Starbucks Menu For Kids (& How to Modify Drinks)

Last Updated on March 2, 2023 by brewthatcoffee

Here is our quick and easy Starbucks menu for kids guide. From kid-ready to modified drinks, there’s something sure to please your little one!

Starbucks Menu For Kids (& How to Modify Drinks)

Taking your kid with you to Starbucks and unsure what they can drink? Luckily there are already suitable drinks on the menu that are caffeine free. You can also customize drinks to make them more kid-friendly.

Many drinks at Starbucks are already suitable for kids but avoid caffeinated, decaf, or regular chocolate-based drinks. Instead, opt for white chocolate, herbal teas, milk steamers, or juice in short or tall sizes. You can lower sugar content by asking for fewer pumps or sugar-free syrups.

Ordering drinks suitable for kids at Starbucks is easy once you know which drinks to avoid. You’ll want to choose decaffeinated drinks and those with lower sugar content. Here are some suggestions for the best way to order worry-free, kid-friendly drinks at Starbucks.

Making Starbucks Drinks Kid-Friendly

When ordering kid’s drinks at Starbucks, you can easily have your barista put together a drink with flavored syrup without adding any coffee. Kids usually prefer drinks that aren’t bitter, even when they want to feel grown-up, but you can still keep the sugar down.

From tips to modifications, here is everything to consider when ordering.

Order Short & Tall Drink Sizes

Most kids can only drink a part-size adult drink, especially if they’re still young. Save on waste by ordering the correct size.

  • When ordering hot drinks, ask for a short, 8 oz drink.
  • For cold drinks, request a tall, 12 oz drink.

You can request any regular-sized drink in these smaller sizes.

Another option, if you are already drinking something suitable for kids, is to order an extra cup. While your barista can’t split your drink for you, they can give you an extra cup, and you can share your drink out.

Splitting drinks is especially useful when out with a small child who ‘just wants a taste.’

Lower Sugar For A Healthier Drink

Too much sugar is never great for kids, and adding too much sugar can be a problem for their health, teeth, and energy levels.

Starbucks drinks are often very sugar-heavy, so here are some quick tips for lowering the sugar content:

  • Ask your barista to use fewer pumps of full-sugar syrup (they can use one rather than the usual two pumps most short drinks would have.) Ask for ‘half syrup’ to cut down.
  • If the drink uses vanilla, hazelnut, or cinnamon pumps, ask for the sugar-free versions.
  • If the sugar in milk is an issue, request nonfat milk or unsweetened oat milk.
  • Order water and an extra cup if you find iced teas or juices too sugary. I always dilute my kids’ juice and tea with some bottled water.

Avoid Caffeinated Drinks

While it may be tempting to order decaf versions of coffee-based drinks, there are still trace amounts of caffeine in decaf drinks.

Suppose your child is very young or susceptible to the effects of caffeine. Swap out for white chocolate or herbal teas such as Peach Tranquility. Avoiding drinks with chocolate, mocha, green tea, and matcha is also best.

Ask For Kid’s Temperature To Avoid Burns

Drinks that have been steamed can get extremely hot, and you could risk burns or accidents. Drinks at Starbucks are typically heated to around 150-170⁰F, so ask them to make it to ‘kid temperature.’

If you make it clear that the drink is for kids, your barista will make it at a lower temperature to help avoid scalding. Kid-temperature drinks will likely be around 120-130⁰F, making them less likely to burn if an accident occurs.

Allergen-friendly Alternatives

If your kid can’t handle dairy, there are several alternatives to cow’s milk available at Starbucks. They currently offer:

  • Almond milk
  • Coconut milk
  • Soy milk
  • Oat milk

You don’t even need to avoid drinks that load up on cream, as Starbucks now has a vegan whip replacement.

Caffeine-Free Drinks For Kids

If you’re a parent, you know very well that you want to avoid caffeine in your kids’ drinks – for their health and your sanity! Luckily many drinks contain no caffeine, such as:

  • White hot chocolate
  • Juice
  • Crème Frappuccinos
  • Milk steamers
  • Herbal teas

Remember that regular teas have caffeine and that chocolate will also add caffeine. Regular frappuccinos made with coffee have a high caffeine level, so choose Crème frappuccinos instead.

Decaf drinks will still have some trace amounts of caffeine, so they might not be suitable. Refreshers also contain caffeine, as they are made with green coffee extract. Avoid these unless you ask for no tea or a herbal tea substitute.

Secret Menu: The Famous Babyccino

Have you heard of Starbucks’ Secret Menu? While there’s no such thing as a secret menu, there is a list of popular off-menu drinks that customers have made that have become well-known.

