Does The Pink Drink Have Caffeine? (The Truth Behind This Internet Craze from Starbucks)
The Starbucks Pink Drink tastes like springtime in a cup! This drink is simply the regular Starbucks Strawberry Açaí Refresher® Beverage. However, in place of water, the Pink Drink uses sweetened coconut milk.
Influencers on Tik Tok and Instagram popularized this “secret menu” combination until soon everyone was clamoring to try it. As its popularity spread like wildfire, Starbucks adopted the recipe. Now, you can find the Pink Drink on the official Starbucks menu year-round.
This 100% vegan drink has strawberries and coconut milk in its make-up with hints of acai and passionfruit tastes. But does the Starbucks Pink Drink have caffeine?
The Pink Drink contains 45 mg of caffeine in a grande size. Since the daily caffeine allotment for a healthy person is 400 mg, that’s not bad! The caffeine comes from green coffee extract in Starbucks’ strawberry acai base.
For a completely caffeine-free version of this drink, try ordering the Secret Menu Skinny Pink Drink or the Purple Drink.
We’ll let you know more about this popular Starbucks drink. Then we’ll give our own copycat Pink Drink recipe so you can try making this drink (with or without caffeine) at home.
What’s in the Starbucks Pink Drink?
The Pink Drink looks like it should fall under the tea category, however, there is no tea in this drink. Your tastebuds may detect passionfruit and acai flavors in this beverage, however, you won’t find these fruits in the list of ingredients. In fact, Starbucks only lists four main ingredients:
- Strawberry Acai Base: The flavor from this base comes from white grape juice concentrate, citric acid, natural green coffee flavor, vegetable juice, and rebaudioside A. This base is also sweetened with sugar.
- Coconut milk: Starbucks uses their own brand of coconut milk called Starbucks Single Origin Sumatra Coconut milk. This vegan nut milk has both coconut water and coconut cream and is sweetened with cane sugar.
- Freeze-dried strawberries
- Ice
The grande size contains 140 calories, 24 grams of sugar, 45 mg of caffeine, and only 2.5 grams of fat.
This pink ombre drink looks (and tastes) delicious! After the Pink Drink made such a splash, Starbucks also added creamy coconut milk to a few other Refresher drinks and gave them new drink titles.
The Star Drink is a Kiwi Starfruit Starbucks Refreshers® Beverage with coconut milk.
And the Dragon Drink is the Mango Dragonfruit Starbucks Refreshers® Beverage with coconut milk.
Like the Pink Drink, these Refresher drinks also include green coffee extract for a little extra pick-me-up in your beverage.
How much caffeine does the pink drink have?
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommends that healthy adults limit their caffeine intake to 400 milligrams per day. With only 35 mg of caffeine for a 12 oz tall drink, 40 mg for a 16 oz grande size, and 70 mg for a 24 oz Venti, the Pink Drink falls easily inside that daily allotment.
To put it into perspective, the caffeine content in a Pink Drink is about as much as a hot tea of the same size. While most grande caffeinated hot teas at Starbucks have 40 mg of caffeine, a grande Pink Drink has 45 mg.
A Pink Drink will have more than a grande decaf coffee or a grande hot chocolate which both contain only 25 mg of caffeine. But, it also has significantly less than a grande Pike Place Roast Coffee which has 310 milligrams of caffeine per cup. That’s a lot of caffeine. But not as much as the Venti Blonde Roast filter coffee that takes you off the charts with 475 mg of caffeine. Wowzers!
Can you order a pink drink without caffeine at Starbucks?
Since the Pink Drink has green coffee extract in its base, you won’t find a caffeine-free version of this drink. However, if you are looking for a similar drink but without any caffeine, try a Skinny Pink Drink! This drink hasn’t made it onto the official menu, yet, so you’ll have to give the barista the ingredient list.
