What's In Starbucks' New Almond Milk?

It's a question that has stumped humankind for years: Why doesn't Starbucks have almond milk? But I have good news for you! Our prayers have been answered, and starting Sept. 6, the coffee giant will at long last be serving up the delicious milk alternative. Here's the cool part: They make it themselves. So, what's in Starbucks almond milk, in all its tasty creaminess? Let's take a look.

Starbucks Almondmilk — yes, on Starbucks' menu, its official name is one word, not two; according to Starbucks, spelling non-dairy milk alternatives as one word is "the latest industry approach"— was developed in-house to work flawlessly with both hot and iced drinks, as well as their signature Frappuccinos. (YUM.) In a press release, manager of the Starbucks beverage R&D team Yoke Wong explained, "It was designed so that when steamed, it creates a rich foam for hot beverages and is delicious and creamy when served in cold beverages." As far as the ingredients go, Starbucks Almondmilk is made with filtered water, almonds, sugar, sea salt, vitamin A, vitamin D2, tricalcium phosphate (a type of calcium salt), sunflower lecithin (a phospholipid found in sunflower seeds), xanthan gum (a thickening agent), guar gum (from guar beans), and palmitate (an antioxidant and vitamin A compound).

This is going to complement my Pumpkin Spice Latte perfectly.

Wong added, "Because it's unflavored, customers can customize to their taste preferences." Bonus! That's one thing I've always loved about almond milk. It's blandness and subtle flavor let you mix it into almost anything without any funky milk alternative-y taste invading whatever it is you're drinking.

While cow's milk certainly has its advantages and benefits, almond milk is a great swap if you need to watch your sugar intake specifically. Almond milk has just three grams of sugar per eight-ounce serving, while cow's milk has about 12 to 13 grams in two percent milk. Make the switch at Starbucks for just an extra $0.60.

"Almondmilk" joins Starbucks "soymilk" and "coconutmilk" (delish!) on the list of non-dairy alternatives, truly making it a coffee shop anyone will love. The new milk won't arrive at every Starbucks location all at once; but you can expect the rollout to be complete by the end of September.

Image: Starbucks