Coffee Iced Starbucks Latte Guide: Sizes Shots and Orders

An iced latte at Starbucks is espresso shots poured over ice, then filled with cold milk. The milk is 2% by default, and there is no sweetener or syrup unless you add one. That makes the plain version a clean, milky coffee that tastes like espresso softened with cold dairy.

The barista pulls the espresso, adds ice to the cup, pours the shots, then tops it up with milk. Size changes the cup and the shots. A Tall is 12 ounces, a Grande is 16 ounces and a Venti is 24 ounces when iced.

Here is what you get at a glance:

• Espresso: Signature roast by default, with Blonde available.
• Milk: 2% unless you pick another.
• Sweetness: none added.
• Caffeine: yes, from the espresso shots.
• Served cold, over ice, in Tall, Grande or Venti.

Our menu data has no listed item for the plain Iced Caffè Latte, so there is no price here. Prices vary by store, size, milk and add-ons, and delivery-app prices run higher than prices at the counter.

The plain iced latte is a blank canvas. If you like a drink that tastes of coffee and milk with no sugar, order it as is. If you want a treat, the same base can become a vanilla, caramel or brown sugar drink with one request.

Starbucks Latte Iced vs Hot Latte: Ice, Milk Volume and Size

The iced version and the hot one use the same idea but behave differently in the cup. Ice takes up room, so an iced drink holds less milk than a hot drink of the same name. A hot Grande has 16 ounces of liquid, while an iced Grande has 16 ounces of liquid and ice combined.

Size also works differently. The hot Venti is 20 ounces and holds two shots. The iced Venti is 24 ounces and holds three shots, so it has more caffeine than the hot one. A hot latte also has a layer of foam on top, while the iced one does not.

Iced lattes taste lighter because cold dulls sweetness and bitterness a little. That is also why people add a pump or two of syrup to iced drinks more often than to hot ones. If you drink slowly, the ice melts and thins the flavor, so ask for light ice if you want it stronger. A bigger cup is not always better here: a Venti iced latte has plenty of ice, and the extra shot is what you are really paying for. For the hot version, read about the hot caffè latte.

The iced latte works as a base for a whole family of drinks. These drinks fall into three groups: the plain version, flavored versions built with a syrup, and seasonal versions that appear for a few weeks at a time.

The plain latte has no flavor. A vanilla iced latte adds vanilla syrup, which gives a soft, familiar sweetness. A brown sugar version adds a syrup with deep, molasses-like notes, often paired with cinnamon. Caramel adds caramel syrup, and a caramel drizzle on top adds more.

Seasonal versions come and go. Pumpkin in fall, peppermint and other holiday flavors in winter, and fruit or tropical twists in summer all show up as limited-time iced lattes. Which ones you see depends on when you order and on the store. When one is on the menu, it is usually a regular iced latte with a seasonal syrup, sauce or cold foam added.

How is it different from a shaken espresso? A shaken espresso is shaken with ice and syrup, then finished with milk poured on top, so it is stronger and has a frothy top. If you like that style, read about the iced brown sugar shaken espresso.

Treat flavored drinks as a starting point, because the standard recipe is built to please a wide crowd rather than you specifically. Ask for fewer pumps if the standard amount is too sweet. Standard pump counts for iced drinks are three in a Tall, four in a Grande and six in a Venti.

If you want to explore more cold options after this, the complete Starbucks menu by category lists everything, and the iced coffee page covers cold brew and more. That is a good next stop after you have looked through the Starbucks iced latte drinks above.

One more tip on seasonal flavors: if a limited-time latte is gone by the time you visit, you can usually rebuild the taste. Ask for the plain iced latte, then add the closest regular syrup and a topping you like. It will not match the original exactly, but it gets close.

Iced Latte Caramel: Caramel Syrup vs Caramel Drizzle

To order the caramel version, ask for an Iced Caffè Latte with caramel syrup. The syrup is stirred through the drink, so every sip tastes a little sweet and buttery. Caramel drizzle is a different thing: it is a thick sauce streaked on top or inside the cup, and it adds sweetness mostly at the top.

You can ask for either one or both. Syrup gives an even taste. Drizzle gives bursts of caramel and looks good. If you want the fullest caramel taste, ask for both and say how many pumps of syrup you want.

This is not the same as an iced caramel macchiato. The layered iced caramel macchiato uses vanilla syrup, milk, ice and espresso poured on top, then caramel drizzle. The espresso sits on top and slowly mixes in, so the first sip is stronger. In a caramel iced latte, everything is mixed from the start.

Each pump of syrup adds calories and sugar, and caramel drizzle adds a little more. Ask for half the pumps if you want a lighter drink.

A Grande with 2% milk is commonly listed at about 130 calories. Smaller and larger sizes scale with the amount of milk, since the plain drink has no added sugar.

The table below shows the caffe latte iced figures most often published for 2% milk.

Sugar and fat come almost entirely from milk. One nutrition database lists a Tall at around 3 to 4 grams of fat and about 8 grams of sugar, all from lactose. A flavored version adds more sugar with every pump of syrup.

Milk changes the numbers. Nonfat milk lowers calories and fat. Whole milk raises both. Almond milk is usually the lowest in calories, and oat milk sits near or a bit above 2%. Coconut and soy milk land in the middle, depending on the brand. Starbucks posts figures in its app, which is the most reliable place to check an exact build.

Numbers shown here come from published Starbucks values as repeated by nutrition trackers. They can differ a little between sources, so treat them as a guide.

