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Best Iced Tea at Starbucks: A Barista’s Guide

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Everything about Starbucks iced tea drinks in one convenient guide. See all the best Starbucks iced teas ranked by popularity. And get tips to customize your favorite iced tea at Starbucks.
best starbucks iced tea

Starbucks Iced Tea Drinks

Take one sip of Starbucks iced tea and it’s easy to see why it’s a summertime favorite.

Besides being delightfully refreshing, one of the best things about Starbucks iced tea is that each type of tea can be combined with lemonade, juice and syrup to create a variety of drinks.

And guess what? There’s an iced tea to please everyone.

Whether you prefer your tea sweetened or unsweetened, Starbucks has a drink for you.

What about caffeine? No need to worry; Starbucks caffeine-free drinks include a couple iced tea options on the menu.

In this barista’s guide to iced tea at Starbucks I show you how to order this summertime classic beverage and ways to change it up.

To get started, let’s look at the official Starbucks iced tea menu.

Starbucks Iced Tea Menu

  • Iced Black Tea
  • Iced Black Tea Lemonade
  • Iced Guava Black Tea
  • Iced Guava Black Tea Lemonade
  • Iced Chai Tea Latte
  • Iced London Fog Tea Latte
  • Iced Royal English Breakfast Tea Latte
  • Iced Green Tea
  • Iced Green Tea Lemonade
  • Iced Peach Green Tea
  • Iced Peach Green Tea Lemonade
  • Iced Matcha Green Tea Latte
  • Matcha Lemonade
  • Iced Passion Tango Tea
  • Iced Passion Tango Tea Lemonade
  • Iced Pineapple Matcha Drink (matcha & coconut milk drink)
  • Iced Golden Ginger Drink (turmeric & coconut milk drink)
  • Teavana Mango Black Tea (bottled)
  • Teavana Sparkling Blood Orange Mango White Tea (bottled)
  • Teavana® Sparkling Unsweetened Peach Nectarine Green Tea (bottled)
best iced tea at starbucks
Starbucks passion iced tea is caffeine-free making it a good option for kids.

Best Iced Tea Drinks at Starbucks

Now that you’ve seen all the possible iced tea combinations on the Starbucks menu, you may be wondering which iced tea drink is the best.

Luckily, I’ve got the inside scoop from a longtime Starbucks barista/manager for which iced teas customers order the most.

Here’s a list of every handcrafted iced tea at Starbucks ranked by customer popularity. The list begins with the number one, best-selling Starbucks iced tea and works its way down to the least ordered iced tea drink.

1. Iced Chai Tea Latte

The best iced tea at Starbucks by far is the Iced Chai Tea Latte. Customers can’t seem to get enough of this sweet and spicy iced tea latte that combines the bold flavors of chai with milk and ice. A new favorite way Starbucks tea drinkers enjoy this top-ranked iced tea is topped with sweet cream cold foam.

Nutrition in a Grande Iced Chai Tea Latte: Calories 240 ; Caffeine 95mg

Related: 13 Most Popular Starbucks Tea Drinks / Starbucks Chai Drink Guide

2. Iced Peach Green Tea Lemonade

One sip of an Iced Peach Green Tea Lemonade and it’s easy to see why it’s the most popular of the brewed iced teas at Starbucks. This particular drink has it all—green tea, peach juice and lemonade. For extra sweetness, add some liquid cane sugar.

Nutrition in a Grande Iced Peach Green Tea Lemonade: Calories 80; Caffeine 25mg

Related: Starbucks Peach Green Tea Lemonade Recipe

3. Iced Peach Green Tea

The summertime classic combination of green tea and peach is a favorite among Starbucks tea drinkers. This light and refreshing iced tea beverage is a handshaken mixture of Starbucks minty green tea, peach-flavored fruit juice and triple-filtered ice.

Nutrition in a Grande Iced Peach Green Tea: Calories 60; Caffeine 25mg

4. Iced Green Tea

A simple, refreshing glass of Starbucks Iced Green Tea is a favorite among customers who want a sugar-free Starbucks drink that gives a little pick-me-up. Of course, this icy blend of green tea, spearmint and lemongrass can be sweetened with any Starbucks syrup like raspberry or liquid cane sugar.

