Which Frappuccinos contain the least amount of sugar? In this post, I am going to be ranking the sugar content of Starbucks Frappuccinos. That’s right, those iced blended coffee and non-coffee drinks that rule our summer. Made traditional from blended ice, a mix of a coffee or non-coffee drink, and then topped with (optional) whipped cream. To be honest, the only thing that limits what you can make into a Frappuccino is your imagination. But how compatible is a Frappuccino with a low sugar diet? How much sugar is there in a Frappuccino and what are the lowest sugar Frappuccinos at Starbucks?
How much sugar is in a Frappuccino?
Starbucks Frappuccinos – they are delicious. But how much sugar do they contain?
As a general rule, a Tall Espresso Frappuccino and a Tall Sugar Cookie Almondmilk Crème Frappuccino are the two lowest sugar Frappuccinos at Starbucks. Both of these Frappuccinos contain 28g of sugar, ordered as-is.
Starbucks did use to have a “light” blended range of Frappuccinos which were relatively low in sugar. For example, a Tall Espresso Light Blended Frappuccino contained 16g of sugar. Sadly though, the light Frappuccino range has been discontinued.
This leaves us with the question: “what are the lowest sugar regular Frappuccinos at Starbucks?”. In this post I will be presenting you with 10 lower sugar Frappuccinos – all the Frappuccinos in this list contain 32g of sugar or less. Now 32g may not exactly be low sugar but when you consider the fact that a Venti Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha Frappuccino – 88g of sugar, it puts in perspective that the type of Frappuccino you order can save you 50g+ of sugar.
How I Worked Out The Sugar Content?
Before I continue, I need to explain how the sugar content for each drink was calculated. The Starbucks website will provide the sugar content of a drink based on the drink size and if ordered as-is. Great.
Now, if you change the milk, order without whip, or reduce syrup pumps the Starbucks website doesn’t provide an updated sugar content based on these customizations.
This means for each of the below Frappuccinos I have provided the sugar content of each Frappuccino based on ordering as-is. If you then order yours without whipped cream or with other customizations it will most likely contain less sugar than listed below (depending on what your customizations are).
I also came across some nutritional information on the globalassets.starbucks.com site that showed that the soy milk at Starbucks contains less total sugar than the dairy milk – so ordering your Frappuccino with soy milk is another hack to reading the sugar content of your Frappuccino by a few grams.
Summary Table – Ranking the Sugar Content of Starbucks Frappuccinos
Below is a summary table of all the current (as of writing) Starbucks Frappuccinos ranked based on sugar content. For each entry, I list the sugar content when ordered “as-is” and provide suggestions for reducing the sugar content in each drink. The sugar content is all based on a Tall Frappuccino option (one of the smallest serving options).
| Lowest Sugar Frappuccinos | Sugar Content Ordered As-Is | Ways of Reducing Sugar Content Further |
|---|---|---|
| Tall Espresso Frappuccino | 28g | – ask for one pump of Frappuccino syrup rather than two – order with soy milk |
| Tall Espresso Frappuccino with Sugar Free Vanilla Syrup | 28g | – ask for one pump of Frappuccino syrup rather than two |
| Tall Sugar Cookie Almondmilk Crème Frappuccino | 28g | – order without whip and sprinkles |
| Tall Chai Crème Frappuccino | 29g | – order without whipped cream – order with soy milk – order with one pump of chai syrup rather than two |
| Tall Chestnut Praline Crème Frappuccino | 29g | – ordering without the whipped cream and spiced praline crumbs – ordering with soy milk |
| Tall Pistachio Crème Frappuccino | 30g | – order without whipped cream and salted brown butter topping – order with just one pump of pistachio sauce instead of two – order with soy milk |
| Tall Coffee Frappuccino | 30g | – ordering soy milk – order with one pump of Frappuccino syrup rather than two |
| Tall Coffee Frappuccino With Sugar Free Vanilla Syrup | 30g | – ordering soy milk – order with one pump of Frappuccino syrup rather than two |
| Tall White Chocolate Crème Frappuccino | 31g | – order without whip – order with soy – order with one pump of white chocolate sauce rather than two |
| Tall Caramel Brulée Crème Frappuccino | 32g | – order with soy – order without the whipped cream and caramel Brulée bits |
Ranking Starbucks Frappuccinos based on Sugar Content – item-by-item
In this section, I will go through each of the Frappuccino drinks listed in the table above item by item ranking them based on sugar content (from low to high). For each entry, I suggest ways of reducing the sugar content of each drink.
