15 Delicious Caffeine-Free Drinks at Starbucks

At Starbucks you can order 15 drinks that are effectively caffeine-free or very low in caffeine.

• Herbal tea: 0 mg (caffeine-free)
• Decaf brewed coffee (240 ml): 3 mg
• Hot cocoa (240 ml): 9 mg
• Grande Caffè Latte (for comparison): 150 mg

Top caffeine-free Starbucks beverages (the 15 to order)

Below are 15 Starbucks options many stores can make with no coffee or tea extract; where the dataset has exact values I list them, otherwise I note a conservative estimate based on ingredients (milk, juice, or syrup) and the store recipe. Ask the barista if a seasonal item contains a coffee extract.

1. Herbal tea (e.g., Mint Majesty) — 0 mg (dataset: Herbal tea, 240 ml, 0 mg)
2. Decaf brewed coffee — 3 mg (dataset: Decaf coffee, 240 ml, 3 mg)
3. Hot cocoa / hot chocolate — 9 mg (dataset: Hot cocoa, 240 ml, 9 mg)
4. Steamed milk ("Steamer") — 0 mg (estimate; milk + syrup, no coffee/tea)
5. Vanilla Crème Frappuccino (Blended Crème) — 0 mg (estimate for the coffee-free crème base)
6. Strawberry Frappuccino (Crème) — 0 mg (estimate for crème versions without coffee)
7. Lemonade — 0 mg (estimate; water, lemon, sugar)
8. Blended Strawberry Lemonade — 0 mg (estimate)
9. Apple juice — 0 mg (estimate)
10. Orange juice — 0 mg (estimate)
11. Milk (whole/skim) — 0 mg (estimate)
12. Chocolate-based crème seasonal beverages (when made without espresso) — 0–9 mg (hot cocoa baseline 9 mg)
13. Steamers with flavored syrup (no tea/coffee) — 0 mg (estimate)
14. Kid-size hot chocolate — 9 mg (same baseline as hot cocoa)
15. Decaf steamers or decaf lattes ordered with decaf shots — uses decaf espresso; residual caffeine may be similar to decaf brewed coffee (low mg)

Drinks comparison (exact numbers where available)

Drink (typical serving)	Caffeine (mg)	Note
Herbal tea (240 ml)	0 mg	Herbal infusions are caffeine-free (dataset)
Decaf coffee (240 ml)	3 mg	Residual caffeine in decaf (dataset)
Hot cocoa (240 ml)	9 mg	Contains cocoa; small natural caffeine (dataset)
Vanilla Crème Frappuccino (crème)	0 mg (estimate)	Crème base contains no coffee extract when made standard
Lemonade / fruit juices	0 mg (estimate)	Made from juice, water, syrup — no coffee/tea

How long caffeine from a drink lasts — decay math and examples

Caffeine follows a population-average half-life of about 5.7 hours, meaning the body eliminates roughly half the active caffeine in that time. Using the standard pharmacokinetic approximations (after ~3 h ≈ 69% remains, 6 h ≈ 48%, 9 h ≈ 33%, 12 h ≈ 23%), here are concrete examples.

Starting dose (mg)	0 h	3 h (~69%)	6 h (~48%)	9 h (~33%)	12 h (~23%)
Decaf coffee — 3 mg	3.0	2.1 mg	1.4 mg	1.0 mg	0.7 mg
Hot cocoa — 9 mg	9.0	6.2 mg	4.3 mg	3.0 mg	2.1 mg
Starbucks Grande Caffè Latte — 150 mg	150	104 mg	72 mg	50 mg	35 mg

What affects whether a drink is truly caffeine-free

Decaf vs. caffeine-free

Decaf beverages are not zero: USDA FoodData Central and dataset values show decaf brewed coffee can contain ~3 mg per 240 ml. Herbal teas are naturally 0 mg. Chocolate-containing drinks (hot cocoa) have small amounts of caffeine from cocoa (dataset: 9 mg per 240 ml).

Hidden sources

Starbucks refreshers and some iced fruit drinks use green coffee extract and do contain caffeine. Ask if a fruit beverage is made with a caffeine-containing base if you must avoid it.

Health, safety and timing

For healthy adults the FDA cites ~400 mg/day as the upper guideline; pregnant people are advised to limit intake to about 200 mg/day. The American Academy of Pediatrics discourages caffeine as a routine part of adolescents' diets. If you avoid caffeine for sleep or anxiety, choose herbal tea (0 mg) or a milk-based steamer; track intake with an app like CoffeeLog to see totals across drinks and days.

How to order and double-check at Starbucks

• Ask the barista whether a menu item uses coffee/tea extracts (particularly for "crème" or seasonal flavors).
• Request "no shots" or "no tea bags" and request decaf where appropriate; remember decaf still has residual caffeine (dataset shows ~3 mg for decaf brewed coffee).
• Use bottled juice, lemonade, steamed milk, or herbal tea to stay at near-zero caffeine.

Seasonal notes and hidden pitfalls

Starbucks sometimes offers limited-time crème beverages; recipes change. Fruit-based drinks sometimes use caffeinated extracts for flavor or stability. If you are tracking a strict limit (pregnancy, sleep), confirm ingredients and log the drink in CoffeeLog or another tracker immediately.

Sources and final tips

Dataset values above align with USDA FoodData Central entries for common beverages; safety limits referenced from the FDA, and pediatric guidance from the American Academy of Pediatrics. For personalized concerns about pregnancy, anxiety, sleep, or sensitivity, consult a clinician—this page is informational, not medical advice.