What soy milk does Starbucks use? (and more FAQs!)
Soy milk (and milk substitutes in general) are on the rise. But not all soy milk is the same!
Which makes us wonder, what soy milk does Starbucks use? Can you get it in the store?
What soy milk does Starbucks use?
Starbucks started adding plant-based milk to their menu in 1997, and their first non-dairy milk was soy milk. The long-standing soy milk brand they ended up choosing was exclusive to Starbucks: it wasn’t available from major grocery stores.
This article describes the type of soy milk used by the Starbucks coffee chain: what it is, how to use it, and the artisanal beverages made with it.
Who makes soy milk for Starbucks?
Starbucks’ soymilk machines are made by WhiteWave, a wholly owned subsidiary of Dallas-based Dean Foods Co., a partnership that began in 2003.
White Wave’s Promise Creatively lead the full integration of natural soy foods into the mainstream American diet through socially responsible and environmentally sustainable business practices Starbucks is very interested.
Starbucks itself recognizes the need for greater focus on health awareness and “resource motivation.” WhiteWave’s soy milk formula is designed to complement and enhance Starbucks’ signature artisanal coffee menu.
In 2016, WhiteWave Foods was sold to Danone and has since continued to supply Starbucks with a range of plant-based milks known as silk milk range.
Danone maintains that it only sources U.S. soybeans and that all soybeans are organically grown and produced. They claim that all of their products go through the verification process for the Non-GMO Project.
What other plant-based milks does Starbucks use?
As non-dairy beverages become more popular, Starbucks added coconut milk in 2015, almond milk in 2016, and then expanded to offer oat milk nationwide in 2021.
Coconut Milk (launched in 2015) is a single-origin Sumatran coconut milk.
The American menu offers a range of non-dairy beverages, including the very popular Iced Brown Sugar Oat Milkshake Espresso and Iced Chocolate Almond Milkshake Espresso.
You’ll notice that when ordering drinks at Starbucks (online and in-store), you can choose milk. Customers can choose from whole milk, 2% cream or skim milk, or non-dairy alternatives such as soy, coconut and almonds. Most drinks can be customized this way.
Starbucks’ full line of plant-based handcrafted beverages includes:
- Iced Brown Sugar Oat Milk Shake Espresso
- Iced Chocolate Almond Milk Shake Espresso
- Iced Toasted Vanilla Oat Milk Shake Espresso
- Iced Honey Almond Milk Plain White
- Pink Drink – Iced Strawberry and Passion Fruit Coconut Milk Blend
- Dragon Drink – A tropical combination of sweet mango and dragon fruit flavors.The drink is shaken with creamy coconut milk, ice cubes and a scoop of real dragon fruit
All of these plant-based beverages can be customized (in sugar, sweeteners and caffeine) to suit your taste and health needs. Every item on the menu includes a complete list of ingredients and nutrients. Soymilk drinks contain the natural sugars in soymilk.
Each drink has Starbucks’ signature drink size range:
- High – 12 fl oz
- Grande – 16 fl oz
- Ventilation – 24 fl oz
- Trenta – 30 fl oz
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Starbucks has officially used its own brand of soy milk since 1997. This product has been produced for them by Danone (formerly WhiteWave) since 2003.
Consumers often ask how they can buy their own Starbucks soy milk to use at home.
Although you can’t actually buy the exact same product, you can buy similar soy milk.
The best way to do this is to ask your local Starbucks barista to recommend you a soy product that is as close as possible to what they use in-store.