1. Tall Espresso Frappuccino – 28g of Total Sugar
First up on this list is a classic Frappuccino – a Tall Espresso Frappuccino. Milk, ice, espresso, and coffee all whizzed up with ice – the perfect cooling pick-me-up. This is one of the lowest sugar Frappuccinos at Starbucks at 28g of sugar.
Ways to reduce sugar content
Some ways you can reduce the sugar content of your tall Espresso Frappuccino to less than 28g of sugar:
- Ask for one pump of Frappuccino syrup rather than two; and
- Order your Frappuccino with soy milk (soy milk is lower in sugar than dairy milk so should knock a few grams of sugar off).
2. Tall Espresso Frappuccino with Sugar Free Vanilla Syrup – 28g of Total Sugar
A clever way of ordering a flavored coffee Frappuccino without going crazy in the sugar department is to order a Tall Espresso Frappuccino with some sugar free vanilla syrup added.
As the sugar free syrup doesn’t contain, well, sugar there will still be 28g of sugar in this Frappuccino.
Ways to reduce sugar content
Some ways you can reduce the sugar content:
- I think as you will have the sweet kick of the vanilla syrup plus the coffee vibes from the espresso you could get away with ordering it with one pump of Frappuccino syrup rather than two – this should reduce the sugar content by a fair bit.
- Again, you can also order soy milk instead of dairy to reduce the sugar content further.
3. Tall Sugar Cookie Almondmilk Crème Frappuccino – 28g of Total Sugar
If you are looking for a lower sugar dairy-free Frappuccino I definitely recommend ordering a Sugar Cookie Almondmilk Crème Frappuccino. This Frappuccino is a creme-based one and so does not contain any coffee. This Frappuccino consists of “sugar cookie-flavored syrup combined with almondmilk and blended with ice, topped with whipped cream and red and green sprinkles.”
Ways to reduce sugar content
If you want to reduce the sugar content further, you can:
- Order yours without whipped cream and the sprinkles.
- There is only 1 pump of sugar cookie syrup in this Frappuccino so you can’t really reduce the syrup content further.
Remember if you want to add a caffeine hit to a creme-based Frappuccino you can ask for yours to be made with an espresso shot.
4. Tall Chai Crème Frappuccino – 29g of Total Sugar
One of the other lowest sugar Frappuccinos at Starbucks is their Chai Creme Frappuccino. This Frappuccino consists of milk, ice, and chai blended together and topped with whipped cream and cinnamon. A Tall Chai Creme Frappuccino ordered as-is contains 29g of sugar.
Ways to reduce sugar content
Some ways to reduce the sugar content further are:
– order without whipped cream;
– order with soy milk; and
– order with one pump of chai syrup rather than two
5. Tall Chestnut Praline Crème Frappuccino – 29g of Total Sugar
Another of the lower sugar Frappuccinos at Starbucks is their Chestnut Praline Creme Frappuccino. A tall cup of one of these Frappuccinos contains 29g of sugar. This Frappuccino consists of “chestnuts and spices blended with milk and ice and topped with whipped cream and spiced praline crumbs.“
Ways to reduce sugar content
There is only one pump of the chestnut Praline syrup in this Frappuccino, but you can still reduce the sugar content further by:
– ordering without the whipped cream and spiced praline crumbs; and/or
– ordering with soy milk.
6. Tall Pistachio Crème Frappuccino – 30g of Total Sugar
Next up is yet another creme based Frappuccino (remember you can still order a creme based one with an espresso shot added if you love your Frappuccinos with coffee vibes). The pistachio creme Frappuccino is pistachio, milk, and ice with whipped cream and salted brown butter topping.
A Tall Pistachio Creme Frappuccino ordered as-is contains 30g of sugar.