Nutrition in a Grande Iced Green Tea: Calories 0; Caffeine 25mg

Related: A Barista’s Guide to Starbucks Green Tea & Matcha Drinks

5. Iced Matcha Tea Latte

This smooth and creamy iced matcha drink is one of several Starbucks matcha drinks on the menu. This ice cold tea latte is a simple mix of sweetened matcha and milk and has more caffeine than most other Starbucks teas. Looking for a healthy matcha drink? This drink isn’t it since it contains sugar. However, you can turn it into a dairy-free Starbucks drink by substituting the milk.

Nutrition in a Grande Matcha Tea Latte: Calories 200; Caffeine 80mg

Related: Best Starbucks Matcha Drinks / A Barista’s Guide to Starbucks Tea Latte Menu

6. Iced Green Tea Lemonade

Starbucks customers love iced green tea, especially blended with lemonade. What’s not to love about iced green tea shaken with Starbucks cool, crisp lemonade?

Nutrition in a Grande Iced Green Tea Lemonade: Calories 50; Caffeine 25mg

Related: Homemade Starbucks Iced Green Tea Lemonade Recipe

7. Iced Black Tea

If you’re looking for a traditional cup of black iced tea, Starbucks has you covered. The Iced Black Tea comes unsweetened but you can make it a Sweet Tea by adding liquid cane sugar. This particular syrup is made especially for iced tea drinks.

Nutrition in a Grande Iced Black Tea: Calories 0; Caffeine 25mg

Related: Starbucks Black Tea Drinks: Everything You Need to Know

8. Iced Passion Tango Tea Lemonade

Iced Passion Tango Tea Lemonade is a refreshing way to an enjoy a caffeine-free iced tea at Starbucks. The only herbal tea on the menu, is perfectly paired with lemonade for a touch of sweetness.

Nutrition in a Grande Iced Passion Tango Tea Lemonade: Calories 50; Caffeine 0mg

Related: Starbucks Iced Passion Tango Tea Lemonade Recipe

9. Iced Guava Black Tea Lemonade

Guava flavored fruit juice meets Starbucks bold black iced tea and crisp lemonade to make a seriously delicious cup of Iced Guava Black Tea Lemonade. This handshaken drink is a favorite of Starbucks black iced tea drinkers.

Nutrition in a Grande Iced Guava Black Tea Lemonade: Calories 90; Caffeine 25mg

10. Iced Black Tea Lemonade

If you like Arnold Palmer iced tea, then you should try Starbucks Iced Black Tea Lemonade. Black iced tea is simply shaken with ice and lemonade to create this half tea/half lemonade drink.

Nutrition in a Grande Iced Black Tea Lemonade: Calories 50; Caffeine 25mg

Related: Starbucks Lemonade Drinks: Refreshers, Iced Tea & More

11. Iced Guava Black Tea

Need a refreshing pick-me-up? The Iced Guava Black Tea combines Teavana black iced tea with guava-flavored fruit juice. Like all Of course, it’s hand-shaken with ice to perfectly mix all the deliciousness.

Nutrition in a Grande Iced Guava Black Tea: Calories 90; Caffeine 25mg

12. Iced Passion Tango Tea

Iced Passion Tango Tea is the only herbal tea at Starbucks (with or without lemonade), and wow does it make a splash. A blend of hibiscus, lemongrass and apple are hand-shaken with ice to create this beautiful pink-colored, caffeine-free iced tea. This drink is also sugar-free but you can add any Starbucks syrup to it for a little sweetness.

Nutrition in a Grande Iced Passion Tango Tea: Calories 0; Caffeine 0mg

13. Matcha Lemonade

This vibrant green drink is a hand-shaken mix of Starbucks sweetened matcha and lemonade. Like all Starbucks matcha drinks, Matcha Lemonade is caffeinated.

Nutrition in a Grande Matcha Lemonade: Calories 120; Caffeine 80mg

Related: Quick & Easy Matcha Lemonade like Starbucks

14. Iced Royal English Breakfast Tea Latte

One of two Starbucks iced tea lattes made from hot-brewed Teavana tea bags, the Iced Royal English Breakfast Tea Latte is one of the least popular Starbucks tea drinks. As a matter of fact, my Starbucks barista insider, cannot recall ever making this drink. But that doesn’t mean it’s not good.