Combining different ingredients, you can make a drink to suit your kid perfectly.

To get what you want, you’ll need to know the following:

  • Size
  • Base menu drink
  • Additions/substitutions

An excellent example of a customized kid’s drink is a French Vanilla Frappucino. To order this for your child, order a short Vanilla Bean Crème Frappuccino with two pumps of sugar-free hazelnut.

How To Order A Babyccino

One of the most famous ‘secret menu’ drinks for kids is the Babyccino, which is simple to order.

Because it looks like a regular cappuccino, this milky drink is trendy for little kids who want to feel grown up sitting with their mom at the coffee shop.

Order a babyccino by asking for a short kid-temperature steamed milk with extra foam and cocoa or cinnamon powder.

Easy Starbucks Menu for Kids

Iced Passion Tango Lemonade
Iced Passion Tango Lemonade
Iced Passion Tango Lemonade
Iced Passion Tango Lemonade

Best Starbucks Drinks That’re Already Kid-Friendly

Some drinks needn’t be modified, and you can order them directly off the menu. Remember to stick to short sizes for hot drinks and tall for cold drinks.

  • Boxed drinks or juice—ask your barista for an extra cup if necessary.
  • Lemonade. You can also add coconut milk to make a sweeter, creamier version.
  • White Hot Chocolate
  • Caramel Apple Spice—this seasonal offering is caffeine-free and uses apple juice as the base.
  • Crème Frappucinos, but avoid any with Matcha green tea and Chai, as these will have caffeine. If your kid is sensitive to caffeine, choose white chocolate over regular.
  • Herbal teas include chamomile, mint citrus, herbal, and hibiscus.
  • Iced Hibiscus Tea and Iced Hibiscus Tea Lemonade are suitable for kids.
  • Steamed apple juice and Caramel Apple Spice are both kid-friendly options.

Drinks That Are Easily Modified For Kids

However, the Starbucks menu and range of ingredients give you plenty of opportunity to mix up your kid-friendly drink. This is especially useful for kids who want a particular flavor drink that doesn’t have a caffeine-free version.

  • Milk steamers are one of the most popular kid-friendly alternatives to order at Starbucks. Order a short steamed milk with 1-2 pumps of flavor syrup. Good choices in syrup include vanilla, brown sugar, caramel, hazelnut, toffee nut, mango, peach, and cinnamon dolce.
  • For an iced milk drink, order a tall milk on ice with a sugar syrup such as brown sugar, vanilla, or the flavor your kid likes best.
  • Add flavor syrups to white hot chocolate.
  • Ask for fruit puree add-ins to lemonade or cold milk with ice to make a blended cold drink. Popular choices are strawberry puree with lemonade, but you can also add prickly pear fruit puree.
  • Add flavor syrups to Crème frappucinos, like pistachio syrup, hazelnut, or vanilla.
  • If ordering a Refresher, ask for no tea or passion tango tea to avoid caffeine.

When in doubt, tell your barista the drink is for a child, and they will be able to tell you if your additions have caffeine. This will also help to ensure the drink is at a suitable temperature.

Starbucks Kids Menu FAQs

Starbucks doesn’t have an official kids’ menu, but many drinks are suitable for children.

By avoiding drinks with caffeine, such as espressos, mochas, and regular teas, you can find better choices for children. You can ask for one less syrup pump to cut down on sugar or sugar-free syrups.

Inform your barista that you’re ordering a kid’s drink, and they can check if any additions contain caffeine for you.

While there are no official kids’ size cups, you’ll be given the smallest cups if you order a kids’ size.

These sizes are short for hot drinks and tall for cold drinks. A short drink is eight ounces, and a tall one is twelve ounces.

If your six-year-old likes hot drinks, grab them a white hot chocolate or ask for a milk steamer, which blends hot milk with flavor syrup. You can ask for a hot steamer with any syrup, including seasonal options such as apple brown sugar or peppermint.

For cold drinks, choose lemonade or Crème Frappucinos, but avoid any with added mocha or chocolate. If your child wants a refresher, ask your barista to make it without tea or to use passion tango tea rather than green or black.

Conclusion

Once you know Starbucks’s base drinks and syrups, finding a fun drink for your kid to enjoy becomes easy. Take advantage of seasonal drinks to make up a caffeine-free alternative. You can try using different kinds of milk to get new taste combos with steamers. It’s easy to lower the sugar content by asking for fewer pumps or sugar-free alternatives.


Resources

https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2015/barista-tips-to-lighten-up-holiday-beverages/

https://www.starbucks.com/menu

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