- Starbucks launched Pistachio Latte nationwide as part of its 2021 winter menu.
- The drink features “cozy flavors of sweet pistachio and rich brown butter combined with espresso and steamed milk”.
- Nutritionists evaluate Pistachio Latte’s nutritional information, including ingredients, calories and sugar content.
It has been a while since Starbucks launched a new drink (by Starbucks standards), but the coffee giant is starting the year with a new winter menu, and there is one drink in particular that is gaining attention early.
It’s called Pistachio Latte and was created at Starbucks’ Chicago Roeciation in 2019 – it’s now available to the masses. (The idea for the drink came from the love that customers have for Starbucks Reserve Hazelnut Bianco Latte, according to a press release.)
People are already sharing photos, comments and photos of the drink – which can be served hot or cold – on social networks. The general consensus: it is delicious. But what’s inside? We asked nutritionists to review them.
What’s in the Starbucks Pistachio Latte?
Pistachio Latte features “cozy flavors of sweet pistachio and rich brown butter combined with espresso and steamed milk,” according to Starbucks. According to a press release, café au lait features a sauce “made with real pistachios and flavors of buttery salty brown topping”.
The drink is specifically made up of the following:
milk, pistachio sauce [invert sugar, condensed nonfat milk, pistachio butter (ground pistachios), natural flavors, cocoa butter, salt, preservative potassium sorbate, santhan gum, tocopherols, monoglycerides], fresh espresso, savory brown butter biscuit flavored topping [sugars (sugar, powdered sugar), corn starch, sea salt, fruit and vegetable color (pumpkin, sugar beets, apple, carrot, hibiscus), natural flavors, salt].
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Is Starbucks Pistachio Latte vegan?
No. While you can replace cow’s milk with almond or coconut milk, the pistachio latte sauce contains condensed milk, which is not vegan.
Nutrition with Pistachio Latte Starbucks
Here’s what you see in the nutrition department when you drink a large Starbucks Pistachio Latte with 2% milk:
- Calories: 320
- Fat: 9 g (5 g sat fat)
- Carbohydrates: 48 g
- Protein: 12 g
- Sugars: 45 g
- Sodium: 310 mg
- Fiber: 0 g
- Caffeine: 150 mg
What is the healthiest way to taste Pistachio Latte?
For what it’s worth, Starbucks never claimed that their Pistachio Latte is healthy – and it isn’t. “This latte is much more of a dessert than a coffee drink,” says Keri Gans, MS, RD, a New York-based nutrition consultant and author of The Small Changes Diet.
Jessica Cording, MS, RD, author of The little book of game changes calls it a “sugary coffee drink” which is “best enjoyed in small portions and in moderation”.
Overall, the amount of fat and sugar is particularly problematic, says Gina Keatley, a certified dietitian and nutritionist based in New York City. “It’s a lot of calories, not to mention the 45 grams of sugar,” she says. “Keep in mind that the recommendations for adding sugar are around 25 to 38 grams per day.”
If you want to try to make the drink a little healthier, Cording recommends ordering just a syrup bomb to add flavor while reducing some sugar and fat. You can also skip the topping of salty brown butter, “since pistachio sauce will add a lot of flavor,” says Keatley.
But if you want a pistachio latte here and there, go ahead – experts say an occasional treat is unlikely to affect your healthy eating goals.
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