Here’s how to order the Secret Menu Skinny Pink Drink:
Ask for Starbucks’ Iced Passion Tango tea. (This unsweetened, herbal iced tea contains no caffeine.) Then ask for a few splashes of coconut milk, sugar-free vanilla syrup shots, and freeze-dried strawberries. This Secret Menu drink is vegan just like the Pink Drink but it contains zero caffeine and much less sugar. For a Venti size drink, you should get only about 40 calories.
For the Secret Menu Purple drink, simply ask for blackberries instead of strawberries.
Other caffeine-free Starbucks drinks to try
Frappuccinos: Frappuccinos such as the Strawberry Crème Frappuccino, Caramel Ribbon Crunch Crème Frappuccino, Vanilla Bean Crème Frappuccino, White Chocolate Crème Frappuccino, and Pumpkin Spice Crème Frappuccino, among others don’t contain caffeine. (For a caffeine-free drink, stay away from Frapps with coffee, matcha, chai, dark chocolate, or mocha in them as these do contain caffeine.)
Hot herbal teas: Mint Majesty, Peach Tranquility, and Comfort Brewed Wellness Tea are hot teas that contain no caffeine, no calories, and no sugar.
Lemonade or Strawberry Blended Lemonade: These two lemonades do not contain caffeine. However, Refresher lemonades use green coffee extract in the base and do contain some caffeine.
Steamers: Cinnamon Dolce Creme, Vanilla Creme, and steamed coconut milk are naturally caffeine-free drinks.
Make a copycat Pink Drink recipe at home
An outing to Starbucks can be a treat in itself. But, on those days you just want to stay in here’s how you can make a copycat Pink Drink at home.
You’ll need:
- TAZO Passion Herbal Infusion Tea for caffeine-free tea or The Republic of Tea – Acai Berry Green Teabags for caffeinated tea (You can find either tea on Amazon.)
- Sweetened coconut milk
- White grape juice concentrate
- Frozen sliced strawberries
Brew your preferred tea concentrate by using half the recommended amount of water. After you’ve steeped the tea, add a few spoonfuls of white grape juice for flavor and sweetener.
I like to add frozen sliced strawberries instead of ice, so my drink doesn’t become watered down. However, if fresh strawberries are in season, these can also be a tasty addition.
Pour sweetened coconut milk over your base and enjoy this fresh-tasting drink!
Wrap Up
While the Pink Drink has much less caffeine than a cup of coffee, it does contain more caffeine than a Starbucks hot chocolate or decaf coffee. If you want a zero caffeine option, you can try the Secret Menu Skinny Pink Drink or the Purple Drink. Both of these drinks are naturally caffeine-free and are low on sugar and calories, as well.
Let us know which refreshing drink you are planning to order on your next Starbucks run!
FAQs
What is the difference between a cold brew, iced coffee, and iced latte?
While each of these coffee drinks is served over ice, they each have a different brew method. A cold brew is processed without heat and steeps overnight. Iced coffee is simply brewed coffee that has been allowed to cool and then is poured over ice. It is often served with milk, as well. An iced latte uses espresso as a base and cold (sometimes frothed) milk. Usually, a cold brew will be the strongest-tasting and pack in the most caffeine out of these three cold coffee beverages.
What is the most kid-friendly drink at Starbucks?
Starbucks is a fun treat for kids. However, many drinks contain caffeine, and those that don’t often include a hefty dose of sugar. Some of the most kid-friendly drinks at Starbucks would be a Babyccino or an herbal tea. These drinks contain no added sugar or caffeine. The babyccino is also a free drink in most Starbucks stores!
What exactly is the Starbucks Secret Menu?
The Starbucks Secret Menu is not connected officially with Starbucks at all. However, these drinks contain ingredients that most Starbucks stores offer. Many of the Secret Menu recipes are thought up by baristas who work (or have worked) at Starbucks. Some drinks (like the Pink Drink) have become so popular that they make it onto the official Starbucks menu. You can find this secret menu online and tell a Starbucks barista how to make a special drink for your next order.