Caffeine in an iced latte depends on the number of espresso shots, not on the size of the cup. A Tall has one shot, a Grande has two and a Venti has three.

Each Signature shot has about 75 mg of caffeine, and each Blonde shot about 85 mg. Blonde is lighter in color and flavor but slightly stronger. An extra shot adds roughly 75 mg. That makes a Grande iced latte about 150 mg with Signature, or about 170 mg with Blonde.

How does that compare with other iced coffees? Here is the Grande range:

Starbucks says caffeine figures are approximate, because beans and equipment change the result. If you want more kick, add a shot. If you want less, order half-caff or a decaf shot. The Starbucks cold brew page explains why that drink sits higher on the list.

Yes. A skinny iced latte today means cutting sugar and calories yourself, and a plain iced latte is already a good place to start because it has no added sweetener. Most of the sugar in a plain one is natural lactose from milk.

If you add syrup, here are the easiest changes:

• Nonfat milk or almond milk cuts calories and fat.
• Fewer pumps cut sugar. Ask for one or two instead of the standard count.
• Sugar-free vanilla syrup, where a store has it, swaps sugar for a sweetener. Vanilla appears to be the only sugar-free syrup Starbucks currently lists.
• Skip the drizzle and whipped cream.
• Order a Tall instead of a Grande.

Pair a Starbucks latte iced order with nonfat milk and a single pump of sugar-free vanilla, and you have a light, sweet-enough drink. For more ideas, check the lower calorie Starbucks drinks page.

Sweeteners and plant milks have their own tastes, so try one change at a time. Most people notice the difference when they remove the drizzle first and cut pumps second.

Starbucks Skinny Iced Latte: What the Name Means Now

Skinny used to be a menu label for drinks made with nonfat milk and sugar-free syrup. Starbucks has removed that word from its menu, and several sugar-free syrups have been discontinued over the years. Baristas still understand the request, though.

To get a Starbucks skinny iced latte now, order it this way: "Grande iced latte, nonfat milk, sugar-free vanilla." If a store is out of sugar-free vanilla, ask for one pump of regular syrup instead of the usual four.

Check the app before you rely on any of this, since options differ by store. If you order for pickup, put the notes in the app so the barista sees them before the drink starts. A skinny build lowers sugar, but it does not change the caffeine, which comes from the espresso.

Coffee iced Starbucks drinks look alike in the cup but are made in different ways, and the difference shows up in flavor, strength and sweetness.

This table puts the coffee iced latte beside its three closest neighbors.

Taste is where the choice usually gets made. The latte is the milkiest. The Americano is the strongest and has no milk. Iced coffee is brewed, not pulled, so it tastes brighter and less rich. The iced macchiato tastes sweeter because of its vanilla syrup and caramel drizzle, and it is layered rather than mixed.

Pick the latte for creamy and mild, the Americano for sharp and bold, the macchiato for sweet and the iced coffee for fast and light. For the cold-brewed option, visit the page on Starbucks cold brew.

Every part of an iced latte can change. Here is how each swap affects the taste:

• Oat milk: creamy and slightly sweet, a good match for espresso.
• Almond milk: lighter and a bit nutty, lower in calories.
• Coconut milk: tropical and sweet, works well with vanilla or caramel.
• Soy milk: smooth and a little beany.
• Vanilla syrup: soft and familiar.
• Hazelnut or toffee nut: nutty and warm, where available.
• Caramel syrup: buttery and sweet.
• Blonde espresso: lighter and smoother, with a bit more caffeine.
• Extra shot: stronger coffee taste, about 75 mg more caffeine.
• Light ice: more drink in the cup and a stronger flavor.

Available syrups vary by store and season. Combine two things at most, such as oat milk and one pump of vanilla, so the espresso still comes through. Ask for the changes in order: size, milk, shots, syrup, ice. Keeping that order makes the order easy to follow, whether you speak it at the counter or type it into the app.

If the drink tastes watery halfway down, try light ice and an extra shot next time. If it tastes too bitter, choose Blonde espresso.

An iced latte suits you if you like coffee that is smooth, creamy and not too bitter. It is easy to drink on a warm day, and it is gentle enough for people who find black coffee too sharp.

It also suits people who want a caffeine boost without a heavy dessert drink, and people who like to tweak an order slowly over several visits until it is exactly right. Morning commuters and afternoon studiers tend to love it for the same reason: it is cold, quick and not too sweet. If you want something stronger, try a shaken espresso or an Americano. If you want something sweeter, choose a flavored version or an iced macchiato.

The base drink contains milk, so it is not dairy-free as ordered. Soy milk adds a soy allergen, and almond or coconut milk can add a tree nut allergen, depending on how it is classified. With a plant milk and no whipped cream or drizzle, the drink can be vegan, but check each syrup in the app. Shared equipment means cross-contact is possible, so tell the barista about any serious allergy when you order.

You can copy the basic drink at home with strong coffee or espresso. Brew two shots of espresso, or about a quarter cup of very strong coffee. Fill a glass with ice, pour the coffee over it, then top with cold milk. Stir and add syrup to taste.

A rough guide is one part coffee to two or three parts milk. Use a vanilla or caramel syrup for the Starbucks-style versions, and use a dark roast for a flavor that is close to Signature espresso. Oat milk gives a creamy result, and almond milk gives a lighter one.

Make the coffee ahead and chill it in the fridge, and you can skip the melting problem entirely: cold coffee over ice stays strong for much longer. Cool the coffee for a few minutes first if you want less ice to melt. A drink that sits on a counter for a minute tastes less diluted than a hot shot poured straight onto cubes.