6 Ways to Order Starbucks Decaf Coffee Drinks

Here's a list of ways to order Starbucks decaf coffee drinks. There are a lot more decaf options than most people realize.

Starbucks decaf Pike Place coffee sign and drink.

Starbucks Decaf Coffee Menu

Starbucks decaf coffee drinkers are definitely more rare than the caffeine-guzzling masses. However, Starbucks has a decent selection of decaf coffee drinks on the menu.

This means, you can enjoy a delicious cup of Starbucks coffee with caffeine or without.

The thing is, as a barista for many years, I get asked all the time, “Does Starbucks have decaf coffee?”

Or, “How do I order decaf at Starbucks?”

I know the Starbucks menu may seem a little overwhelming at first, especially since the complete menu is not fully posted inside the stores. So it’s understandable that decaf coffee-seeking customers aren’t sure what’s available.

However, before I show you all the decaf coffee options, it’s important to let you in on a little secret.

Decaf coffee is not completely caffeine-free.

That’s right. Decaffeination is actually a process, so a little bit of caffeine remains in the coffee beans.

For example, take a look at the caffeine content in a cup of Starbucks decaf Pike Place compared to regular Pike Place Roast.

Pike Place	Decaf	Caffeinated
Short	15 mg	155 mg
Tall	20 mg	235 mg
Grande	25 mg	310 mg
Venti	30 mg	410 mg

Amount of caffeine in decaf Starbucks brewed Pike Place Roast

So if you’re trying to avoid every trace of caffeine, I suggest selecting a caffeine-free tea at Starbucks. And here’s a list of every Starbucks drink without caffeine.

Otherwise, if you want a decaffeinated coffee, Starbucks has you covered.

Here are six Starbucks decaf coffee options.

1. Any Espresso Drink

The first thing you should know about Starbucks decaf coffee is that every single espresso drink can be made with decaf espresso beans.

That means any latte, flat white, mocha, macchiato, cappuccino, americano or espresso shot is available as decaf.

In other words, decaf coffee drinkers can enjoy all the deliciousness that caffeine drinkers can.

As a matter of fact, there’s always an espresso machine hopper full of decaf coffee beans awaiting you. Specifically, it’s Decaf Espresso Roast.

Starbucks Decaf Espresso Roast is a dark roast with notes of molasses and carmelized sugar.

2. Brewed Coffee

Starbucks always has fresh brewed coffee on tap. And there are usually several different roasts of hot brewed coffee available at any given moment.

Plus, the brewed coffee is always fresh. This is because the baristas brew new batches quite frequently.

Sometimes, one of the brewed coffees on tap is Decaf Pike Place Roast. Pike Place is a medium roast with notes of chocolate and toasted nuts.

However, whether or not there’s piping hot Decaf Pike Place ready and waiting at your go-to Starbucks, really depends on local demand.

For example, there are some locations where brewing decaf is not part of the routine at all. And then there are other locations that only brew decaf certain hours of the day. Again, this is according to demand.

But that doesn’t mean you cannot get a cup of decaf coffee. If no brewed decaf is available, there are several options.

For starters, the barista can brew some decaf coffee if you have a few minutes to wait.

Or they may suggest a decaf Americano made with decaf espresso beans. This particular drink is a viable alternative for a cup of brewed coffee since it’s simply espresso mixed with hot water.

Of course, if you’re at a location with a Clover brewing machine they can readily brew you a cup of decaf.

Otherwise, you can get a decaf pour-over.

3. Pour-Over

If you’re not familiar with what a pour-over is, don’t worry, I wasn’t either until I became a barista years ago.

Simply put, a pour-over is a way of manually brewing an individual hot cup of coffee.

Literally, the hot water is poured over coffee grounds in a circular pattern. Then, coffee drips through a filter directly into a cup.

A pour-over takes 3-4 minutes to make. However, any roast can be selected, including decaf roasts.

4. Clover Brewed Coffee

Clover-brewed coffee is available at a limited number of Starbucks locations.

If you’ve never heard of Clover before, it’s a very expensive coffee machine that’s like an upside-down french press.

This process, makes a single cup of coffee, which people often describe as the best coffee they’ve ever had. The machine has a metal filter (instead of paper) which allows more flavorful oils to seep into the coffee.

A cup of Clover-brewed coffee costs more, however. And I hear that Starbucks is slowly eliminating these machines from their line-up.

That being said, if you’re lucky enough to be at a Starbucks equipped with a Clover machine, then you have three decaf coffee options.

Pike Place
Espresso Roast
Sumatra

Additionally, each Clover-brewed is available hot or iced.

5. Iced Decaf Coffee

If you want a Starbucks decaf iced coffee, there are a few options.

Make note, however, their “iced coffee” and “cold brew” line-up of drinks are not available as decaf.

But that doesn’t mean you can’t get an ice cold decaffeinated coffee at Starbucks.

In fact, you can enjoy one of these iced espresso-based drinks. Just request decaf.

Iced Americano
Iced Shaken Espresso (formerly called Starbucks Doubleshot on Ice)
Iced Espresso

Iced Americano (decaf): In a nutshell, an Americano is a combination of espresso shots and filtered water. It does have a different flavor than drip-brewed coffee, however. Order a decaf Americano iced or hot; it’s the perfect alternative to a cup of black coffee.

Iced Shaken Espresso / Starbucks Doubleshot on Ice (decaf): This handshaken drink combines espresso, ice, Classic syrup and milk. Like all Starbucks drinks, feel free to customize and substitute Classic or the type of milk. Toffeenut syrup is a popular choice.

Iced Espresso (decaf): This iced drink is as simple as it sounds—espresso shots poured over ice. Simply order decaf and specify the number of shots: solo, doppio, triple or quad.

6. Decaf Frappuccinos

Have you ever wondered how much caffeine is in a frappuccino?

Well, Starbucks has two categories of frappuccinos—coffee frappuccinos and creme frappuccinos.

The base ingredient in all coffee frappuccinos is Coffee Frappuccino Syrup.

And, you guessed it, the base ingredient in all creme frappuccinos is Creme Frappuccino Syrup.

If you want a caffeine-free frappuccino opt for a creme frappuccino.

However, if you want the taste of coffee minus the caffeine, simply order a decaf frappuccino. The barista will leave out the caffeinated Coffee Frappuccino Syrup and replace it with decaf shots of espresso.

While the frappuccino won’t be quite as thick as a regular coffee frappuccino, it tastes just as decadent and delicious.

Plus, it’s topped with a generous dollop of Starbucks whipped cream.

Starbucks At-home Decaf Coffee

Finally, if you can’t make it to Starbucks, that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a cup of Starbucks decaf coffee at home.

As a matter of fact, Starbucks at-home coffee is readily available in most major stores.

For instance, Starbucks has decaf iced coffee and cold brew in the refrigerated section—no brewing necessary.

What’s fun is giving these drinks a bit more coffee-shop flair with syrups and creams. To see what I mean, take a look at my Easy Starbucks Peppermint Iced Coffee recipe.

Additionally, Starbucks also sells decaf k-cups, ground coffee and whole beans.

And just so you know, you can bring your bag of unopened Starbucks whole coffee beans to any barista for grinding. We’re happy to help.