It’s the holiday season, and that means holiday drinks at Starbucks! It’s not always easy figuring out what to get when you have dietary restrictions, so here is a quick guide of what you can safely drink.

I have a dairy allergy, and substituting soy milk for regular milk does the trick for me. To be safe, always check with the Barista when ordering to ensure you will not be ingesting any allergens or ingredients you would rather not be eating. It’s almost Christmas, and we all want to be getting along merrily and without any adverse effects. Please be aware that Starbucks cannot guarantee that there will be no allergens because of cross contamination.

Vegan

Vegans, you can avoid the dairy products in your drinks by staying away from sauces and going for syrups and choosing a dairy free milk (soy, almond or coconut). If you’re not sure if a certain ingredient is vegan, ask your Barista, but try not to hold up your line. Here are some Holiday drinks that are vegan with a little bit of substitution involved.

1. Chestnut Praline Latte with soy, almond or coconut milk
2. Peppermint mocha with the same milk substitutions
3. Caramel Brulée Latte, substituting the Caramel Brulée sauce with Caramel and Toffee Nut SYRUPS
4. Holiday Spice Flat White with soy milk
5. Hot Chocolate with Chestnut Praline syrup

Nut Free*

Many Starbucks drinks with nutty names do not contain actual nuts, but to stay safe, be wary of toppings like sprinkles that may contain nuts. Also, skinny mochas could contain nuts, so beware of that. See my note for more information. Here are some Holiday drinks safe for you!

1. Caramel Brulée Latte
2. Peppermint Mocha (NOT Skinny Mochas)
3. Peppermint Hot Chocolate
4. Peppermint Frappuccino
5. Candy Cane Latte

*Starbucks cannot guarantee that any of their products are free from allergens because they use the same equipment to store, prepare and serve everything. Information from http://starbucksnutallergy.weebly.com/drinks.html

Gluten Free*

You are already deprived of bread, so you shouldn’t be deprived of Starbucks' Holiday menu. Of course, cross contamination is possible, and Starbucks cannot guarantee there will be no traces of gluten in their drinks, but you should be safe with these options.

1. Caramel Brulée Latte
2. Cinnamon Dolce Frappuccino
3. Salted Caramel Macchiato
4. Peppermint Hot Chocolate
5. Peppermint Mocha

*Again, Starbucks cannot guarantee everything is gluten-free because of cross contamination.

Happy Holidays, everyone! Remember, your Baristas are people too, so be respectful of them and the other people in Starbucks with you.