This tea latte combines English Breakfast breakfast tea, milk, liquid cane sugar and ice. Some baristas take a short cut and use the black iced tea concentrate.

Nutrition in a Grande Iced Royal English Breakfast Tea Latte: Calories 140; Caffeine 40mg

Related: Iced Caramel English Breakfast Tea Latte

15. Iced London Fog Tea Latte

An icy twist on a traditional Earl Grey tea, the Iced London Fog Tea Latte brings together the citrusy bergamot and lavendar tea flavors, vanilla syrup, milk and ice.

Nutrition in a Grande Iced London Fog Tea Latte: Calories 140; Caffeine 40mg

Related: Iced London Fog Tea Latte with Vanilla Sweet Cream

Is Starbucks Iced Tea Sweetened?

Have you been wondering if Starbucks iced tea is pre-sweetened?

As of March 2021, all Starbucks plain iced tea drinks are made without any added sweetener.

However, if your taste buds are partial to sweet tea, you’ll be happy to know that all the iced tea drinks on the Starbucks menu can be shaken with a sweetened syrup upon request.

The best iced tea sweetener, and the one Starbucks suggests, is liquid cane syrup.

Additionally, Starbucks has flavored syrups like raspberry and pineapple ginger, that are also delicious in iced tea.

As you can imagine, the flavor combinations are seemingly limitless.

starbucks iced tea menu
Starbucks iced tea and iced tea latte line-up includes black, green, white, passion, matcha and chai.

How to Order Iced Tea at Starbucks

Just like ordering hot tea at Starbucks, iced tea is simple to make.

Afterall, its only ingredients are brewed tea, water and ice.

So why is it that ordering an iced tea at Starbucks can seem a little confusing? Let me take the mystery out of it for you.

Starbucks Iced Tea Bases

To begin, Starbucks has three types of iced tea bases: black, green and Passion Tango.

Plus, they have chai concentrate, matcha powder and turmeric powder.

  • Black Tea – a premium black tea
  • Green Tea – blend of mint, lemongrass and lemon verbena
  • Passion Tango Tea – blend of hibiscus, lemongrass and apple
  • Matcha Powder – sweetened Japanese green tea powder
  • Chai Concentrate – black tea infused with cinnamon, clove, and other warming spices
  • Golden Ginger Blend – sweetened turmeric powder

Flavored Juices Available to Mix in Iced Tea

Secondly, there are three flavored juices available to mix in the iced tea: peach, guava and apple.

  • Peach
  • Guava
  • Apple

Iced Tea Syrups

Then, if you want to sweeten your Starbucks iced tea, there are four main types of syrup to choose from:

  • Honey Blend
  • Liquid Cane
  • Pineapple Ginger
  • Raspberry

Lemonade

Finally, any Starbucks iced tea can be shaken together with cool, crisp sweetened lemonade.

To order Starbucks iced tea, simply mix and match a tea base, flavored juice, syrup and lemonade anyway you want.

teavana shaken black
Starbucks Shaken Iced Black Tea

Starbucks Iced Tea Drink Combinations

As you can see, there are lots of ways to flavor iced tea at Starbucks.

Just note that iced teas mixed with juice or lemonade do contain sugar.

Here’s a quick look at all the delicious ways you can combine iced tea, lemonade and juice.

Tea + Lemonade

Like any Starbucks iced tea drink, you can mix and match lemonade with one of the three standard teas, as well as matcha. For instance, you can order a Shaken Iced Black Tea Lemonade or a Matcha Lemonade.

Tea + Flavored Juice + Lemonade

Or you can add lemonade to an iced tea that is also mixed with flavored juice.

A delicious example is the Iced Peach Green Tea Lemonade. Talk about refreshing.

Tea 1 + Tea 2 + Lemonade

Additionally, you can even combine two tea bases along with lemonade to create something really tasty like an Iced Passion Green Tea Lemonade.

peach passion iced tea
Iced Peach Passion Tea and Iced Black Tea are my favorite Starbucks iced teas.

Starbucks Iced Tea Lattes

Did you notice that Starbucks even has a few iced tea lattes on the menu?

