Life

Here’s How To Order A Vegan Toffee Almondmilk Hot Chocolate At Starbucks

by Brittany Bennett

You don't have to be a coffee addict to place an order at Starbucks. A lengthy list of non-caffenainted beverages dominates the menu, allowing us all — coffee lovers and non-coffee lovers — to enjoy delicious things. With the celebrated debut of the newest take on hot chocolate, you might be wondering, is Starbucks' Toffee Almondmilk Hot Chocolate vegan? Because if it is, then yes, we really ~all~ can enjoy the good things in life found under our favorite green roof.

Even if you douse your mornings in liters of coffee, there's no reason to not make room in your travel mug for hot chocolate. As we approach frigid months full of building snowman and bundling ourselves in no less than three sweaters, hot chocolate is the choice beverage to warm up with. It can be sipped from morning to evening and it's essentially a melted candy bar in a mug. There's nothing to not love. Even without whipped cream, the base of hot chocolate is a universal delicacy.

And if you, like me, forgo the whipped cream because you find it to be too overwhelming and not the point of the beverage in the first place, you'll find yourself with a dairy-free drink that's free of animal products.

The Toffee Almondmilk Hot Chocolate may not be listed on the menu as a vegan-certified drink officially, but it can be tailored to your dietary needs if need be — and without the whipped cream, the drink is dairy-free and free of animal products. Starbuck's official statement includes instruction on how to find your dairy-free bliss: The geniuses behind the brew say, "though it’s made with Almondmilk, Toffee Almondmilk Hot Chocolate is not dairy-free because it is topped with whipped cream! To order it dairy-free, customers can ask to 'hold the whip.'" The absence of a dairy-based milk renders the base of this drink free of animal products. All you have to do is order sans the whipped cream that's generally added on top. (For the record, Starbucks does have this standard allergen disclaimer for their products, as they're all made on shared equipment: "We cannot guarantee that any of our products are free from allergens (including dairy, eggs, soy, tree nuts, wheat and others) as we use shared equipment to store, prepare and serve them.")

Let me tell you something, holding back the whip won't hold back any of the flavor. Hot chocolate is rich as it is. No sip constructed in your sugary dreams will be compromised because of the lack of dairy. Starbucks' Toffee Almondmilk take on hot chocolate starts its journey to dessert goals with steamed almond milk. From there, it combines with mocha sauce and toffee nut syrup to really get your salivary glands working. And, just to make your day, it's topped with a crunchy Caramel Brulée bits that reflect like crystals in the light of your camera. Beyond being vegan, this cup of cocoa is ready for its Instagram feed debut.

This drink is a rich choice completed with nutty notes. Forget hand warmers this winter and keep your hands wrapped around a grande order of the Toffee Almondmilk Hot Chocolate once the weather gets frightful. The hot cocoa joins other wintery beverage delights like Starbucks' Peppermint Hot Chocolate, Peppermint White Hot Chocolate, Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate, Snickerdoodle Hot Chocolate and Toasted White Chocolate Cocoa. There is literally an armory of hot chocolate variations that you can keep warm with this winter. Even if you happen to be vegan.

Guys, it is ~possible~ to have the best of both worlds. This winter you can stay true to the morals of your dietary restrictions while also enjoying a large helping of a drink commonly made creamy by whole milk. Nut milks have swiftly and deliciously eliminated the whole ~whole milk~ obstacle so that you can continue to relish in creamy texture. Starbucks hears your cravings and your conflicts, vegans, and they're here for your substitutions. This seasonal take on winter's best beverage is for everybody, vegans and non-vegans alike, to enjoy.