Ways to reduce sugar content
Some ways to reduce the sugar content of your pistachio creme Frappuccino include:
– ordering without whipped cream and salted brown butter topping;
– ordering with just one pump of pistachio sauce instead of two; and
– order your pistachio Frappuccino with soy milk instead of dairy.
7. Tall Coffee Frappuccino – 31g of Total Sugar
A Coffee Frappuccino is such a simple Frappuccino that just does the job. A tall Coffee Frappuccino contains 31g of sugar.
Ways to reduce sugar content
You can reduce the sugar content of your tall coffee Frappuccino by:
– ordering with soy milk rather than dairy, and
– order with one pump of Frappuccino syrup rather than two.
8. Tall Coffee Frappuccino With Sugar Free Vanilla Syrup – 31g of Total Sugar
A Tall Frappuccino with sugar free vanilla syrup added has all the vanilla vibes but with the same sugar content as a Coffee Frappuccino.
Ways to reduce sugar content
Again, you can reduce the sugar content to less than 31g of sugar by ordering with soy milk and/or ordering just one pump of Frappuccino syrup rather than two.
9. Tall White Chocolate Crème Frappuccino – 31g of Total Sugar
Next up is the white chocolate creme Frappuccino. One of these bad boys is made up of white chocolate sauce, milk, and ice topped with whipped cream. A Tall order of one of these Frappuccinos contains 31g sugar.
Ways to reduce sugar content
To reduce the sugar content further you can:
– order without whip
– order with soy
– order with one pump of white chocolate sauce rather than two
10. Tall Caramel Brulée Crème Frappuccino – 32g of Total Sugar
The last entry on this list is a Caramel Brulée Creme Frappuccino – a Tall order of his contains 32g of sugar. This Frappuccino consists of caramel brulée sauce blended with milk and ice, topped with whipped cream and crunchy caramel brulée bits.
Ways to reduce sugar content
This Frappuccino only comes with one pump of caramel brulée sauce but two ways you can still reduce the sugar content of this Frappuccino further are:
– Order with soy rather than dairy, and
– Order without the whipped cream and caramel Brulée bits
My Personal Suggestion For A Lower Sugar Frappuccino?
If you are looking for a lower sugar Frappuccino I have two suggestions:
- If you want coffee – a tall Espresso Frappuccino made with soy milk and with sugar free vanilla syrup.
- If you don’t want coffee – a Sugar Cookie Almondmilk Crème Frappuccino without the whip and sprinkles.
Lowest Sugar Frappuccino F&Q
How Do I Order A Frappuccino With Less Sugar?
The following hacks are great ways of reducing the sugar content of your Frappuccinos further:
- Order Tall Cup
- Order soy milk rather than dairy
- Reduce the number of syrup pumps
- Add sugar free vanilla syrup instead of a full sugar syrup
As a general rule, creme-based Frappuccinos contain less sugar than coffee-based Frappuccinos.
Is There A Sugar Free Frappuccino?
There are no sugar free Frappuccinos currently at Starbucks.
Does Starbucks Have A Sugar Free Vanilla Frappuccino?
Starbucks does not have a sugar free vanilla Frappuccino. You can order a Frappuccino and ask for sugar free vanilla syrup to be added. There will still be sugar present though from the other ingredients.
Which Frappuccinos Contain the Least Sugar? – The Final Bite
Which Frappuccinos contain the least sugar? Frappuccinos are one of my favorite drinks. They are cool and refreshing, and you still can get your caffeine hit. Perfection. However, when it comes to the sugar department, they are definitely not the most sugar-friendly option. If you are looking to get a Frappuccino and are watching your sugar intake then it is all about limiting the amount of sugar in the drink. In this case, your best option is to go for the Frappuccino with the least amount of sugar and remove any extras that add unnecessary extra sugar. This often means ordering it in a Tall size, ordering soy milk, and opting for sugar-free syrups wherever possible.
And Remember…
Ingredients and/or manufacturing processes may change. Always double-check ingredient lists and nutritional information before purchasing any food items.
WANT TO FIND MORE LOW SUGAR OPTIONS?
Do you want to learn about some other low-sugar options at your favorite coffee chains, fast food, or restaurant joints, or just while you are shopping for groceries? If you do, then check out some of my other articles below: