I absolutely LOVE iced lattes. There’s nothing like going to a coffee shop, ordering a silly little flavored caffeinated drink, and sitting down to get some work done. I’m most productive when I have something to sip on chilling right next to my laptop. Unfortunately, lately I’ve realized that there’s a correlation between my anxiety level and the amount of caffeine I’ve consumed. Without fail, every time I drink an iced oat milk brown sugar shaken espresso, for the rest of the day my leg bounces uncontrollably, my hand shakes, and my heart races. So as much as I love my espresso shots, lately I’ve realized that I value having a productive and calm day even more.
This realization (that I definitely arrived at entirely by myself, and not because my boyfriend pointed out that I complained of a stomachache every time I drank an iced latte, without fail) prompted me to begin the arduous process of cutting some of the more extremely caffeinated beverages from my diet. However, when I started my journey to consume less caffeine, I still wanted to continue indulging in little treats. So… thus began my search for fun drinks I could order at Starbucks that wouldn’t give me a stomachache for the rest of the day, but would still give me the feeling of productivity that only comes from an overpriced iced drink.
If you’re dealing with a similar issue or just want a little less caffeine in your life, I’ve put together a helpful list of seven delicious summer drinks you can order at Starbucks that contain significantly less caffeine than a latte — but are just as delicious.
Iced Chai Latte
The star of the show, there’s no one else doing it like her, the icon, the legend — it’s the iced chai latte! This is my absolute favorite drink to order as someone with a massive sweet tooth. Plus, a grande iced chai still has 95 mg of caffeine — enough to wake you up, but not enough to throw your entire body off for the rest of the day (unlike the 255 mg in the brown sugar shaken espresso).
I love spicing up the iced chai (see what I did there) by adding flavored syrup or cold foam. This makes the chai a little less boring and even more delicious. The absolute winning combo for me is an iced chai with brown sugar syrup and chocolate cream cold foam — try it and I promise it’ll become your new obsession.
Iced Matcha Tea Latte
It took me way too long to get on the matcha train, but once I did I was hooked. I love the subtle, sweet flavor and the fun green color — but more than that, matcha has so many great health benefits, so I feel amazing when drinking it. Matcha is said to be high in antioxidants and good for your skin, and it may even help prevent cancer!
A grande iced matcha has 80 mg of caffeine, which should have you feeling much better than a cup of coffee while still keeping the benefits of a yummy drink. Oh, and for my fellow cold foam lovers: even better than a plain old iced matcha is an iced matcha with vanilla sweet cream cold foam. Try it and thank me later!
Frappe
Here’s another idea: go back to your middle school roots and try ordering a frappuccino. Even though I kind of think of frappuccinos as adult milkshakes, this isn’t really a bad thing; it’s actually a socially acceptable way to have dessert for breakfast! One of the most fun parts about frappes is how many options you have: from the Mocha Cookie Crumble to the Strawberry Crème, there’s something for every flavor palette (if you really want to embrace your middle school self, you can even order the cotton candy frappe from the Starbucks secret menu!). So if you’re missing the customization that comes from the endless flavors you can add to a latte, a frappe might just be the drink for you.
If you still think you want some caffeine in your drink, you can go for a frappe with a coffee base, which will put you at 95 mg of caffeine (still notably less than that espresso drink!). Or you can really commit to the low-caffeine lifestyle and go creme-based, meaning you’ll get the same delicious taste but with a mere 15 mg of caffeine. Either way, this is a delicious option to replace an iced latte!
Pink Drink
It’s time to accept that some things are basic because they’re good. The main ingredients in the pink drink are the strawberry açaí base, coconut milk, and freeze-dried strawberries, which combine to make a refreshing drink that’s perfect for the summer (and perfect for sharing on Instagram — I just love that color).
The pink drink still has a little bit of caffeine, but definitely not enough to make you feel sick. The pink drink is a treat worth ordering when you need a sweet pick-me-up.
Strawberry Açai Lemonade Refresher
I like to consider this the pink drink’s sister — it has almost the same main ingredients, except it uses lemonade instead of coconut milk. This is a great drink to order on a warm day when you’re craving something sweet and tangy.
Like the pink drink, this refresher has just a little bit of caffeine, barely enough to feel it — which is a good thing for our goal! You get to sip on something yummy without any negative side effects.
Peach Green Tea Lemonade
Starbucks describes their peach green tea lemonade as a “ready refreshment of surprise and delight,” and I think they’re spot on. I probably wouldn’t normally think to put peach and green tea together, but this refreshing drink pulls it off. A lemonade base means this is another great addition to your summer Starbucks drink rotation.
With only 25 mg of caffeine, this isn’t the drink to go to if you need to wake up. Instead, this is what you should order when you need something delicious and refreshing to motivate you through a warm afternoon.
Blended Strawberry Lemonade
I didn’t even know Starbucks made a blended strawberry lemonade before I began researching drinks with less caffeine. But they do! You can order this light and refreshing drink on a day when you’re not in the mood for anything even resembling coffee but still want to order a fun and fruity beverage.
The blended strawberry lemonade has exactly 0 mg of caffeine; if you’re looking to go completely caffeine-free, this might be your next Starbucks order.
So there you have it — now you have no excuse to keep ordering those iced lattes that only make you shaky and sick the rest of the day. Now you can enjoy a fun drink and feel like a normal person!
But of course, for those days when none of these amazing options appeal to you… don’t forget about the power of the word “decaf.”