One of the reasons Starbucks has achieved so much success over the decades is because of its selection. Guests can customize their beverages to an unmatched degree, with multiple options for milk, mix-ins, toppings, and yes, especially flavors.
One such flavor is the popular honey blend. What is Starbucks ’ honey blend? You might have tried it without even knowing. Here’s the information you need!
What Is Starbucks Honey Blend In 2023?
The Starbucks honey blend is a pumpable syrup flavor that combines honey and water, making it easier for baristas to dispense than regular honey (which has to be cut open) as of 2023. Honey blend is added to beverages like the Honey Oat Milk Latte, and the Almond milk Honey Flat White.
Let’s delve deeper into what the honey blend consists of, how much sugar is in it (and therefore how much it adds to drinks), and what the real difference between honey and the honey blend is. Keep reading!
What Is In Starbucks Honey Blend?
Starbucks lists the ingredients of its honey blend under any beverage that contains the syrup.
They are:
- Honey
- Water
- Natural flavors
- Potassium sorbate
- Xanthan gum
- Citric acid
Starbucks debuted this new mixer when they rolled out a new plant-based milk line of coffees in 2021.
While the chemically sounding ingredients in the honey blend can be a bit off-putting, they’re additives to keep the syrup shelf-stable and/or maintain texture.
Additionally, the important thing to note is that the honey blend’s two main ingredients (you can tell because they’re listed first and second) are honey and water, with honey first.
Another interesting and positive thing is that there is no added sugar; the honey is sugary enough on its own.
I’ll cover that in the next section, so read on!
Does Starbucks Honey Blend Have Added Sugar?
Starbucks honey blend does not contain added sugar.
As I covered in the section above, the two main ingredients are honey and water; the rest are natural flavors and additives, the latter of which keeps the syrup shelf-stable.
However, the Honey blend certainly doesn’t need any added sugar, as each pump would have about five grams.
Five grams of sugar per pump is in all Starbucks’ other flavor syrups, so if you normally get flavor pumps in your coffee, you won’t be ingesting any more or any less with the honey blend.
Is Starbucks Honey Blend Healthy?
While honey itself has major health benefits (including antibacterial properties), the honey blend syrup at Starbucks does not share these traits.
That’s because, while it does contain honey as its main ingredient, it is also diluted with water and contains additives/preservatives, which are rarely considered healthy.
Starbucks honey blend is not high in caloric content, but it does have plenty of sugar in it, making it not the most ideal add-in for your coffee beverage.
How Many Calories Is One Pump Of Honey Blend At Starbucks?
Though Starbucks honey blend is a sugary substance, it’s not terribly high in calories, with about 40 per tablespoon.
A pump of syrup is generally about half a tablespoon, so you can get the requisite three pumps of honey blend in your Honey Almond Milk Flat White for just 60 calories.
However, although low in calories, don’t forget that Starbucks ’ honey blend does come with five grams of sugar per pump.
What Is The Difference Between Starbucks Honey And Honey Blend?
Starbucks honey blend is different from regular honey in several ways, starting with the ingredients: honey blend dilutes honey with water.
There are other ingredients as well, which are mostly additives/preservatives.
Additionally, Straight honey, is just that – honey in its natural, untampered form.
According to baristas, the real honey at Starbucks is kept in longish straws that have to be cut open, which can impede speed when work is busy.
However, the Honey blend is a syrup that can be easily pumped (one-handed, no less).
Finally, there is one more difference between honey blend and honey, and it’s a doozy: real honey can contain as much as 16 grams of sugar in a single tablespoon.
Thanks to the honey blend being a diluted mixture, it only contains about five grams of sugar per pump.
Can You Buy Starbucks Honey Blend?
If you’re fond of Starbucks’ honey blend syrup, you actually can purchase it in stores!
See here for the listing on Walmart’s website, where they are selling it in one-liter bottles (for a whopping $35).
You can also find some nutritional information under the product description – namely that there are 80 calories per two-tablespoon serving.
To learn more about Starbucks, you can also read our posts on Starbucks toppings, what oat milk does Starbucks use, and Starbucks yogurt.
Conclusion
Starbucks honey blend is a kind of “honey alternative.” It’s a syrup mix of honey, water, and other ingredients that come in a pump bottle for easy dispensing.
Honey blend is used to flavor and sweeten Starbucks beverages such as the plant-based Honey Almond milk Flat White, and the Oat Milk Honey Latte.
