How to Order Vegan at Peet’s Coffee

Coffee lovers in California know that Peet’s is a sound choice when it comes to vegan-friendly coffee. The slightly sweet and dark roasted blends are unique and refreshing. Visiting Peet’s Coffee is a little like being a kid in a candy store––it’s so hard to decide which brew-tiful beans to try.

In April 1966, Alfred Peet opened his first coffee shop near the University of California’s campus. His aim was to create a blend of coffee that people would truly enjoy, unlike the conventional coffee that they were currently drinking. “I came to the richest country in the world, so why are they drinking the lousiest coffee?”

After trial and error, as well as ignoring his mother’s advice, he finally found the perfect method to appease his coffee madness. The company now offers over 40 exclusive coffee blends, as well as more than 44 tasty and tempting teas from Mighty Leaf. Definitely something to suit every taste and please most palates.

Vegan Options at Peet’s Coffee

We hope that this list of vegan-friendly menu items will help you make better choices when ordering in person or online. Although the range of locations of Peet’s Coffee is currently on the smaller side (about 200 over 11 states in the U.S.), you can easily place an order on their website and they’ll ship a bag of beans right to your door. You can make some mug-nificent Peet’s Coffee in the comfort of your own home.

NEWLY UPDATED! Vegan Sandwiches

• Everything Plant-Based Sandwich – An everything bagel thin topped with a folded JUST Egg and Beyond Breakfast Sausage, all covered with a luscious layer of Violife vegan cheddar cheese. This new menu item is the first vegan breakfast sandwich with plant-based eggs to roll out nationwide. Egg-citing! 
• Mediterranean Flatbread – A crispy lavash bread filled with JUST Egg, Violife vegan cheese, herby pesto, kale, tomatoes, and sliced bell peppers.
• Also, you can always grab a plain or everything bagel. You may want to bring your own

Vegan Cookies & Scones

The baked good offerings at Peet’s varies, but they usually have something vegan, even if it’s not labeled. Always ask! Sometimes they will even have specific vegan cookies that they keep behind the counter (which they’ve been doing for many years). If they ever have their vegan ginger cookies available, you’ve gotta try them. They’re A++. 

• Ask about any vegan cookies or scones available on the day you visit! 

Plant-Based Milk Options

We’re happy to share that Peet’s offers three types of nondairy milk options by Pacific Barista:

• Almond Milk
• Oat Milk
• Soy Milk

Vegan Beverages

Most of the beverages can be made vegan by either having black or requesting a plant-based milk instead of dairy milk. The whipped cream and caramel sauce are not vegan, so be careful when ordering. 

• Hot Coffee
• Iced Coffee
• Hot Tea
• Iced Tea  

Vegan Grab & Go Items

• Fresh Fruit
• Fruit & Nut Medley
• Nut Trail Mix
• Sencha Moroccan Mints
• Simply Oatmeal

NOTE: Most of these items vary from state to state. You can download the nutritional information for these items here. 

Vegan-Friendly Beverage Sauces

Though the caramel sauce and whipped cream contain dairy, there are other options that you may not be know about. These sauces add a little sweetness to your favorite hot or cold drink.

• Brown Sugar Jelly
• House-made Chocolate Sauce
• Dark Chocolate Sauce
• Pumpkin Sauce (seasonal)

Beverages That Cannot Be Made Vegan

Peet’s Coffee does not indicate why these specific drinks cannot be made vegan, but here are the ones that they listed as no-gos. 

• Javivas
• Havana Cappuccinos
• Black Ties

Prepare Your Own Personalized Coffee Experience

Eating or drinking vegan at Peet’s Coffee doesn’t have to be confusing. Try out these tips below to make your coffee shop experience more satisfying.

• Carry Your Own Creamer – Can’t live without your creamer? We understand! Consider carrying a small container of your own to curb your craving. While Coffee-Mate has offered plant-based creamers for some time, there are so many incredible options out there to choose from. We love this vegan coffee creamer lineup by Plant You that lists her favorites.
• Slip in Some Syrup – For all of you who adore a little bit of sweetness in your iced coffee or tea, we suggest trying out some of Monin syrups. These syrups are all dairy-free and also free of many of the top allergenic ingredients.
• Nothing Beats a Homemade Treat – While Peet’s usually has at least one vegan-friendly baked item, it’s not a guarantee. If you can’t resist having a wee snack with your warm cup of coffee (or tea), just bring your own from home. That way, you can break it out as soon as your beverage is brought to you. My favorite treats are our date & walnut truffles, oatmeal cookies, and lemon pistachio quinoa cookies—deelicious!

Helpful Hints When Ordering Vegan at Peet’s Coffee

• Browse the Peet’s Coffee website before ordering. Check out their response concerning vegan beverages. Unfortunately, their nutritional guides vary by state, especially for the food. You can check out the list here.
• If ordering vegan through Peet’s Coffee website or online service, make sure you clearly specify any substitutions you need to make, especially concerning any potential dairy items, like plant-based milks or cheeses. If you’re worried that your request may be overlooked, then it may be a better idea to call or go there directly to order.

Fun Facts About Peet’s Coffee

• The first group of cult followers of Peet’s Coffee were called “Peetniks.”
• Starbucks founder, Jerry Baldwin, left and then returned to Peet’s and is still on the Board of Directors.
• Peet’s holds a nationwide barista competition for its employees each year.

Want More Vegan Options at Peet’s Coffee?

Let them know! Your voice matters. Request more plant-based beverages and savory treats. Write them, message them on social media, talk to the manager of your local branch. Trust us, they are listening, and the more they hear it, the faster they’ll evolve.

How to Order Vegan at Other Chains

• For consistent coffeehouse lovers, you’ll find all you need to know about vegan options in this Dunkin’ Donuts Vegan Guide, Vegan Guide to Starbucks, and Vegan Guide to Panera Bread.
• If you’ve got breakfast on the brain, dive deep into our How to Order Vegan at IHOP, Denny’s Vegan, and Einstein Bros Bagels Vegan guides!
• Craving the perfect vegan pizza? How about giving California Pizza Kitchen, Domino’s, Papa John’s, Papa Murphy’s, or Pizza Hut a try?

Be sure to visit our vegan fast food guide for a complete list of fast food restaurants that offer vegan options and how to navigate the menu at each. 

Have you found any other options to be veganizable? Did you find something amazing that we missed? Let us know by tagging #worldofvegan and sharing your favorite vegan-at-PeetsCoffee creations with all of us!

This article is not sponsored and we are in no way affiliated with Peet’s Coffee. At the time of this article, the foods mentioned above are vegan. Since coffee shops constantly update their menus and add or take away items, please keep this in mind when ordering your beverage or food. There may be new items that are vegan and not listed or items listed here as vegan, which are no longer vegan. Take care to double-check.

This guide to ordering vegan at Peets was written by Gina House and edited by Amanda Meth.Content copyright World of Vegan, all rights reserved. Cover photo from Canva.com designed by Michelle Cehn. This article may include affiliate links when available and shopping through these links supports World of Vegan.