The Disgusting Problem With Starbucks' New Protein Lattes

Last week, Starbucks jumped on the protein bandwagon and started offering protein-boosted milk as an option for your lattes. Tick this on the app or tell the barista, and you'll get an extra 27 to 36 grams of protein in your drink and your diet. Sounds great, right? Well, here's the thing: as people started ordering these protein-pumped drinks, they ran into a pretty gross problem: the foam started curdling so badly that it actually became a solid chunk on top of the drink.

Over the past week, social media has been flooded with photos and videos reviewing Starbucks' protein lattes, and they don't look pretty. People have been bringing their drinks home only to discover a "protein float" on top of their coffee with a texture that looks unsettlingly like mashed potatoes. In some particularly nasty cases, like one viral TikTok, the protein foam congealed so much that the person had to literally spoon out their drink one scoop at a time. One Redditor (who was one of the earliest to flag the problem) shared to Starbucks' subreddit a photo of their thickened protein latte and described theirs as having the consistency of oatmeal. And if you're thinking the easy solution is to just slap the lid on and ignore the curdled mess? The protein foam can get so thick that people haven't been able to suck anything through a straw at all.

Starbucks hasn't officially addressed the issue yet, but the internet has some pretty solid theories as to why this is happening. In the vast majority of these horror stories, the protein foam is layered on top of a hot drink. You see, when high-protein milk meets heat, the proteins within it become warped (denatured) and separate, and clump together. Those lumps you're seeing? Yeah, that's literally protein clumping up in your coffee. This actually is a phenomenon that's well-known enough that some people mentioned they'd been skeptical of the drink from the very start — and lo and behold, they were right.

One Redditor, who claimed to be a barista, pointed out that it seems like baristas have gone against the recipe. The trick, apparently, is mixing protein milk with regular milk before steaming — not just steaming straight protein milk. That way, you avoid the curdling but still get the protein. Since this is brand new to the menu, though, it's totally understandable that baristas are still figuring it out.

If you end up with an unexpectedly chunky protein latte, just take it back and ask for a remake, as the company gave us this statement on the matter: "We always want customers to enjoy their Starbucks experience. If a beverage doesn't meet expectations, we encourage customers to let their barista know so the drink can be remade. Our goal is to make it right every time." But honestly, if you want to avoid the whole mess, order it iced. You'll be way less likely to end up with a protein sludge (or just order a venti mocha!)