Can You Order A Decaf Cold Brew At Starbucks?

If you're craving an afternoon Starbucks but don't want to stay up all night, you may want to opt for a decaf coffee. Compared to the approximately 95 mg of caffeine in a regular cup of a joe, a glass of decaf only has about 2 mg, so it's unlikely you'll feel an energy buzz. But while Starbucks does offer a few decaf options, they are limited, and you won't be able to find a decaf cold brew. Neither the signature cold brews with cold foam, the regular cold brew coffee, or the nitro cold brews have this option as a customization. You also won't be able to take the caffeine out of the three iced coffees that the chain offers.

However, that doesn't mean you can't get an iced decaf drink at Starbucks — you just need to finesse the menu a little. Stores do offer espresso shots sans caffeine, so you can start with an iced Americano and build your beverage from there. A standard grande comes with ice, water, and three espresso shots, but you can sub out the latter for decaf espresso shots. In fact, you can fiddle with exactly how much of an energy boost you want, since the shots can be one-third, one-half, or two-thirds decaf. 

If you're not feeling an iced Americano, Starbucks has a few other drinks centered around its espresso. You can replace the shots in an iced flat white with decaf ones, and since the lattes and the beloved iced caramel macchiato are made from espresso, you can sub in a caffeine-free version here too. And of course, any of the shaken espresso concoctions can be made decaf with the substitution, including the Iced Hazelnut Oatmilk Shaken Espresso, Iced Brown Sugar Oatmilk Shaken Espresso, and the regular Iced Espresso.

Luckily, with all of Starbucks' customization options, you can even try recreating your favorite signature cold brew with a decaf espresso base. The Salted Caramel Cream Cold Brew, for instance, contains the chilled java, ice, vanilla syrup, and salted caramel cold foam. So to replicate it, order an Iced Americano with decaf espresso shots, the same number of syrup pumps, and the same cold foam. You can add on almost anything you like here, including sauces, whipped cream, drizzles, toppings, and even non dairy cold foams, so you can get all the flavor you want without the buzz.