Is the Starbucks Pistachio Latte made with pistachio milk?

No. Despite the name, the Starbucks Pistachio Latte is made with regular 2% dairy milk and a pistachio-flavored sauce, not with pistachio milk. The pistachio sauce is sugar-forward and contains condensed nonfat milk and a little ground pistachio, finished with a salted brown-buttery topping. If you want an actual pistachio-milk drink, you'd make it at home or ask for a non-dairy milk swap.

How many calories are in a Starbucks Pistachio Latte?

A grande (16 oz) hot Pistachio Latte made with 2% milk has roughly 320 calories, about 45 g of sugar, 9 g of fat and 12 g of protein, based on Starbucks' published nutrition. The iced version and any size or milk changes shift those numbers. It's a sweet, dessert-style coffee rather than a low-calorie drink. Check Starbucks' current figures before counting precisely.

Is the Starbucks Pistachio Latte vegan?

Not by default. It's made with dairy milk, and the pistachio sauce itself contains condensed nonfat milk, so even swapping to a non-dairy milk doesn't make the standard drink fully dairy-free. A reliably vegan, real-pistachio alternative is to make a pistachio latte at home with pistachio milk and a dairy-free pistachio syrup.

When is the Starbucks Pistachio Latte available?

It's a winter seasonal drink that typically launches in early January in US stores, alongside the Pistachio Cream Cold Brew and, in 2026, a Pistachio Cortado and Pistachio Frappuccino. Starbucks has also moved toward offering the pistachio flavor more widely through the year, but the named seasonal drinks still headline the winter menu. Availability varies by location and year.

Starbucks Pistachio Latte: What's In It & Copycat Recipe

The Starbucks Pistachio Latte is one of the most-searched pistachio drinks of the year, but it surprises people to learn that it isn't made with pistachio milk at all. It's espresso and steamed dairy milk with a sweet pistachio-flavored sauce and a salted brown-buttery topping. Here's exactly what's in it, when it's available, its nutrition, and an honest copycat for home.

What's actually in it

The drink is brewed espresso, steamed 2% milk, pistachio sauce, and a salted brown-butter-cookie-flavored topping. The pistachio sauce is sugar-forward: its main ingredients are invert sugar and condensed nonfat milk, plus pistachio butter (ground pistachios), natural flavors and a little salt. The topping is essentially a colored, salted sugar sprinkle that mimics browned butter. So it's a sweet, dessert-style coffee built on dairy and flavoring, not a nut-milk drink, and not especially "pistachio-forward" in the way homemade pistachio drinks are.

This matters for two groups: people avoiding dairy (it's not vegan, and the sauce itself contains milk), and people expecting the clean, nutty taste of real pistachio milk. If that's what you're after, the pistachio milk latte made at home is a different and arguably better drink.

Nutrition and calories

Based on Starbucks' published figures, a grande (16 oz) hot Pistachio Latte with 2% milk has roughly:

Grande, hot, 2% milk	Approx.
Calories	~320 kcal
Sugar	~45 g
Fat	~9 g
Protein	~12 g

Approximate, for a grande hot with 2% milk; iced versions, other sizes and milk swaps change the figures. Verify against Starbucks' current published nutrition before counting precisely.

The headline number is sugar, around 45 g, most of it from the sauce. That's well above the NHS's 30 g daily free-sugars guideline for adults in a single drink, which is worth knowing if you order it often.

When is it available?

The Pistachio Latte is a winter seasonal, usually launching in early January in US stores. For 2026 it returned alongside the Pistachio Cream Cold Brew, a new Pistachio Cortado and a Pistachio Frappuccino, and Starbucks has signalled the pistachio flavor is becoming available more widely through the year. Exact timing and line-up vary by year and location, so check locally.

An honest copycat

You can get close at home, and make it dairy-free and less sweet if you want:

Copycat pistachio latte

Makes 1Active 5 min

2 shots espresso (or ½ cup strong coffee)
1 cup milk, dairy or pistachio milk for dairy-free
2 tbsp pistachio syrup
1 tsp brown sugar + a pinch of flaky salt, for the topping
A few drops browned butter (optional)

Stir the pistachio syrup into the espresso.
Steam or froth the milk and pour over.
Sprinkle the salted brown sugar (with browned butter) on top.

Use real pistachio syrup for genuine flavor, and pistachio milk if you want it dairy-free and more authentically pistachio than the original. For the full method and frothing notes, see the pistachio milk latte and pistachio coffee guides.

The honest takeaway

The Starbucks version is a fun, sweet seasonal treat, but it's a flavored dairy latte, not a pistachio-milk drink, and it's high in sugar. If you love the idea of pistachio in coffee, making it at home with pistachio milk and a real pistachio syrup gives you a cleaner, nuttier, and far more adjustable result. We cover the actual pistachio-milk brands in best pistachio milk and where to find them in where to buy pistachio milk.

Allergy note

The Starbucks Pistachio Latte and these copycats contain pistachio (a tree nut). The Starbucks version also contains dairy. Anyone with a nut allergy should avoid all pistachio drinks.

Allergy note: Pistachios are a tree nut. If you have a nut allergy, avoid pistachio milk and pistachio products, and check labels for cross-contamination warnings. This article is general information, not personalized dietary or medical advice.