I recently ordered a Starbucks drink that had ‘honey blend’ in its description.
And although it was very yummy, it got me wondering, what exactly is honey blend? o we looked into it, and this is what we found…
What Is Starbucks Honey Blend?
Starbucks use a honey syrup to flavour a number of their hand crafted drinks, and this syrup is known as their “honey blend”. It is one of many flavours Starbucks use to create their dynamic and ever changing range of artisan drinks.
This article looks at the Starbucks honey blend syrup: what it is, what it’s used for, and what you can use in place of it (if it’s just not your thing).
What Ingredients Are In Starbucks Honey Blend?
Starbucks honey blend, which is 64% honey, is made with honey, water, natural flavors, potassium sorbate, xanthan gum, and citric acid. It is blended and bottled for convenience and is also sold at Walmart in one litre containers.
Starbucks honey blend was created to produce a “sweet and easy drink blending process”. In other words, it mixes quickly, smoothly, and effectively into drinks.
This is especially useful for baristas, who, working under pressure, must make multiple drinks quickly and accurately, and without spillage.
Normal honey is not useful because it does not dissolve properly into the drink.
What Do Starbucks Use Honey Blend For?
Starbucks add honey blend to a number of their specialty drinks. It adds flavour, sweetness, and texture to the finished drink.
Drinks at Starbucks made using honey blend include:
- The honey bee cold brew
- Honey oatmeal latte
- Almondmilk honey flat white
You May Also Be Interested In: What Oat Milk Does Starbucks Use?
Is Starbucks Honey Blend Sweet?
The honey blend used at Starbucks is a very sweet syrup. However, the amount of sugar you consume from the honey blend depends on how much of it is added to your drink.
For example, Starbucks offer different sized drinks, and each of these use different amounts of honey blend and possibly other syrups as well.
- Tall – uses three pumps of syrup
- Grande – uses 4 pumps of syrup
- Venti – can use 5 or 6 pumps of syrup
Each pump of honey blend syrup adds 5g of sugar (about 20 calories).
Which Is Better: Starbucks Honey Blend Or Starbucks Honey Packets?
At Starbucks, you can ask for honey to be added to any drink you like during the drink making process. The additional packet honey is free. The addition of honey (rather than a honey syrup flavoured drink) appeals to many specialty drink connoisseurs.
The honey the baristas will use come in single use 3g plastic packets and is commonly used anyway for hot drinks which blend evenly (unlike cold drinks).
Starbucks also offer the option of agave syrup, and you can ask for this to be added to your drink at no additional cost.
What Is Agave Syrup?
Agave syrup comes from the agave plant, a type of cactus which grows in warm climates such as Mexico and in the southwestern United States.
Agave syrup production appealed to advocates of organic produce because it is high in fructose (or fruit sugar) and is about one and a half times sweeter than table sugar.
This means you can use less of it to achieve the same thing.
However, because fructose is metabolized by the liver ( unlike sucrose, which is metabolized by the mitochondria of all cells), eating high amounts of fructose can put pressure on the liver.
Therefore, it is important to consume agave syrup is small quantities, as with any sugar products.
Has The Starbucks Honey Blend Been Discontinued?
Starbucks has not discontinued their honey blend syrup or the use of it to flavour their drinks. However, supplies of Starbucks honey blend do not always remain steady.
There are certain drinks that become unavailable for a range of reasons, and this problem can apply at any time to any of the ingredients used at Starbucks. In June of 2021, Starbucks honey blend hit a supply issue, which the company hope to rectify as soon as possible.
- Supply issues
Unfortunately, supply and shipping issues have become common during recent years. These can be caused by lack of staff, lack of workers, lack of produce, and lack of delivery options. When this happens, certain drinks will be discontinued for an “unforeseen” amount of time.
- Demand issues
Starbucks regularly scrutinize the demand for their hand crafted drinks. When demand for a certain drink is low, Starbucks may remove it from their menu. Sometimes Starbucks claim that a retirement of a certain drink is not permanent, and the drink may return if the demand does.
Starbucks are also continually experimenting with new drinks and pride themselves on introducing new and original recipes for their consumer community. Old drinks must make way for new.
- Seasonal reasons
Certain Starbucks hand crafted drinks are seasonal anyway. These drinks include the Christmas and Halloween beverages, which are introduced to coincide with each holiday.
Want to learn more about Starbucks? Check out these posts to learn if Starbucks sells Boba Tea, does Starbucks sell decaf iced coffees, and does Starbucks Chai Tea contain caffeine
Conclusion…
Starbucks honey blend is a honey flavoured syrup which was crafted for Starbucks baristas to create better honey flavoured drinks, more accurately, and more efficiently and without compromising on taste.