An iced tea latte combines these ingredients to make a creamy tea:

  • Tea (black, chai concentrate, matcha or turmeric)
  • Milk
  • Ice
  • Syrup

As I’m sure you guessed, iced tea lattes can also be customized to your preference. For instance, switch the type of milk and flavor of syrup to create a new tea latte.

And just so you know, any type of milk or syrup is fair game, even if it’s normally used in coffee.

Consequently, it’s possible to get a dairy-free iced tea latte. Simply substitute the default 2% milk with a plant-based milk like almond, coconut, oat or soy.

Moreover, select any available syrup and change the iced latte’s entire flavor profile.

Just keep in mind, however, the chai concentrate is already flavored with yummy spices like cinnamon and cardamom.

How to Customize Iced Tea at Starbucks

While Starbucks already has some of the best iced tea flavor combinations on the menu, here’s a summary of everything you need to know to make a custom iced tea.

Be aware, however, each additive may add a little to the drink’s price.

Step 1: Select a cold cup size.

Cold Cup SizeOunces
Tall12 ounces
Grande16 ounces
Venti24 ounces
Trenta30 ounces
Starbucks Cold Cup Sizes

Step 2: Select a tea base.

With CaffeineCaffeine-Free
BlackPassion Tango
GreenTurmeric (Golden Ginger Blend)
Chai Concentrate*
Matcha*
Starbucks Iced Tea Base Flavors

*Chai concentrate and matcha powder contain sugar

Step 3: Select a juice, lemonade or both

Typical Iced Tea JuicesOther Juices
GuavaApple
Peach
Lemonade
Starbucks Juice Options

Step 4: Or, for an iced tea latte, select a milk.

Note: 2% milk is the default milk in iced tea lattes except for the new Iced Pineapple Matcha and Iced Golden Ginger Drinks which use coconut milk.

MilkDairy-Free Alternatives
Non-FatAlmond
2%Coconut
WholeOatly Oat Milk
Breve – Half and HalfSoy
Heavy Cream
Starbucks Iced Tea Latte Milk Options

Step 5: Add flavored syrup and sweeteners.

There is no additional charge for adding syrup or sweeteners to iced tea drinks.

Liquid SweetenersFlavored SyrupsOther Sweeteners
Liquid Cane Sugar (best for iced tea)Brown SugarHoney Packets
ClassicCaramel Splenda
Honey-blendCinnamon Dolce*Stevia in the Raw
Hazelnut Sugar
Irish CreamSugar in the Raw
Peppermint
Pineapple Ginger
Raspberry
Toffee Nut
Vanilla*
Starbucks Syrups and Sweeteners

*These syrups are also available sugar-free

Step 6: Add a fruit inclusions.

Starbucks has fruit inclusions that are used in their Refreshers drinks. However, you can add them to iced tea drinks, as well.

There is an additional charge for fruit add-ins. See approximate cost in chart.

Fruit InclusionsAdd-in Price
Blackberries.50
Dragonfruit Inclusion.50
Kiwi Inclusion.50
Strawberries.50
Strawberry Puree1.00
Starbucks Fruit Inclusions & Approximate add-in price.
starbucks homemade passion tea lemonade
Starbucks Iced Passion Tea Lemonade is one of my favorite copycat recipes to make at home.

Starbucks Iced Tea Suggestions

The best iced tea depends on the flavors you like and any specific dietary needs.

Here’s a list I’ve compiled containing some of the best iced tea at Starbucks based on caffeine content, health benefits and other dietary needs.

What’s the best caffeine-free Starbucks iced tea?

Only herbal tea is caffeine free and the only herbal blend Starbucks has on the menu is passion tea. Additionally, the new turmeric powder is caffeine free.

There are a few other caffeine-free hot tea options, as well.

Recommendations: Iced Passion Tango Tea, Iced Passion Tango Tea Lemonade or Iced Golden Drink


Which Starbucks iced tea is the best to get for my child?

Many parents try to avoid giving their children caffeine-filled, sugary drinks.

Luckily, at Starbucks you can get a sugar-free iced tea for your child. Or you can control the amount of sweetness by requesting liquid cane sugar.

Recommendations: Iced Passion Tea (caffeine free and sugar-free); Iced Passion Tea Lemonade (caffeine free and low sugar); Or customize the passion tea by adding juice to make an Iced Peach Passion Tea; Iced Guava Passion Tea.

teavana passion tango
Starbucks Shaken Peach Passion Ice Tea

What iced tea provides the most pick-me-up?

