Protein is the star of Starbucks' newest menu launch coming September 29, 2025. You will soon be able to grab your daily fix of caffeine and macronutrients in one go. But are these protein-loaded lattes and cold foams really a step toward better health, or just Starbucks cashing in on a booming market?
The world's largest coffeehouse chain announced that the new protein-loaded lattes will be launched on September 29.
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Cold foam is already a big hit. It is creamy, light, and tops off one out of every seven Starbucks drinks sold. Now, they are adding protein to it. Roughly 15 grams per topping, even more if you order a drink built around it.
You will find flavors like banana (new), chocolate, matcha, and seasonal pumpkin or pecan. It works with almost anything cold, like coffee, tea, and Refreshers. The idea? Make a trendy product even trendier by calling it functional.
Each Grande has 27 to 36 grams of protein. Plus, you will be able to use protein milk in most drinks, like shaken espressos, even coconut milk Refreshers. That adds another 12 to 16 grams of protein to whatever you are already drinking.
Protein Does Equal Profit!
Starbucks / IG / The real protein punch comes from the new Protein Lattes. They are made with a custom protein milk, a mix of regular 2% milk and whey protein powder, pre-blended every day.
Starbucks needs to grow again. Flat sales don’t look good to investors, and this protein pivot fits into a bigger strategy called “Back to Starbucks.” It is about modernizing the menu and bringing in younger, health-focused buyers who care about what is in their cup.
Adding protein lets Starbucks raise prices. A protein latte could easily run 80 cents to $1 more than a regular one. Multiply that by millions of daily drinkers, and you have a real revenue lift.
The Protein Craze Is Real
Look at the numbers. Americans love protein. Nearly 70% say they try to eat more of it. The high-protein drink market grew 122% from 2020 to 2024. It is now worth $6 billion.
That is the market Starbucks wants a piece of.
Tim Hortons already launched its own protein latte, with 17-20 grams per cup. Starbucks is jumping in with more flavors, more grams, and more ways to customize.
Starbucks / IG / Most people don’t actually need 100 grams of protein a day. Experts say the average adult needs about 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight.
That is 46 grams for most women and 56 grams for most men.
A single Starbucks Protein Latte could give you more than half your daily needs.
That is fine if you are skipping meals or training hard. But for regular folks? That is probably more than necessary. And if you are adding it to drinks throughout the day, you could overshoot by a lot.
Some experts are calling this the “health halo” effect. Protein sounds healthy, so people think anything with protein must be good for them. That is not always true.
Is It Really Healthy?
Starbucks says its protein milk has no added sugar, which is a plus. But adding protein means more processing, which can include additives to fix the taste or texture.
There is also the opportunity cost. You are drinking a protein latte instead of eating a meal with whole foods, fiber, and other nutrients.
Starbucks sells 5 million drinks every day in the U.S. If even a fraction of those switch to protein, the numbers add up fast.
Let’s say 500,000 drinks a day get protein cold foam. That is 10,000kg of whey protein used daily. Over a year, that is over 76,000 tonnes of CO2 just from one product line.
