What Starbucks Offers
Dairy comes as whole, 2% and nonfat, with 2% as the default in most hot drinks and whole milk as the default in Frappuccino builds. Non dairy comes as oat, almond, soy and coconutmilk. Heavy cream and half and half sit behind the counter for people who ask.
At most locations the non dairy swap carries no charge. That has not always been the case and it varies at licensed stores, which set their own pricing.
How Each One Behaves
Oat milk steams closest to dairy and holds a stable microfoam, which is why it has become the default recommendation for lattes and flat whites. It also carries more calories than the other non dairy options, so it is the richest swap rather than the lightest.
Almond milk is the lightest by a clear margin and gives a thinner body with a faint nutty note. Soy is the sweetest and steams well. Coconutmilk is the one that changes the flavour most, which is why it appears in the Refresher builds where that flavour is the point.
The Allergen Trade
A dairy swap can introduce a different allergen rather than removing one. Almond and coconut are both tree nut ingredients, and soy is a major allergen in its own right. For someone avoiding dairy and nuts together, oat or soy are the options that work.
All milks are steamed on shared wands, so cross contact runs in both directions regardless of what you order. The allergen guide covers this in more detail.
What a Milk Swap Does Not Fix
Toppings are where dairy reappears. Whipped cream is dairy. Most cold foams are built on milk or cream. Several sauces, including white chocolate mocha sauce and caramel drizzle, contain dairy. Oat milk on its own does not make a drink dairy free.
The full ingredient tree on every item page here lists what is actually in the build, which is the reliable way to check rather than assuming the milk was the only dairy in the cup.
