Starbucks’s New Protein Lattes and Cold Foam Drinks: What You Need to Know

Stop at Starbucks this fall and you may notice something new on the menu drinks that, in addition to providing your caffeine fix, also pack a responsible dose of protein. Yep, Starbucks has officially joined the “protein drink” craze with a new line of drinks called Protein Lattes and Protein Cold Foam drinks. And these aren’t short-term gimmicks they’re forever additions nationwide in the United States and Canada, launching by the end of September 2025. So what’s the buzz about? First, let’s go through what’s on the menu, what it tastes like and how it actually fits in your day with plenty of specifics you can plug directly into our Starbucks Calorie Calculator tool.

Why Starbucks is Going Protein

For years, Starbucks was about excess and caffeine. But customer habits have shifted. People are after more than just a sugar rush; they want drinks that can help. Protein has become a health buzzword and turns up in everything from snack bars to cereal. It can help keep you full longer, aid in muscle recovery and generally make a drink feel just a touch more functional.

Starbucks spotted the trend and decided to meet it head-on. Instead of unveiling a new product line from scratch, they integrated protein into drinks customers are already familiar with and love lattes, cold brew and matcha. That’s shrewd; it normalizes the change rather than forcing it upon Disney audiences.

Fundamentals: Two Approaches to Protein Addition

Starbucks came up with two tools to add protein to your order:

Protein-Boosted Milk

It’s just plain old 2% milk with whey protein mixed in. It adds about 12–16 grams of protein (per grande size, depending on what you order). You can use it in the place of milk for any latte, hot or iced.

Protein Cold Foam

If you’ve had a cold foam cap at Starbucks, it’s the same idea frothy and creamy topping but with whey protein. A foam and grande size adds about 15 more grams of protein. The flavors run from classics like vanilla and chocolate to seasonal twists on the form, like pumpkin and pecan. Combine the two, and you’re sipping on drinks with up to 36 flavorful grams of protein a number that’s equivalent to the stuff from a chicken breast or protein shake, but much more fun to drink.

Protein Drinks on the Menu Feature

Starbucks is not leaving it to customers to figure that out. They’ve highlighted a pair of the protein-packed beverages to demonstrate how it works:

Protein Cold Foam Drinks

Iced Banana Cream Protein Matcha
Green tea latte with a banana cream protein foam. Creamy, somewhat tropical and chock-full of about 24 grams of protein.

Iced Vanilla Cream Protein Latte
Classic espresso with high-protein milk and vanilla protein foam. Approximately 26 grams of protein in a grande.

Chocolate Cream Protein Cold Brew
Dark chocolate protein foam over cold brew coffee. Provides about 19 grams of protein and is not heavy.

And one more thing: You don’t have to adhere precisely to these recipes. Any iced coffee, tea or Refresher can get a boost of protein cold foam.

Protein Lattes (Hot or Iced)

Sugar-Free Vanilla Protein Matcha Latte
A lighter, less sweet version with sugar-free vanilla syrup. The Grande size may pack between 28–36 grams of protein.

Sugar-Free Vanilla Protein Latte
Protein milk espresso with sugar free vanilla syrup and protein derived from the milk reaching ~27-29g protein content.

Vanilla Protein Latte
The “normal” vanilla latte with protein milk clocks in at approximately 27 grams of protein for a grande.

Protein Matcha Latte
Classic syrup and protein milk are the base for matcha. Among the highest in protein: 28–36 grams, depending on size.

How Do They Taste?

The key question: Do they taste like chalky gym shakes? Early reviews suggest no mostly. The protein milk mixes up surprisingly well, so the hot lattes taste about like regular ones, just a bit creamier.

The cold foam has won fans for being a nice thickness and not over-the-top sweet. Flavored versions like chocolate or banana pretty much hide the protein flavor. Some people also detected a subtle chalky note, especially in the plain and sugar-free foams, but it’s far more subtle than most store-bought protein shakes. For those of you who are partial to cold brew with vanilla sweet cream cold foam, the transition to protein foam feels like a natural step. It’s more or less the same treat, but with bonus nutrition points.

Nutrition and You

Here’s the back-of-the-envelope math for that grande size (16 oz):

• Protein Cold Foam: 15g protein
• Protein-Boosted Milk: adds 12-16g protein
• 36–37g protein total, depending on drink

Calories depend on flavor, but it’s a trade-off that is typically worth it if you need something to fill your belly. The protein-dense one triples if not quadruples that: the general “rule” is 20g of grams to one gram of protein. For those of you tracking macros, this makes Starbucks a more viable snack or even light meal replacement option. And, with our Starbucks Calorie Calculator, you can even compare a classic latte to one of these protein lattes and know the numbers in seconds.

How to Order Smarter

One of the best parts about these protein upgrades is how versatile they are. A few tips:

• Go sugar-free if you want protein without the extra sweetness.
• The flavor combinations are flexible chocolate protein foam on a cold brew is decadent and filling, while banana plays better with matcha.
• Experiment with seasonal foams pumpkin protein foam is on this fall, with pecan to follow.
• Consider your drink as food if you’re famished, a 30-gram protein latte is an okay idea. If all you need is a small extra edge, just go the foam-only route.

The Bigger Picture

Starbucks is obviously betting on functional beverages as the future. Plant-based milks, then lower-sugar refreshers and now protein. It’s a smart play, because it meets customers where they are people not only want their daily coffee run to also contribute to health goals. It also paves the way for new product lines. Starbucks already announced they will be launching a ready-to-drink version of the protein milk later this year, so grocery store shelves can also expect to see this trend soon.

Do It Yourself Better With Our Calculator

Wondering how many calories or grams of protein you’d be looking at if you traded your regular latte for a protein latte? That’s where our Starbucks Calorie Calculator comes in. You’re able to choose the new drinks, add protein milk, or select protein foam flavors and get a very specific nutrition breakdown. It’s a quirky way to play around before you commit and ensures that you know what is in your cup.

Final Sip

The new Protein Lattes and Protein Cold Foam drinks demonstrate how Starbucks is keeping up with what customers want: beverages that are indulgent but also functional. Whether you’re struggling to hit your Tupperware onstage, trying to stay full between meals or simply interested in the takeaway trend, it might be worth giving one a go. At the end of the day, it is still coffee and tea cozy, familiar with just a little extra protein hiding in there behind the foam or the milk. And with resources like our calculator at hand, you don’t have to wonder what exactly you are drinking; you can reduce it to numbers before you’ve ordered the first round.