If caffeine is what you’re after, almost all Starbucks iced teas have caffeine. But, the amount varies by the type of tea.

However, three iced teas stand above the rest when it comes to having the most caffeine.

Recommendations: Iced Chai Latte, Iced Matcha and Iced Matcha Lemonade.

Here’s how much caffeine is in a grande cup of iced tea so you can see what I mean.

  • Chai Latte: 95 mg; Matcha Latte: 80 mg; Matcha Lemonade: 80 mg; Iced Pineapple Matcha: 80 mg
  • English Breakfast Latte: 40 mg; London Fog Latte: 40 mg
  • Iced Black: 25 mg; Iced Green: 25 mg; Iced White: 20 mg
  • Iced Passion: 0 mg

Additionally, if you love chai like me, here’s a rundown of all Starbucks chai tea drinks, iced and hot.


What’s the best Starbucks iced tea to get if I’m on a special diet like dairy-free, low or no carb or keto?

With all the tea, milk and sweetener options, it’s possible to get an iced tea at Starbucks that’s diet friendly. Here are my recommendations for these dietary goals:

Dairy-free

Substitute the 2% milk in any iced tea latte with a plant-milk like almond, coconut, soy or oat. Otherwise, all other iced teas and iced tea lemonades on the menu are dairy-free.

Low or no carb

All iced teas are prepared without any sweetener so they are both calorie-free and contain zero carbs. However, all matcha, lemonade or peach and guava juice drinks contain sugar which cannot be left out.

Recommendations: These iced teas are calorie-free and carb-free: Iced Black Tea, Iced Green Tea, and Iced Passion Tango Tea.

Keto-friendly

If you’re looking for a high-fat/low-carb iced tea, you’ll have to customize your drink.

One popular option is to add heavy cream to a passion iced tea and substitute the liquid cane syrup with sugar-free vanilla syrup.


Which Starbucks iced tea is the healthiest?

Healthy is a very subjective word, meaning different things to different people.

That being said, matcha and green tea are known for their health benefits, with matcha topping the charts for its extreme amount of antioxidants.

Take a look at my Starbucks Guide to Green Tea & Matcha to learn even more.

Recommendations: Iced Green Tea without liquid cane syrup; Iced Matcha Latte without liquid cane syrup.

starbucks iced peach green tea
Starbucks Iced Peach Green Tea is sweet, minty and refreshing.

Starbucks Iced Tea FAQs

What sizes of iced tea does Starbucks have?

Cold drinks are available in four sizes: tall (12 oz.), grande (16 oz.), venti (24 oz.) and trenta (30 oz.).

What is Starbucks Shaken iced tea?

A shaker is used to make iced tea. First, the tea, ice, water, juice or lemonade, and syrup are added to the shaker. After that, the barista shakes it ten times.

Does Starbucks have caffeine free iced tea?

Yes, passion tea and turmeric tea (Iced Golden Drink) do not have caffeine.
As a matter of fact, these are Starbucks only caffeine free iced tea options. For comparison purposes, here’s the caffeine content for all grande tea drinks: black tea – 25-30 mg.; green tea – 25-30 mg.; passion tea – 0 mg.; white tea – 20-25 mg; matcha – 80 mg.; turmeric golden blend – 0 mg.

Is Starbucks iced tea sweetened or unsweetened?

As of March 2021, all Starbucks iced tea comes unsweetened. However, you can add-in liquid cane sugar upon request. This is the best sweetener for iced tea, according to Starbucks. Additionally, you can sweeten your tea with other sweeteners like sugar, sugar in the raw, stevia, splenda or honey. Keep in mind, iced teas that contain matcha, lemonade or juice are not available sugar-free since these ingredients already contain sugar.

Does Starbucks sell an iced tea that doesn’t have caffeine and sweetener?

Passion tea is the only caffeine free, unsweetened iced tea at Starbucks. Order an Iced Passion Tango Tea.

Does Starbucks have keto friendly iced teas?

Starbucks does not have recipes for keto-friendly drinks. Nonetheless, feel free to customize a drink using keto-friendly ingredients.

guide to starbucks iced tea

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