My teenage daughter introduced me to the Starbucks® pink drink. She is a "secret menu" aficionado, and I reap the benefits of her knowledge. Sometimes her revelations are a bomb (unicorn frappuccino) but, in the case of the pink drink - she hit a home run. This baby combines Starbucks® acai refresher with coconut milk and freeze-dried strawberries. The result is a light and refreshing, strawberries and cream treat.

Pink drinks were made famous by Lady Gaga and the "Cup of Kindness" agreement to donate .25 for each one sold for a portion of time. Lady Gaga used the proceeds towards funding her Born This Way non-profit organization which benefits and empowers youth. Thank you, Ms. Gaga, for a wonderful organization and for popularizing the pink drink. In fact, it has become so popular that it has earned a permanent spot on the regular menu!

The pink drink is an excellent alternative to calorie loaded and sugar-packed frappuccinos.  A grande contains only 140 calories, and it made Redbooks list, "18 Guilt-Free Starbucks Drinks For When You're Trying to Lose Weight." It is 100% vegan and can be adapted to suit a Keto lifestyle by substituting passion tango tea, sugar-free syrup, and heavy creamer. The pink drink does contain a small amount of caffeine but, it certainly won't leave you shaking. 

This is all well and good but, it does come at a steep cost. A grande pink drink will run you $4.95 and larger sizes over $5.00 EACH! After shelling out a good chunk of change this summer for pink drinks alone, I took to the kitchen to make one at home - for the lowest cost possible. I mastered it if I do say so myself (and my daughter will testify), in fact, I think this version is even better than Starbucks®, you decide! 

Ingredients: 

• 2-3 Tbsp freeze dried strawberries
• 1/2 pouch fruit punch powdered drink flavoring
• 1 green tea Keurig® K-Cup® pod
• 1 cup ice
• 1 cup almond or coconut milk

• Brew your green tea Keurig® K-Cup® pod on the lowest setting of your brewer (preferably 6 ounces).
• Pour half a pack of fruit punch powdered drink flavoring directly into the brewed green tea. Starbucks uses their Refreshers line of products for the real thing, you can buy those on Amazon here. But, my cheaper Aldi's option works just as well!
• Stir well. 
• Add one cup of ice. 
• Add one cup of cold almond milk or coconut milk. 
• Top with freeze dried strawberries. 
• Stir or if you have used a mason jar, place the lid on top and shake well. 

You now have a perfectly balanced pink drink made in the comfort of your own home using your Keurig®  brewer and green tea K-Cup®  pods. Except that this version contains about 55 calories when made with unsweetened almond milk or 85 calories with unsweetened coconut milk. The cost? About .50 for the K-Cup®  pod. The other ingredients involve math which I do not do but, you can buy all of them and make several copycat versions of the pink drink for the same price as one at Starbucks®.

Where to buy: 

• Purchase Keurig® K-Cup® green tea here
• Starbuck Refreshers
• Freeze dried strawberries
• Reusable straws

Related articles: 

• How to make an iced Starbucks® Blonde Americano with a Keurig® brewer
• Starbucks® Blonde Latte made with a Keurig® brewer
• 10 copycat Starbucks® recipes that can be made with a Keurig® brewer

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