The Gluten-Free Items You Can Snag At Starbucks

If you're someone who's eating gluten-free for any reason, it can make navigating your favorite restaurant menus tough. It can be particularly difficult at Starbucks, where most of the food offerings involve bread and pastries. The good news is, despite that pastry display that looks like a big red warning sign to anyone who needs to avoid gluten, there are actually more menu items that can fit your dietary needs than you might think.

In terms of the bakery offerings, you can order a marshmallow dream bar, which is sort of like an adult Rice Krispie treat. Or, at some Starbucks locations, you may be able to find a gluten-free brownie. Beyond the baked goods, however, Starbucks also has a number of ready-to-eat options that don't contain gluten. Plus, many of its drinks also fit the bill, even if you want a fancy frappuccino or one of the sugary espresso-based brews.

If you're after gluten-free items at this popular coffee chain, your safest bet is to stick to the store's packaged products. For foods to pair with your coffee, it has a few choices, mainly focused on granola and protein bars. Firstly, there are the That's It fruit bars made with apple and either mango or blueberry. It also has a few flavors of Kind Bars (which, as a bonus, use sustainable almond farming) and RXBARS.

For those who don't want snack bars, Starbucks has coconut clusters, a hearty combination of seeds, nuts, and coconut flakes. These are mildly sweet bites and come in a shareable size. Or, you can pick up a personal-sized pack of peanut butter banana bites for a sweet treat with a burst of protein and potassium. Another option is Justin's peanut butter cups, sold at the counter at certain stores.

If you desire something savory, the chain has beef and turkey jerky packets you can munch on. Additionally, its chicken quinoa bowls and sous vide egg bites don't have any added gluten. Just note that even if you pick up the egg bites or dream bar, Starbucks doesn't guarantee there won't be any cross-contamination due to handling. So, those with more serious sensitivities might want to avoid the food altogether.

More than the food at Starbucks has a risk of containing gluten; you might also come across beverages that aren't celiac-friendly. You'll find that most of the coffee beverages are gluten-free. The straight espresso, drip coffees, iced coffees, cold brew, and nitro cold brew should all be fine to consume. However, you need to be careful if you want to add milk. The oat milk at Starbucks is not gluten-free, although its dairy and soy options are. What's more, the baristas use the same milk frother for all kinds of milk. So, even though it gets rinsed in between uses, there could still be some cross-contamination.

The syrup and add-ins situation also gets a little fuzzy. The store's simple syrup, mocha and caramel drizzles, and caramel, vanilla, almond, and hazelnut syrups are all considered gluten-free, as are a few seasonal options, such as the peppermint syrup. However, other choices, like the toasted white mocha syrup, contain gluten, which means it's best to avoid drinks that contain it. You should also steer clear of java chips. While many of these mix-ins might not have wheat, they aren't certified gluten-free, so you may still be playing a risky game. However, the good news is that you don't have to entirely forego your Starbucks fix if you're gluten-free; just choose wisely when ordering.