli Sandwich and the Chicken, Mozzarella & Pesto Focaccia.
The vegan newbies are a bit sparse this time around. But Starbucks customers in Europe, the Middle East and Africa have plenty of plant-based options to choose from. For example, Starbucks UK introduced vegan whipped cream and four vegan sandwiches (some made with Beyond Meat) in December 2020.
In January 2021, Starbucks launched vegan Beyond Meat beef in the Middle East. It made the vegan meat the star of two new vegetarian sandwiches.
“We will continue to innovate our food and beverage menu, offering greater variation and more delicious plant-based choices, as we work towards becoming a resource positive company,” Rana Shaheen, the Regional Communications and CSR Manager for Starbucks Coffee MENA, said at the time.
While Starbucks’ U.S. outposts were busy finally rolling out oat milk (and several vegan drinks) earlier this month, Starbucks Europe introduced something it has dubbed Starbucks Original Nut Blend.
According to the chain, this dairy-free alternative (its fifth in a portion of the EMEA market) is made from “a blend of light rice, sweet hazelnuts with subtle chocolatey notes, and buttery cashews.”
The vegan option boasts “a delicate flavor and deliciously silky texture.”
Starbucks took 15 months to develop its Original Nut Blend. It specially crafted the blend to pair with the company’s espresso. It contains no added sugar and is fortified with B12, B2, vitamin E, and vitamin D2.
The chain announced the new dairy-free option on March 2. It’s now available in select markets across Europe, including the United Kingdom, France, The Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg.
On March 2, Starbucks U.S. made good on its promise to make oat milk available at locations nationwide. It introduced Oatly oat milk across the country.
The chain also debuted two vegan, oat milk-based drinks—the Iced Brown Sugar Oatmilk Shaken Espresso and the Iced Chocolate Almondmilk Shaken Espresso. And it released the plant-based Chickpea Bites & Avocado Protein Box.
Editor’s note: This article has been updated to reflect that the chocolate mix added to the Chocolate Chip Cookie Latte contains dairy.
This post was last modified on March 8, 2021 1:53 pm